Here's a fun little pass-along from my daughter-in-law, Abby. You can copy and paste it on your blog/email. Just copy and fill it in. Have fun!
1. WRAPPING PAPER OR GIFT BAG? Anyone who knows me and my super left-handedness will BEG me to use a gift bag...although I love a prettily wrapped gift. My sister used to do it professionally as I was growing up and they are still works of art. She is gifted....I'm...not. She received all of the creative, artsy, genes...plus all of the beautiful Irish genes...I just got what was left over...
2. REAL OR FAKE TREE: Again, I don't care...my environmental self argues with my traditional self, so I typically go with the fake. My Jewish dad was so tolerant of this tradition...we grew up in a Catholic neighborhood so he did a bang up job of showering up with Christmas, including the tree. We always had the biggest, gaudiest tree on the block. A couple of years we even had that big, silver tree in our picture window with the rotating green, red, and blue lights that caused the tree to change colors? Remember those? I think department stores used them a lot...It was very "George Jetson-y"
3. WHEN DO YOU PUT UP THE TREE: As I recall, I think the tree went up a week or so before Christmas. It just made the kids so dang hyper....yeesh....all those little yappers going off at the same time....of course, now I look back and it sounds like music....we would decorate it and have fun, but when the kids woke up on Christmas morning, it was covered with candy canes and many years, there were balloons strewn about and glitter where Santa walked. This often hid the fact that the gifts were lean...just the fact that there was more "visual" stuff happening was satisfying to them...so much fun....
4. WHEN DO YOU TAKE THE TREE DOWN: Now? I take it down on the 26th..bah! humbug!. For real, I'll yank that sucker down the next day if I can. When Peter and I first got married, I did exactly what my father did and it blew Peter's mind. He came home from work and there was our real Christmas tree, out on the curb, complete with the lights still on it, waiting to be picked up. Frugal Peter went nuts. He came in dragging the tree AND the lights saying, "Did you know this was in the gutter!?" I replied, "Of course I knew it was there! I dragged it there. Why would you bring it back in here?" He couldn't believe it. I explained that the lights are a dime a dozen and why store them and mess with them when they're just a pain in the neck? Get rid of 'em! I think he got light headed on that one.
5. DO YOU LIKE EGGNOG: yes...oh yes....
6. FAVORITE GIFT RECEIVED AS A CHILD: Let me tell you about Christmas at the Katz house. It was sheer magic. Crazy, sheer magic. I wish it for all children. Some years, the gifts came from the far wall to the middle of the room, if you can possibly imagine such a sight greeting two little kids and a big sister (who was in on it)....just magic....One year in particular I asked for a doll called a "Shrinking Violet". Looking back she was just a big doll with a flat butt that could sit on a shelf. Not so special...but I loved her because I "saved" her all the time. I would design these elaborate IV systems with needles and threads. She always had leukemia and I would stick needles in her arms and legs and save her life every day. I was a sheroe. How come no one ever thought that was weird?
7. DO YOU HAVE A NATIVITY SCENE: I have a one piece carved olive-wood scene of Mary and Joseph with Mary holding the baby Jesus. That's all...but I keep it out all year. However, it's packed from the move.
8. HARDEST PERSON TO BUY FOR: Peter.
9. WORST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU EVER GOT: Hmmmmm....odd....I don't believe I've ever received a really bad gift...I'm really trying to remember office parties, etc and I can't think of one...I'll keep trying...
10. EASIEST PERSON TO BUY FOR: Mom. Gift certificate to Steinmart OR a restaurant that she loves...or something really sparkly....
11. MAIL OR EMAIL CHRISTMAS CARDS: Mail. I love snail mail.
12.FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE: A Christmas Story....I howl every time I see it.
13. WHEN DO YOU START SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS: I see things all year long that make me think of people I care about...all. year. long.
14. HAVE YOU EVER RECYCLED A CHRISTMAS PRESENT: Like regifted? Or actually used and then gave it as a present?
15. FAVORITE THING TO EAT AT CHRISTMAS: I do enjoy eggnog. I love Christmas cookies. I enjoy the love that goes into Christmas cooking in general....and there is a lot of enthusiasm and love that goes into it, don't you think?
16. COLORED OR CLEAR LIGHTS ON THE TREE: Don't care, just lots and lots of lights. lots. many. thousands.
17. TRAVEL AT CHRISTMAS OR STAY HOME: Well...this year I'll be traveling ON Christmas. Flying to C-bus all day and spend my momma's 90th with her.
18. CAN YOU NAME ALL OF SANTA'S REINDEER: No. And I will confess something here. I thought reindeer were fictional animals until I was in my 30s...yea....
19.ANGEL ON THE TREE TOP, OR A STAR: It just doesn't matter.
20. OPEN THE PRESENTS CHRISTMAS EVE OR MORNING: We always opened one on Christmas eve and then the rest on Christmas day. So....whatever works....
21. MOST ANNOYING THING ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR: People who refuse to go with the flow and remember the reason for the season. If everyone is being nice...please be nice....
22. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT CHRISTMAS: I like the memories and I like watching my kids make new memories and new traditions with their families. I like sitting back and taking it all in as the generations transition. It's a nice place to be. :)
23. HOT CHOCOLATE OR CIDER: Both, but in separate cups....
24. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: Really? Wow. Well, my daughter survived a hideous automotive accident and it turns out she was pregnant...so we're expecting another beautiful baby next summer, my son made it through his medical challenges this year, my twin grandbabies reached their first year without major incident and in fact, have thrived (thriven?), my stepson is on his way to serving his mission in 2010, my husband is working, looks like Mom is hitting her 90th on January 4th and I'll be there for that, we all survived a lot of loss and we're still standing...I think I'm good.
25.(I made this last) FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG: Oh...don't get me started on Christmas songs....they were my "church" growing up....I learned about Christ through Christmas carols....after I was baptized (in August!!!) I was filled with the Spirit, but I didn't know any hymns, so I would rock my babies on my lap, sweating profusely, and sing carols, because they were the only religious songs I knew and I wanted to express my faith somehow...my poor neighbors...but to answer the question...hmmm...there were a couple. I loved Little Drummer Boy when I was little because it made me feel like I was good enough, if that makes sense. And if anyone knows me, they know I like to rock...and I've "rocked" all my life...yea, I was one of "those" kids...and in the winter time, at Christmas, when the snow was deep, I would sit at the base of one of our big picture windows after dark, when it was cold, and I would hear "Silent Night" in my head...and I would imagine that Mary, the most perfect Mother in the world, was rocking the baby Jesus in our backyard...and I would rock with her...me and Mary and baby Jesus...rocking....
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3 comments:
What a sweet entry. I love it. And, Christmas was never lean at our house. It was lean at the Slusser house. We came from polar opposites in that regard. I want Christmas HUUUUGGE (got that from my mom) and Jacob is very frugal (got that from him mom). We have come somewhere in the middle. :) It's fun to have my own traditions, but I still cherish the ones I grew up with. . . Christmas was magic at our house. Love you!
I'm happy to read this, Emmy. It's fun to know that one's children remember their childhood with fondness, because sometimes as parents you can become so troubled by doubts and concerns. We forget that kids often just see the fun stuff. YAY!!!
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