After excitedly ripping open his gift, Santiago quickly tossed it aside and asked to go see the doggies!

Here they are seen sporting as earrings the tree ornaments I had used as napkin rings but meant as gifts for them all.

Members of my small writing group and partners arrived after Santiago and parents left.

White Elephant Gifts

Liz chooses her gift.

Liz models Larry’s hat while he holds up the footwarmer pads that accompanied it.

Getting Barbara medically organized

Don’t squeeze that ketchup bottle!! (Relax. It was a long red string that came shooting out when she squeeaed it. Larry’s practical joke that was in the same package as the pill organizer and small pillbox.)

Juan and Liz and Larry

Jo opens her gift

Liz gave exotic gifts to us all from her line of clothing and house linens. Here Chris models her kimono.

Liz got a lovely candle holder and candle.

Lin got a Barbie

Lin’s Classic Barbie compared to new “Normal “Barbie that Beckie and Lach gave me a few years ago. Note that Normal Barbie has more realistic measurements. Her calves are larger than the original Barbie’s thighs!

Michael chooses his White Elephant

Michael and Barbara

Juan rips into the gift he chose

Ruins of the dessert.

I seem to have been type-cast when it comes to Xmas gifts. A large box from Michael and Barbara yielded these three large bags of Cheetos Torciditos

Earlier that morning, Sergio and David handed a package over my wall that they said Santa had delivered to their house by mistake.

Read instructions above.

Click on photos to enlarge and read captions.

For two years, I’ve been turning friends and especially the small writing group that meets at my house on to my special recipe Sangria and Cheetos Torciditos..by popular demand, serving them once a month at our meetings and regularly to other visitors at my house.  This has led to a yearly Cheetos gift from my neighbors, Sergio and David, who will go to any length to procure a new Cheetos-themed gift.  Two years ago it was a swim towel that looked like a huge Cheetos Torciditos bag.  The next year it was a perfectly-ordinary-looking brown mug that when you poured hot coffee into it turned into a bright orange copy of the Cheetos bag as well. This year was the most original of all. You can see it pictured and explained on the photo of it’s box above.

Merry Christmas to all a few days late.