Christmas Meme

I'll be honest, my Christmas spirit has not kicked in yet this year. I
am really struggling with finding a balance in the mayhem. I feel
more grinchy than festive. I treasure simplicity and thrive on
routine. The holidays are none of these things. Truth is, I would
love nothing more than to hibernate until January. In the spirit of
at least trying to get a grip, I am forwarding the meme sent by House
of the Missing Sock ...

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a
SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a
new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they
apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know,
INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. And ribbon, I love ribbon.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Planted. Outside.

3. When do you put up the tree? I am conceding to the druid tradition
this year by decorating a tree, inside the house. That is, if an elf
brings one home. I'm hoping for fake, but when you are relying on an
elf, you can't be picky. If not for Bailey's deep desire to be
dramatic in all things, Christmas decorations included, I would not.

4. When do you take the tree down? This is part of my issue with the
tree. First, you have to put it up, then you have live with the chaos
and clutter for awhile, finally, you have to take it down. That's a
whole lot of effort.

5. Do you like eggnog? Despite his suspicions about all things dairy,
Don LOVES eggnog. I don't have the heart to tell him it's cream with
egg yolks and sugar. I can tolerate about two sips per season, that's
it.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? All the Little House on the
Prairie Books and all the Paddington Bear books, both at the same
Christmas. Okay, I was born a nerd.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Anyone over 14.

8. Easiest person to buy for? The whole thing wears me out.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a beautiful colored glass one
from my Gram.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mailed.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Whatever it was, I've
blocked it out.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Part of my attempt to understand
Christmas this year, I've rented a stack of Christmas movies. I don't
know yet which will be the favorite. Seems that after years of living
without tv, we've missed a few.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Hmmm, depends on the
year. I would like to make christmas gifts, but once I start I get too
self conscious to carry on.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Define recycle.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peppermint ice cream.

16. Lights on the tree? Of course! Do people bring trees into their
homes, then not decorate them with lights? I love lights. Last year,
I whined until Don put Christmas lights all around the house. And we
have a big house. But we never figured out where to plug them in, so
never did. The finally fell down in a windstorm a few weeks ago.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer,
Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, Blitzen and Rudolf :)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Okay, again that tree thing. A
star with an angel in it mom's. I'm not sure about our house yet.
This will be the first tree in the house since .... um, I don't
remember when.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? The week before,
christmas eve, christmas day, the day after. Whenever. With our
families as flung about as they are, christmas can be a month long
affair.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The Chipmunks
singing christmas songs.

23. What theme or color are you using? What, what?

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner. Chinese food.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Contentment.