Our Christmas Traditions - Crackers and the Pickle

Christmas Crackers

After some research, I found the story of Christmas Crackers. They were invented by an English baker called Tom Smith. The Cracker is a tube that when the ends are pulled to open it, there is a popping noise or “crack”. The Cracker first included wrapped sweets or “bon bon”. The sweet was dropped and a small novelty gift was included. Soon jokes and/or witty sayings were included in the Cracker. Tom’s son started including a paper hat. The first Christmas crackers went on sale in London in 1847. The Cracker can be used for occasions other than Christmas and more expensive gifts can be included in them.

Our tradition for Christmas is putting Christmas Crackers in the tree and on Christmas morning each person takes a Cracker and opens it. You enjoy the gift, put on the silly hat, and read the jokes. We also share them with visitors during the holidays.

Here are some of the jokes that were included in our Christmas Crackers:

What do you call a blind dinosaur?
Do you think he saw us!

What lies in a pram and wobbles?
A jelly baby!

Why is an elephant large grey and wrinkly?
Because if it were small, white and smooth it would be an aspirin!

How do you start a teddy bear race?
Ready, teddy, go!

What is the most popular gardening magazine in the world?
Weeders Digest!

Customer: “This steak is terrible I want the manager”.
Waiter: “Sorry sir, he isn't on the menu”

What do they sing at a snowman's birthday party?
Freeze a jolly good fellow!

What does Santa Claus use to weed his garden?
His hoe hoe hoe!

How do you stop a rhino from charging?
Take away his credit cards!

Christmas Pickle
After research on the Christmas Pickle, it seems that no one really knows where this tradition originated. The tradition we use is the last person up on Christmas eve hangs an ornament shaped like a pickle on the Christmas Tree. On Christmas morning, excluding the person who “hid” the pickle, the other people search the tree for the pickle and the person who finds it gets a surprise gift.



Image Courtesy of http://www.freeimages.co.uk/


Copyright © 2007 Sylvia A. Feeley All Rights Reserved

Other Things

I have been up since 4:30 AM and catching up on my favorite blogs. So much has happened since the last time I visited them. Some of my favorites are no longer there and it makes me wonder what has happened to those people and makes me sad that I was away so long and lost touch with so many good people. I have become a recluse (lol), well not really, just lazy I think. There is so much I want to write about but don't know where to start so I will let this short paragraph suffice for today. See you soon.

Sounds of Rain

It is raining right now which is an oddity in Phoenix. The higher elevations in the state are expecting heavy snow and some flash flood warnings have been issued for the area. It reminds me of Indiana and winter storm warnings. You might think it is just rain for heavens sake but you have to know the area to understand why panic sets in when it does rain. When it rains very hard for a period of time, the run off has no place to go and all the "washes" fill with water and flood homes, etc. When you look for a place to live, one of the most important things to look for is there a "wash" close by and does it flood. There are canal systems in and around Phoenix but sometimes even those do not work when the rain is heavy.

Anyway, I am sort of enjoying the sound of rain. The rain is coming straight down so I can have my windows open. Makes me want to take a nap. The rain is forecast to continue overnight so maybe I will be able to hear that wonderful sound. On second thought, do I want to nap because of the rain or is it because I am getting older and need more rest. lol

My New Life

I am getting settled in my new place. Thursday we moved a couch and coffee table into my apartment. I am using the couch for a bed until I can get one. I got my computer moved. My son setup a wireless network in his apartment (right downstairs from me) and I get Internet connection in mine. Thank you God for that. I will not have to pay for the connection. Frank loaned me a television and I will get cable as soon as I can. Right now I have the local channels and that has been good. I may decide not to get cable because I hardly ever watched those channels anyway. We'll see. We went shopping Friday afternoon. Went to the 99 cent store and boy does a dollar go a long way. Nothing in the store cost more than 99 cents. I got supplies for the kitchen. We went to Tuesday Morning and I bought a coat (we need them at night now) and a mixer there. Hit the Family Dollar Store for a shower curtain, some snacks and condiments.

This morning, I got up, had coffee and toast, got dressed and walked to Walgreens, McDonalds and the grocery store. Came back home and turned on the TV, parked myself on the couch and watched football and snacked all afternoon. I managed to get in a nap. I just got dressed for bed and guess what, there is another football game and I am ready to lay back, cover up, get nice and toasty and watch the game. Probably will fall asleep but I can do that if I want. As you can see I am enjoying my new place and the freedom to do what I want, the way I want it. I am thankful for the things that I do have and for the new beginning. Thank you God.

Yummy Yummy!!!!

I wrote this to Jeni but decided to use it as a post about dinner last night. I am including three receipes that are Yummy Yummy!!!!

We had turkey, dressing with chestnuts, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams with pecans and pineapple, green beans, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, rolls, apple and pumpkin pie, fudge pie (my mother use to make this), pina colada cake. The other things were pretty much standard items. Needless to say, I ate too much.

Today my son is smoking a turkey infused with Cajun season, red beans and rice, dirty rice, greens and we still have a pina colada cake and fudge pie (made extra yesterday). I am so hungry I could eat a horse right now. lol Thursday they are cooking the typical Thanksgiving dinner and having a couple of people over to eat.

I met 5 new people last night and all of them were "normal". I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and fellowship for a change. Frank (he had the dinner last night) has things he is going to give me for the apartment ( I have a new place and will be moving shortly). A set of flatware, wine glasses, electric jar opener, Windex cleaner and he is going to let me use a TV he has in his bedroom that he does not watch. So it seems that things are beginning to come together.

Receipes You Might Like

FUDGE PIE

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Unfold pie crust; fit into 9 inch pie pan. Prebake crust according to package directions. Remove from oven.
Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Beat together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, butter or margarine, eggs and vanilla in a medium-size bowl. Spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with whipped topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can add some fresh fruit (strawberries, yum) on top with the other stuff.


Piña Colada Cake and Frosting

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 (approx. 18.25 ounces) box white cake mix
1 small package (4 serving size) coconut instant pudding mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup dark rum
4 eggs
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup flaked coconut

Drizzle:
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups confectioners sugar


Frosting:
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/3 cup dark rum
1 small package (4 serving size) coconut instant pudding mix
1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip
coconut to taste, toast* if desired

PREPARATION:
Cake:
Grease and flour a 13 x 9-inch pan or two round 8-inch layer cake pans. Preheat oven to 350°. Mix cake mix, pudding, oil, water and rum. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Stir in pineapple then fold in coconut. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.


Drizzle:
While cake is still warm, combine drizzle ingredients. Use a spoon and soak the layers with the mixture twice. May be extra drizzle. Just make sure the cake layers are wet.

Frosting:
Mix crushed pineapple, rum, and coconut instant pudding. Beat until it thickens. Fold in 1 container of Cool Whip. Frost cake and sprinkle top with coconut or toasted coconut.
To toast coconut: Spread coconut in shallow pan. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.

Yams with Pecans and Pineapple
Use canned yams and mash them up. Add pecans and pineapple to taste and heat as usual. His were not topped but you could put cool whip on top or melted marshmallows.

Weekend

Here's hoping every one has a good weekend. We are going to the next door neighbor's house for dinner tonight. He is having Thanksgiving dinner early because he is going to visit his sister next week. He is a good cook and I can hardly wait until it is time to eat. I cannot decide if I should eat any lunch (diiner will not be served until 7:30 PM) so I can have plenty of room for good food. lol I am so hungry right now thinking and writing about food, that the question has been answered, it is time for some lunch.

View From My Window

As of December 1st, this will be the view from my dining room window. Squaw Peak at its best. I am planning on getting a recliner so I can sit and enjoy the view. I may have to get a recliner that swivels since the view from the living room window is almost as good.

Aging Quotes

There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt. ~Author Unknown

Youth is a disease from which we all recover. ~Dorothy Fulheim

There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going. ~J.B. Priestly

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now. ~Author Unknown

Age is a high price to pay for maturity. ~Tom Stoppard

This Weekend

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was good. Bil, my son, and Larry went to a gumbo cook off on Sunday and I had the afternoon to myself. I watched football, took a nap, and cleaned the kitchen. The kitchen was a must since Bil had cooked all Saturday night and Sunday morning. Do you know how much 6 gallons of gumbo looks like and what a mess it is to cook? Bil makes his own roux which was a requirement for the contest and then adds everything but the kitchen sink. Just kidding, he did not put the in sink. Bil and Larry are both chefs and we have terrific meals. I am not a shabby cook but leave most of that to them since we tend to eat different types of food. I have tried more new dishes in the past months than I can count. Something must have happened to my taste buds because I am eating things I never thought would pass through my lips and believe it or not, I really like the taste. We eat healthy, lots of chicken and vegetables. Grilled, baked, steamed food, or dishes cooked in the crock pot. The dish last night was spinach and mushroom lasagna with a white sauce. Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

I cannot believe it is November 6th already. It is still very warm here and is deceiving. Makes it difficult to believe our fall is almost over because it is so warm. I saw the weather forecast for the midwest, cold and snowy. Cannot say I miss it at all. Maybe at some time I will but for now I enjoy wearing shorts in November.

A Thousand Marbles

I posted this back in December of 2006. I thought I would share it again.

“A Thousand Marbles”

The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.

A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:

I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about "a thousand marbles." I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say

"Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's "dance recital" he continued. "Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles."

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.

"Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.

It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail", he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays." "I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear."

"Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.

There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight."

"Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time."

"It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!"

You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.

Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.

Copyright © 1999, Jeff Davis, KE9V ( previously N9AVG )

(Start of Addition)
A friend sent this to me, so I to you, my friend.

And so, as one smart bear once said..."If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh.

Pass this on to all of your FRIENDS, even if it means sending it to the person that sent it to you.

And if you receive this e-mail many times from many different people, it only means that you have many FRIENDS.

And if you get it but once, do not be discouraged for you will know that you have at least one good friend... And that would be ME.
(End of Addition)

Used with the permission of the author and these are the author’s comments –

The Author writes: I wrote this story a few years ago for the amateur community. In a very short time it became quite popular and was picked up by various email lists, newsgroups and 10,000 other Web sites.

It has since appeared in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Chicago Sun-Times and a dozen other newspapers. I've had friends and co-workers email it to me with "Author Unknown" on the bottom of it.

The "outside" world has sometimes modified it slightly to downplay the amateur radio in the story. You may see other variations but they all come from this one story.

In September 2000 Andrews McMeel Publishing asked me if I could turn the story into a book ... of a "thousand things to do on your day off" so I did. A Thousand Marbles will be on the bookshelves in June, 2001. I hope you pick up a copy. This has been an amazing adventure for me!

Jeffrey Davis, N9AVG

Results of Nerve Test

I had the dreaded nerve test on Thursday of last week. The good news is that the doctor did not use needles, only electrodes and a “stun gun”. At least it looked like a stun gun to me. He used that device to “shoot” electrical current through the nerves to see if there was any interruption in the nerve. The bad news is that the ulnar nerve in my left arm is pinched/compressed at the elbow. The first course of treatment is therapy which begins June 5th. If the nerve cannot be decompressed with therapy, the next course of treatment will be surgery so that the nerve will not be permanently damaged. In the meantime, I am not supposed to use the left arm any more than necessary and to keep it straight as much as possible. If you have never tried to do that, take it from me, it is next to impossible to do. To make it even worse, I am left-handed.

After reading the news this morning, I can say that I am thankful that I have my arms even with the pinched nerve. I read a story about a young mother who contracted a flesh eating bacteria immediately after giving birth and lost both arms and legs in order to live. So no matter how bad a situation you are in seems to be, there is always someone in a worse situation.

Help

Does anyone use a blog service other that blogger? This morning the formatting options in blogger post have changed and most of them are missing. According to the Blogger Help Group, there are many other people who have reported this issue and others, like comments disappearing, posts being changed after the fact. So far I cannot find any response from Blogger as to what the problem is or when it will be fixed. I am about ready to find another blogging service to use. Does anyone have any they can recommend?

Family First Website

I found a website called Family First while looking for a joke. Check it out.

(This was the joke I was searching for.)
Remember, old folks are worth a fortune -- silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, stones in their kidneys, lead in their feet, and gas in their stomachs. I have become a little older since I saw you last, and a few changes have come into my life since then. Frankly, I have become quite a frivolous old gal. I am seeing five gentlemen every day.

As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me get out of bed. Then I go to see John. Then Charlie Horse comes along, and when he is here he takes a lot of my time and attention. When he leaves Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day. He doesn't like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint. After such a busy day I'm really tired and glad to go to bed with Ben Gay. What a life!

P.S.: The preacher came to call the other day. He said at my age I should be thinking about the hereafter. I told him, "Oh, I do all the time. No matter where I am -- in the parlor, upstairs, in the kitchen, or down in the basement -- I ask myself what am I here after?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUTH!!!!

Other Things

I thought that perhaps these photographs would give you a good laugh. I don't have any past the 53 one although nothing much has changed in the last ten years.

The Oak Tree - My Story

Written by Sylvia

There is an old oak tree down in the pasture that stands tall and proud. That oak tree has been there for over 200 years according to the stories passed down from generation to generation. His canopy has grown to be quite wide and full of beautiful leaves each year. In the fall of the year, he bares the fruit of the tree, his acorns and then sheds his leaves. He stands there feeling so bare and naked, nothing left but his acorns. He knows they will stay with him until summer. It takes all his energy and strength to nurture them so they will grow and mature into an oak tree just like him. He waits anxiously as they grow because he knows that the chances of his acorns making it to become an oak tree just like him are very slim. He knows the squirrels will take them away to hide for food in the winter. He knows the wind will sweep some of them away to places where there is no soil to take root. He knows that only a few will survive the cruel world of nature.

That old oak tree has so many memories and stories to tell. If he would only talk to me, think of the things he would say. He has seen so many people pass through his long life, sitting under his branches covered with leaves, having picnics, just being lazy and relaxing, sharing their secrets. The people have come and gone, yet he is still standing tall and proud. The trunk of that old oak tree has more scars than you can imagine, each filled with a different memory. Memories left behind by those people who have passed his way during the years.

He remembers fondly a young couple, lovers from years ago, long since dead he thinks. He watched as they sat on a blanket under his canopy and remembers how they talked, held hands and made love under his tree. He remembers that as the lovers were leaving, they stopped for a moment and carved a great big heart into that old tree. Each time he sees that heart, he remembers how in love they seemed and how gentle they were when they carved their heart into his trunk. That old oak tree wears his scars proudly for the world to see because each one reminds him of how all those people loved his tree.

Copyright © 2007 Sylvia A. Feeley All Rights Reserved

Complaint Free World

As I was sitting at the computer and "complaining" about the weather (it's April 4th and we have SNOW today and it's 33 degrees), I remembered the Complaint Free World from Oprah's show. I looked up the website and decided to share it with everyone. I ordered my purple bracelet and will start before I receive it to stop complaining so much. The first url is an order form (the bracelets are free) and the second is for the Church that is responsible for the "Complaint Free World" if you want to order or check out the Church.

http://acomplaintfreeworld.fobby.net/Complaint_Free_Bracelet_Order_Form.php

http://ccunitykc.org/

Finally Back Online

To the many friends I have made through blogging, I am back online as of today. I got my new computer and internet service today. I want to thank all of you for your prayers, “hugs” and concerns. My husband had a blood clot that developed in December 2006 and went untreated until the middle of February. As with most men, they do not tend to go to the doctor when they get ailments. He was in the hospital for three days and in bed for over a month. There are still issues with swelling and the level’s of blood thinner medication that we are dealing with now and the possibility of another clot forming.

According to the doctors he is lucky to be alive. Luck had nothing to do with it, God did. God allowed him to live and to make changes in his life so that we could be reunited. He is a changed person and we are reunited and things are working out for us.

Goodbye For A Short Time

To the friends I have made through this blog, I will not be posting for approximately one to two weeks. Due to an illness in my immediate family, I am moving back to Mishawaka, Indiana on Thursday, March 1, 2007. I will miss the interaction with my online friends and community, but will be back. Please keep me in your prayers

Girlfriend and Sister's Week

This is an email message I received Friday, February 23, celebrating Girlfriend and Sister's week.

Girlfriend and Sister's Week

I am only as strong as the coffee I drink, the hairspray I use and the friends I have.

To the cool women that have touched my life.

May God Smile on you today

Here's to you! National Girlfriends Day

What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants and shopping, lunching, and traveling girls?

Let's celebrate each other for each other's sake! TO MY GIRLFRIENDS!

If you get this twice you know you have more than one girlfriend. Be Happy!

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL OF YOUR GIRLFRIENDS AND RETURN IT TO THE FRIEND WHO SENT IT TO YOU!

It is good to be a woman:!