Well, I told my aunt "No Xmas this year!" because
I was too broke to buy presents. But she went ahead
and bought me stuff anyway. Grrr! However, I'm glad
she did because she got me one of my favorite things
in the world. I went to her house for Xmas day and
we all "opened" our stockings. In mine I found a
microplane grater, a *large* jar of Cherry Republic
Hot Cherry Salsa!!!!!, some Xmas candy, and some of
my aunt's homemade peanut butter fudge. Yum. The
Hot Cherry Salsa was what got me so excited. Now I
have to make a trip to the Strip District to get some
blue corn tortilla chips at Reyna Foods - the only
chips worthy of that great salsa!

I wasn't expecting the grater as I had never indicated
I might like one and usually my aunt is very good about
getting me things that she has heard me talk about wanting
at some time during the year. I didn't think I would like
a microplane grater but it is definitely much better than
the old-fashioned kind of graters. I used it to zest a
lime and it was awesome.

I got some gag gifts and some not so gag gifts from my
friends and co-workers. A lady in my office got me a
lava lamp! I don't know what possessed her but I love
it. I never had one the first time around so it was
lots of fun. "But," I asked her, "where's the weed?
How'm I s'posed to 'preciate it without weed?" ;-) ;-)
She told me she no longer grows the stuff. Damn! ;-)

A close friend got me a soy candle (holly berry scented)
in a large glass jar that comes with a special ceramic
"candle topper) which had a hole in the center to let the
heat out and air in. The topper has a ring of Xmas cat
figures around the edge. It's really adorable. She also
got me a packet of Snowman Poop! That was hilarious. What
it actually is is a package contain a packet of White Cocoa
mix for 1 cup of cocoa, a handful of miniature marshmallows,
and a gold plastic spoon with the bowl coated with chocolate
for stirring the cocoa. It was very good cocoa.

Another friend, daughter of the first friend, got me a
bottle of Mexican vanilla when she was in Mexico on
business and a nice Mexican design spoon rest.

One of my bosses gave me a gift certificate for dinner at
our new Ethiopian restaurant so I went there just before
Xmas with the above-mentioned friends. The food was
great.

Another of my bosses gave me a decorative plate with
a snow scene and snowman on it. And an anonymous giver
left an Xmas tree-shaped candle on my desk.

My sister sent me a book of cat stories but I'm not sure
if it was just a spur of the moment gift or was supposed
to be an Xmas gift. Doesn't matter. Should be great.

Another friend gave me Xmas cat pin.

Well, I guess that's it. Hope everyone else had
a great holiday with lots of good food-related gifts. ;-)

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?