From Lynne at Hasty Brook:
1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? I'm not crazy for either, but eggnog is much better with kahlua and lots of ice.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa wraps and he prefers vintage papers and lots of bows.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually during the week before.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My SIL's sister makes a fantastic sweet potato casserole. My husband and I like to make a casserole with brussels sprouts and roasted chestnuts. Growing up we always had lasagna on Christmas and that was the only time my mom made it. My dad used to make a great antipasto platter for Christmas Eve while we decorated the tree.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? The first year after my parents were divorced my brother Kevin and I went to my dad's while he was out and put up and decorated a tree for him, so that when he came into the apartment and switched on the lights only the Xmas tree came on. I still remember him calling and how surprised he was.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I'm not sure I know what you mean. Is Santa hiding some dark secret?
9. Do you open gifts Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas, although it's usually late that night when my husband and I get around to exchanging gifts because we're running around to family all day.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? When we get a real tree I like to use country-style and handmade ornaments. Our artificial tree is sort of unique and on that one we use all glass ornaments - thousands of them.
11. Snow - Love it or dread it? Love it, love it, love it!
12. Can you ice skate? Sort of. The last time I did was on my honeymoon.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? (as a child) I think it may have been that game called Simon - I played with that forever.
14. What's the most exciting thing about the holidays for you? Being off work for a week!
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Homemade cookies. I love Mexican Wedding Cakes (some people call these butterballs).
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. We also spend forever opening gifts and I love to shake all the boxes and try to guess what's inside, which drives everyone nuts.
17. What tops your tree? That depends on which tree we decorate. I have a Santa that I put on the real tree. The fake tree is a little complicated to explain. ;-)
18. Which do you prefer- giving or receiving? I love to give, but have a hard time coming up with good ideas.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
20. Candy canes? Blech! Hate them. Give me a cookie instead!
12 comments:
I loved this, Laura! We had to get up at the crack of dawn and open gifts because we had to leave the house at 9am to "run around and see family all day" - we did this for 30 years. And I forgot to add Kahlua to my hot chocolate drink with Peppermint Schnapps! Your photo is great. Did you take that one? You and your brother decorating a tree for your Dad...what a great gift.
We did that as little kids, only add in going to church in the morning before heading off to the relatives. What a drag not to be able to enjoy the presents! I think that is why my husband and I wait until the night when we're home and can relax and enjoy.
I took the pic a few weeks ago at the garden center around the corner - then I played with it in Photoshop.
Doing that tree for my dad was a lot of fun as was imagining his reaction when he switched on the lights.
Kahlua - yummmmmmy! Makes anything taste good, doesn't it? My favorite is a Mudslide - and now that Bailey's has a Mint flavor, a Mint Mudslide would probably be awesome!
What lovely holiday you describe. So many special memories
wonderful post! I'm trying to get in the holiday spirit, but my body isn't cooperating.. I love the photo you used for this.. and I'd love to see a photo of your glass ornament tree once you put it up.. it soundss exquisite!
I buy live trees then replant them.. but not this year, my pup thinks every ornament is a toy..
thanks for an uplifiting post Laura and may ALL of your seasons be gay and bright :)
Yes, indeed - you've got most of this right :0D How about "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" as a close second? Actually, it also references 'Bethlehem'.
My husband and I go around on the white versus colored light thing. I find myself enjoying the colored,sometimes over-the-top lights that others put up.
In this darkest part of the year I say: JUST STRING LIGHTS! I don't care what color - just get 'em up and glowing:0)
I like your answers to this meme, Laura. I want to see the stand on top of the fake tree, please. :-)
We call them Russian Tea Cakes but still the same- a lot of powdered sugar and butter! Candlelight service is the best- coming out afterwards feels all cold and fresh and full of the spirit.
On another note: poor Cricket! She is so lovely, even with a slightly lopsided mouth. I hope she's okay and that your week has perked up since the demise of the radiator.
Which tree will you be putting up this year? I hope you'll post a photograph of it! Last year, I put coloured lights on a spruce tree that's in the yard outside of our tall bedroom windows. We turned the lights on for a little while in the evening before going to sleep. I have a nostalgic thing for a lit up tree in a dark room. We don't put up an indoors tree anymore, so seeing the tree out in the dark yard was quite a nice substitute. I may decorate it again this year.
On number 8. the truth about santa? what truth? He won't bring any toys if you don't believe in him.
Naturwoman: Mmmm.... mint mudslides sound yummy!
Thanks, Endment.
Cindy: Thanks for coming by - will post a pic of the tree soon.
Cathy: I like that one too - it's a bit harder to sing!
I like the colored lights also, but they don't often look nice when we do them. Once or twice we've gotten the whole tree done and had to re-do it because we decided we didn't like the look of the colored lights. So now we just stick with white from the get-go! I love trees done in lights all one color - like that deep dark blue - ever seen one like that?
Vicki: LOL! We struggled with just how to handle that the first year we bought that tree!
I learned to make them first as Russian Tea Cakes also, but found a nicer recipe that calls them Mexican Wedding Cakes. Whatever they are called I could eat the whole tin myself - these are the one cookie that I'm hesitant to share!
Bev: I know what you mean. When I was a kid a special treat during the break from school was being allowed to sleep on the couch beside the Xmas tree - still love to sit in the dark and just stare!
I've always wanted to decorate a tree for the birds, but we don't have any evergreens to do so with. The lit-up spruce outside your bedroom window sounds perfect for winter dreaming!
Silverlight: LOL! I think believing is most of the fun.
1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Both (with Kalua).
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa better wrap the damned things. I hate wrapping stuff. .
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Depends on the tree. Artificial trees look better with white lights. Real trees look better with colored lights and lots of tinsel. I love tinsel. The tree just ain’t done without tinsel. One piece at a time. Just like Mom used to do it.
4. Do you hang mistletoe ? Only if I am feeling frisky.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Seems like its always the last minute. We usually do some sort of tree decorating on Christmas Eve, but that makes it hard for “Santa” to wrap. (see item # 2)
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Ditto on this. Growing up we always had lasagna on Christmas and that was the only time my mom made it. My dad used to make a great antipasto platter for Christmas Eve while we decorated the tree.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Ditto on this too. I remember when we got to his apartment, we found the tree, ornaments and decorations in a stack in the kitchen. I know he had all intentions of putting them up but the spirit of the holiday had escaped him that year. I remember looking all over for the little hangers for the ornaments. Couldn’t find any. So we had to improvise. Glad you remember that too. That was the best gift ever. Thanks for reminding me. Also remember sitting up with Dad trying to help him build that stupid “Holly Hobby House” for you. What a nightmare. Lots of bad words that Christmas Eve. Good thing Santa wasn’t listening. Don’t think that house was ever right.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Doesn’t matter. The fun in Christmas comes back when Santa is YOU and you can see the bright eyes of you daughter on Christmas morning.
9. Do you open gifts Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas. My daughter opens in the morning of course, but we open late (or the next day) when all the fuss is over with. I remember as a kid, our “Hillbilly” friends, as Mom used to call them, would get their gifts the week before and be riding around on their new bikes before Christmas. Used to make my Mom nuts. Especially when they borrowed her vacuum.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Lights first. Then sit in the dark and look (with spiked egg nog). Next ornaments, sit again with more egg nog.. Next garland of some sort. More noggy. Finally the tinsel. My wife hates it. Always get the lecture about the cat swallowing the stuff and it “gets on everything” Whatever. The cats gonna spit up fur balls anyway. May as well make them pretty.
11. Snow - Love it or dread it? Love it. I love that when we get a lot, that it stops everything. Everything looks so pure, quiet. I love not stepping on the backyard and leaving it untouched for as long as possible.
12. Can you ice skate? Does that include falling ?I skate like I have new feet..
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? (as a child). I think it was a bicycle. I remember coming down the stairs and being disappointed that I didn’t get it. But Santa had hidden it in the laundry room. Sneaky bugger..
14. What's the most exciting thing about the holidays for you? Watching my daughter see the stack under the tree.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My sister’s homemade cookies (hint, hint).
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Decorating the tree on Christmas Eve, even though its not the most practical.
17. What tops your tree? We have a Waterford Crystal tree top that my SIL gave us.
18. Which do you prefer- giving or receiving? I like to give. Receiving is hard especially when you have to be excited about getting that lovely pair of Christmas socks. I remember one year that my mother-in-law gave me a bag of brown rice. Still a running joke in my house. Tasted good though.
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". Actually the John Lennon song “So it is Christmas” Not sure if that’s the name.
20. Candy canes? Yuk! Too sticky.
21. Coal or Potatoes in your stocking ? Coal. I think it’s a Pennsylvania thing.
Kev: First of all I remember oranges in our stockings; what's this abut potatoes?
We had to use those trash bag ties for ornament hooks, didn't we? I'd forgotten that, but remember coming across those ornaments in the years that followed.
I guess this won't make you feel any better, but I barely remember that Holly Hobbie house!
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