Carrie.
About The Tree
1. When do you put up the Christmas tree? Sometime after Thanksgiving. Sometimes it’s the weekend after, and sometimes it’s a few weeks after. This year, I was just waiting for the pre-lit tree I won from eBay to get here. It got here today, so I’ll be putting it up in the next few days.
2. Real or Fake? Fake. We used to do the real one, but the cats always made a big mess out of it. Plus, it was a pain in the ass to light.
3. Lights? What color? Clear, because that’s what Fred prefers. I like the multi-colored as well, but don’t care which we have, as long as they blink.
4. Garland? Nope, never had a garland on my tree – probably because my mother never did, either.
5. Theme or No theme? No theme, though I wouldn’t rule out an “all-yellow” theme in the future.
6. What kind of topper? A cheap plastic star. A few years ago I saw a Taz tree topper in the Disney catalog and wanted it, but by the time I placed my order, they were out. Same thing the following year, and finally I just gave up.
7. What’s your favorite ornament? I don’t have a particular favorite, though I really like the ones the spud made when she was little.
8. What does your tree skirt look like? It’s just a red fuzzy one we bought from Wal-Mart. Maybe I’ll cross-stitch one for next year!
9. Where do you put your tree? This year, we have two. The big, main one is going to go upstairs in the study in front of the big window, so we can close the door and keep the cats from destroying it. The other one – a 3-foot-tall one I bought from Target over the weekend – is sitting on one of the movie cabinets in the living room.
10. Who decorates the tree? The spud and I. Fred has always done the lights, but the pre-lit tree will make the unnecessary from here on out!
11. What’s “under” the tree? Nothing. We don’t put presents out until Christmas eve.
12. Do you put candy canes on your tree? Nope.
About The Foods
1. What’s your favorite Christmas cookie? Those sugar cookies with Hershey’s kisses in them. I haven’t had them in years, but I’m having a craving.
2. Do you bake cookies and give them away? No, because if I did that, I’d end up “giving” half of them to my mouth.
3. Any “special” foods or candy that you only have at Christmas time? Fudge, though I don’t know if I’ll have it this year. Probably not.
4. What do you eat on Christmas EVE? We eat dinner at Fred’s father and stepmother’s house on Christmas Eve, so it depends on what they want to do. Some years it’s the traditional turkey, dressing, etc, and some years it’s something else. Last year or the year before we had an awesome casserole, though I can’t remember what it was called.
5. What do you eat on Christmas day? Some years, we make a turkey, some years we don’t do anything special. This year, since my parents, sister, and nephew will be here, we’ll probably do a big turkey dinner.
6. Do you like Eggnog? I do, but I don’t like to drink too much of it, or I get sick of it. I’ve been eyeballing the Eggnog shakes at McDonald’s, but they probably won’t live up to my memory of them. I sucked them down like mad when I worked there as a teenager.
7. Do you like candy canes? I like the occasional one.
About The Decorations
1. Where do you hang your stockings? I hang the spud’s stocking over the fireplace, but my stocking doesn’t have a loop to hang it, so I lay it on the side of the mantel.
2. Do you put lights on your house? No, though I think it would look cool to have the house outlined in lights. We put single-bulb lights in each window facing the street.
3. Got any outside lawn decorations? Nope.
4. Do you put up a nativity? No, though I wouldn’t mind having a Precious Moments nativity. Fred would probably kill me, though.
5. Do you hang mistletoe under the door? Nope, haven’t done that since I was a teenager.
6. Got a wreath on your front door? Yes. Last year, I bought a fake one (with fake pinecones) and put a big red bow on it. It’s silly to spend $50 on a real one from LL Bean’s, when you can’t tell the difference from the street.
7. How long does it take you to decorate? An hour, if that.
About The Movies/Shows
1. Favorite Children’s Xmas TV show/cartoon? The Grinch!
2. Wonderful Life / Miracle on 34th Street / A Christmas Carol…Which is the best? I’ve only seen Wonderful Life all the way through, so I guess I’ll choose that one.
3. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story.
4. Have you ever seen the Nutcracker Suite Ballet live? Yes. When I was a kid, I went with my ballet class (shut up, Fred) to Boston to see it there.
5. Ever been to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show? No, though I’d love to someday.
6. Ever gone to the movies on Christmas Day? Not since I was 17 or so.
7. Did you know it’s the biggest day of the box-office? I did not, and I’m surprised. Maybe I’ll drag the family to the movies this Christmas Day.
Other Christmas Things….
1. Favorite Christmas book or story? The Gift of the Magi.
2. Do you stuff your stockings with any types of food? There’s usually some chocolate – usually Santas – in there, and when I was a kid, we got those books of Lifesavers. I’ve gotten those for the spud a few times, but she’s not crazy about them, I don’t think.
3. Do you go to church on Christmas or Christmas Eve? Nope.
4. Have you ever gone Caroling? Not since I was 10 or so and went with the Girl Scouts.
5. Favorite Christmas Carol? The Little Drummer Boy.
6. Do you believe in Santa? Of course.
7. Do you leave Santa cookies? Some years yes, some years no.
8. What about Rudolph…leave him anything? A carrot!
9. What was your best Christmas gift? This is terrible, but nothing comes to mind. I love all my Christmas gifts equally!
10. What was the worst/most odd gift? I’ve never gotten anything particularly odd, that I recall.
11. Do you go to a “work” Christmas party? Nope. Fred’s company is run by a bunch of Grinches. 🙂
12. Do you like/hate going to the “work” Christmas Party? I’m sure I’d enjoy it.
13. Do you send Christmas cards (handmade or bought)? I sure do – have you signed up for yours yet?
14. Do you make a “list”? I actually make a list of what we’ve bought for each person every year, and save it, so that when it’s time to make the list for the next year, I have something to go by. As for my own Christmas list, all I have is the Amazon wish list.
15. Do you check it twice? I check the list of what needs to be bought/ has been bought about two hundred times between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
16. Have you been “naughty” or “nice”? That depends on who you ask.
17. Who’s on your list this year? You!
18. When do you start shopping? Usually not until the day after Thanksgiving, but I started earlier than that this year.
19. Do you shop on Black Friday? Only online.
20. ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS? Mostly!]]>