in Christmas

Festive Maiming from Rainy Pete

A meme from Rainy Pete’s blog. Why not?

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. Actually, cold chocolate, warm chocolate, spiced chocolate… I’ll take it all.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa doesn’t wrap them, the deers kept snacking on the fancy paper and ribbons. Cost him a fortune in vet bills.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or clear? White or coloured, as long as there are a lot of them.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put your decorations up? In theory, on or after my birthday on December 19th.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding desserts)? The vegetables with fresh butter on them: carrots, potatoes, whatever… butter makes it better. Sometimes we have fresh baked buns and bread, cabbage rolls and those are really good too.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? My Aunt Sally playing the piano at Christmas with our tree all lit up and mostly everyone there.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don’t remember.

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve? Yes! We always had a special present from Santa Claus which my Mom gave us to open on Xmas Eve. Oddly enough it was always new pajamas, took me a long time to really clue in on that one.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, ornaments bought and home made and inherited, sometimes tinsel… on top is an angel which my Dad bought for our first Xmas tree a few days after I was born.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? It looks really pretty, especially when you come in from the cold and sit by a window with hot chocolate to warm up your hands.

12. Can you ice skate? I think I still could.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift as a kid? No.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Family and lots of lights and decorations.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? icebox cookies and assorted chocolates.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? The Christmas tree.

17. What tops your tree? An angel bought 42 years ago now.

18. Which do you prefer—giving or receiving? Giving by far. I don’t like shopping but I really life finding just the right thing for someone. I never make lists ahead, I just look around till something just right comes along.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? It used to be Silent Night. Not sure any more.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? I really like them on the Xmas tree.

21. Stockings? Or no Stockings? Stockings are fun. We always fill them with oranges and other snacks to keep kids busy while the adults are still waking up and making coffee on Christmas morning.

22. Do you like sledding? Yes. But I haven’t done it for many years.

23. Farthest you’ve traveled for Christmas day? From Toronto to Vancouver. Just for myself, alone.

24. Do you leave out cookies or carrots for when Santa comes? My sister did this year. I don’t have any kids.

25. What gets you into the holiday spirit? I’ll let you know if I get there again. It’s been a lot of years since I really felt excited about Christmas.

26. Does your wrapping colour coordinate? Never.

27. Favourite gift you’ve ever given? I have no idea.

28. Most fun holiday memory? Sitting under the Xmas tree with my Mom when we still lived in the house I grew up in. I remember we were the last two people awake. Around that time she had begun talking to me more like a friend than a kid and it was really great having conversations with my Mom about important/ real things.

29. Do you wrap your own gifts? Of course. But I don’t really wrap them anymore. The odd time I use those Xmas bags cause they can be carted around easily and don’t require tape and other extras.