Christmas Meme

I was just over reading a friend's blog. She was talking about going through the motions of Christmas without the spirit. I heard her loud and clear.

Then I skipped over to Candace at Suburban Misfit and there was this meme once again. I took it as a sign that I should stop procrastinating and put it on here.

Sure enough, I feel better. It was fun casting back through the years of memories. It's been making the rounds for a while but it's still not too late for anyone to give it a whirl.

I copied it and pasted it. I'm not messing with her fonts so some of this will be bold, some italic, and some will surprise me as well as you.

Horizon in Scotland has an idea for displaying Christmas cards I hadn't seen before.

And now, finally, the meme.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Egg nog or better yet - egg nog latte from Barnes & Noble

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa dumps them mostly in gift bags and combines the stockings into one decorated box. He knows the girls can count oranges and pieces of candy. Such wrapping as Santa is forced to do is rather on the sloppy side. He's tired by the time he gets to our house.

3. Colored lights or white lights on tree/house? Colored because the girls love glitz. Left to myself, I love all blue. Who am I kidding? I love glitz too.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? The fake variety. In the kitchen doorway.

5. When do you put up your decorations? I finally got them up this weekend, a little later than usual.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Probably my sweet potato souffle (casserole?) with marshmallows. Or anything cooked by someone else. We're having our second annual Christmas eve potluck at the church. I'll report back on new favorites then.

7. Favorite childhood holiday memory: Waking up to Christmas morning and all those packages. What was inside them wasn't as important. It was the fascination of all that gift wrap, ribbons, and bows. My mom was a talented gift wrapper who did not pass it on to me. And dinner on the farm with a second Christmas. We always had two.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember. We put out cookies and milk for Santa but it wasn't a big production. I must have gradually outgrown him just as the girls are doing now. I don't remember feeling betrayed though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? When we got older we did. I can't remember exactly but probably when I was at least 11. The girls open one small one now.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Lights, ornaments. tinsel. I don't decorate it; the girls do and they believe the old adage that more is more.

11. Snow: love it or dread it? If I wanted snow I would have stayed in upstate New York. The snow globe on my bookcase is all the snow I need, thank you.

12. Can you ice skate? Once upon a time. My dad froze our side yard for us and all the neighbors every year. It wasn't skating that was the problem, it was stopping without running into something.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Probably either the dollhouse my dad built or the guitar that my great-uncle did. I'm not sure now if they were Christmas, birthday, or just because (no occasion). Oh, and two of my aunts gave me one piece of sterling silver (Towle Silver Flutes) each for birthday and Christmas. I was up to about 6 spoons and 3 forks when they suddenly stopped. They told me years later when I asked that they were afraid I'd be bored. I wasn't. It was open stock for a long time and I was tempted to complete at least a service for 6 but never did.

14. What's the most important thing to you about the holidays? I almost forgot and swiped Candace's answer (which was wonderful - she loves all of it). However, this passage from Isaiah says it, especially the Prince of Peace:

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV) - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Karo Pecan pie.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching the girls decorate and then cook while keeping my mouth firmly shut. Of course having all of us gather isn't bad either but we do more of that at Thanksgiving.

17. What tops your tree? Oops. Thanks for reminding me. Sometimes a star, sometimes an angel. Sometimes both if the girls can't decide.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving gifts? I love watching the kids but I enjoy opening something they've selected. We don't do gifts between adults although I've thought about doing the draw names thing.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? I'm torn between * Il est Ne and **Gesu Bambino. I love all the traditional carols too, sung traditionally. And "Little Drummer Boy" (Harry Simeon Chorale). And "Do You Hear What I Hear" (Andy Williams). I can remember when those last two were new.

* I like this better in French but the English is okay too. Not that I speak French but it sounds so much more appropriate for this song. I go around humming it because it's so catchy. I've heard it done with bagpipes as well.

**It took me a while but I finally found lyrics in Italian and English. Pavarotti's recording is beautiful. However, the link features a 1926 recording by a tenor named Martinelli. Beautiful and if it works on my computer it should on yours. It can be my early Christmas greeting to you.

Update: I'm working my way through the entire listing on the link. All worth listening to for any of you interested in the tenors of that early era. My all time favorite, Jussi Bjoerling, sings O Holy Night (in Swedish), another does Silent Night in French. Comfort Ye My People from The Messiah (in English) and one spiritual which I hadn't heard before.

The sound quality is quite good considering the age of the recordings.

I saved them to Music Match but I imagine anything would work.