Come to sparkle the dark up
I promise I'll write a real entry sometime today...
Nicked from sandmansister.
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Egg nog. Absolutely. I've found I like it best with brandy in.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Well, rumour has it that when St Nick actually lived, he lobbed pressies through the window, but...
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
On my tree, I absolutely prefer white lights. I think I fancy white lights in any sort of tree, however, I realise that white lights don't exactly say 'deck the halls'. So, coloured lights on houses are acceptable - but the crazy explosions of light are a bit much.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Oh, absolutely not. Although the neighbour's trees are fraught with it, I'll not have it in my house. Mistletoe is poisonous, and I've got four cats whom I adore, who mightn't be able to resist tasting the leaves should they fall when I'm not looking.
5. When do you put up your decorations?
Well, when shaddowshoes and I were carolling, it was always the day after Thanksgiving, 'cos it was then or never. Since we've not been doing that, we've got a bit more time on our hands. We're still in the process of decking the halls - we've got the mantle and the bar to go, and I doubt I'll do much in the bar, really. I'm tempted to stay home from seisiun tonight to do the last few bits of it, but I'll likely decide to go at any rate this evening.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
shaddowshoes and I make the best turkey ever. No lie.
7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child
My family and I went to Nuremberg one year for Christmas. I wanted to take the Glockenspiel home with me.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think it was before I moved here...I don't know.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We often spend Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas day with shaddowshoes's parents, so yes, gifts are often opened on Christmas Eve. However, this year, Christmas will be held at Orion Rising, so I think we'll likely not do the Christmas Eve bit.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Most of the ornaments we've had for aeons. We've considered themed trees, but that has yet to come to pass. This year, our tree hasn't got any sort of garland, because when we'd done with hanging our ornaments, we decided it didn't need garland. We use bead garland because the cats will eat the fluffy, shimmery sort.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I am fond of snow. I have lived in a place where snow exists often, so it isn't scarcity that causes my fondness.
12. Can you ice skate?
Badly, but that's part of the fun, innit?
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
That's a hard question to answer, 'cos I don't wish to slight anybody on my friends list who might have given me something. I can recall rather well the gift that I think I used the most (till it fell to bits that I could no longer patch) - it was a patchwork design sleeping bag that I was given when I was four or five years old. I think I was seventeen when I admitted that no amount of patching it up was going to salvage it.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Dodging the fruit cake. It isn't as though I dislike fruit cake, but rather it's more of a commitment than I'm ever prepared to make.
Oh, and I'm keen on hanging out with my mates and family.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Eggnog, I'd say. I can bake pumpkin pies whenever I can lay my hands on a pumpkin; eggnog, on the other hand, comes but once a year.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Orgh. Driving through the neighbourhood and gawking at lights.
17. What tops your tree?
A tasteful, understated white star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
True confessions time. I'm afraid that the rampant holiday consumerism as displayed by the funny people in Madison Avenue has sucked a great deal of the joy out of both giving and receiving. It's difficult for me to accept a gift, because invariably I think of the person who made it, and how hard that person's life must be. National Geo estimated that slave labour is a $12B per annum industry. Somehow that takes the lustre away from whichever shiny bead has got me transfixed at any given moment.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Sure, have a guess. If you said 'Fairytale of New York'...well, that's one of them. However, I'm also fond of 'December Will Be Magic' by Kate Bush, and also the perky one by the Waitresses. So. I'm not entirely predictable. Oh, and everything on the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas record. Yes. Even the loo-loo-loos.
20. Candy Canes: like them or don't like them?
I'm all for them till I get stabbed through the tongue. The red stripes should never be composed (even in part) of my own blood. Sure, it's an absolute joy killer.
21. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Charlie Brown Christmas. Absolutely.
Nicked from sandmansister.
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Egg nog. Absolutely. I've found I like it best with brandy in.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Well, rumour has it that when St Nick actually lived, he lobbed pressies through the window, but...
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
On my tree, I absolutely prefer white lights. I think I fancy white lights in any sort of tree, however, I realise that white lights don't exactly say 'deck the halls'. So, coloured lights on houses are acceptable - but the crazy explosions of light are a bit much.
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Oh, absolutely not. Although the neighbour's trees are fraught with it, I'll not have it in my house. Mistletoe is poisonous, and I've got four cats whom I adore, who mightn't be able to resist tasting the leaves should they fall when I'm not looking.
5. When do you put up your decorations?
Well, when shaddowshoes and I were carolling, it was always the day after Thanksgiving, 'cos it was then or never. Since we've not been doing that, we've got a bit more time on our hands. We're still in the process of decking the halls - we've got the mantle and the bar to go, and I doubt I'll do much in the bar, really. I'm tempted to stay home from seisiun tonight to do the last few bits of it, but I'll likely decide to go at any rate this evening.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
shaddowshoes and I make the best turkey ever. No lie.
7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child
My family and I went to Nuremberg one year for Christmas. I wanted to take the Glockenspiel home with me.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I think it was before I moved here...I don't know.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We often spend Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas day with shaddowshoes's parents, so yes, gifts are often opened on Christmas Eve. However, this year, Christmas will be held at Orion Rising, so I think we'll likely not do the Christmas Eve bit.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
Most of the ornaments we've had for aeons. We've considered themed trees, but that has yet to come to pass. This year, our tree hasn't got any sort of garland, because when we'd done with hanging our ornaments, we decided it didn't need garland. We use bead garland because the cats will eat the fluffy, shimmery sort.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I am fond of snow. I have lived in a place where snow exists often, so it isn't scarcity that causes my fondness.
12. Can you ice skate?
Badly, but that's part of the fun, innit?
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
That's a hard question to answer, 'cos I don't wish to slight anybody on my friends list who might have given me something. I can recall rather well the gift that I think I used the most (till it fell to bits that I could no longer patch) - it was a patchwork design sleeping bag that I was given when I was four or five years old. I think I was seventeen when I admitted that no amount of patching it up was going to salvage it.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Dodging the fruit cake. It isn't as though I dislike fruit cake, but rather it's more of a commitment than I'm ever prepared to make.
Oh, and I'm keen on hanging out with my mates and family.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Eggnog, I'd say. I can bake pumpkin pies whenever I can lay my hands on a pumpkin; eggnog, on the other hand, comes but once a year.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Orgh. Driving through the neighbourhood and gawking at lights.
17. What tops your tree?
A tasteful, understated white star.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
True confessions time. I'm afraid that the rampant holiday consumerism as displayed by the funny people in Madison Avenue has sucked a great deal of the joy out of both giving and receiving. It's difficult for me to accept a gift, because invariably I think of the person who made it, and how hard that person's life must be. National Geo estimated that slave labour is a $12B per annum industry. Somehow that takes the lustre away from whichever shiny bead has got me transfixed at any given moment.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Sure, have a guess. If you said 'Fairytale of New York'...well, that's one of them. However, I'm also fond of 'December Will Be Magic' by Kate Bush, and also the perky one by the Waitresses. So. I'm not entirely predictable. Oh, and everything on the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas record. Yes. Even the loo-loo-loos.
20. Candy Canes: like them or don't like them?
I'm all for them till I get stabbed through the tongue. The red stripes should never be composed (even in part) of my own blood. Sure, it's an absolute joy killer.
21. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Charlie Brown Christmas. Absolutely.