Christmas Trivia About Me

I've got something more serious in mind for my post today, but while I write it, here's something light. It's a MEME I found on another blog:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? -- Hot chocolate. I don't like egg nog. I especially like hot chocolate with something on top -- like marshmallows or cool whip or frozen cool whip or whipped cream. Hot chocolate with something yummy on top.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa wraps presents. Even it he/she has to do it after the midnight Christmas Eve service, Santa wraps presents. Unless it is a bicycle. Santa puts bikes in large white bags with bows. And then hides them in the garage.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? The inside trees gets colored lights. The outside decorations are white lights. I have no idea why.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I think it would be cool.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually, in years past, the weekend after Thanksgiving is when I start getting the "itch" to decorate. The tree is usually up by the second weekend after thanksgiving. This year? It went up on the 17th. I will not be stressed. I have had the best Advent season in recent memory, and it didn't depend on having the tree up.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? The one right in front of me.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I don't know. I had great Christmases, but I'm not sure I could pick out one favorite. It was always a big experience, not a set of independent memories. I remember that Christmas meant my grandparents visiting, and still, each holiday, I have a moment of missing them intensely. This year it happened while J and I were putting up the tree. I was very unstressed about it -- "hang that ornament anywhere you like!" We have "name balls" on our tree (a tradition stolen from Days of our Lives). Every member of the family -- those still with us, and those gone -- has a Christmas ball on the tree with his/her name painted on it. When J hung up my grandmother's ornament, which says "Lillian," he asked about her. We talked about her and my grandfather, I showed him a picture, and I missed them.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I knew the truth about Santa before I told anyone I did. Why would anyone share that she knows Santa isn't real!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We did when I was a kid, but we don't now. I want to enjoy the suspense -- delayed gratification.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? It has colored lights, and a mix of different ornaments. It has ornaments from my grandparents' tree, ornaments from our tree when I was a kid, ornaments from the first tree we had when we got married, ornaments that people have bought us, ornaments that we have bought over the years. Almost every one has a story, so decorating is a trip back in time. And, yes, it has garland. Old fashioned, tacky, garland. Gold. No icicles, because they are messy, and too difficult to deal with. And it has lots of lights. Lots. No, more than that. Lots and lots. Lights are important. It has been many a year that we have had to stop decorating and go out to buy more lights. Must have lights. No, more than that. Also, I don't like ornaments that are only heads. I don't want to hang Santa's head on my tree. Where is the rest of Santa? Why is only his head here?
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Dread it. I dread it because it curtails my freedom of movement. We live on a hill, and getting off the hill or up the hill in the snow is a worry. Snow is pretty, but I dread it.
12. Can you ice skate? I tried once. My ankles weren't strong enough -- they kept twisting. It's ice, you know. It's slick. I can roller skate! Not on ice, though.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? The first year Steve and I were dating, he gave me a heart on a chain. It shaped like a heart someone would draw. One side of the heart is set with seven diamonds, the other side is gold. It is now 21 years old, and I still wear it every day.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending them with family -- always. This year, spending time with friends has also become important (an unexpected blessing).
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? The one in front of me.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Holiday desserts. No, not really. I don't know. We have lots. I'm not sure I could pick a favorite. It all adds up to one big experience.
17. What tops your tree? An angel. Amazingly enough, after the big deal that I make about Christmas lights (see #10), she is unlit.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving -- giving gifts to other people, and giving them thanks when they give me a gift.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Carol of the Bells. What Child is This. This year I've come to like O Come O Come Emmanuel.
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? They taste fine -- I like mint. They are just too labor intensive. Candy should not take so long to eat.