SOME PHOTO'S OF NEW YEARS
(see post below this one)
Here are just a couple of pictures of some of the truly silly "gifts" in The White Elephant Game....plus a couple of others, not silly...
Betty G. with the "Tickle Me Foot"!
This little doozy, began laughing while still in it's Christmas wrapped box...it really is very amusing and so silly as to be truly funny! Betty loved it and lucky lady that she is, nobody took it away from her....so, she went home with this funny thingy...(Just touching it would make it laugh so it laughed all through the game...and everytime it laughed, so did all of us....I guess we are all pretty silly and easily pleased too, I'm happy to say.....)
But, let's go back before the game started. Here are a couple of photo's as we had some pre-dinner and dinner.....
The beautiful Karen Culliver, (Betty's talented daughter-in-law) and Maddy Claire Parks, (Betty's Grandaughter...) They had barely gotten off the plane from Florida having visited Karen's folks for Christmas....Karen has one of the most beautiful soprano voices I've ever heard...I call it 'a Heartbreak Voice'....because she can break your heart with her glorious singing...And, Andrew Lloyd Webber thought so too...and Karen Opened the Chicago company of "Phantom Of The Opera", playing it there for a year and a half before moving to the Broadway company....dear adorable Maddy will turn 10 years old on January 12th.... 
and here is this bright darling little girl with her Daddy, Garrett Parks...(Betty's incredibly handsome and talented son, a very fine musician....) Maddy, who just started wearing braces in these last few months... is the brightest, funniest 10 year old I've ever met...maybe it's because she is surrounded by sweet and bright talented people! Whatever it is, she is a joy to be around...
And here are a few other random photo's at the dinner table and elsewhere.... 
Jacquie is a terrific actress and a very very old friend and the darling Joe is a great great friend and a very special human being...such fun to spend time with and a joy to be around...somehow age differences never seem to matter in 'show business'...which means that your circle of friends can range from people quite a bit older than yourself and the reverse, as well...I love that about all the people in my life, and I know all of us feel that way, maybe because we are all children at heart, and doing the kind of work we do trancends age, race, sex, etc....I'm happy to say...
Here's a Happy New Year kiss, from Dianne Travis to her very dear husband Mark....more good dear old friends....she, a splendid actress and he, a superlative director...
Now....more of the strange but funny White Elephant Presents....
These are the "Old Fart" Slippers....which I was lucky enough to open....but also was very fortunate that someone took them away from me...(Thank You Dear Lord!)...they are kind of funny, and of course, extremely extremely silly...when you walk on them, they make farting noises....and I suppose, if the name wasn't so brazenly printed on them, one might think that someone truly did 'let one fly'....
(There seemed to be more sort of risque or downright dirty gifts this year than any of us remembered from years past....hmmm...what the hell does that say about all of us?)
This next little item is for someone who needs to get their anger out, and knows they may need to do it again and again and again....You can tear this little guy apart and then put him back together again...I think the lovely Seemah got to take this item home....people were not exactly fighting over it....I took two photo's of this because the front had the name of it and the back--the second photo, had a fine picture of what this 'doll'(?) looks like...anybody want this? I'm sure Seemah would be happy to send it to you with very little encouragement needed....No? Well, nobody else wanted it either! And the rules of the game are: You open it and nobody takes it from you...YOU take it home with you! (No one is allowed to leave any of this crap at my house...lol)
Now, this next one is rather X rated....if you are easily offended by graphic body parts....leave now!
This "Creamer"..(yes, that is what it is....) has been floating around this game for about 8 or 9 years....a different person seems to end up with it each time and since you cannot put things in the game one year after another but have to wait till the following year...it could have been around the game longer than 9 years...I honestly don't remember...But, I have had this in my possession for the last two years and put it back in the game this year...I don't know why I did that because, believe it or not, I have become very fond of this creamer...(Don't ask!). Charlie B. (Another Cotswold's participant) opened this and later, I took back from him, and this year NOBODY took it away from me...I have no idea how come, but it now sits back in the place I had it in for two years..it's not exactly in a prominant place, mind you, but it is certainly not hidden away where no one can see it....if one were to look closely, one could definitely see it. Ready???
This really is a 'gross' picture, isn't it?
Well, now that you know more about me and my sweet friends than you ever wanted to...
(And this is not a drinking crowd, by the way, at all! Nor are we really a randy crowd, either..but everyone certainly does love a good dirty joke! And this item falls into that catagory, wouldn't you say?? Ahh yes, those Bawdy Theatre People, you know?)
I think these are the highlights of the 'bad' gifts...maybe there are a couple of other things..Oh yes! There is one more sort of 'Strange But True' item that I photographed...an Urn of sorts, with holes in it..(???)...this is the perfect kind of White Elephant for the game....so ugly that it's fascinating and everyone wants it, so this went around the circle many many times before 'times up'. I know that in the morning whoever ended up with this will be saying...like, "why did I want this?????...what was I thinking!!!??"
And so, another New Year's Eve has come and gone...another White Elephant Game played, and a truly wonderful time was had by all...
You know, we've all known each other for so long that everyone knows everything there is to know about each other and we all still love one another....so more than anything, it's the getting together on New Year's Eve that makes for a memorable evening...and in spite of the fact that our numbers were reduced by "The Crud" that is cursing L.A. this New Years, a good time was had by all who were well enough to be here, I'm happy to say! This was a swell way to usher in 2006!
And so, on this very first day of the brand new year, I again wish all of you the very best that you can have in 2006! May all your dreams come true, my lovely's....
- had this to say:
A wonderful party with all your beautiful friends. Little Maddy looks adorable.
I'm so glad you had such a fantasic time, you have such good friends that a good time is pretty much guaranteed.
HJopefully, next year The Crud won't appear and it'll be a full house in the Hills :-)
Happy New Year (again!) Naomi.
cq
ps new memory at the palace - oh, and you and I have been tagged by WendyWings - dagnabbit! :-)- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 2:00:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I'm back! It's me again...
see, I come see you off my own bat, then Michele sends me here....
life!
cq
:-)- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 2:15:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
yes WAY more information than we wanted - but happy new year anyway - no pictures of your lovely self - or did I miss that?
- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 2:25:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
That looks like a fun time was had by all. Here via Michele's.
- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 3:30:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
What a great night with wonderful friends.
Re the CRUD when I was in LA in June I arrived at LAX with a really bad dose of some awful flu bug. I managed to leave it behind and got blamed for bringing "third world" bugs to LA with me. I hope it is not my fault HAHAHA
Michele was going to send me but someone posted in between us ! I came anyway.- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 3:36:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Sounds as if a great time was had by all present - and I wish I had been there to take home the creamer! I would have to hide it from my grandkids, though...LOL.
Good photos, Naomi. Have a wonderful New Year and thanks for being my blog friend.- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 3:56:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
What a wonderful way of ushering in the new year with great friends and extremely funny gifts!!!
I really enjoyed the pictures, thanks for sharing your evening with us!
Regarding the crud, it seems to be making it's way around the Atlanta area too. ...crummy stuff! Hope you stay well!!- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 4:18:00 PM PST
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had this to say:
Happy New Year courtesy of Michele!
Your white elephant party sounds like it was lots of fun. Betty G. looks really familiar to me. Is she an actress?- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 5:45:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Sounds like your new years eve was way more exciting than mine! I would love to hear Karen sing sometime. She must be amazing to be in Phantom. That mug is a scream.. too bad you don't get to keep it for the next few years. That would certainly wake me up in the morning if I was reaching in the cupboard for a mug for my coffee and found that! lol
Michele sent me tonight- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 5:53:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
What lovely pictures and what a lovely time you had. It sounds like it was just so much fun with old friends and great people! Wild gag gifts there!! Those are fun to do though.
Thanks for sharing your good time with us Naomi!! You're such a sweetheart of a lady!!- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 5:55:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Now that looks like a FUN evening. I loved the cream. If I could find one I'd buy it. Too funny.
Your friends look like a very fun group. Lucky you!
I've never done the White Elephant Game. It looks like quite a bit of laughs.
Happy New Year.- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 6:23:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
You have such fun friends! Glad you had a good time.
We had a joke gift like that in my family, too, it was mostly between my mom and my Uncle. One time he had come to a party and he asked for an ashtray, I think there was only one in the whole house. My mom, who kept a beautiful home and had beautiful good china, etc. for her parties, went digging through the cupboards to find more ashtrays and found this ugly, hideous, old chipped ashtray. My uncle teased her mercilessly about it. The next Christmas, he got it as a present! After that, every few years when they would least expected it, it would end up as a present at birthdays or Christmas. It was SO funny!- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 7:44:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I love the pics...and your crazy creamer! You are too funny!!! Heehee!
Happy New Year!
Btw, Michele sent me!!!- Sunday, January 1, 2006 at 10:18:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
you know something, it sounds like it was really fun! the creamer is something i can see running around my family. i now have in my possesion my grandmothers finger. someone, long ago, bought her a pink ceramic hand flying the middle finger. it was proudly displayed on her sideboard from a time before i was born. i inherited it. sadly, its in a box, but one day i want to have the cajones to display it as proudly as she did!
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 12:18:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Well, it sure looks like you had a wonderful time at your get-together. That's quite a coffee mug! ;-)
Michele sent me...- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 4:08:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Your party looks like it was so much fun and the White Elephant presents are a hoot! Glad you had such a great time. Happy New Year to you too!
Here from Michele's this time!- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 5:27:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Those are quite interesting presents, i must say! And the mug is, well, equally interesting, heehee! Seems like you guys had so much fun up on the hill!
Happy, happy new year!- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 5:55:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Hello Naomi, I ended up with a great present at our White Elephant/Yankee swap...Sacred Contracts, a book by Carline Maise (not spelling her last name right). The funniest was probably a teenage doll that spoke unlikely things like "I don't want an allowance... Can I empty the trash for you..." etc. Also a calendar of Bushisms. Next year maybe I'll take some photos like you did, but my digital camera doesn't do so well in poor lighting. Looks like you all had fun and I'm glad you won't be wearing those slippers! Happiest of New Years to you!
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 6:16:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Great pictures! Betty is as gorgeous at 85 as she was in "On the Town" 55 years ago!
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 9:16:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
What great pictures! This was hysterical! I'm glad you brought in 2006 with good friends and family. That's what life's all about.
I wish you a wonderful and healthy New Year! You seem to be very fortunate already--which is wonderful!- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 10:19:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Now there was some very interesting gift ideas in that post!
A very Happy New Year to you, your family and friends.- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 10:28:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
It looks like you had so much fun :) I need cool friends like that...
Michele sent me back :)- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 11:53:00 AM PST
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had this to say:
Lovely party, Naomi dear! thanks for sharing. Happy New Year to you and happy anniversary to me! :D
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 12:57:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Looks like a wonderful party! It's great to have such good friends to share the holiday with. :)
Michele sent me....this time!
And OH MY!!! on The Creamer, btw!- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 2:11:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Looks like you has tone of fun. Great picture and fun gifts.
P.S.~ I am from Maryland.- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 4:59:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
OMG! I LOVE the creamer! So funny!
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 5:32:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Pictures were cool. Maddy is pretty and where else would she get her talent but of course from you. Sometimes it's great fun to receive and give out funny gifts just for the kicks.
Michelle sent me.- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 7:13:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Thanks for giving a peek at your gathering! It looks like it was a hilarious time.
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 7:49:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Now THAT'S a PARTY!!!
- Monday, January 2, 2006 at 8:34:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
Hmmm. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing in your fun! Superb photos and gifts. (I have tears in my eyes from laughing.) It wasn't until my daughters became highly involved in high school theatre that they appreciated their "earthy" mom (I'm the artsy, euphemism explainer, punster and yes, bawdy applies to all of us now, at times!)
There is an openness and family feel in theatre that is unique. We don't have stories that anyone on the net would be fascinated by like yours, but I sure am entertained (and honoured) when one of my daughters shares another hysterical theatre moment!)
Very best 2006 wishes again, Naomi!- Tuesday, January 3, 2006 at 1:22:00 AM PST
- had this to say:
Oh my goodness, that looks like a hilarous party!
I may have had to fight for the farting slippers, just so my kids could play with them. We also have a fine whoopie cushion collection... :-)- Wednesday, January 4, 2006 at 3:31:00 PM PST
- had this to say:
I am laughing like you wouldn't believe! I love "creamer" too! Lol! *blushing as well!*
Sounds like you all had a great time! I also loved the white elephant...we gave a gift like that to some family members (a ceramic dog statue wearing a dress) and dog gone it, ;), I liked that dog in a dress statue and didn't want to give it up. But I did...sigh...- Wednesday, January 4, 2006 at 5:31:00 PM PST
x4
