Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us. May you be with all the people you love the most. If you cannot be; remember your loved ones and know that no matter where they are they are still with you.

Love the Khan Family xoxoxo

*picture Renee and Wahid

Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3HNklYvejk

*artwork by Christopher Denise

BLD No. 16

Dad cooking in the kitchen and making the best stuffing in the world. Our turkey was cooked in a brown paper bag. Dad of the big gestures giving Mom the most extravagant gifts which she always loved.

Mom always looking beautiful and giving the kids tons of kisses and hugs and saying that Santa was going to be coming later that night.

Harry pushing his hair back and wearing a black leather vest, having his name called out to come and get his gift.

Kathy getting fabric from Nana and tossing it on the table.

Mom’s golden boy Dwain getting a drum set that Harry had convinced them to get Dwain because Harry said Dwain was really talented, and he was and still is.

Suzie getting a watch and fainting at Mass.

Mickey getting her Christmas presents marked with ‘Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday.’

Camille wearing a blue dress and shutting the car door before I got in and they left me at church.

Jacquie wearing a brown dress that matched Camille’s blue one. Jacquie getting new pajamas that matched Camilles’. Jacquie getting more stuffed animals.

Me getting to open the Sears Christmas catalogue. Me getting left at church and brought home by a stranger on Christmas Day (they never even knew I was missing). Me getting a cowgirl doll that even had an extra outfit. Me leaning against Mom while the adults and older kids played poker.

Colette and me sitting on plush stuffed sit-on dogs by the Christmas tree.

Lori doing the baking and making fudge. Lori getting a doll that was as big as she was.

Gerry is Santa and is the best Santa we ever had. Gerry awake on Christmas morning wrapped in a blanket which he would sit in all day.

Shelly is getting little troll dolls and always has long hair.

Joey is getting some kind of keys. Joey are they for a car or a mini-bike? Joey hating that I am the one to take him to his hockey games.

Have a wonderful evening everyone.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/wednesdays-women-no-11.html

*artwork D by Anita Philips

Gabriel's Message

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF2BzUDeTkY&feature=fvw

BLD No. 15

I remember it being one of the potato times. The times where we had potato soup and potato fries and potato pancakes and bread with margarine dunked in sugar.

We were rich. We had it all.

It was the year that we received doctor’s kits. I don’t know who all got them, but a few of us did. The kits were new and they were special because we all received a doll that was broken and were told that Santa had fallen down the chimney and had wanted special girls that would take care of and love the dolls with their broken finger, or chipped nose or missing leg.

Each doll had a new dress on, or it appeared new as my Mom made sure they were sparkling clean.

Oh the hours we spent loving and mending those dolls.

Our home was an earlier heaven.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-18.html

*artwork by Christine Pym

Little Drummer Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zMhSjDqvRs

BLD No. 14

Angelique sucks at baking like me, but this she can make like no one’s business.

7-Layer Magic Square

½ cp butter
1 ½ cps graham cracker crumbs
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cp butterscotch flavoured chips
1 cp semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cps flaked coconut
1 cp chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees for a glass dish.

Place butter in a 13x9 pan and melt in the oven.

Sprinkle crumbs over butter and then pour condensed milk evenly on top of crumbs.

Top with remaining ingredients in order listed. Press down firmly with fork.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool and cut into bars.

Eat as many as you want because you can always make another pan.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-7_17.html

*artwork B by Linda Olafsdottir and D by Christopher Denise

You're A Mean One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPBS7dVrE1U

BLD No. 13

Time for a game of Christmas trivia, yes Mickey you and I are partners.

Questions:

In the Polar Express movie, what is the first gift of Christmas?

What is the name of the rabbit in the magic hat in Frosty the Snowman?

How much did Lucy charge for a psychiatric session in the classic Christmas TV special ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas?’

What was the most likely reason that The Grinch hated Christmas?

What was the name of the angel in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life?’

Answers:

A bell from Santa’s sleigh.

Hocus Pocus.

5 cents please.

His heart was two sizes too small.

Clarence

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-16.html

*artwork B by Terri Murphy and L by Christian Birmingham

Feliz Navidad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnKD81Fsh9c&feature=related

*artwork by Gabriel Fabry

BLD No. 12

Wahid proved to himself that there was no Santa Claus when he was just six years old. On Christmas Eve he tied a sock to one of the springs under his bed and in the morning he looked to see if Santa had filled it. He hadn’t so Wahid felt he had proved that Santa didn’t exist.

I have been wondering if I did my kids a bad turn by buying them pretty Christmas stockings. I got Josephine and Domenic ones made this year too.

The problem with them is they never have to dig for a clean sock. I remember that being so much fun.

Oh chaos of a different kind, how I miss you.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-15.html

*artwork D by Elizabeth O. Dulemba

The Holly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvE-z8xV1g&feature=related

BLD No. 11

In Tudor times (16th century) the traditional meat was swan, goose or woodcock if they could be caught. That all changed in 1523 when turkey was first introduced and King Henry the VIII got his first taste of it.

The Tudors would also have eaten venison, peacock (which was skinned and roasted then put back inside the cured skin with the feathers on as a table decoration) and wild boar which was often the centre piece of the mean.

There is a long tradition of having a boars head for feasts, possibly originating from an Anglo-Saxon tradition of sacrificing the boar for their Yuletide celebrations. It would be carried into banqueting halls on a dish of gold or silver and was accompanied by trumpets and the songs of minstrels.

Another common Christmas dish was Souse which was pickled pigs feet and ears and then there was the Christmas Pie. The pie consisted of a pigeon inside a partridge inside a chicken inside a goose inside a turkey, which was then put in a pastry case called a coffin and served surrounded by hare and other game birds.

The Tudors enjoyed their mince pies which had far more significance than they do today. They were made with thirteen ingredients which represented Jesus and his Apostles and were mixed with mutton which represented the shepherds.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-13.html

*artwork D by Janet Samuel

Silent Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z0O4Fd16Xc&feature=related

*artwork by Baron Arild Rosenkrantz

BLD No. 10

Love all and hate none. Mere talk of peace will avail you naught. Mere talk of God and religion will not take you far.

Be a blazing fire of truth, be a beauteous blossom of love, and be a soothing balm of peace. With your spiritual light, dispel the darkness of ignorance; dissolve the clouds of discord and war and spread goodwill, peace, and harmony among the people.

Never seek any help, charity, or favors from anybody except God. Never go to the courts of kings, but never refuse to bless and help the needy and the poor, the widow, and the orphan, if they come to your door.

This is your mission, to serve people. Carry it out dutifully and courageously.

~~ Hazrat Khuaja ~~

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-12.html

*artwork B by my darling friend Ces and D by Christine Pym

Don We Now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efBLyAve1fI&feature=related

*artwork by Thomas Cooper Gotch

BLD No. 9

Shelly was telling Angelique and I about this site with an interactive Santa Claus.

http://santa.sympatico.ca/home/

Angelique did it for Josephine and she just loves it. She was showing me it on Tuesday and kept saying to Angelique ‘Mama my email.’

It is super adorable and comes on like there is interference from the North Pole.

At one point Santa says ‘Oh I see you want candy for Christmas.’ Because that is what Josephine says she wants.

Anyway, totally adorable! Now get over there and hook up your kids or grandchildren. They even have one for grumpy teenagers.

How adorable to get an email like this.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-11.html

*artwork B by Tom Browning and L by Victoria Ball and D by Walsh Works

Amazing Grace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvYIjFtPQEk&feature=related

BLD No. 8

Christmas cranberry highball anyone?

1 ½ oz rum
1 ½ oz pineapple juice
½ oz triple sec
3 oz cranberry juice
1 oz raspberry juice

Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain and pour into a highball glass. Just before drinking telling each person you are with why they are so important.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-9.html

*artwork L by my mental swan Sarah Sullivan

BLD No. 7 (2)

Now just pray you don’t get any of this crap for Christmas. And seriously people these gag gifts are ridiculous and nobody wants them.

New York based stupid.com ten worst Christmas gifts for 2009:

Swine flu survival kit – has everything you’ll need to survive this nasty H1N1.

Dog poo Christmas ornament – the ornament does not smell but is so vile looking it will make you sick anyway.

Life vest for golf balls – a tiny orange flotation device is custom-made to fit over your golf ball.

Freudian slippers -- these plush slippers feature a stuffed Sigmund on the front and can help your anxiety, paranoia, and obsession melt away.

Wall Street finance chimp – since the stock market has been run by monkeys, for the cost of a few bananas you can get financial advice.

Choke the annoying chicken – anger management toy, you can choke the chicken and it goes away dancing and strutting to the chicken dance.

Belching beer pager – with a click of the remote your beer holder will burp loudly and light up from as far as 60 feet away.

Talking toilet paper – no more boring bowel movements, you can record your own voice for six seconds and when people pull the toilet paper they will hear you and think you are with them.

Obama dress up kit – you get outfits and can decide to dress him up how you like.

Reindeer food for humans – a bowl of reindeer pellets that is fun and safe for human consumption.

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/2008/12/b-l-d-no-7.html

*artwork L by Helz Cuppleditch and D by Victoria Ball