Christmas Cocktails

   SAKI BOMB!!!!!!


        My son and I have an annual cocktail party just before Christmas, a kind of stress reliever before the holiday.   This year apparently, the theme drink was a "Saki Bomb"!  Not my idea, but, one of my friends brought the fixins in for this wicked, wicked drink....  Now, you may ask, what is in a saki bomb??  By the way, I always thought saki was spelled sake... they must have changed the spelling over the years, because I KNOW I could not be mistaken...  Once again, I digress, what is in a Saki Bomb you ask?  Well, it is actually an extremely easy drink to make, one large glass, one bottle of light colored beer ( pale ale, any domestic non-dark beer) and a shot glass of saki.  Fill the glass with beer ( just like a boiler maker or a JagBomb) and then drop the shot glass of saki into the beer.  Makes for a strong beer...NOT that I was foolish enough to succumb to its wicked delights.  Nope, I stuck with rum... As in, Mohitos and Pina Coladas.  Of course, the was the pre-emptive Mumosa with my cleaning and hourse de ourves making friend... and then of course there is always a need for a Midori Melon Ball to end the evening... Needless to say, I awoke the next morning with a slight headache, but, the best part was, in my semi-drunken stupor, I had cleaned up the mess!!  So, I didn't even have a messy kitchen to look forward to cleaning!  SAKI BOMB!!!   I think this should be a victory cry for me, or at the very least, a battle cry...


    Christmas, to me is always one of my very favorite times of the year.  A time to visit with old friends and new, to reminisce over the past year, with the opportunity for much laughter, or tears or a bit of both.  I especially enjoy the church at this time of the year, the music festivals, and the programs.  Our church does a walk through Bethlehem every year at this time.  One year, my son and I participated in the Bethlehem village, that was a real treat.  We pretended we were a family in Bethlehem and talked about our daily lives, and what all that entailed.  Out in the market place we had a bread maker hidden in the wings, so at the bread vendors there was the authentic aroma of bread baking, it permeated the entire hall.  Wonderful smell!  Along the street of  our "Bethlehem", we had vendors selling flowers, grinding wheat, and barley, selling nuts, ( almonds) and fruits ( dates and figs),  selling oils,  the bread makers, our home, and then off to the other side, there was an encolsure filled with sheep ( even a brand new baby sheep, it was darling~!)  There was a manger filled with straw and somehow our parish ed driector had persuaded a family with a new baby to participate, and there was a baby lying in her mother's arms near the manger all dressed in clothing we attribute to ancient times.  It seemed magical, we were seemingly transported to Bethlehem the night of Jesus birth!  This walk through Bethlehem is one experience I would like to remember forever!  Today is another walk through "Bethlhem" I can't wait to see what surprises are in store for us!
  
     It was so beautiful this morning wandering out of my warm house into the snow...  I don't like the cold, but, always marvel at the seeming miracle of the falling snow.  The horses blanketed in winter white, waiting patiently for me to feed them.  The ducks quacking noisily in order to hurry me up with their feed and warm water.  One of the ducks, Edgar (it looked like) made the trek through the snow to the front of the house, seeking his pail of warm water, I hadn't gotten to that part yet, so he trudged back to his snug little coop and then waited for me to bring him his warm water.  It was so funny, he not only drank his fill of water, but then, climbed into the bucket, and stood there, just warming his feet.  I was picturing this look of complete rapture crossing his face as he climbed into that warm water, probably the same look I have as I step into a hot bath after freezing my tookus off outside on those bitterly cold nights.
  

   Today, we are going to completely immerse our minds in Christmas movies beginning with " Its a Wonderful Life", and then perhaps " White Christmas" followed by " The Polar Express" "A Christmas Story", and "Elf".  I am not sure if we will have time for any other Christmas movies, but, we should be completely tanked with good cheer with all that happy together time, my son and I.
  Hope everyone of my reader's week is filled with glad tidings and good cheer ( perhaps some egg nog or wassail to boot!).   Blessings on you all!