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Christmas Firsts

 
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My Christmas this year is full of "firsts" for me:

Christmas this year will be the first I have spent without my parents. They've decided to spend the winter in Spain.

I'm going to spend Christmas day with my boyfriend also for the first time.

We're going out for Christmas dinner, which I've never done before.

I'm having Pheasant, which I've never eaten before.

I've completed my Christmas gift shopping, which I've never done this early before.

I'm actually the most excited I've been in years.

Anyone else having Christmas firsts this year?
 
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Angela! Its been forever. Its good to see you... well, see your post anyway.

This is my first year with all teenage children. My youngest turned 13, this year. That's all I can think of. Your's sounds like its going to great. Not that part about your parents being away, but you'll still have a good time, I'm sure.
 
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Hey - same here - first year with all teens. Not to be a grinch, but it seems like we could please all the kids with just buying them gift certificates for clothes & CD's !
 
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First christmas with my daughter. She is 5 months old.

Ray
 
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First Christmas with my (our, in case my wife reads this) daughter. She's seven months old.

First Christmas with my brothers' son. He's about 16 months old (and we have never seen him yet!).

First Christmas away from Javaranch, maybe?

First (non-white, no snow) Christmas in California.

Whatelse....

- m
 
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First Christmas we are staying home. My wife is having brain surgery on the 16th so we won't be able to travel anywhere.
 
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Can someone explain this to me:


Leviticus 11:21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;



What's that "flying creeping thing" -- is there supposed to be a comma or perhaps "and/or" in between? How about the "upon all four" -- will I be punished for eating a goose on Christmas? If yes, how severely and by whom?
 
Madhav Lakkapragada
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John,

Not sure what your post has to do with the thread..... ...and I don't understand the phrase as well.

- m
 
John Smith
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Well, I have some mixed feelings about that pheasant identified in Angela's post. How many legs does it have?
 
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Originally posted by John Smith:
Well, I have some mixed feelings about that pheasant identified in Angela's post. How many legs does it have?



Whats wrong with eating Pheasant? (2 legs.. 2 wings - what did you expect?)
 
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How many legs does it have?

African or European pheasant?

Oh, sorry - I must have gotten my threads mixed up.
 
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Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
How many legs does it have?

African or European pheasant?



More to the point, what is its airspeed (both with and without coconut)?
 
Angela Poynton
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Ray, I pop in and post from time to time. I think this is the first thread I've started in a while though.

Best wishes to everyone spending their first Christmas with new little ones.

Thomas, I hope all goes well with your Wife's op and you still get to have a good Christmas.

I have no idea of the nationality of the Pheasent, all I care about is that I don't have to cook or wash up
 
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Isn't anyone having a Gooducken, the new fangled traditional Christmas dinner main course ? Feeds 30 people or enough for 3 days if you have people staying over till after Boxing Day though I think cold goose must be disgusting.

Gooducken = Pheasant + Chicken + Goose.
[ December 02, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
Ray Marsh
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Is pheasant greasy like duck? I had duck once and was not impressed. It was like a skinny greasy chicken and didn't taste as good.
 
Ray Marsh
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Originally posted by Angela Poynton:
Ray, I pop in and post from time to time. I think this is the first thread I've started in a while though.



I was absent for a long time and hadn't seen any posts from you since I had started coming around again. I was wondering what had become of you. Glad to see you're still here.
 
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Can someone explain this to me:


quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leviticus 11:21 Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



What's that "flying creeping thing" -- is there supposed to be a comma or perhaps "and/or" in between? How about the "upon all four" -- will I be punished for eating a goose on Christmas? If yes, how severely and by whom?



Don't have a bible but I'd guess it's an error in translation...
 
Thomas Paul
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Leviticus 11
21 There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground.

This is part of the Kosher rules... can't think of what creatures these might be... perhaps Bullwinkle's friend, Rocket J. Squirrel?
 
John Smith
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Yeah, thanks Tom, I think I figured that one out -- the Revised Standard Version seems clear:


11:21 Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those which have legs above their feet, with which to leap on the earth.



It's the insects with wings that Leviticus is talking about! My questioning of goose and pheasant as "unclean" food based on that 11:21 was completely unjustified. Angela, you are safe.

Still not sure which insects have legs above their feet and which don't. Looks like we need an entomologist here, not a theologist.
 
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Originally posted by John Smith:

It's the insects with wings that Leviticus is talking about! My questioning of goose and pheasant as "unclean" food based on that 11:21 was completely unjustified. Angela, you are safe.

Still not sure which insects have legs above their feet and which don't. Looks like we need an entomologist here, not a theologist.



The Talmud and later codifiers of Jewish law says that this section refer to certain species of grasshopper or locust (which is fortunate, because when the locusts come there ain't nothin' left to eat but locusts). No other insects are kosher. Unfortunately, the sources are not specific enough to determine which species exactly are the kosher ones, so one has to rely on custom and tradition.

Yemenite Jews claim to have an unbroken tradition of eating grasshoppers and locusts, and therefore feel confident in determining which ones are permitted. Most other Jewish communities lost that knowledge long ago, and therefore have the custom of not eating any locusts or grasshoppers.
 
Thomas Paul
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those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground

Duh! Grasshoppers... makes perfect sense. Thanks Frank!
 
Gail Schlentz
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Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
...perhaps Bullwinkle's friend, Rocket J. Squirrel?



(in a Homer Simpson voice)Mmmmmm..... squirrrrrrrelllllll!
 
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Originally posted by Helen Thomas:

Gooducken = Pheasant + Chicken + Goose.



That's funny. Never heard of Gooducken, because we Yanks don't eat too many geese. But have certainly heard of Turducken (a turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck.)

Regarding duck being a small, greasy chicken: done right, duck is fantastic. Done poorly, it's indeed a soggy, greasy mess. Most halfway-decent restaurants manage to do a passable job. I actually love duck, but I've never cooked one myself, having seen how badly my Mom failed in her few attempts.
 
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My Aunt used to have a wonderful 4-legged turkey one of her grade school students made of modeling clay. He wanted to make a pony and was a bit defiant when she insisted on a turkey for thanksgiving.
 
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My house mate Steffen just got his travel visa done and will visit his girlfriend somewhere in Russia in 7 days. Another house mate is going back home in Ulm for Christmas. Steffen has a dog called Jazz, I am going to take care of Jazz all by myself for about 10 days.

This is my first time taking care of a dog by myself. Jazz is 2.5 years old and weights about 15kg. I'm supposed to walk him at least twice a day. Jazz 's back leg bones were broken when he was little, so he cannot climb up steps by himself. I'm going to carry him up to our house at 4th floor. Jazz's used to be carried by people, he's very nice when in my arms; I'm not that small, 15kg up to 4th floor is not a problem either. The question is, when Jazz barks, Steffen knows very well what he actually means. Sometimes he wants to walk, sometimes he wants to play with people in our reasonably big balkon, sometimes he wants people's pats on head, sometimes he just wants people's attention. But I don't know jazz that well (just moved in in October, and I never had any dog before), how to calm Jazz down when he barks in our house is a new challenge to me.
 
Helen Thomas
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Originally posted by Ernest Friedman-Hill:


That's funny. Never heard of Gooducken, because we Yanks don't eat too many geese. But have certainly heard of Turducken (a turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck.)

Regarding duck being a small, greasy chicken: done right, duck is fantastic. Done poorly, it's indeed a soggy, greasy mess. Most halfway-decent restaurants manage to do a passable job. I actually love duck, but I've never cooked one myself, having seen how badly my Mom failed in her few attempts.



I did some Mango ginger smoked duck for a Christmas bring and binge. All the lovely crackly skin disappeared in the kitchen (into the mouths of servers) and served up was some naked duck meat!

Wash duck, rub salt and leave for a couple of hours. Then continuously baste duck in fresh mango and ginger pulp with added rice wine, and cook in a slow rotisserie oven. Place spices (I prefer the Chinese spices found in Chinese five spice powder and add cinnamon, cloves ) somewhere in the oven away from drips and slow roast/smoke. Pound the spices in a mortar with a pestle and coat duck. Grinding doesn't have the same effect- too fine. Do this in small batches over the entire cooking period. (You could add spices with the salt at the start but most would end up in the drip.) The fat is mainly under the skin and most would have dripped away leaving crackly skin. Duck with no skin is yuck. Carve the duck so that each slice has some skin. You can make a gravy with some of the drip, mango and ginger pulp and rice wine.
[ December 10, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
Jeroen Wenting
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Looks like it may become the first Christmas without the entire family together.
My father was admitted in hospital in serious condition earlier this week and may have to spend the rest of the year there.
 
Helen Thomas
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Sorry to hear that. Hope he gets better soon.
 
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My brother is going to take a short holiday trip this Saturday for four days. He just called to ask me to look after his 4 years old male chihuahua. Initially, he planned to put his dog at a pet hotel but last minute changed his mind. Looking after a little dog for four days should be no big deal. The problem is that his dog likes to tease my 4 years old female chihuahua and she hates to be teased. Well, I think you know what happens next...barking.

This is my first Christmas wishing for a silent night.
 
Ellen Zhao
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Hi Jeroen,

really sorry to hear your dad is sick. Gute Verbesserung!


So, last night around 22:00 I was walking the dog Jazz in the campus (I live right beside the campus). Jazz was walking along a small path near a path for car. Then there came a white car, Jazz stared at it and the car slowed down, finally it stopped and a man got out and said something to me. Jazz barked to the car and the man fiercely. Jazz's usually a very nice dog, it was the first time I saw him bark at a stranger. It was so cold and windy, I didn't get the man's German. He looked offended and and I guess he was teaching me where dogs should go and where should not. The man looked like 40-50, angry. I was scared very much (it was late in the night, and all the German students have already driven to home, the campus was almost empty) stood there, not knowing what to say except sorry sorry.

Now think back, I am still a little bit scared. Why, in a cold, windy, dark night, when everybody was at cozy home for Christmas, this man was out in our isolated campus? And, why, Jazz never barked at any other strangers, but only him and his car? :scared:

And, anybody please tell me the proper etiquette of walking a dog? I really, really do not want to offend people and do not want Jazz to offend people. Thank you very much in advance.


Regards,
Ellen
 
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@Ellen:
You should use a leash if you don't know the dog really good.
If you are walking near street with cars, you should be between street and dog.
Don't know about chinese men, but german men between 40 and 50 sometimes like to play police for sake of survival of civilization. Probably you did handle the walk with the dog thing in a way which could be optimized from a security standpoint.

Axel
 
Ellen Zhao
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Hi Axel,

thank you very much for your advice! I'll pay attention to my position between dog and the path, and I'll hold the leash tightly today. Forgot to tell, that man was very big, and he looked very b�se. He tried to approach me, but Jazz was between us so he stopped.

Na, I forgot to take my cell phone with me when I went out last night, if, that man was really someone criminal and there was really misfortune happened, I couldn't even call the police for SOS...that's why I was scared.

Today I'll have to walk the dog again in the night, I hope that man won't be there again!!!


Regards,
Ellen
[ December 23, 2004: Message edited by: Ellen Zhao ]
 
Axel Janssen
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Its german adage: Dogs which bark don't attack (Hunde die bellen beissen nicht).
So if the man had really bad intentions, he wouldn't had shouted, I think.
Street is on left hand. You have end of leash in left hand. The end of the leash is on your back and you have right hand on the leash, too. Dog is on your right side. That's most professional way.
 
Joyce Lee
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Ellen, what breed is Jazz?
 
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