Christmas trivia

I found this Christmas meme on a few blogs and I thought I'd play along. Realize that you may not be interested in Christmas trivia about me...but grin and bear it!!!

Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I usually wrap the things that can be wrapped and the odd sized items go into gift bags. For my friends, it's gift bags all the way...cause I'm lazy.

Real tree or artificial? We used to schlep out to the Christmas tree farm and hacksaw down a tree, drag it to the truck, get it home and pull it through the front door only to realize that the tree that looked reasonable in size in the field was actually 15 feet tall and was as wide as the living room. The height was ok since our living room has cathedral ceilings but the width...well...that's another story. Suffice it to say our Norman Rockwell experience seemed to end with a lot of muttering and angst. Now we have an artificial tree that looks real and goes up in a reasonable amount of time. And it's not gigantic. Except that I have enough ornaments to fill a 16 foot tall, 8 foot wide Christmas tree so the artificial one is stuffed with ornaments.

When do you put up the tree? Usually the 2nd weekend in December. Although we've been known not to put the tree up until AFTER Christmas.

When do you take the tree down? Right after Epiphany.

Do you like egg nog? Yes, it's like drinking pudding and I love that texture. Especially if it's ice cold. And no, I do not care about the calories.

Favorite gift received as a child? I loved paint by number art sets (especially of horses). I remember getting an artist grade watercolor set that I coveted for many years and in high school I received an oil painting set in one of those cool wooden boxes. If you gave me anything art related, I was in heaven. If I got anything horse related, I thought I DIED and went to heaven.

Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. Actually, I have 2. One from Avon and one that my SIL made in ceramics. I love both of them.

Hardest person to buy for? My husband cause he tells me what he wants after Christmas. Fortunately, his birthday is 4 days later so he gets good b'day gifts.

Easiest person to buy for? The Cadet cause he gives me long lists of *wants and needs*.

Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I mail them. I know that I am contributing to the earth's ecological nightmare and postage is expensive but I think of cards as little presents especially to the folks I don't get to see that often.

Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Gorilla slippers. And a down level version of an electronic gadget that I wanted. I didn't get these gifts on the same Christmas.

Favorite Christmas movie? "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" is my all time favorite.

When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually after Thanksgiving, though I've given it some thought before then. I just wait for the sales.

Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, that would be rude.

Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Christmas cookies.

Clear lights or colored on the tree? The Cadet decreed colored lights so that's what we string on the tree.

Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night (and no matter how hard I try not to, I cry when we sing it on Christmas Eve during the candlelight service.)

Travel at Christmas or stay home? We always stay home. We don't find driving in the snow on I-86W any fun whatsoever.

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yep! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And Rudolph.

Angel on the tree top or a star? Actually we have a gold star thingie that's lighted. Another of the Cadet's mandates.

Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We always let the Cadet open one present on Christmas Eve, usually something small or funny. The rest are opened on Christmas morning.

Most annoying thing about this time of year? The commercials on TV. The feeling that you have to buy, buy, buy to have a Merry Christmas.

Favorite ornament theme or color? I have 2 favorite ornaments, a smiling Christmas tree from Hallmark and an ornament made with Mike's handprint from Nursery School. The Christmas tree always brings a smile to my face.

Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Turkey with all the yummy accompaniments.

What do you want for Christmas this year? A Canon Digital SLR camera.(But I got a Magellan GPS for the Explorer. I know this cause I peeked.)

Merry Christmas!!!