Christmas 2025

“Christmas is like candy; it slowly melts in your mouth sweetening every taste bud, making you wish it could last forever.” – Richelle E. Goodrich. 

All in attendance:
Me, Trevor, Jeri, Geoffrey, Mom, Kalib, Christopher, Gemal, Jose, Brenda, and Shawn.

Geoffrey was our first guest.  He got here about 3:00pm.  Kalib and Chris came in about 3:15pm.  Gemal, Jose, Brenda and Shawn got here about 3:30pm.  Jose, Brenda and Shawn had to get back home soon because they have Christmas with their family, but we had Christmas gifts for our godson Shawn.  He got all kinds of Bluey items, this year, as that is his new obsession.  Plus, my son's got to meet my godson for the first time.  Shawn, who is normally very outgoing, was very shy.  He was the only child in the room and we all had eyes on him.  So, he opened his gifts, and Jose and Brenda opened theirs, and they left.

For Christmas dinner, we had prime rib, 2 huli-huli game hens, mashed potatoes, candied yams, deviled eggs, Portuguese sausage bean soup, Hawaiian sweet rolls, cranberry sauce, and peas and carrots.  I'm a little old school, I do miss having macaroni and cheese, turkey and ham, and all the Thanksgiving fixin's for Christmas.  Some years ago, my sister began making prime rib for Christmas dinner, which I am not fond of for two reasons.  The first reason is I don't really care for steak-meat.  The second reason is I have a disorder called dysphagia that I have been suffering from for about 12 years now, which makes it difficult to swallow food.  For me, certain meats like steak meat, chicken breast, and pork chops are choking hazards.  So, I do not eat them.  The cornish game hens, cooked huli-huli style by my husband was delicious and soft.  I love chicken skin, but the game hen skin was a bit too tough for me.  

We had a Where's Waldo? ornament this year, that Trevor bought from Walmart.  We decided on a new tradition of hiding Waldo for Christmas every year.  The first to make a comment about Waldo will win a prize.  This year, Gemal spotted Waldo in the tree.  She won a mug and cocoa set.  Later, my son Kalib told me he saw the Waldo way before Gemal mentioned it but he didn't say anything.  I gave him a prize, too, of Guava cookies.

The prank gift this year, was Trevor decided to take the first layer of chocolate cookies out of a gift box, and refill it with Marlboro cigarettes.  Then, he replaced the second layer of chocolate cookies over the cigarettes.  He wrapped the first layer of cookies separately, and then wrapped the cigarette/cookie box, too.  I thought cigarettes was such a tacky gift, but he pointed out, "Hey, it's expensive!"  It is an expensive gift, but geez...cancer sticks?  That was his revenge for Jeri wrapping a package of socks individually the year before, and hiding it as tree garland, and making Trevor unwrap 24 individual socks.

Gifts were simple this year, and I think everyone was happy with what they received.  Mom was so elated for her Christmas socks, she made the cutest gesture by, joyfully, clapping her hands.  She has lost most of her ability to communicate in English.

Shawn was so excited for his Bluey Legos

Shawn and his Bluey Activity kit

Shawn and his Bluey Christmas ornament

Brenda and Shawn

Me, Trevor and our godson Shawn

Trevor's present

Jeri finally got her prank present open

Kalib's magnifying screen from Aunt Jeri

Geoffrey with his robe and slipper from me and Trevor

Gemal's Philosophy bath gels from Jeri

A sweet treat for Chris from Mom and Trevor

Old Navy PJs for Kalib from Mom and Trevor

Earbuds for Geoffrey from Jeri

PJ pants for Chris from Mom and Trevor

A lumberjack shirt for Trevor from Jeri

The Perfect Man for Gemal (she's had bad luck with men, lately)

A sweet treat for Kalib from Mom and Trevor

A magnifying screen for Trevor from Jeri

A magnifying screen for Chris from Aunt Jeri

A magnifying mirror for Jeri from me and Trevor

Gemal got everyone a bouquet of flowers

Danish cookies from Gemal

3 generations, Chris, Kalib, Me and my Mom

Chris and Grandma

Kalib and Grandma

Me and my sons

Chris and Aunt Jeri

Kalib and aunt Jeri

Gemal and Me

Gemal and Jeri

Angry Housewife Christmas Picture

 

I am following a trend that has hit social media in the Christmas Groups I am on.  This is the Angry Housewife Christmas trend.  

I actually went to a thrift store and found a dress that reminded me of colors from earlier in the 1900s (the century I was born), and look for something that looked somewhat modest.  I put on my dress shoes, and wore an ugly beaded Coco Chanel necklace (turning the logo around to the back of me, so it wouldn't be seen in the photo).  

I grabbed a dirty ashtray and my husband's blunt and he took my picture.  It seems women back in those days had short hair.  I have extremely long hair, so I had to put my hair into a puffy bun in order to give it some volume.  This was so fun to do.  I typically have a mean-looking resting face, so all I had to do was not smile.  

I used a filter to give the photos a vintage look, something off-colored, because the camera quality in the mid-century was not very good compared to today.

Here it is.  I may do this very year!

Pose 1

Pose 2

Christmas Cookies

“Peace means no one is worried about anyone else's cookie...in this moment we are all quietly content with the cookies we have.” ― Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons

I made all kinds of cookies for Christmas:  Peanut Butter Blossom pawprint cookies, Iced sugar cookies, and Nun's farts.  I never used to do this with my children when they were little because I didn't have the equipment or sometimes, the space.  I wish I had.  

This was my first time icing cookies, and it became tedious after the first 5 cookies.  I had to split the decorating into two days.  I don't think I will ever do cookie icing again, unless I have little hands to help, such as grandchildren, great-nieces/nephews, or my godson.  Otherwise, I'm good with just popping regular dough into the oven and eating them as-is!  The lazier I got, the less icing was used.  I began painting white icing over some of the cookies in order to just dip them into sugar and cinnamon for color.  And some of my cookies got more and more inappropriate, but I'm sure the adults will have a hoot about it.  

Despite not being grounded enough to get patient and content with cookie decorating, my cookies and Nun's farts came out great.

Nun's Farts

Nudist Cookie

Almost done with cookie decorating

Farmer Tan 

The last of the cookies I decorated.  At this point I was so over it.

Merry Grinchmas

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Us and The Grinch

Trevor and I went to Grinchmas at LBX.  It began at 11am.  When we got there, it was Santa Claus instead of the Grinch, and I was rather upset by that because we already saw Santa Claus.  I looked at my tickets, it certainly said, "GRINCHMAS" on it and said "Live Photo with the Grinch."  My error.  I didn't see the Grinch wouldn't start his shift until 3pm.  

He bought an ice cream and dropped chocolate on his new Grinch shirt.  I was annoyed.

We left and did some grocery shopping and then went home to catch the Green Bay Packers playing the Denver Broncos.  Trevor got a little nap in and then we were back to Grinchmas, in his Green Bay Packers shirt.  

The Grinch was full of character and his makeup and costume was so realistic.  I was amazed by it.  Trevor told the Grinch, "I'm not sitting on your lap.  You're sitting on mine."  And he did!

This was the shirt he was going to wear before he spilled chocolate sauce on it.

Santa Pics

“So I've started wearing sweatpants to bed because I really don't need Santa seeing me in my underwear.” ― Jeff Kinney, Cabin Fever

Trevor and I went Christmas shopping at The Pike Outlets in Long Beach and then to Lakewood Mall.  We walked right into the Santa booth, and there was no line.

Thankfully, we were dressed for the occasion.  Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said, "A big house."

A Small Town Christmas - by Nan Reinhardt

Book Title: A Small Town Christmas (E-book)

Author: Nan Reinhardt

Genre: Romance

Main Character: Samantha "Sam" Hayes, Conor Flaherty, Alannah "Ali" Flaherty

Story Setting: Four Irish Brothers Winery, River's Edge

Story Summary:  Winemaker and single father Conor Flaherty is determined to make this Christmas holiday special for his daughter even though his family’s winery, Four Irish Brothers, is facing some challenges. High-octane Chicago attorney Samantha Hayes is looking forward to some delicious food, fine wine, small town charm, and a break from her hectic big city life when she agrees to do a favor for her boss and help his younger brother with a lawsuit that’s been slapped on his family’s historic winery in River’s Edge. She’s not expecting that her sexy new client will have a smile that will melt her heart and remind her that there’s more to life than work. Sam falls hard for Conor, his daughter and the small, friendly town, but can she trust her instincts and risk her heart? Sam hasn’t seen a lot of happy-ever-afters in her life, but Conor and the magic of Christmas make her want to believe.

Review: I really enjoyed this clean, romance about a big-city Attorney hired to work for a smalltown winemaker.  She doesn't ever seem to have time for love, as her career takes prescedence over anything else in her life.  Conor's been in a funk since his wife and soul-mate, Emmy, passed away.  They meet and though Sam is attracted to Conor, she fights her feelings, a lot.  It was very Hallmark and very cutesy.  I definitely recommend it. 

Love in the Margins - by Hazel Bellweather

Book Title:  Love in the Margins: A Single Mom Heartwarming Small Town Clean Romance (E-Book)
Author:  Hazel Bellweather
Genre:  Romance
Main Character:  Emily Carter, Mark Dawson
Story Setting:  Hearthstand, USA
Story Summary:  For the past ten years, Emily Carter’s life has centered on two things: the quiet aisles of the Hearthstand Library and her bright, curious son, Leo. As a single mother, she’s mastered the art of protecting, planning, and putting her own dreams on hold. Her happily-ever-after? Long shelved. That changes the moment Mark Dawson walks into town.
Review:  The book is a squeaky-clean romance between a librarian and a school principle.  It takes place in Hearthstand, and over the course of a few months, ending in the Winter and Christmas season.  I enjoyed it, but I do think the style of writing was a little bit odd.  Every so often, I'd have to re-read a sentence to try and understand what was going on.  Sometimes, the author would write what a character was thinking, without quotes or italics.  So, the next sentence when they weren't thinking, was sometimes jumbled into the thought.  It made for a confusing read, but after re-reading a sentence, it was ok. 

 

Margaret "Betty Jean" Agnes Ross Arcala

Margaret Agnes Arcala (Ross), also known as Betty Jean, better known as "Aunt Betty" to my dad's generation and mine was born in Akron, Ohio.  Her mother passed away when she was little, and she was separated from her siblings, living with her aunt Agnes Woyner, while her siblings lived with her other aunt Amelia "Mollie" Blell (Woyner).  

Aunt Berry was like a surrogate grandmother for us California kids, while our real grandma Lenore lived in Michigan.

Here's a wonderful picture of my great-Aunt Betty with Santa Claus.  How precious.

The Foundling: A Novel - by Ann Leary

 

Book Title:  The Foundling: A Novel

Author:  Ann Leary
Genre:  Historic, Fiction
Main Character:  Mary, Lillian, Dr. Vogel
Story Setting:  Pennsylvania, Nettleton State Village for the Feebleminded Women of Childbearing Age 

Story Summary:  
Mary Engle works for Dr. Vogel of the Nettleton State Village for the Feebleminded Women of Childbearing age.  She recognizes one of the residents as Lillian, a person she was raised at an orphanage with.  She knows Lillian is not feebleminded.  She wants to help Lillian escape the asylum.

Review:  I really enjoyed this book.  Though a work of fiction, it was based off true events according to the author whose grandmother worked for a similar asylum during the 1920s.  

The book does NOT take place during Christmas time.  It is NOT a Christmas book, but toward the end of the book, it is Winter and Christmastime.  The book is riveting, a suspense, a thriller, and dramatic.  I recommend it to anyone who likes historic fiction.  Note, the wording for mentally challenged or disabled people is crass and outdated, reminiscient of the time before diagnostic names were used to categorize and identify mental disorders and challenges.  

I suggest this book to anyone who is curious about the way the mentally challenged were treated, or even the normal were treated before certain laws were implemented.  This book showcases racism, misogyny, and how people treated people back then.