Huckleberries Online

Christmas Eve Wild Card

Posted by Cindy

Dec. 24, 2009 4 p.m. • 20 comments

I had the worst dreams last night! I dreamed I couldn’t find my kids’ Christmas gifts, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon broke up, a couple Hucksters had a bloody duel and were buried in seagull crap. And the huge head of Bradley Thoma hovered above me saying– “It’s not my fault. I’ve got a disability…”

It was bad. No more eggnog for lunch.

Today, after all, is Christmas Eve, better known around our house as the Festival of Strange Norwegian Meats. We spend Christmas Eve with my Norwegian in-laws. Each year they make a pilgrimage to Ballard, Washington, and stock up on…meat. For example, Pinnekjøtt (literally “stick meat”) or dried mutton ribs, a traditional Christmas dish in the western parts of Norway. Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried and sometimes smoked lamb’s ribs.
Then there’s ribbe (pork belly) and Medisterkaker (ground pork and veal sausage). I tend to eat a LOT of mashed rutabega and cabbage, and wash it down with a fair amont of Glögg.

Now that I’ve whet your appetites, use this thread to share your own Christmas Eve traditions, or start a new topic.

20 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Frum Helen Back on December 24 at 9:14 a.m.
Cindy, You’ve made me so happy that I married and Hillybilly, even though I didn’t know that when I married him.
Don_Sausser on December 24 at 9:42 a.m.
@Cindy, Then there’s ribbe (pork belly) and Medisterkaker (ground pork and veal sausage). I tend to eat a LOT of mashed rutabega and cabbage, and wash it down with a fair amont of Glögg.

Kind of makes me hunger for a hot dog :)
poolman on December 24 at 11:12 a.m.
I generally never eat or drink anything spelled with lines through or symbols over the vowels, kind of picky that way. Although I have to admit, a little Glogg does sound tasty -is that served in a stein?
JohnA on December 24 at 11:17 a.m.
“is that served in a stein?”

The junior senator from Minnesota probably serves it that way. LIkely calls it his Franken stein. :)
Cindy_H on December 24 at 11:58 a.m.
@Poolman: It’s served in a mug…though the way I drink it, it might as well be a stein :-)
hmoffsuite on December 24 at 3:04 p.m.
JohnA. Now, THAT, was a good one.
hmoffsuite on December 24 at 3:15 p.m.
Kage Mann just showed up on the baby thread. Maybe this is a better spot for my post there.

Hey Kage. We’ve all been worndering where you have been and hoping everything is ok with you. Care to fill us in? Welcome back.
Bent on December 24 at 3:19 p.m.
You have to check out the jib jabs I posted in the movie thread…

Wecome back Kage…you were missed.
Kage_Mann on December 24 at 4:30 p.m.
Thanks, hmoffsuite, Bent!

I had to work hard these past 5 weeks and I’m feeling tired and burned out, but at least I’ll make it through the winter and into spring.
Phaedrus on December 24 at 4:54 p.m.
Glad it wasn’t anything bad, KM we’ve been worried about you. Welcome Back!
florined on December 24 at 9:32 p.m.
KAGE! We’ve missed you? All warmth and joy to ya, and to HBO-ers all.
Arpie on December 24 at 10:27 p.m.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good glass of eggnog. _especially to our long lost Kage though I hope this doesn’t encourage him too much. Kage we’ll have to steer you toward a thread or two that were speculating on your whereabouts. Most of us figured you were snuggled in the baggage carrier of Sarah P’s bus.
JIMMYMAC on December 25 at 12:43 a.m.
Good to see you back Kage, good buddy! Cheers to a hard worked and evidently prosperous five weeks. Merry Christmas Hucksters!!!!!!!!
spokelooneh on December 25 at 12:56 a.m.
Peace be with you.
And also with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfEGETyGjs
spokelooneh on December 25 at 1:23 a.m.
whoops excuse me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUCbZhIfQbA&NR=1
Arch_Druid on December 25 at 8:01 a.m.
You have to figure that the “Christmas” message gets lost on a few people around here every year. The CDA Press ran some letters about the season and the sort of “Christmas” letter from Linda Herbert that would have Christ shaking his head in sadness. Happy Holidays isn’t an Identity theft of “Christmas.” But using “Christmas” as an opportunity to go on the rant about what one deems to be the latest in “social ills,” is not what Christ would have intended I am sure.

So a question here, how did the three kings come into possession of gold, frankincense and myrrh if they didn’t previously purchase these gifts for Christ?

Yeah actually the retail industry does capitalize on any major holiday, why should Herbert be surprised about that? It’s only been going on for years. But if there is one argument here about Christ being shoved out of the picture, it comes from Herbert’s own letter, her lack of charity and good will. If people have the money to buy presents, then they will. Because it also proves that they have the means to provide to charitable causes too. Ms. Herbert is so busy looking for all the WRONG things to complain about that she doesn’t stop once to look at the good things that are possible at this time of the year. Which is too bad, really. But then, what can you expect if “Christmas” simply becomes yet another political tool for people with an ax to grind.
Stickman on December 26 at 3:29 p.m.
I guess I’ll break down for once and welcome Kage back, though I don’t have a clue why.
hmoffsuite on December 26 at 3:34 p.m.
Arch >> “So a question here, how did the three kings come into possession of gold, frankincense and myrrh if they didn’t previously purchase these gifts for Christ?”

Barter. Where it all started.
Arch_Druid on December 27 at 9:14 a.m.
Hmoffsuite, barter is a form of trade and therefore of the market. Seems to me that you missed the point. The Christ child was given MATERIAL GIFTS. The issue that MANY people have with “Christmas” today is its materialism and commercialism. So, how did that materialism and commercialism get started, if not right at the nativity story? Something you might want to think more deeply about.
Kage_Mann on December 27 at 8:59 p.m.
I hope everyone here had a Merry Christmas.

Happy New Year!

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.