Here in the Hills

Thursday, February 20, 2014

the game - nye part 2

So we play 'The White Elephant' game after dinner and dessert.

People bring a wrapped gift---it can be something terrible that they want to get rid of, or, it can be something wonderful that everyone will hopefully fight over......
You don't know who brought what and that's as it should be.

We sit in a circle and roll the dice.

And there is a pile of Gifts sitting to the side on the floor.....And when you get a 7 or 11 you go pick out something from that big pile of gifts. (Sometimes people bring more than one thing, which makes it all the more fun.....)

So as I said, if you get a 7 or an 11, you can open a present, and then roll the dice again, and if you get another 7 or an 11, you can open another gift---and so on and so forth....We go around the circle and after everything is opened and visible.....well, that's when the fun really begins....

This was just one side of the room......and there were certainly a

variety of things---good, great, and silly and ugly, and wonderful!

Let me get in a little closer so you can see some of the things better.

Starting from right to left---a BIG Chocolate Bar (yum); some Teas and cookies, some books and a few DVD's; a couple of snow Globes that light up; a Great Cat Calendar for 2014, and a big Chicken Cookie Jar, and a piece of china known as

'The Creamer'.

'The Creamer' was making a re-appearance in The Game.

The last time we saw it was in 2006....

Here below, a picture of Betty G., Charley Berliner and

'The Creamer', New Years Eve, December 31st, 2006.

I don't remember who put it back in the game that year---it had been in and out of the game for about 8 or 9 years before that----But, I ended up with it that night back in 2006.

And I kept it where it could be seen by one and all and then, I forgot about it.....Till.....this year, when I decided to put it back in the game.

Oddly enough, it was the very first Gift that was opened. Odd because I had put it in the game and it was way over on the side on the bottom of a large pile of prettily wrapped packages.....

Seemah had rolled the first 7 and she went over to the pile of presents and picked this box.....In a way, it made it very special. I mean, that the first gift opened was this rather pornographic piece of China, with which most everyone there was familiar, and we all had a good laugh.....

Seemah did enjoy it, a lot!

It's too long a story to go into, but let's just say, I am acting as custodian of 'The Creamer' till the person who actually ended up with it decides to take it. So, for now, it is sitting right where it's been since January 1st, 2007!

Now on to some somewhat more High Brow items.....

There was this terrific book about the History of The Oscars, by the wonderful Bob Osborne of TCM. It's something I would have wanted myself, but I just don't have any place for any more books---especially such a gorgeous Coffee Table Book.......I hate that I have no room for books anymore. It hasn't stopped me buying some, but, there is no place to put them.....!
There were some other wonderful books---a terrific Time-Life book and a very beautiful book on John Kennedy in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of his assassination and The Diaries of Richard Burton, to name a few.

And there were some charming Cookie Jars....The already mentioned Chicken with Babies----it really is darling and if I had had the room....

Chickens seemed to be very popular this year.....Someone else put a Chicken Cookie Jar in the game---smaller than the above, but still----what are the chances of two Chicken Cookie Jars showing up on the same New Years Eve White Elephant Game?

Lee opened this one, but I think someone else ended up with it.....

You know what? I don't think it is a Cookie Jar---in fact, I don't know what it is---well, I know it's a Chicken but I have no idea what it is supposed to be used for....Funny.
Going back to that Beautiful White Elephant at the top of this post....A very dear friend of Earl's sent that to him last year so he could put it in the game-----which he did.
I never did post any of last years New Years Pictures, sorry to say.....
And this year, she sent another Elephant, made by the same company--Breyer.
Here are both of them, below.

The company that makes these is called Breyer.

And, the second one has the figure of Mikey Dolenz on it based on a TV show he did as a boy---"Circus Boy", where it was his job to take care of an Elephant named Bimbo.

I was not familiar with "Circus Boy" or Bimbo the Elephant. I only knew Mikey Dolenz from "The Monkees", and I really didn't know them very well either.

But, this is a collector's item!

It was lovely of Ronda to send these for the game---So, if you are reading this, my dear, Thank You So Very Very Much.....!

Below, another collector's item of sorts......

A 'Duck Dynasty' Cap......For those of you who have never seen this show, (And that includes me) it is about a family who makes Duck calling thingy's, and there was a lot of hoopla about some remarks that Daddy Duck Dynasty had to say about Homosexuals and Black people here in America.
It was, in my opinion, like The Dark Ages! OY!

Enough Said!

Here is another picture of the two Elephants below......

I like them a whole lot better than that Duck Cap!

So....that was our New Years. At Midnight we went on my Deck and heard the city bring in the New Year---and we all yelled, too----a very unifying feeling, and, we even saw some fireworks.

A lovely way to bring in 2014!

More To Come........

| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 4:19:00 PM

18 comments

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

new years eve??

I know, I know.....But.....'Better Late Than Never'.
Yes?
So....it's already almost the middle of February.....There has been a lot going on.
I watched almost 50 films in preparation for The SAG Awards and The Oscars....
(I vote on the SAG Awards but not on The Oscars)
That took a lot of time!
But I'm going to go back to December 31st and show some pictures of my really sweet New Years Eve Party.....
I'm grateful to Dianne Travis for taking lots of pictures that night!

And there she is, sitting next to the oh so beautiful Maddy Claire Parks, Betty G's. granddaughter---(Now 18, as of January 12th....can you believe that? For those of you still blogging and still reading my blog....she was just a tiny baby girl on her first New Years Eve, here...)

Someone took this picture of Dianne above, with her camera, and I'm so glad they did.

Because of my now quite limited way of getting about, I cannot take as many pictures as I used to and I'm limited to positioning. So I'm very grateful to Dianne.....

And here I am with the very handsome and dear Andy Parks---Betty's younger son---and that is darling Craig Curtis in the blue stripped shirt, next to the lovely Seemah Wilder.....

Above....eating an Hors D'euvre and having a bit of wine is the adorable Bridget Hanley and next to her, the beautiful Lee Meriwether and her darling husband Marshall Borden.....

We had some lovely yummy goodies before dinner.....Here below is Garrett parks, Betty's older son and Maddy's dear father......

Way over on the left is a Leather Jacketed arm---That's Maddy's boyfriend Chris---we will see more of him as we go along....Then there's Garrett eating something delicious---shrimp, I think, and his daughter Maddy next to him----and Mary, who is part of my wonderful Caterer Will's great crew....then Marshall B. and the special Katy Melody, Andy Park's wife.....

And....there is Maddy, her Aunt Katy, her beautiful talented Mom, Karen Culliver Parks and Maddy's wonderful beau, Chris---a talented singer and musician.....They make such a perfect couple!

And then.....my dear dear old friend, the wonderful Earl Holliman. I have known dear Earl since 1964! And his is a friendship that means so very much to me.....

Earl is a wonderful wonderful actor and a truly devoted Animal lover----he was the President of Actors and Others for Animals for forty years.....A wonderful organization that continues it's great work. He is still very much involved, involved but retired as President.....If you want to know more about Actors and Others For Animals, take a look right here....

And above, some of the gang just before 'dinner is served'.....One of the things that always makes this evening special---aside from the fact that it is New Years Eve----is the loving caring feeling that always prevails. We have all known each other for such a long time---there is a close 'family' feeling when we get together.

I find this more and more meaningful as the years go on.....and as we lose more 'family' members......Pray God, we will all be here next year, too!

And.....then there was dinner.....!

These next couple of pictures were taken with Karen's Cell Phone.....Above, Dianne with Dinner in front of her.

Chicken Kiev, Buttered Rice, Asparagus Spears and a lovely Salad---my favorite--Butter Lettuce, Pears, Caramelized Pecans, and Gorgonzola Cheese with a lovely Vinaigrette Dressing.....

Below, Katy, picking up an Asparagus Spear at the Buffet table, with her darling husband Andy looking on.....

Then, there were Chris and Maddy having their dinner......

And Garrett and myself, eating over on the other side of the Living Room......

I know I showed this picture above, before.....but I thought it would be fun to show it again so you can see 'dinner' a little better......

Of course, there was dessert and 'The Game'.....but that will be part two.......

Yes!

More To Come........

| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 2:29:00 PM

20 comments

Monday, February 03, 2014

a haunting sadness

There is something so very very sad and deeply haunting about Philip Seymour Hoffman's sudden death.

Forty-Six years old, and a needle that had, they believe, been filled with Heroin, stuck in his arm......

And he is gone.

I didn't know him personally, but I knew people who did......

He had just been at Sundance to promote a film directed by John Slattery, (my dear friend Joyce Van Patten's son-in-law)....Slattery's first directed film----and Hoffman was great in it and was in great Health during those two weeks at Sundance-----and all through the shooting of the film, too---he was excited about the picture and proud of the work he had done in it.....

Everyone thought he was okay.

But it seems, he wasn't.

And, now, he is gone.

Such an exceptionally talented man.....

What else might he have given us?

How many performances on film and stage we

will never see now.

And he had three little children.

What happens to them now---their Daddy gone, in a second.

His significant other-----how Heartbreaking is this for her?

Drugs, and the call of them.....

Hard to understand, and yet, not......

Rest in Peace dear Philip Seymour.....

You gave so much to your life's work

and through that,

You gave so much to us.

My Heart goes out to his family and all those that loved him.

More To Come.......

| posted by OldLady Of The Hills at 5:12:00 PM

16 comments

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