FOOD BOX ITEM Day 16....Box of rice
SPREADING HOLIDAY CHEER
DAY 16....Give bell ringer a beverage
Holiday Word of the Day....CHESTNUTS
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Chestnuts what can anyone say about them.
I was never a fan. Now my step-dad enjoyed them during the Christmas and New Years holidays. I tasted them once all I can say is yuck; I did try again in my teen years, double yuck. No doubt they are an acquired taste. Give me cashews, walnuts or almonds and peanuts and I’m happy.
Why do we only hear about them at Christmas? Sure they’re available all year. As an adult maybe and this is a big maybe I should try to give them another chance.
I wrote my piece today about my thoughts on them.
Have you been out and about where there is a bell ringer? If you see one buy them a beverage today. In the states where it’s cold how about a cup of coffee or hot chocolate; in states where it’s warmer, a cold beverage would be a nice gesture. Over the years I’ve done this. Came out of the store with a cold bottle of water or two. Those who were recipients were grateful.
Today I’m adding some Christmas gift and such memories. As I wrote them up somehow a commercial I see every year at this time triggered a funny memory. I’ll be telling the story as I recall it, as it happened when I was in the first grade but for some reason I remembered years ago and again yesterday. It involves Hershey kisses.
Until tomorrow....enjoy the day. I have few cards to deliver by hand today; and as always Stay Safe.
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GIFTS and SUCH at CHRISTMAS
This is a collection of small Christmas activities and giving of items over the years.
I remember one Christmas Jimmy decided to give gag gifts to family members. He purchased twelve packs of toilet paper and six packs of paper towels. He wrapped them for each of the adult kids. They received these before the real gifts purchased. Neither said a word they just gave him a nasty look after opening. Now I’m sure they no doubt would appreciate such a gift today. The younger daughter, still in her teens, lived at home received another type of gag gift. She received a hand crafted dust mop we found at a craft event, cleaning supplies in a stocking for her to use in her bedroom. She got quite upset to say the least. Now that she’s the parent of three, with her oldest being twelve, sure she understands where her father was coming from with that gift.
He didn’t do gag gifts again for years, until we purchased Christmas themed boxer shorts and Christmas tee shirts for everyone one year. We actually got these on sale right after Christmas one year; put them away till the following December. Everyone did enjoy these items.
As for my give away gag gifts, one year I found something that would be welcomed today. I purchased several three packs of small bottles of hand sanitizer. I wrapped each in gift wrap, put a small tag on each that read:
You’ve been naughty all year
This is true, so Santa is going
To wash his hands of you
Clean up your act for next year
To say a few people were miffed, yes they were. No doubt they’d be happy this year for the hand sanitizer.
My favorite was giving lumps of coal. We gave a veteran friend who use to deejay karaoke a lump one year. Every year he’d get a little stocking with a piece of imitation coal. It actually started out as a joke. I left it on the table when he wasn’t looking. He ended up tying it to one of the microphone stands. The following year I did the same. He actually ended up with about eight lumps of coal over the years. He mentioned this the other day he always enjoyed getting the coal.
One year I recall an individual wanted to pay me for bags of the snowman and reindeer poop as they wanted them for family members. I could not see taking money for something I was doing in fun; but I did not turn down the drinks they bought me.
I once had to take a $10 gift to a holiday party. Jimmy decided not to attend but I went. What I did was make up a tiny bucket of miniature bottles (10 to be exact) of different whiskey I had purchased; and got a $10 gift card from the liquor store. I know the gift was more than the required amount but the miniature bottles were ones I had gotten a few weeks prior just to have. What happened was you get a number; when you’re number was drawn you take a gift and open it. If you don’t like your gift you can take someone else’s and they get yours. It was fun. The odd thing was someone got my gift I brought. They said this is cheesy not realizing that the gift card was there. It went around to about ten others until the game over. I heard remarks about just getting little bottles of whiskey was cheap but the person who ended up with it realized the gift card and made a statement that it was not cheesy or cheap. There were the little bottles plus a few miniature Hershey chocolates, a shot glass and the gift card. I would have been happy to get it back. Some of the items people brought were an iron, tool box, beer mug and six pack, a set of holiday dish towels and pot holders, small crockpot as well as few bottles of alcohol. I ended up with bottle of vodka. It was a fun game and one must realize just because a gift is small, it possible has value. After all my item was thought out, where perhaps someone was regifting an iron or crock pot.
A few years ago we went to another of these events. I put the gift bags together for both of us. Jimmy and I did not stay at the party and told the coordinator of the event to give our gifts we’d receive to anyone who would enjoy them. That reason we were in our way to another event at another club.
Last year and year prior I ran the ugly Christmas sweater/shirt/tee shirt/sweatshirt contest at one of my veterans clubs. Some people do go all out for the funkiest/ugliest that is for sure. Too bad we won’t be holding the event this year; I’d include ugliest Christmas face mask.
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CHESTNUTS MY THOUGHTS
Nat King Cole sang about them roasting on
an open fire
Longfellow wrote about the tree where
underneath stands the village blacksmith
I’ve seen them eaten in many a holiday
movie
My step-dad liked them boiled
I hate them....YUCK
Perhaps as an adult I need to give them a
second chance
There is nutritional benefits to the chestnut
No doubt they are an acquired taste
Never hear of anyone enjoying them except
at Christmastime
Probably why today we celebrate today and
not in July
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