Christmas Meme Thing

I don't have any brilliant Christmas Eve posting ideas, so here's a meme I found on Becca's blog, which she found on someone else's. At least it will be fun. And if I already posted this photo of the Christmas Tree,well, here it is again.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? We have recycled the same gift bags for many, many years. I do like to wrap, but especially this year, being frugal is good. And saving trees and all that. I hope to sew more cloth bags at some point.

2. Real or artificial tree? Real this year after a long time with the same artificial tree, which stayed up for a few years after its box broke. We would decorate it sporadically with the theme of the season and hope it looked quirky and interesting. The tree died last year (broke). This year's tree is really nice and smells good. Yes, we will have to clean up some needles, but at least Buddy only peed on it that one time.

3. When do you put up the tree? At some point after Thanksgiving when there is time. I wanted to get a good tree, so we didn't wait too long.

4. When do you take the tree down? Right after New Year's. I like the happy decorations.

5. Do you like eggnog? Very much, especially the eggnog my friend Austin used to bring to church parties. It was decadent. I miss that. He has a new family now and is way too busy for those community things.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The china horses my grandfather gave me when I was very little. I still have the ones that haven't broken.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, we aren't (gasp) Christian. We celebrate the pre-Christian aspects of the season and all the love.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad. He doesn't need anything and there's nothing I can really knit for him.

9. Worst Christmas present ever received? Well, thankfully no one has ever given me a nose hair trimmer, so I am one up on poor Jeff. I must have blanked the worst gift out of my mind. I try to concentrate on "it's the thought that counts."

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I haven't done any the past few years, since times have been so hard and things keep changing. I hate to send out "lost yet another job, and have another new boyfriend." Goal: to be more settled next year, and able to send nice bland happy stuff, in whatever medium.

11. Favorite Christmas movie? I don't like them.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I start knitting in September or October. Buying in late November. I love me them Internets.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I can't remember doing it. I guess if I got something that I knew someone else would truly love, I'd do it, but I'd tell them.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fruit cake. Had none this year.

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored. Lots of purple. I like all the new shapes.

16. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Come All Ye Faithful. Yeah, I know, not my tradition but I liked that since I was a kid.

17. Travel or stay home? Stay home. I have always been home since I had the kids. Though they left last year (ick ick ick).

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course.

19. Star on the top of the tree? Yes, a really nice plain one I got at Target last year. For many years I actually used to have an angel that my former Lutheran theologian office mate Steve gave me. We took off her halo and called her the Yule Goddess.

20. Open presents on Eve or Morning? My family of origin had Swedish members, so growing up we opened family gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa came on Christmas. Now Christmas eve seems boring. Since I was an adult, we opened on Christmas morning, once all the adults have their COFFEE.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Losing my job. I had things I really wanted to get the kids and Lee that I can't. I am also sad that Jeff has to be in Florida and can't join us.

22. Best thing about this time of the year? Watching the kids get more into giving as they grow older. It is so nice to have them ask me what so and so would want, and to help them get things for others. I thought they'd never grow out of the "MEMEMEMEME" phase. Of course, that did not happen to Tuba Boy until this year, and he is almost 17!