Because Stealing Just Screams "Christmas"

While perusing the blogosphere this morning, I ran across this cute Christmas meme that Marni had up. And, being that it's the Christmas season, I figured I'd steal it. Because, as we all know, stealing just screams "Christmas", right?

Here we go!

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate! Eggnog is evil! It's like saying, "I want to get a *little* drunk, but I also want some pancakes."

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree?
Santa will occasionally be sneaky, and put something under the tree, but mostly, he leaves Offspring's presents set up beside the tree. I think this is a total racket, because JF and I never get anything.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored, and the more the better! We used to do a whole lot more decorating, but we just haven't done all of that this year. JF complains that I like what he terms "a frickin' glow tree", but I figure once your tree looks like it has enough lights, add two more strands, and then you're good to go.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No. It's probably full of nargles.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
As soon as my Grinchy husband will let me. He absolutely REFUSES to put up decorations/tree until it is actually December, so we often have a colossal begging/whining session when the first weekend after Thanksgiving falls in November, and not December. That's prime decorating time!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
I don't think I really have a favorite. Most everything is so good at this time of year, I can't pick a particular favorite, and EVERYTHING is hard to resist. Those people who deep-fry a turkey are always welcome to drop by my house. With the turkey.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
We had a large leather strap that had jingle bells attached to it, and this was always hung on our front door with a wreath. Every Christmas Eve, when my brother and I were waging our yearly battle to stay up as long as possible, my dad would sneak out of the house, and shake the jingle bells. My mom would tell us that it was Santa, and we had to get in bed and be asleep as soon as possible, or he'd pass us by. It always worked.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What truth about Santa?!?! Do you know something I don't? Has he been stepping out on Mrs. Claus?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
When I was little, we used to beg to do that, but now that I'm an adult and we have so many family to see over the holidays, it seems like we're opening gifts for about a week, so it doesn't really matter. For example, tomorrow night, we'll go to my mother's house and open gifts there. On Christmas Day, we'll go to my M-I-L's house, and do gifts there. Then, we may be making a trip to CityOfMyBirth on or around the 27th, so we'll have to do gifts with my Dad at some point. Then, whenever we get a chance, we'll do gifts with JF's dad. (They're not exactly a priority since they forgot both their own son's birthday this year, but also their granddaughter's. I've got a serious case of the humbugs as far as they're concerned.)

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With lots of lights (when I'm allowed) and all those special little ornaments that we've collected over the years. We used to do a whole family decorating thing, but for the last couple of years, JF has put the tree together and strung the lights, and Offspring and I have done most of the decorating. JF will place his few special ornaments on the tree, but he mostly watches while we have "A Charlie Brown Christmas" playing in the background.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Don't get it down here. Too warm. It snows, on average, once every seven years here. The only time in my life that it snowed and actually STUCK, I was in college, and I scraped enough snow together to make a six inch high snowman on the hood of my car. 'Course, it was dirty snow, full of twigs and leaves, but I had a snowman, by God! The local wags called that the "Blizzard of '89." I think I'd like a lot of snow for about three hours. After that, I think I'd hate it.

12. Can you ice skate?
Only if falling down a lot and ending up with a frozen butt can be considered "skating." Then, sure! My parents once took us skiing in the mountains of North Carolina when I was about 10 or so. I was an absolutely abysmal skiier, so I spent most of my time ice skating. I got pretty good by the end of our trip, but that was 25 years ago, and since I've been ice skating a total of two times since then, I'd say I'm a wee bit rusty.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

My favorite gift is my family. I know that sounds totally sappy, but it really is the truth.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
I really love making stuff for people, and I love seeing the looks on their faces when they realize that I've spent all that time, making something specifically FOR them. I think I like giving things more than I like getting them. I mean, the getting of gifts is nice and all, but I really enjoy the reaction of OTHER people who open a gift I've gotten for them.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
My praline cookies. I usually make about a hundred batches of those every Christmas, but I haven't yet this holiday. I did discover a similar recipe that uses walnuts instead of pecans, and also has chocolate. Anything can be made better by the addition of chocolate!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I love them all. Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I love darn near everything about it.

17. What tops your tree?
We're Disney freaks, so our tree topper is a Cinderella Castle that encircles the uppermost branches, and then we have a Cinderella "angel" over that. (Offspring used to be a slavish devotee of Cinderella in her younger days, but now she's outgrown the princess fascination.)

18. What are your favorite Christmas songs?
"Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)" by Amy Grant
"The Holly and the Ivy" by Bing Crosby
"Coventry Carol" by Alison Moyet

19. Real tree or artificial?
If I had a choice, I'd pick real every time because I love the way they smell. But, an artificial tree is much more practical, and you don't have the added expense of purchasing a dead tree every year.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or yum?
A little of both. Candy canes I have to take in small doses. I can get tired of them REAL quick, so I limit myself to only a few every holiday. That way, I don't max out on peppermint.


If anyone else is interested in playing along, let me know, and I'll link back to you!