Christmas 2008
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home
God Bless Our Service People Wherever They May Be!
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The Mistletoe Ball At The Petroleum Club (December 13th)
Mistletoe post card circa 1900
Mistletoe is the common name for a group of hemi-parasitic plants in the
order Santalales that grow attached to and within the branches of a tree
or shrub. Parasitism evolved only nine times in the plant kingdom; of
those, the parasitic mistletoe habit has evolved independently five
times: Misodendraceae, Loranthaceae, Santalaceae (formerly considered
the separate family Eremolepidaceae), and Santalaceae (formerly treated
as the separate family Viscaceae). Although Viscaceae and
Eremolepidaceae were placed in a broadly-defined Santalaceae by
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2, they originated independently, according
to DNA sequences analysed by Dan Nickrent, Southern Illinois University.
The word 'mistletoe' is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to
German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, but Old English mistel was
also used for basil.
An old Christian tradition said that mistletoe was once a tree and furnished the wood of the Cross. After the Crucifixion, the plant shriveled and became dwarfed to a parasitic vine.
Mistletoe is a poisonous plant that causes acute gatrointestinal problems including stomach pain, and diarrhea along with low pulse.
At The Dance...
Earl pays our table a visit
Ray Ashcraft and Nick Thomas discuss the season
Aunt Kaye strikes up a conversation with Dennis & Diane
Topper's everywhere
Nick, Dean and Laurie
Oh dear.. Is Jim in trouble or did Jan see someone make an incorrect step on the
dance floor???
Buck and Bobby
Bob is dressed for the event... Sleigh is outside!
Aunt Kaye and Paul trip the light fantastic. This phrase evolved through an interesting series of usages and references. The phrase is typically attributed to Milton's poem L'Allegro, but a somewhat similar phrase appears in Shakespeare's The Tempest. The phrase in this modern usage comes from the lyrics of the song The Sidewalks of New York. The following chronological list outlines a few notable usages of this and similar sounding phrases.
We had a wardrobe malfunction! The bow tie died!
Nick and Carri
A little relaxed there Paul
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