“ND” dropped in late last night, and left his reply as a comment on the Doctors Who Pray post. I’ve taken it, and added it to the “Reality - and much more” page. I hope to have time to post my own thoughts on his comment sometime today or tomorrow.

Those of you who haven’t taken a look at that conversation may be surprised … there’s enough material there for any number of meditations. The conversation has taken a few surprising - and intensely interesting - turns …

Take a peek, and if you’d like to leave a comment, you can do so here, or at the end of the Doctors Who Pray post.

8:30 PM

Have just added my own comment to ND’s … you can read it at the end of the Doctors Who Pray post, or on the “Reality - and much more” page.

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Updated the Assisted Suicide discussion which I’m having with Dr. Chris Rangel and Dr Crippen …

Take a look, and then go over to Dr. Rangel’s blog and put your two cents in. Let me know if you want me to include you in the record I’m making of it on my blog.

Reveillon, in French, means “to stay awake.” In the Canadian French Canadian tradition for Christmas Eve, the adults would attend Midnight Mass, and then return home and party until the sun came up! I don’t quite have that much “party” left in me, but we did make it until just after 2 AM. With the exception of a comical (and infuriating) series of events leading up to the Reveillon itself (see Ka-BOOM! and A Comedy of Errors,) it turned out to be an exceptional night. We had a total of 31 guests.

This was the dining room table. A few of the items on the table included cheesecake, tourtiere, cretons with crackers, cherry pie, pecan-maple pie, squash pie, seafood chowder, cream of mushroom soup, cranberry pork, giardinera, nuts, candy, caramel pop-corn, nacho tray with two types of hot homemade salsa, punch, a veggie tray with a blue cheese dip, and a chip tray with caramelized onion dip.

The kitchen table held our coffee station, pecan-maple pie, squash pie, blueberry pie, blubbly jello with whipped cream, a ham tray with 4 hot sauce dips, a buche de Noel (hadn’t arrived yet,) nuts, cretons, olives, chips with caramelized onion dip, candies and a huge cheese tray with a variety of cheeses.

Dougie looks on as Darian helps himself to a piece of Dougie’s cheesecake. Chase is in the background - trying to decide what he wants to start with. By the way - the cheesecake didn’t last the evening … think we’ll try to get Dougie to make two next year … :)

If you remember from my Post Chaos Post, these two very strange people showed up on my doorstep, and I felt so sorry for them that I let them in… well, they’re back!

Lookit! I caught Vivi with her tongue sticking out! Amazing! You should see her when she’s drinking! ;-)

This is my niece Beth! We don’t get to see her very often … so I really look forward to Christmas Eve!

Tom really was as innocent as he looks in this picture … all evening! Apparently, there are actually legends surrounding Tom, certain beverages, and Christmas Eve … my brother tells me that my name is always mentioned in those legends. *cough* Moi???

Tom is Nicole’s (my niece) hubby … and Baby Jack’s dad. :-)

Nicole … Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman! She was really “swell” looking last Christmas … this Christmas she brought along a wee little extra!

Patty with Baby Jack … never could picture Patty as a grandmother before, but I must say that it suits her quite nicely!

Here is my brother Paul, and my nephew Alex. It’s great to see the two of them together! Paul is about the busiest person I know (especially since he retired,) and Alex is the ultimate world traveler. He’s finally home after living and working in Africa and South America for a number of years. Oh … those legends surrounding Tom? … Alex’s name is also mentioned in them … ;-)

Here’s a room full of happy, full, laughing, hiccupping people. Sometime after the holidays, I’ll let you in on the little video they were watching. *grin*

This picture is a prize! I love it! Sarah with Jordan … I think Daein had better keep his eyes on his little nephew, I’m sure Jordy’s got his eyes on his Auntie Sarah … ;-)

A peaceful moment between Sarah and Mikah. This picture is another treasure. Mikah is very difficult to catch in such tranquil poses. Sarah’s going to be a wonderful Mum!

And here it is! The classic shot of Daein taking a picture of me …

… while I take a picture of him! We do this one every Christmas! :)

And yes, in the background … that’s Joanie … and no, those aren’t HORNS she’s making behind my head, they’re BUNNY EARS! So there! ;-)

And finally - how could I forget our annual shot of Doug … in his classic “fly catcher” pose. We have one of these representing each and every Reveillon we’ve ever had! This is our 2005 poster shot … *blink!*

Well - another Christmas is behind us … and it’s going to take until at least next Christmas to be ready for another one … 0.o

If you remember, in “Ka-BOOM!“, I mentioned that after all of the things which had just happened, I was “half afraid to turn the oven on” … well! Let me pick up the tale from that point … ;-)

As it turned out, the car, computer, and MP3 player were, indeed, joined by the oven. I must be a prophet! We did all of our Christmas baking in an oven that vacillated between the set temperature, and and an extra 125 degrees. Poor old baby’s seen better days anyway. It’s almost as old as I am … *cough*

Our guests were supposed to begin arriving at about 7 PM. With four of us dashing madly about as we tried to fill all of the dishes and food trays (and #5 positioning himself perfectly in the dead center of the activity like a lightpole minus its bulb ;-) … we knew we could never hope to have it all set up before the first few knocks at the door.

7:10 PM - Racing against time, we crowded around the stove like little piggies around a slop trough. Dougie (my chef) was manning the gravy for the Swedish Meatballs, and his signature Cream of Mushroom Soup … I had just stirred the Seafood Chowder, and was walking (scooting!) away to tend to something else.

Dougie exclaimed, “Oh no! Something just jumped into the chowder. I have no idea what it was!” The stove and environs were covered by splooshed chowder … and my salt shaker had vanished! Dougie set down a plastic container on the stove, and proceeded to help me dig out the shaker.

I was relieved to the point of tears when, with the now slimy/slippery salt shaker in hand, I realized that the salt on the inside was still dry - that meant the chowder hadn’t been ruined. However, my relief was short lived …

… I watched in horrified fascination as Dougie picked up that plastic bucket he had just set down in order to help me dig the shaker out of the chowder. He raised it up from the back right burner, and I saw filaments of plastic follow the departing bucket … like hot mozzarella on a heavy cheese pizza. Before I could react, the flour began to pour from the bucket onto the rug - making “PLOOF!” sounds as most of 5 pounds of all-purpose hit the floor, covering that entire corner of the kitchen in a coat of white. Bemused, I watched what looked like wisps of smoke rise from the irregular shaped heaps on the rug.

Realizing that we were already on borrowed time … I took in the scene: big white splotches of goop hanging and dripping from every surface in a 5 foot radius from the chowder bucket … plastic still bubbling and burning on the burner … flour - !!! - all over the rug, and dusting the front and side of the stove, the inside of the kitchen door, a cupboard door, my diswasher, the counter … the sink … by the way, did I mention that the kitchen door was the one everyone was supposed to arrive through?

An hour late, we finally put on all of the finishing touches. My very understanding brother Gil, and his wife Vivi, took in the last part of the ongoing drama … but we were again our unflappable selves once the real crowd hit.

I spent all of Christmas day in the classic “icepack on the head” position in the bedroom! Some may say that it was brought on by the Grateful Deads I kept mixing the night before … but I know better - it was due to inhaling a toxic mixture of flour dust, burned plastic and chowder! *blink!*

The Doctor Is In » The Jewel

Another offering from Dr. Bob over at The Doctor Is In. Not sure if this fellow may have missed his true calling - he’s an extremely talented writer.