Thursday, December 27, 2007

I guess I was naughty this year...

This is what I got for Christmas this year. Do you think someone is trying to tell me something? It's a lump of coal and NO! there is no diamond inside, no gift certificate or no vacation to Hawaii that is attached to it....It's just a plain old lump of coal.

Click to enlarge the card so that you can read it.

Each year we play what some people call, Chinese Christmas. Everyone in our family who is 18 years old and above, each bring a gift for our game. We draw numbers and this year there were 30 of us playing the game. We take turns choosing a gift either from someone else who has gone before us and whose gift we like, or a gift from the unopened pile of gifts.

I really didn't receive this lump of coal as a gift, but I am guilty of bringing this as my gift for the game and I wrapped it up in a very pretty box with a pretty handmade bow. No one has ever thought to bring a gag gift to our game before, but along with this gift I also brought a real gift just in case Jimmy or I were not able to end up with it ourselves at the end of the game. I wouldn't feel right sending someone home with this gift and especially after they had gone to all the trouble of bringing a very nice gift themselves. As it turned out the lump of coal was chosen a couple of times (can you believe somebody wanted it??) but Jimmy finally ended up with it in the end.

The kids couldn't get over that someone would be brazen enough to 'just bring a lump of coal' as a gift. You see...we don't put who the gift is from on the gift...we only label the gift as for a male, female or either. They were sure that there must be some BIG PRIZE that went with it...but of course there wasn't. Next year's assortment of gifts should be interesting and I wonder what the kids & grandkids will think to bring as a gag gift...that's if they remember. I'll be looking forward to seeing what kind of tricks they come up with.

I'll let you in on a little secret. That wasn't even a real lump of coal. I couldn't find one and I didn't have enough time to buy one online and have it here in time for Christmas. Jimmy helped me make it. We got a fist sized large limestone piece of gravel out of our driveway and Jimmy spray painted it black for me. I printed up the Christmas Card with two poems that I got from two different sites online, which were selling coal as Christmas stocking stuffers. And to tell you the truth, after the card was made and the paint was dry on the coal, I was tempted to send it to my brother Dennis, as a gag gift of course, for Christmas and then I happened to think that maybe my younger brother Gilbert really deserved it for not blogging anymore. I really do miss his blog and if he doesn't start back up again, he just might get a lump of coal in his Christmas stocking next year.

Our Christmas gathering was fantastic as usual, but we did have some missing and to them we send our love and our prayers for a brighter & happier New Year...we missed you and hope to see you soon.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and please be careful on New Year's Eve!


10 comments:

Tammy said...

It sounds like you had great fun with that fake coal Miz Sandy!
I played dirty Santa with my Red hat friends recently. It was my first time and it was lots of fun! I guess I'll need to start a new blog before you send a lump up my way...lol!

I'm visiting with my daughter right now and will be home by the first of the year. I'll be sure and let you know what I come up with "blog-wise".

Love & Hugs,
Tammy (My Gentle Retreat)

Jellyhead said...

You, naughty? Never!

Glad to hear you had a big, happy family Christmas.

Jamie Dawn said...

That lump of coal and card were handmade gifts, and you know how special handmade gifts are to people.
VERY special indeed.
The party sounds like a lot of fun.
I send you and Jimmy and all your loved ones my best wishes for a terrific and healthy 2008!!!

tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...

I got a lump of coal about 20 years ago and I really did not like the idea. My wife and daughter thought it was a great funny but I did not. I was working hard hours and a lump of coal did not make my day.
Merry Christmas and a great Holiday Season, love ya

Kerri said...

I think if you've been naughty at all Sandy it's only a wee bit :)
Mostly you're not naughty, but nice:)
Great gift idea!...Funny.
Ross wanted to find some coal to give as gifts...but he didn't.
I'm so glad you and Jimmy had a wonderful fun family Christmas.
xoxo

Judypatooote said...

Hi Sandy....you naughty girl....but clever.....my kids and their spouses had a Chinese Christmas too. My son in law got Mary Kay cosmetics....so he gave it to his daughter meaning poor thing didn't get anything....it was suppose to be a unisex gift, but we had two people that were not our family join in, and I guess they didn't know.... I hope you had a great Christmas, it sounds like you did....and have a great new year....I'll see you in 2008....judy

Judypatooote said...

P>S> I'll probably always be a dog huffing and puffing in front of the Christmas tree, for I cannot change my profile....it just won't remove it.... judy

JunieRose2005 said...

Sandy,


Sounds like you had a lot of fun this Christmas. We did too! I have a slide show up of some of our times!


Happy New Year to you all!


Junie

Rachel said...

I know you weren't naughty Sandy!! Getting a lump of coal is better than getting a horse turd!!! Phewweee!!! LOL

Patty said...

Just hang on to that piece of coal for a few thousand years and you will have a nice big diamond : )