Holiday Greetings from In Becky's Words

 

I didn't send out Christmas cards this year. I didn't get around to it. 

 

I'm sure many folks were waiting with bated breath for my annual form letter, as one does. If you count yourself among the disappointed ones, this blog post is for you. 

 

Even if you were relieved to have one less family Christmas letter to read, this post is also for you. 

Welcome to Becky's Holiday Update.

 

AT SCHOOL

Every year, I take my classes caroling around the school building on the last day before winter break. It evolved out of the question, "What can I do with my classes this close to the break, and how can I preserve my sanity at the same time?" 

It has since become an annual tradition at my school. 

Last year, school was virtual, and we had to skip a year. This year, the sixth graders begged to help take the younger classes caroling. 

 

This was the group of kids who, when they were in third grade, came caroling with me in the morning, and I later found them caroling around the playground during recess.

In other words, they loved caroling and, as sixth graders, this was their last chance. I made arrangements with their teachers, and they joined my first and third grade classes. 

And let me tell you, these big kids were so cute and sweet with the littles. It was one of the most rewarding moments of my week.

 

  

CHRISTMAS EVE

Two days later, it was Christmas Eve. My husband, Dan, and I went jogging in the morning, before I was due at Christmas Eve rehearsals and services.

 

CHRISTMAS DAY

Not too long ago, I wrote about my rock star aspirations 

 

My Christmas gift from Dan put me one step closer to reaching this goal as a middle-aged music teacher.

 

 

Of course, I'm telling everyone it's for school. In reality, the kids are going to have to fight Mrs. Duggan for a chance to play. 

 

(Disclaimer: I'm kidding. I don't fight children.)

 

The snowman advent calendar told us it was Christmas Day, which meant one thing this year.

 

We were going to see Hamilton!  

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you might remember we saw Hamilton twice, within two weeks of each other, during its Northwest tour in Portland and Salt Lake City. We love it that much. 

This year, it came to Boise, after being rescheduled (for reasons I'm sure you can guess), and we were able to see it live for a third time . . . on Christmas day. 

 

Best. Present. Ever.

 

It was absolutely amazing once again. We spent the day after Christmas listening to the Original Broadway Cast Album, and we will probably watch it on Disney+ again sometime this week.

Seriously. It's. So. Good.

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.

Anniversary Weekend Fun

It's anniversary time once again! 

 

 

Technically, our anniversary is today, but we celebrated it over the weekend. I still have three days of school left before break, and I need to be alert and ready for anything. Anyone who is or has been a teacher at this time of the year knows what I'm talking about. 

 

When Dan and I got married eighteen years ago, the minister told us to be prepared to never celebrate our anniversary on the actual day, especially since we were getting married so close to Christmas. (And being a musician/music teacher at this time of the year compounds the craziness of the season tenfold.) 

Fun fact: The minister married us on his anniversary. He was speaking from experience.

This year, Dan and I, both of us fully vaccinated and boosted, actually went out for our anniversary. 

 

Here are some of our anniversary weekend highlights.

 

We ate at our favorite downtown restaurant, the same one Dan took me to the night he proposed, and ordered our special dessert. It has been our dessert tradition for eighteen years now.

 

We walked downtown and took our obligatory anniversary photo in front of the tree on the Grove. (We probably have eighteen of these.) There was a hockey game at the arena, but I think we blocked out most of the people standing in line.

Then we saw All Is Calm, a theater production about the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I. It was a beautiful joint venture between our local opera and one of the professional theater companies.

 

The theater looks empty, but we were early. It was a packed house.

 

We ended the night with a drive through a couple of neighborhoods. We looked at Christmas lights while listening to a "Best Indie Alternative Rock Christmas" playlist on Spotify. 

 

We're still Gen-Xers after all.

 

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.

Thanksgiving Cookin'

This Thanksgiving, we didn't cook a turkey. I'm a (mostly) vegetarian anyway, but I will cook a turkey on Thanksgiving (preferably from a farm with environmentally and animal friendly practices) if it's just the two of us. 

 

But this year, my husband, Dan, and I were out of town until that Wednesday, and on Thanksgiving morning, we ran in a Turkey Day 5K. There wasn't enough time to defrost and cook a turkey.

 

Dan was on call at his work for the holiday, which meant I finally had a chance to make my mother's Thanksgiving dishes since I was the only cook in the kitchen.

 

We started the morning with the raspberry coffee cake my mother would get from Albertsons. No cooking required, my favorite kind of dish. 

 

To my surprise and delight, this particular coffee cake still exists. It's been over twenty years.

 

 

Of course in true Becky Let's-Get-This-Over-With fashion, I figured I would throw everything together Thanksgiving day, and I didn’t look at the recipes ahead of time. 

 

Some of the directions included things like “chill overnight” or “let rise for 3-5 hours,” and I just ignored all of that the best I could.

 

When I was getting ready to put the salad together, I realized I had a can of bamboo shoots instead of water chestnuts. 

 

I sent Dan to the grocery to pick up the correct ingredient. (Not to throw him under the bus or anything, but Dan had done all of the grocery shopping that week. Just sayin' . . .)

 

 

Next, I overflowed the broth and raw egg mixture for the cornbread dressing, unleashing a potential cesspool of salmonella all over the kitchen counter. 

 

That was totally my bad. But Dan cleaned that mess up for me too.
 

I, on the other hand, yelled, "I HAVE TO GO MEDITATE NOW!" and left him to do all of the cleaning.

 

Despite a few unhinged moments and some halfhearted preparation, I did end up with successful dishes from my mother's Thanksgiving menu. I added veggie sausage to her dressing recipe, turning it into an entree, since I didn't cook a turkey. 

 

Mom's Seven Layered Salad

 

Mom's Cornbread Dressing

 

I made it through without burning anything down. So there's that.

 

But all of that cooking left me exhausted, and I wondered if it was worth making that much food for just the two of us.

 

 

I decided it was when I didn't have to cook for the next three days. Funny how everything tasted better as leftovers.

 

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.