- Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog -- I can get hot chocolate any time of the year but egg nog is only available during the holidays.
- Does Santa wrap presents or set under tree? For kids, Santas gifts are under the tree and not wrapped. For grownups and big kids, Santas gifts are wrapped and under the tree.
- Colored lights on tree/house? Colored on the fresh cut tree. White on both the artificial white tree and the artificial green Garfield Cat tree. The outside has both colored and white lights -- lots and lots of lights. The family decorating motto is: IF it stand still, it gets decorated" :-)!
- Hang mistletoe? I have phony mistletoe attached to the Moose Mistletoe Holder that hangs in the entry. I also usually buy some fresh from the Boy Scouts who stand outside the grocery store selling it.
- When do you put up decorations? Outside light are put up Thanksgiving week (DH takes vacation so he can do that) and they are turned on at 6:00 PM Thanksgiving night as that is the official start of Christmas in my family. Inside decorations are put up as soon as I get the Autumn Village and other decorations taken down which is usually about Saturday night (after T-day).
- Favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Nothing particular -- we never had any specifically "Christmas Only" holiday foods that weren't dessert.
- Favorite holiday memory as a child? The family outing to pick out the Christmas Tree.
- When did you learn the truth about Santa? If this means that there isn't a Jolly little elf in a red suit who delivers gifts on Christmas Eve, then I don't really remember so it must not have been traumatic. There IS a Santa, and "he" is whichever person goes to the trouble to sneak around and surprise children with gifts they don't expect to get!
- When do you open gifts? DH was a Christmas Eve family and I was a Christmas morning family. When DD was small, ot was Christmas Day, after she moved out on her own, DH and I compromised and opened gifts AFTER midnight when it is officially December 25th. As a child, we could open one gift on 24 Dec. but had to wait for Christmas morning to open the rest.
- How do you decorate your tree? Many strings of colored lights that are the C7 type, not the little ones that are a PITA! Lots of ornaments, unique store bought and many hand-made, many of them kitty cats -- I even have 2 that were my on my Mom's tree at the beginning of WW2. Then glass bead garland -- 4 strands of it also from my Mom's tree. Lastly the icicles, loads and loads of icicles -- so much that you have to get up close and personal to actually see the ornaments. And it's not just laid on the outside but covers the length of the branches!
- Snow! Love it or dread it? LOVE it but growing up in LALA Land and then living in Lizard Land (AKA Scottsdale, AZ) I never had any. Here in Magnoliaville (AKA Atlanta Metro area), we get a few inches every few years.
- Do you know how to ice skate? Yep, learned at the nearby skating rink owned by the Zamboni family, one of whom invented the famous Zamboni machine that cleans the ice :-)!.
- Your favorite gift? It's usually something that someone had gotten me that is totally unexpected -- doesn't happen often but when it does, it is NEVER forgotten! Last year DH got me Tahitian Black Pearls, something I have wanted ever since we vacationed in Tahiti but could never afford and would NEVER ask for.
- What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being with my family and friends on Christmas. Next to that it is shopping for special gifts for them and my friends. I don't just buy something I think they will like. I *always* try to find something specific that will really show the recipient that I have thought about what I was giving.
- Favorite holiday dessert? Has to be my Date Torte Squares. I only make it at Christmas and the stuff is addictive!
- Favorite tradition? I don't know if I have a specific one. The whole holiday season is so filled with wonderful traditions that it's hard to choose! It's probably still going to buy the Christmas tree.
- What tops your tree? An angel -- one with lights up her dress!!!!!!
- What do you prefer, giving or getting? OH -- giving by far. I love to open my own gifts to see what someone has gotten me but I much prefer to see family and friends open their gifts. Both are selfish for me, either I am getting a gift or I am getting that "good feeling" from having a gift I gave make someone else happy!
- Favorite Christmas song? I have several, both traditional and "contemporary". For Traditional, it's probably O Little Town of Bethlehem & What Child Is This. For "Contemporary" there are several: The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole (even Mel Torme said Nat did the best rendition!); White Christmas by Bing Crosby (who else???); Carol of the Bells by some group who recorded in the 1960's (Robert Simeon Chorale or something like that) and Sleigh Ride by Johnny Mathis.
- Candy canes Yuck or yum YUM! Peppermint is my all time favourite hard candy. I LOVE the large peppermint sticks made by BOB'S and buy as many of them as I can find. Then I have DH hide them from me and only give me one when I specifically ask for it but never more than one a week!! Unfortunately, I can't find them here in Magnoliaville so I have to try and find them when we got to Lizard Land every year.
- Favorite Holiday Movie? Miracle on 34th Street, of course!!! I like both the first one made with Maureen O'Hara (or was it O'Sullivan??) as the Mom and Natalie Wood as the little girl. I like the third one made (I *think* there have only been 3 versions made) almost as well but can't remember the name of anyone who played in it. It follows the first one almost to the letter. The little girl is the one who has played in tons of movies but the only one I can even remotely remember is the one where Danny DeVito was her dad and he was horrible to her.
PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at
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