Holiday edition of getting to know each other

Surprise--You wouldn't recognize the 42nd Street of today. All the places you remember have been closed and the street is now overrun by theaters and restaurants. IIRC, Disney had something to do with the regentrification.

There isn't any Macy's, which is well established at its 34th St. location, but the street is now clean, well lit and devoid of any of the "people with an alternate lifestyle" that you remember and the sleaze and p*rn is gone.

You can actually walk there and be safe.

Lucille

Lee-Wards!!!! I used to love to shop at Lee-Wards!!!! I still have some things around with their price tags on them.

Egg Nog. But true favorite is a Rudesheimer coffee.

1. Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree?

Wrap, unless they are extra large.

1. Colored lights on tree/house?

This year white. Most fond of blue and white together.

1. Hang mistletoe?

Not this year.

1. When do you put up decorations?

Usually right after Thanksgiving. And leave them up until after DH's birthday on Jan 2nd.

1. Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Christmas dinner at our house is all about the roast beast

1. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Waking up to snow and brand new toboggan. Good timing.

1. When did you learn the truth about Santa?

I can't handle the truth.

1. When do you open gifts?

Christmas day, but will allow one on Christmas Eve.

1. How do you decorate tree?

With memories.

1. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Love it!

1. Do you know how to ice skate?

I grew up in NH. Yup, I know how to skate. And how to maintain the ice on an outdoor surface.

1. Your favorite gift?

First Christmas DH and I were going out, he gave me a handmade clown. Which is pretty funny because he didn't know I have that irrational fear of images of clowns (not real ones.) His name is Junior and he even went on our honeymoon with us 7 years later.

1. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Family.

1. Favorite holiday dessert?

Cream puffs.

1. Favorite tradition?

Growing up, it was our open house on Christmas Eve.

1. What tops your tree?

A silver star.

1. What do you prefer, giving or getting?

Giving.

1. What's your favorite Christmas song?

Silver Bells as played on guitar by Ed Gerhard and Arlo Guthrie.

1. Candy canes Yuck or yum

Yum, yum, yum.

Hardest question here. Rudolph by a nose, but only if you include the Norelco commercials.

1. Favorite Holiday Movie?

A Christmas Story.

Donna in Virginia

Egg Nog. But true favorite is a Rudesheimer coffee.

1. Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree?

Wrap, unless they are extra large.

1. Colored lights on tree/house?

This year white. Most fond of blue and white together.

1. Hang mistletoe?

Not this year.

1. When do you put up decorations?

Usually right after Thanksgiving. And leave them up until after DH's birthday on Jan 2nd.

1. Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Christmas dinner at our house is all about the roast beast

1. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Waking up to snow and brand new toboggan. Good timing.

1. When did you learn the truth about Santa?

I can't handle the truth.

1. When do you open gifts?

Christmas day, but will allow one on Christmas Eve.

1. How do you decorate tree?

With memories.

1. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Love it!

1. Do you know how to ice skate?

I grew up in NH. Yup, I know how to skate. And how to maintain the ice on an outdoor surface.

1. Your favorite gift?

First Christmas DH and I were going out, he gave me a handmade clown. Which is pretty funny because he didn't know I have that irrational fear of images of clowns (not real ones.) His name is Junior and he even went on our honeymoon with us 7 years later.

1. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Family.

1. Favorite holiday dessert?

Cream puffs.

1. Favorite tradition?

Growing up, it was our open house on Christmas Eve.

1. What tops your tree?

A silver star.

1. What do you prefer, giving or getting?

Giving.

1. What's your favorite Christmas song?

Silver Bells as played on guitar by Ed Gerhard and Arlo Guthrie.

1. Candy canes Yuck or yum

Yum, yum, yum.

Hardest question here. Rudolph by a nose, but only if you include the Norelco commercials.

1. Favorite Holiday Movie?

A Christmas Story.

Donna in Virginia

Hot Chocolate

Wrapped unless too big.

Colored lights on tree and on bushes out front

never have

Outside lights the first warm day after Thanksgiving The rest during the week before Christmas. Sometimes my mom is still decorating Christmas eve....even in her 80s despite our urging her to spread it out

stuffing....we're a turkey for Christmas family although when my grandmother would make ravioli when we would go there the Sunday after Christmas (after my parents stopped

the insanity of going to both grandparents on Christmas) is a favorite, wish I had learned to make it from her

Hard to separate memories from the movies (those taken with those big lights). Probably finding a note at the bottom my my stocking- a present of piano lessons

Probably about 8 or 9. Had to keep it a secret...younger brothers

Christmas morning

Combination of my ornaments and my mom's since I moved back in with her. Old bells from the 30s that were my grandmother's as well as some of her glass birds. Lots of birds, especially cardinals, homemade sequined ornamments... Lee Wards kits from the 70s. An angel bell that was gift from a Sunday School teacher when I was 4 or 5.

Love it but hate to shovel it.

I used to. Last time I skated was on the pond at college. Sooooo long ago.

Beyond the piano lessons....any book

Sharing time with family.

Cookies, cookies and more cookies. t

Opening presents as a family.

An ancient star.

Giving

Silent Night

Ok

The Grinch

Nancy

Groan!!!

And those Timex ones - takes a licking and keeps on ticking!

That's a great movie. Definitely one of my favorites - and it always used to make me cry - I don't know why.

ellice

storage outside as my recipe serves 100.

DS's were in town and did not want to be bothered with work.

anywhere but Rock Springs, Wyoming where I grew up. This is a wonderful rolled nut bread.

tell us that if we were not asleep when he came with the sled and reindeer he would just have to pass us by.

Anyone who tells me different is no believer.

Dito

Tree #1 in living room has decorations from all over the world except Turkey. I have one ornament that goes on that was on my Dad's first Christmas tree in 1908. Tree #2 in family room is the "Boy's tree" which has ornaments given by Grandparents and Mom & Dad. Tree #3 in music room has all hand made ornaments mostly embroidered. Tree #4 in guest room is miniature and has the little Hallmark ornaments.

away at Fort Benning, GA. But, my brother and his family will be here.

were full bell pulls. Each year I have added something important that happened to them that year. Two of the alphabets I use were designed by their Grandfather.

Drummer Boy and others I am forgetting.

Wonderful Life has to be on the list. The Bishops Wife is another favorite.

Alice in Utah

Thanks for noticing.

I just couldn't resist...

Donna in Virginia

Thanks for noticing.

I just couldn't resist...

Donna in Virginia

as well as some hand made ones from our now 5 year old daughter

1. Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree? Wrap. The more complicated the better! Shredding the paper's half the fun!

2. Colored lights on tree/house?

White lights. Not so big on technicolor trees.

1. Hang mistletoe?

Yes, of course!

1. When do you put up decorations?

Day after Thanksgiving. Family tradition.

1. Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Green Bean Casserole

1. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

hard to call. Caroling, decorating the tree, none really stand out.

1. When did you learn the truth about Santa?

I think I was six when I realized Santa and Mom had the same lousy handwriting.

1. When do you open gifts?

Christmas eve. I like to sleep in. :)

1. How do you decorate tree?

Start with the lights, pushed way back in so they make the tree glow, tons of them. Then the tinsel, so you can't see the wires. Then ornaments, preferably the glass ones, pushed back near the lights so they look like glowing soap bubbles. Decorative ornaments and heirlooms next. Then the fake icicle fight.... er, the icicles for that last glimmer.

1. Snow! Love it or dread it?

Love it, wish people around here knew how to drive in it.

1. Do you know how to ice skate?

Wish I did.

1. Your favorite gift?

My family on Christmas

1. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Getting to see people that are scattered.

1. Favorite holiday dessert?

Fruitcake I make myself. All you people who had fruitcake have never tried a good one...

1. Favorite tradition?

Caroling

1. What tops your tree?

A latticework star.

1. What do you prefer, giving or getting?

Giving.

1. Favorite Christmas song?

Silver Bells

1. Candy canes Yuck or yum

Yuck, if they're really peppermint. Yum, if they're some other flavor.

Grinch! But the animated, with Boris Karloff. Jim Carrey should've stuck to 'The Mask'.

1. Favorite Holiday Movie?

The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Scrooged, because I have a fondness for Bill Murray. :)

OH my, LOL. Glad someone explained the hunour in the goof. :-)

Tara

Hot Chocolate. Is Egg Nog like an Egg Flip?

Wrapped

If my sister is here, she has lights on her tree

Don't know if we have it here in Oz.

My sister usually does it and I haven't noticed a pattern.

Any kind of roast

The year we had a treasure hunt to find our presents and they were under our own beds.

In Australia we always knew his real name was Father Christmas. My mum knew him so well she called him Farv, and used to phone him during the year to give him updates on our behaviour.

Christmas morning

I don't.

Experienced it last year visiting my sister (and Pat) in Suffolk. That was enough. I've done snow now. :)

Not really. I went skating a few times as a kid, but never got proficient. I love to watch skaters though.

Probably books.

Anything except plum pudding!!!

Don't have one.

A little tartan angel

Both

Joy to the World

Indifferent really.

Rosemary, in Melbourne

knew his real name

LOL - We told our kids that at the hospital, they give new parents a handbook that includes the phone numbers for Santa, the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy's cell, etc. They went looking for it several times!