The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are often a flurry of activity. I love the celebratory mood and overall specialness and significance of the holiday season. But even the most organized person might find all of December’s entertaining, decorating, gift buying and family get-togethers to be a bit too frenzied. My desire to emphasis some of what’s best about December and help you through some of its challenges inspires much of what’s inside this issue. Also, there are dogs. Because no matter how Scrooge-like you may feel, our great December dog story will surely lighten your mood.
In my first weeks as editor of Edina Magazine, I met with mayor Hovland to chat about story ideas he thought Edina readers might enjoy. He’d brought a note from his wife LaRae encouraging me to meet longtime Edina resident Elvi Bankey. LaRae wrote, “[Elvi] has an amazing collection of vintage/antique Christmas decorations from all over the world… and she’s a beautiful, interesting woman in her own right.” I did get the pleasure of meeting Elvi Bankey and not only is her collection quite wonderful, Elvi’s joyful embrace of all things Christmas is infectious and heartwarming.
Also inside the December issue is a Galleria gift sampler, some cocktail recipes for entertaining, and tips for preserving relationship harmony in the midst of seasonal stress. I hope you’ll enjoy reading these and all of our great stories about Edina residents, volunteers and businesses that help make this month feel extra special.
