25 Christmassy Things

1. Favorite Holiday Memory - Kevin licking the candy canes off the Chritmas tree when he was barely old enough to stand up.
2. Favorite Holiday Song - “O Holy Night” - 'Fall on your knees' gives me cold chills every single time I hear it. Although Harry Connick Jr.’s “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” works for me too. :o) (**I also highly enjoy my Charlie Brown Christmas cd that Kacey bought me, and Mikey’s “Candlelight Processional Disney Massed Choir” cd he recorded when he was in high school.)
3. Favorite Holiday Cartoon - How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated version!)
4. Favorite Holiday Movie - Die Hard! But I’m also a sucker for “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
5. Wrapping Paper or Gift bags? Both. I like the looks of wrapping paper better, and I LOVE big bows, but I hate the thought of 3 trees in Oregon giving their lives just so we can rip it up and throw it away . . . so gift bags or gift boxes would be more honest.
6. Real tree or artificial? Fake, baby! Although I LOVE the smell of pine, I again hate the thought of a tree withering away in my den when it could be thriving outdoors. Besides, the last time we cut a real tree, some critter hatched out in the house and we were bug-infested the entire season. Ick!
7. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend. Usually. This year was later because when I went to get the tree out of the utility room, there was no tree. Apparently I got rid of it last year when I was feeling scroogey, so I had to go buy another tree.
8. More importantly, when do you take down the tree? New Year’s Day. I’m firm on this one. When the season is over, doggone it, turn off your giant inflatable penguins and take down the garland. I will give you about a one-week grace period on this one, and then I will be yelling at your house from my car, “CHRISTMAS IS OVER!!!! TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!”
9. Favorite Gift? Hmmmm . . . the funniest one was a GIGANTIC can of ravioli my parents thought would be good for a laugh. It was. The most creative was from my boyfriend who did a “12 days of Christmas” thing that included a lot of sweet and fun things like matchbox cars and fur coat charms and a diamond necklace. I’ll have to blog about that sometime . . .
10. Hardest person to buy for? Dad. What to get dad? I never do know.
11. Easiest person to buy for? I used to say Kacey or mom, because they both like what I like! But really, it's the cowboy. He writes out a VERY detailed Christmas list about a mile long containing several thousand dollars worth of items he can't live without. I take the list to the nearest Saddle Boy store, ask them what I can get off this list of x-amount of dollars, have them put it in a burlap feed sack with a green bow and call it good.
12. Greeting cards? Nope. Sorry, just don’t do them. Again, I don't see sacrificing trees just to say "Merry Christmas", but I’m happy to open yours as long as you don't include one of those "this is how wonderful my family is" newsletters!
13. Nativity Scene? Uh uh . . . I don’t even have family pictures displayed in my house, so this is not a big surprise. Jesus is in my heart, but not on top of my entertainment center. Sorry to disappoint.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? SUSHI!!! HaHa. Okay, truthfully it's grandmama’s oyster dressing. Yum!
15. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yeah, Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey and Fred.
16. Angel on top of the tree? Sticks and twigs and berrys and spirally things that stick out everywhere. Love it. When the kids were little we usually topped the tree with a Santa hat.
17. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? One present only on Christmas eve, the rest on Christmas morning, or whenever daughter-face and son-in-law and baby girl come in.
18. Best part of the holidays? Playing games. Especially ones that I win. Like Boggle. Or Trivial Pursuit. Or Scrabble. I will seriously kick your tail at Scrabble.
19. Worst part of Christmas? Missing people who should be sharing the holiday with me. That, and taking down the tree and getting used to seeing the house look “naked” again.
20. Weirdest Christmas memory? Asking for a doll that looked like me, and getting a Raggedy Ann doll. Not a great self-esteem booster, though now that I see her again . . . round face, pale skin, thick ankles, unruly red hair . . .
21. Colored lights or white? White, LOTS OF THEM, but NO BLINKING!
22. Ever been Christmas caroling? Yes, but it's been a LONG while! Mostly I just Christmas Carol to myself in the car . . .
23. Ever been ice skating? Once, in Alaska, while pushing Kacey in a stroller. Cold, but FUN!
24. Candy Canes or Gingerbread? Gingerbread, but star-shaped sugar cookies with colored sugar sprinkles are even better!
25. Christmas quirk? When the kids were little, I wouldn't let them see the presents under the tree or open their stockings until everybody was awake and their hair was brushed. (It's a photographer thing. Or a control-freak thing. Who, me?) :o)