BEETHOVEN - "AN DIE FREUDE/ODE TO JOY"

37 YEAR CHRISTMAS MEDLEY

It was another 5-day, 5-nite, 5-star Christmas celebration at Cape May! Hard to define the feeling that comes over each of us when we get together like this several times a year to share life and laughs with one another. Makes Pat and me feel very grateful, very gifted to be part of this extended family. In my opinion our Christmas celebration is the best of all our get-togethers throughout the year. -- The Cornmeister

N.B. To enlarge, left click pic. Then, click arrow up in the address bar to return.


The red-hot, chili pepper 2008 Christmas tree. "O tannenbaum, O tannenbaum......" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Tannenbaum






Patricia Anne, forgive me! I forgot to take pics of our magnificent Christmas dinner table. Not one picture was taken on Christmas day itself!

NO PICS! WHAT TO DO FOR A BLOG??!!

I know....let's take a quick trip down memory lane.

OKAY, HERE WE GO!

In the beginning.....there was Kelly!

Pat and I -- being new parents -- thought it would be cute to hand her over to Santa for a pic. Poor kid, she thought we were abandoning her to this guy with the scary face!















Then, all of a sudden.....Kim and Mike came along!



Kelly was embarrassed by Kim's screaming. Mikey went into shock. You can see my forearm pinning a screaming, kicking Kim into place for this lovely shot.

Afterward, I heard Santa muttering to himself...."Man, the things you have to do to earn a living!"

Parenting 101: skip the kids/Santa Christmas photos








One Christmas morning a year or so later, we looked out our bedroom window and.....caught mother nature in the act! What act? I dunno'....














We didn't hang stockings on the mantle this Christmas. Pat hogged the fireplace for two weeks after she broke her ankle while ice skating at the Playboy Club! The last time the two of us went ice skating!





AND THE YEARS FLEW BY....



Christmas '98.
Kelly and Fiona(?) share a Christmas smooch!









Christmas '02
Rollicking good time. Kitty and Gerhard visit.












Christmas '04
Joe....searching for Nirvana.



























A coupla years ago
This Christmas we ventured forth to see "the tree" at Rockerfeller Center. An hour and a half bus ride over. We spent all of ten minutes
.....ooohing and aaaaahing at the tree. Then, an hour and a half bus ride back to Livingston. Inspirational!






Christmas '08

Three nites later. Sunday nite meal. 5 square feet of lasagna! Delish....

Hey, everybody! Look at Kelly!

Damien and Mike swapping krazy kat stories!

"My kat can beat up your kat!"












Happy birthday, Kimberly!

A pre-celebration of Kim's 36th

Great Christmas holiday together, wasn't it! And now....about New Year's!

Left click ....if you care to read Charlie's write-up. What a guy! An hour and a half one-man play. How did he ever retain all those lines in his head! Perfect timing. Never missed a beat. A to Z range of emotions. From tears, to anger, to maniacal laughter. And back to tears! Really, a great dramatic experience.

And of course, a standing ovation at the end.

Thanks, Joe and Pat, for a great Christmas celebration!

JOE'S CARCASS IN THE COOLER!

Two days after Thanksgiving..... Chef Joseph (high-hat-on-head, as is his wont) was ready to render his turkey carcass into a hearty stock for soup, soufflés and other serendipity dishes of distinction.

But wait! "My carcass? My carcass! Where’s my carcass!” rang out thru the house Saturday morning! Scarey stuff! Ol' Joe's friendly face grew grey and gruesome as he poked a finger in our faces, “Whadya’ do with my carcass!” We didn’t know whether to laugh or run for shelter!

Could it be in the fridge? Nah, that’s already packed full with festive leftovers. Could it perchance have ended up in the 10 huge trash bags out by the curb? Oh, perish the thought! Worse yet, could Fiona, Siobhan and Wolfie have dragged it off to a corner somewhere for a private canine repast? Nah, we would see the little leftovers dangling on their chins. All of a sudden Kim remembered, “Joe! Joe! I know! It’s out on the deck with all the booze. YOUR CARCASS IS IN THE COOLER! dear Chef Joe!”

What a transformation! Within seconds Joe’s jaw relaxed, his tears dried and.... somewhat like the sun coming from behind an angry cloud.... an ol’ friendly smile lit his face once again. Very touching. At this writing Joe’s carcass is simmering on yonder stove. Chef Joe hums ever so softly an ancient Etruscan hymn, an integral part of his stock preparation. And he keeps stirring. And stirring. And stirring his savory carcass. Yes, the whole scene is so ....uh, ‘touching'.

As witnessed by: -- The Cornmiester

International playboy and bon vivant Sheik Kommon Ahwanna Layya Damiyeen and his woman, Princess Ali-Baba Boobs Shannoon.

Joined us from their American estate in Montclair-autre-Terre to celebrate the holiday.

Guest of honor....sorta....kinda!

Cousin Tom Turkey ....with some hesitation...hiked up from Pike Creek Valley for the celebration.

Luscious turkey dinner! Thank you, Pat and Joe!

Such a beautfiful, extended family celebration of thankgiving for all the good things in our lives.

Thanks to whom? Well, that's for each of us to decide.

Mike and Kay! You were with us....virtually!

What! Meal prayers first! Damn....I'm hungry!

Ma Mere! Skip the gravy this time. Hit me with those creamed onions! Si'l vous plait!

Ohhh, Chris and Pat! You abandoned us for four days....to spend the time with ....three damn dogs!

You'd better make it up to us...or, we're walkin'!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING IN RETRO!

Now....about Christmas!

DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID....DNA! HOT STUFF!

Dear Kelly, Kim and Mike!

If the bio history of life on earth were cast into a 24 hour framework, human life would probably exist only in the last nanosecond before midnight. Isn't that wild!

Yes, all human beings...you and I....and 'Adam and Eve'... in effect, just arrived here on planet earth. However, our DNA roots, like all terrestrial life, go all the way back to the salty seas of billions of years ago. They say, the salt component coursing thru our bloodstreams today harkens back to those salty sea days! In that sense we've been here....ab initio,' since the beginning'! When life first climbed out of the primordial slime and began to bask in fresh air and sunshine, those primitive life forms were, indeed, our first ancestors. Their DNA, now in sophisticated form and unbroken chains, pulsates thru our bodies today.

Why the fuss over DNA? Well, that's our physical lineage. What we inherited from the dear people who made us who and what we are. Most of us can only chart that lineage back a few generations. Some we knew....some we only heard of. Thus, this blog begins...

DONLON/STEPHENS DNA:

Francis Christopher Stephens and Mary EllenMurphy

Patrick Donlon and Catherine "Kate" Donlon

Edward Joseph Stephens and Mary Agnes "Mae" Donlon

Mary Patricia Stephens and Frederick Warren Christopher

Kelly Irene, Kimberly Mary and Michael Stephens Christopher

THE ROTHENHOEFER/CHRISTOPHER DNA:

Charles J. Christopher and Helen J. Peregoy

Joseph Bernard Rothenhoefer and Daisie Mariah Gaugh

Frederick Purcell Christopher and Mary Irene Rothenhoefer

Frederick Warren Christopher and Mary Patricia Stephens

Kelly Irene, Kimberly Mary and Michael Stephens Christopher

Francis Christopher Stephens -- 1885-1963

Handsome dude, great-grandpa Frank! Looks like an intellectual.

Mary Ellen Murphy Stephens -- 1881-1956

Looks like you finally just got the kids into bed, right! Have a good night's sleep, dear Mary Ellen!

Patrick Donlon -- (1877...after 1911)

Hi great-grandpa Patrick! Like that handlebar mustachio!

Catherine 'Kate' Donlon -- b. 1886-1911

Pat and I love your jaunty 'Hi there' way you tilt your head. Sorry the Lord called you home when your daughter 'Mae" was still a little girl. Rest in peace!

Edward Joseph Stephens -- 1906-1957

Hi grandpa Ed! You look just like the former King of England, Edward VIII!

Ed Stephens....royalty? 'Pepsi' thinks you are!

Mary Agnes 'Mae' Donlon Stephens 1906-1970

Oh, Mae! You look like a real 'Flapper' from the 20's. And you also look so much like the actress Patricia Neal. Beautiful!

Ed and Mae Stephens' wedding day.

October 1oth, 1936 St. Ephrem's Church, Brooklyn, NY









And now, the Rothenhoefer/Christopher story...

Bernard Rothenhoefer -- 1886-1963


Ol' great-grandpa "Bernie" with li'l Irene. He was a cop in Frederick, MD. One tough hombre!

Daisie Mariah Gaugh Rothenhoefer 1872-1960

Great-grandma Daisie was very Bavarian. When she told me to do something and bit her lip and stamped her foot! Achtung! I jumped! Loved her dearly.

Mary Irene Rothenhoefer Christopher 1911-1996

My mother, your grandmother. She and my father moved to Arizona for health reasons when you were little. Wish you had known her better. She would have liked that, too.

Frederick Purcell Christopher 1907-1976

My dad, with me on his lap. A very gentle guy. Loved to socialize.

I never remember him raising his voice to me. Gentle, indeed.

Mary Patricia Stephens Christopher -- 1939

No introductions needed here! Your beloved mother with newborn Kelly Girl somewhere in that blanket bundle.

Pat's smile still melts me.

Frederick Warren Christopher -- 1930

aka. Chris, Jack, Adrian, Warren, Fred and 'hey you!'.

Kelly was always at her happiest when...'flying'. Little did we know at the time...God would bless us with two more little 'flyers'!





And here you are....St. Paddy's Day, 1977

The end result of all that wonderful DNA passed on to us and to you from previous living, loving generations.

Just think....as wonderful and mysterious as our physical heritage makes us, we are so much more than just walking composites of deoxyribonucleic acid!

We share a God-given spirit life with our wonderful forebearers. We think abstract thoughts. We can imagine worlds beyond all physical boundaries. Best of all! We can love!