Hillman Family Connections

December 28, 2024 – Puzzle Discussion

JAYCIE! – IT’S HER BIRTHDAY TODAY

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Happy Birthday, Jaycie (JMC). We all hope you have a wonderful birthday maybe even with some TICKLES FROM PAPA or an opportunity to watch some FISH DOING THEIR SWIMMY THING.

2023 YANKEE SWAP

The Hillmans have held a Yankee Swap at the annual Christmas Party for at least three decades. We’re not always sure of the rules and numbering systems can be challenging but it somehow remains a perennial favorite. The 2023 Yankee Swap featured some standout gifts and a few long-missed participants.

TONS-O-HONEY

For the first time in a long time Matt was able to get to the party in 2023 and he brought along a huge container of honey (from his own hives) for the Swap.

LIZ VANTERBUS
ANTHEM ON-DEMAND

Michaela and Jay brought a small, retro-looking, Bluetooth speaker to the Yankee Swap and preloaded its memory with the theme song (1-555-SEE-LIFE) from Chicken vs Sputnik’s 2023 production, Mavens and Monsters. Russell and Ayida did some trading and ended up with the speaker when all was said and done

Got a hankering to listen to the song yourself? …here ya go…

SPINO’S
RED HOT SAUCE

Like Matt, Rick was able to get to the 2023 Christmas party after a multiple-year absence. He placed a bottle of Spino’s Red Rhody Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce (of which he is the label design inspiration) in the Yankee Swap. I don’t recall who ultimately landed this item but I’d like a report on how hot it is.

LAST ONE
AT TWO-TEN

The 2023 Yankee Swap was the last one held at 210 John Franklin Road.

Collectively we have a multitude of fun memories associated with the Yankee Swap and the annual party overall — again, we all can’t thank Karen and Lou enough for putting up with us for so many years. December 21, 2024 marked the beginning of a new era with the party held at the North Kingstown Community Center. It seems to have been a success.

THINGS YOU CAN GET AT ALLIE’S DONUTS

I included Allie’s Donuts in this puzzle months ago when I was still working out the larger scope of the project. At that time my thinking was that while Allie’s didn’t have a direct connection to the family, most of us, over the years, have had a donut or two from there. And honestly, the possible grouping of items is expansive and generic allowing some much-needed flexibility in puzzle creation. I have since learned that Jake works at Allie’s now, making it an even more appropriate fit for the puzzle. Yay Jake!

BEST MAPLE-FROSTED ANYWHERE

Allie’s maple frosted (raised) is my absolute favorite thing to get when I stop there. I may have made several trips to get the photo above — I had to get just the “right” shot. Any other fans of the maple frosted? Other favorites?

BUCKET

Yup, you can get a bucket or two there. I have. More than once. They’re sturdy and food-safe.

CUP OF JOE

Coffee, is of course, available at Allie’s as well.

TEE-SHIRT

Allies’s also offers tee-shirts for sale. They have tie-dye designs as well as solid-color shirts with silk-screened logo.

WAS UP LATE DRINKING COFFEE/WATCHING GUNSMOKE W GIL

So, the story here is that Jan (A CURRENT KINGSWOOD RESIDENT, GIL AND CLAIRE’S FIRST-BORN, known to some as MUFFIN) apparently was allowed, on at least one night per week, to return downstairs after all the other kids were in bed. She stayed up late drinking coffee and watching Gunsmoke with Gil. Oh, yeah, and apparently it was ONLY JAN that was allowed to do this.

For anyone that might be curious, Gunsmoke ran for twenty seasons from 1955 to 1975. During the first 12 seasons the show aired on Saturdays at
10 p.m. Seasons 13 – 16 aired on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. The last 4 seasons aired at 8 p.m. on Mondays. The source of this information is Wikipedia so I cannot vouch for its accuracy.

original image used to create Gunsmoke graphic above

Nancy Knott

6 responses to “December 28, 2024 – Puzzle Discussion”

  2. Great game only got two.

    Knew one had something to do with allies. Didn’t get the bucket.

    Knew one was about a grandchild. Thought JMC was Jay Michaela Cecil.

    Thought the ton of honey and the cakes might be allies.

  3. Thanks Bill. Hope it was fun. I had a hard time determining what would be difficult/easy for people to piece together.

    Talked w Norma earlier, she noted that she actually thinks she’s never been inside Allie’s.

  4. Wow, that was fun and hard! Molly and I may have worked together, and on multiple devices LOLOL

    We were on track with Allie’s and the Yankee Swap – I had that hot sauce at one point! But we were thrown by the bucket! There was a bucket in the Yankee Swap the Benny’s year!!!!

    I love that story about Muffin stying up late, I never knew about that!

    And Happy late birthday Jaycie!

    Nancy, this is AMAZING!!!!