What was the funniest thing that happened at your Christmas?

So, I had my family over in this small apartment. We are not fancy and I suppose my relatives with large houses are used to that. Food was good, atmosphere was friendly, congenial and we filled our bellies. My son had a roll of paper towels on a pole nearby (I suppose for clean-up) and ripped off a towel, folded it into a napkin and used it like that. The guests followed his example until I emerged from a busy kitchen with "Oh my god, we HAVE plenty of dinner napkins" which were however still hiding out in the cabinet.

I pulled out a whole white pile and everybody had the proper thing. I was touched however that nobody blinked an eye and had simply not said a word and used the roll of paper towel.

Compare that with a long fancy table with cloth napkins in napkin rings.

We were at a neighbors drop in in our condo. One of our residents mentioned some one has a Cincinnati Reds plate on their car, the owner was at the party and we all chit chatted about being Reds Fans. Someone else mentioned we had a Reds player who lived in our condo. No one knew who he was or which unit he lived in. Come to find out through asking everyone at the drop in who was the Mr. Red player was, he was the one I was sitting next to that was playing the piano. He lives in the same condo unit as I on the floor above me.

He is now retired from playing baseball and I am still in shock.

Over the holidays our dog chewed open a garbage bag and trash picked the turkey carcass. What a fartfest we had to suffer through that night. Come to think of it, that wasn't funny at all except maybe for the dog.

LOL! Oh, you know that dog was snickering under his breath everytime he let one go.

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Speaking of fartfests, I guess the funniest thing was my cousin passing gas because she recently had a gastro surgery, and of course we all had to laugh. Come to think of it, that was only funny until it wafted its way to my side of the room.

Aww, that is sweet. I prefer paper anyway, Pipette. I feel somehow guilty when I get lipstick on someone's nice cloth napkins. Now, a restaurant's napkins, that's another story.

How about when something like this shows up on your plate? Seems a pity to even unfold it, let alone wipe your mouth with it.

I love a beautifully set table, don't you? I suppose it might relieve the guilt to first snap a photo before you ruin it, ey?

My elderly parents have become quite frail so this year they decided it would be too difficult to put up a Christmas tree. I felt guilty that I couldn't be with them to celebrate the holidays, much less help decorate the house. Then I remembered seeing an ad from L.L. Bean for a live, beautifully decorated, table top Christmas tree so I had one shipped to them. When I received email notification that the tree had been delivered I called my mom to make sure it had arrived in good shape. She seemed confused and said, "A Christmas tree? No, nothing like that came today. The only package that arrived today was your dad's medical supplies, nothing else. I had the UPS man put it in the front hall closet "
Knowing my mom can be a little scatter-brained I told her she should go check the box to make sure it wasn't actually from L.L. Bean.
When she returned to the phone she said, "Oh, you were right, it is from L.L. Bean! You know, when I signed for the package I thought it was odd there was a picture of a Christmas tree on your dad's shipment of catheters."

Ha ha ha ha

that is funny. Made me break up in laughter at 4:20 AM in the morning getting ready for the bus at 9 degree Fahrenheit for babysitting in Long Island. Thanks.

Oooh, dogs and gamey poultry make for a hideous methane combination. What makes it even worse is that dog poots tend to be of the "silent but deadly" variety so you get smacked without warning.

Pipette, I have a friend whose parents are depression era children who can't let go of the frugal ways learned living through the depression as well as WWII rationing. They buy the cheapest paper napkins available and then tear them in half for each guest...

Those little tabletop trees are a stroke of genius for precious elderly people who have no business climbing a stepladder with an armful of garland or a string of lights. That was a very thoughtful gift.

Pipette, since we're good bit past Christmas I hope you don't mind if I hijack this thread for a moment. Cryptic, I feel as though I lucked out when I happened across that gift idea. It's so difficult to think of gifts for parents/grandparents as they age. As the elderly become less mobile their lives occupy a smaller footprint and they simply don't want or need more stuff. Combine that with individual health issues and it can be difficult to come up with meaningful gift ideas. But that doesn't mean older folks are beyond the joy of being splurged on. What are some gift ideas that have worked out well for the rest of you?

Dear Greysolon, you are not hi-jacking this thread, this is chit-chat.

Christmas is now over, and people go into their more serious pathways. Taxes, projections for 2015, and so on. The cold weather does not help either.

Christmas is the time for family togetherness. Well-meant gifts and thoughtfulness. A season to splurge and give something of a surprise. Something that maybe the recipient always wanted. But to get a surprise factor, one will have to observe and guess during the course of the whole year, and then buy the item and stash it away for the next Christmas.

If it misfires ? Well, then it will be re-gifted (remember the Seinfeld show).

Seriously, that happens in my family. My two sisters know when a gift has misfired with my mom when she re-gifts between them. Fortunately, this isn't an age related memory issue, it's just my mom being mom and it always elicits a laugh.