2023-12-03 South Coast Repertory Presents "A Christmas Carol"
The family get together for Christmas is today at the South Coast Repertory Theater. We will be meeting at 11:30 am for a noon performance.
Today we will celebrate with dear family and friends:
- Michele, Franklyn, and Theo Adams
- Joe, Amy, Charlie, and Alex Liles
- Dr. Bill
- Dru
- Vicky and Jim
- Brenda and Friend Sharon
- Robin, Bob, and Nick
- Diane and Megan
- Mary and Paul
Did You Know? - A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843. Initially, six thousand copies of the book were printed. More copies were ordered after the first printing was sold in only five days.
Technically speaking, A Christmas Carol was published by Chapman & Hall. However, in an interesting turn of events, Dickens paid the publishing costs himself. There was an unusual agreement between the two parties.
Dickens would fund the publication of A Christmas Carol and would receive the profits. Chapman & Hall would be paid for the printing costs and receive a fixed commission on the number of copies sold.
At the time Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol Christmas wasn't commonly celebrated as a festive holiday.
In The Pickwick Papers and A Christmas Carol Dickens's descriptions of feasting, games and family unity combined with his message that Christmas was a time "when want is keenly felt and abundance rejoices" helped revive popular interest in many Christmas traditions that are still practiced today.
Vicky and "The White Rocket" got here first and set up camp!
Dru and Dr. Bill joined us soon thereafter.
Did You Know? - Charles Dickens was a prodigious wordsmith. Not to be outdone by the likes of William Shakespeare, Dickens was the other British writer known to create words and phrases of his own. Thank Dickens for words and phrases like butter-fingers, flummox, the creeps, dustbin, ugsome, slangular, and more.
Megan and Diane sat next to us!
Nana Mary was happy as a clam to see her granddaughter Megan and spend time with her. Daughter-in-law Diane is also a joy to be around and fits right in!
Megan and Nana together again!
The Liles' clan!
The play had some quirks this year, and it was enjoyable to figure them out. Even the boys noticed the differences. I noticed that Bob Cratchett dropped the coal into the bucket when caught by Scrooge instead of presenting them for inventory or dusting them off.
It was a terrific show!
Did You Know? - Like many of Dickens' other works, A Christmas Carol was written as a work of social commentary. Dickens had a lifelong devotion to helping the under-served due to his own family's experiences with debtors prison, which forced him to drop out of school as a boy and work at a factory. As Dickens' biographer Michael Slater described, the author thought of A Christmas Carol as a way to "help open the hearts of the prosperous and powerful towards the poor and powerless…."
Scrooge, take a bow!
Some of these photos might be in a Post Office!
Looking good!
The Duda's joined us for lunch at Darya. A fine Persian Cuisine restaurant located at South Coast Plaza Village. 714.557.6600. Repertory. Segerstrom Center for the Arts. 714.708.5555
Darya has offered Orange County residents and business professionals authentic Persian gourmet dining at reasonable prices for over two decades.
It starts with our elegant and private mezzanine room. As you walk up the beautiful formal stairway, you'll be mesmerized by the room's beauty. Your eyes will likely first notice the gorgeously lit chandeliers that bring perfect lighting to set the mood for any occasion.
Eloquent wall-to-wall French doors open to a beautiful balcony that overlooks our fine dining area and grand piano. And there is just enough natural light for that fresh, open-air, cozy feeling.
The shiskabob was terrific!
Did You Know? - The word shiska-bob was first mentioned in a Turkish script of Kyssa-i Yusuf in 1377, which is the oldest known source where this food is mentioned as a food. It is considered to have originated in Turkey when soldiers used to grill chunks of freshly hunted animals skewed on swords on open-field fires.
What is a shish kebab stick called? A Skewer! A skewer is a thin metal or wood stick that holds pieces of food together. The word may sometimes be used as a metonym to refer to the food served on a skewer, as in "chicken skewers." Skewers are used while grilling or roasting meats and fish and in other culinary applications.
Megan looks suspicious!
Mom gives Megan some pointers about the meal, like "Don't worry too much if it moves on its own; it was well cooked". The Persian appetizers disappear almost instantly. We had pickled tomatoes and other veggies. The Persian flat-bread and butter was a big hit.
Sharing some bites!
Dessert was a berry tart and it was outstanding.
Just us!
Heading home
We went shopping in the garden for the chickens and rabbits!
Time to dance!
