2025/12/25
Back to basics! We ordered Chinese food for dinner and the TV's are locked on "A Christmas Story". We were blessed to have Dianne & Eddie, Robin & Bob, Bob & Donna plus the Joe Liles Clan and the Zachary Lind Clan. Of course, Crazy Greg joined the party!
Mary likes to be real cool for these parties hence...
Cool girl!
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Donna and Dianne shared iPhone pictures.
Bob, always with a smile, brightens up the room!
Then, Bob sees that Donna has a friend!! (AI Enhanced)
Dianne and Fast Eddie check on a story using the iPhone!
Dianne tells Eddie of the emergency situation that occurred around a Christmas tree a few days ago!
Feel like you are being watched??
Mary placed the dinner order about a week ago and asked to have it delivered after Yang Ming closed on Christmas Eve. All we had to do was reheat and serve. We had a little bit of everything.
Nice and warm, ready for the lineup!
Mary does a last minute check!
Donna says we needed some entertainment.
Dig in!
Did You Know? - A Chinese blessing for food often centers on the proverb "民以食為天" (Mín yǐ shí wéi tiān) – "Food is heaven for the people," showing food's importance, with blessings focusing on prosperity, health, longevity, and abundance, using symbolic foods like oranges (gold), fish (abundance), and rice cakes (longevity) for ancestor worship or everyday meals, often invoking the Five Blessings (longevity, wealth, health, virtue, peaceful death) for good fortune.
Lookout gang, Eddie is first in line!
Fried Wontons stuffed with cream cheese!
Did You Know? - Wontons, meaning "swallowing clouds," are versatile Chinese dumplings with origins possibly from Han Dynasty rituals, evolving from "chaos" (huntun) to distinct forms like Sichuan's spicy "crossed hands" (Chao Shou) and enjoyed globally in soup, fried, or steamed, featuring thin wrappers with meat/veg fillings, unlike thicker dumplings.
We seldom use the formal dining room but today we set the room up along with the kitchen breakfast area! We had plenty of room for all!
Robin pays a visit to the formal room!
WC is watching!
In the other corner, we have Mae West!!
Fast Eddie, Dianne, and Greg!
Greg tells a story!
...and it was funny!
One can tell Mary enjoyed the tale!
Poor Mary kept us in stitches!
We had a plethora of food items to select from!
Greg headed home early and Bob took his spot!
Bob is known for his stories also!
Did You Know? - Mulled wine, a warm, spiced drink, originated with the Romans who heated wine for warmth and health, spreading as "Hippocras" in the Middle Ages; it's known globally by names like Germany's Glühwein, France's Vin Chaud, and Sweden's Glögg, became a Victorian Christmas staple (even in Dickens' works), and was once used to fight the Black Plague, with the word "mull" possibly from "muddle".
History & Origins
Ancient Roots: Romans spiced and heated wine (2nd Century) to combat cold and believed it had medicinal properties, notes this YouTube video and this article.
Hippocras: In the Middle Ages, it was called Hippocras, named after physician Hippocrates, who advocated spiced wines for health, say this YouTube video and this article.
Medieval Medicine: It was even used as a remedy for the Black Plague in the 14th century, according to this fact site.
First English Recipe: The 1390 English cookbook The Forme of Cury includes a recipe for spiced wine with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and other spices, notes this Kids Encyclopedia facts article and this Wikipedia article.
Victorian Revival: It regained popularity in Victorian times, boosted by mentions in Charles Dickens' works like "A Christmas Carol," notes this YouTube video, and became a Christmas classic, says this article.
The liquor is poured carefully over the sugar cone.
Did You Know? - Sugar cone trivia for mulled wine points to Feuerzangenbowle, a festive German tradition where a rum-soaked sugar cone (Zuckerhut) is set aflame over spiced mulled wine (Glühwein), dripping sweet, caramelized, boozy sugar into the drink for a spectacular, flavorful punch.
It's a dramatic holiday centerpiece, requiring fire-safe equipment and high-proof rum, often enjoyed at Christmas markets with friends and family, sometimes while watching the classic film of the same name.
The booze is handled with great care!
Paul demonstrates the wonderful art of flame swallowing!
The cone is soaked!
Did You Know? - Kraken Rum trivia centers on its namesake, the mythical sea monster, its inky black color (from "beast's" ink), Victorian-style bottle (double handles for hanging), Trinidadian origin, secret blend of 11 spices (cinnamon, ginger, clove), and its popularity in cocktails like with Coke or Ginger Beer. It's aged 12-24 months from molasses, launched in 2010, and has different proof/sugar levels in the US (94 proof) vs. UK (80 proof).
The cone is ready!
Placed directly over the punch bowl
Poof!!!
Mary uses the ladel to add fuel to the fire!
All of the sugar cone must go into the bowl!
Someone is enjoying this task!
This is getting worrisome!
OK, enough with the fire!!
Time to call the firemen???
Eddie was amazed!
When the smoke alarms went off, everyone panicked except our trusty all female firefighters.
Amy, Becca, Dianne, and Donna got on their firefighting costumes and, with the help of the Grinch, put out the fire without any damage except for Paul's ego and part of Paul's beard (which looks better partially burnt off)!
Dianne warns everybody about the potential hazards of this old practice!
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Donna then regales us with the story of the Christmas tree fire and how the Grinch helped her save the day!
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Dianne puts out the fire.... with champagne when we ran out of water!! (AI Enhanced)
Amy told a harrowing incident that occurred recently.
She caught the Grinch and made him also fight the fire. (AI Enhanced)
Becca kept the chicken Grinch from running away (AI Enhanced)
The culprit!! The bowl was emptied as everyone (save the kids) enjoyed a glass of this delightful drink! hic!!
The breakfast room was a gathering spot because it was close to the food!
Bob just got a taste of the grog!
Remy and Zack has a serious conversation!
More grog please!
And perhaps a few spiced cherries??
Bob, our token German, gives the concoction the OK!!
Dang, Santa is confused... Is she short OR is she an Elf??
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Don't ask!!
A pair to draw too!!
What are they NOT telling us??
People come and go into the formal dining area!
Read Donna's shirt!!!
Eddie is attempting to behave but that may be a lost cause!
"Who, me???"
Robin got a surprise Christmas gift from Eddie!
Someone has a "new watch"!
Did You Know? - Backwards wristwatches, popular for novelty (like Disney's Goofy), luxury (Franck Muller), or design (The Brown Table), run counter-clockwise with reversed numbers, sometimes for aesthetic fun, to help with dyslexia, or as collectibles, with the original Goofy watch hitting the market around 1972, requiring unique reverse quartz/mechanical movements.
The most famous are the Goofy watches, first released in the early '70s, featuring Goofy pointing the wrong way on a dial with reversed numbers, a nod to his clumsy, upside-down personality.
Both modern and vintage reverse watches, especially the original Goofy models, are sought-after collectibles.
Robin was tickled pink!
Bob and WC approve!
The Desert Rats plan for the rest of the year!
The desert mouse was this long when I shot him with my widdle bow and arrow!
After picking him up, he was really only this long!
Remy is not too sure about this story!
Amy, being an amazing mother of two, always has a spare champagne bottle available in case of emergencies!
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Mary visits with Santa
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Yeah Yeah, the gang is all here
(Thanks to Bob Duda and his camera ability)
Mary likes to show her earings!
After most people departed, we got a call from Texas and chatted with Nick for a while!
Mary remains decorated for the evening.
Dang... Santa came back and I wonder why???
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You wanted a WHAT???
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Even Santa was shocked!!
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