The Results are In: Best Christmas Prize Goes to...

Christmas Eve with my family is a raucous event.  Dave and I are the hosts each year to a mob herd gathering of between 38 and 45 relatives, friends of relatives and anyone else who wants to come.  Arrivals begin at noon and departures often don't happen for (what seems like) days.

We have a boatload of silly traditions and rituals (like the must-have brocoli casserole and Southern Comfort punch named after three sisters who manage to down the bulk of the liquid each year) but none is more engaging fun goofy than our annual quest to find the most unappealing gift that can be foisted upon an unwitting family member during an involved grab-bag game.  

And yes, that is a picture of this year's winning entry -- a working, all genuine Chinese-made plastic resin deer telephone! Ah, this is the stuff of which cherished holiday memories are made.