Q4 2025

Matt Kelly and Anne Donnelly

November '25, Long Beach Island (Credit: Meg Donnelly)

Colleen, my dear wife, recently hung a “holiday wreath” on our front door. I’m not fooled. 

But being married to me means that Colleen's life is one giant concession, so I’m satisfied to make this relatively small one. 

And I’ll admit it: I do love Christmastime. As do the rest of the Schoenbergs, and as did my grandmother of blessed memory, Yolanthe Schoenberg. Yolanthe grew up in Berlin -- yes, that Berlin -- in the 1920s, and her family would put up their annual Christmas tree in the living room, next to – probably obscuring – their Chanukah menorah. I can’t say we’ll go that far, but we’ve got a little plastic tree stored somewhere.

Beyond its foundational religious importance, Christmas also feels like an American holiday for all of us to revel in. It’s my privilege to take even further advantage of such reveling, now that I’m blessed to spend Christmas with my wonderful in-laws, the Donnellys, in Lancaster, PA.  

Lancaster is a beautiful place any time of year, but Christmastime is an especially rewarding time to go. Getting to escape the city for a few days and breathe the cool, farm air hits just right in December. 

Joining the Donnelly family and getting to partake in and cherish their holiday traditions has added immense joy to my life, and has been a tremendous strain on their lives.

Each year, I am awestruck by the quality and breadth of Christmas cookies on offer. During my first Christmas in Lancaster, I made an offhand comment about how I like the Reese’s peanut butter trees. 

So, the next year, I was greeted with a suitcase full of the tiny, edible shrubbery. Purchased, naturally, by father-in-law Dave, who, not-so-coincidentally, works for Hershey. That generosity and thoughtfulness are typical of Dave and the Donnelly family. 

That same joy goes for Donnelly Thanksgiving, held yearly at the home of, now great-grandmother (!) and family matriarch, Kay Donnelly. Kay is a remarkable woman. She doesn’t appear to sleep, has a busier schedule than anyone I know, and through her 80s has insisted on cooking most of the Thanksgiving meal alone, always with a glass of red wine in one hand and various knives in the other. 

This Thanksgiving was especially meaningful, as my sister-in-law Anne Donnelly became engaged to her now fiancé, Matt Kelly. They are a terrific couple, well-suited for each other, and I can see how happy both families have been made by the upcoming union. (Anne also ran her first marathon the week before she got engaged, so, a memorable month for her. Congratulations, Anne.) 

Also, my father and I both knew about the proposal in advance, and we kept the secret successfully. It was hard for us.



In keeping with the holiday season, please enjoy recommendations for end of year entertainment. 

The Ghost of Doctor Harris, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Photo via Google Images

I didn’t like The Scarlet Letter when I was assigned to and didn’t read it in 7th grade. In fact, it was the first book we were scheduled to discuss and write about at the beginning of the term, having been expected to finish the novel in time for the first day of class. As I may have mentioned before, I’m against summer reading.

I’d have much preferred to be assigned The Ghost of Doctor Harris; a supernatural short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, available in Otto Penzler’s anthology, The Big Book of Ghost Stories.  

At 1000 pages, this collection is wise to purchase on a Kindle or other e-reading device.

With surprising humor and confident recall, our narrator — an unnamed man — tells a first-person account of an experience he himself had with a ghost. Nine breezy pages make for an amusing, and unusual, snackable read. It won’t illicit nightmares or keep you up, and is best consumed under dim lighting to match the story’s atmosphere. 

At $5.99 on Kindle, this volume is well worth the investment, and don’t be surprised to see us go back to the Penzler well for future recommendations.

A word on free markets: I understand why this anthology containing some of the best ghost stories ever written costs less than a Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte from Starbucks, but something about that fact feels wrong.  

Paddington 2

Photo via IMDB

I watched the first 25 minutes of Paddington 2 with a seven-year-old cousin who did not enjoy the little bear and demanded we turn it off. I gave in.

Still, I stand by my fun-for-the-whole-family claim. In fairness to my cousin, Paddington 2 may be a film that’s more satisfying for adults, which will also delight (most) youth, thanks to the splendid visuals, heartwarming sentiment, and straightforward but effective plot. 

The story is a quest for truth and a treasure hunt. Paddington is voiced superbly by Ben Whishaw, and the Browns, the bear’s adopted family, are stocked with the talents of Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins in parental roles.  

The performances are broad and delightful, particularly Hugh Grant’s scenery-chewing antics as the villainous, egocentric, and has-been actor Phoenix Buchanon. A few other stars are sprinkled throughout the cast, including Brendan Gleeson as the hardened criminal chef, Knuckles McGinty. 

The set design is largely attractive and at times stunning. Look out for an incredible scene featuring a pop-up book landscape with 2D animation. 

There are plenty of laughs, too. The best physical comedy in entertainment happens in animation these days, and the film delivers some quality moments.

You don’t need to have seen the first Paddington movie (I haven’t) to dive right in and gobble up this treat. A perfect group watch on a cold December evening. 

Assorted Reese's

Schoenberg Kitchen (Credit: Colleen Schoenberg)

I’ve heard adults muse that candy tasted better when they were young. I disagree. 

Indoctrinated into the cult of Hershey’s at a young age, Colleen is the true expert.

I’m pleased to offer our breakdown and ranking of the following seven Hershey's peanut butter products: Original, Big Cup, Thin, Miniature Wrapped, Mini Unwrapped, Tree, and Crème Egg. 

Colleen Ranking:

1) Classic: no notes; cannot be improved.

2) Tree: holiday shapes! more PB! fun!

3)-tie Big Cup: shamelessly large.

3)-tie Minis Unwrapped: eat 'em like popcorn.

4) Mini Wrapped: nostalgic, but not as good as I remember.

5) Thin: what's even the point.

6) Crème Egg: subpar consumption method (this is not about you, Reese's Easter egg. You are perfect.)

Noah Ranking:

1) Mini Unwrapped: by the handful, no fuss.

2) Crème Egg: best filling, thickest shell.

3) Tree: see Colleen notes.

4) Original: measuring stick; middle of the order.

5) Thin: palatable.

6) Big Cup: shamefully large.

7) Mini Wrapped: terrific hassle, little value.

If you’d like to send me comments or your own recommendations, please do so through my website.

I encourage you to forward this newsletter to anyone you think may be interested; they can sign up for NCQ via: subscribe.

As you embark on your own traditions and celebrations, I hope that a little additional light finds its way into your life, as we all prepare to say goodbye to the first quarter of this century. 

Happy Chanukah, and Merry Christmas. 

Until next year, next quarter, and next quarter century, my friends. 

On the first night of Chanukah in Sydney, Australia, terrorists murdered at least 15 people and injured many more, during a candle lighting ceremony on Bondi Beach.

The youngest victim, Matilda, was 10 years old. Matilda's parents, Valentyna and Michael, have asked us to remember her name.

Matilda, may the bright lights of Chanukah and Christmas illuminate your name.