The Anchoress

I’m not much of a meme girl, but I’m still a bit overwhelmed w emails and stuff and can’t yet get my brain to settle down enough to think…not that thinking is my strong point, anyway…thought responding to the meme might slow me down a bit and get my in gear! This atrocity was committed by The Waffling Anglican!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? Guinness. The traditional Tree-Trimming Guinness is essential.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Everything gets wrapped, but back when the kids believed, St. Nick left things unwrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Changes every year.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.

5. When do you put your decorations up? No set or traditional time. When we have a chance. Sometimes it takes a few nights.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Sausage Stuffing. And Italian Rainbow Cookies. That’s not dessert, that’s essential holiday food.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child: The year they let me help decorate the tree, I kept dropping and breaking the huge glass ornaments handed down from generation unto generation, Amen. It’s not a good memory, it’s a very bad one. But it allows me to feel better about stupid mistakes and bad judgement calls I have made as a parent.

My best grownup memory, among many, is the year we let our Elder Son help decorate the tree. He was so excited, he put the first ornament on and then clapped his hands in glee!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Sadly, I don’t recall ever believing. I do recall a brother waking me up on Christmas Eve to tell me Santa was flying over a neighbor’s house, and that I should look. But I knew just by his manner that it was lies, all lies and felt bent out of shape that they thought me so gullible. My mother said I was no fun. I’m sure she was right. I also never bought the “Do you want to go to Lily White’s Party” routine, which was just a trick to get you to go to sleep. My brother apparently fell for that one many times, though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually…we all open one because we’re greedy slobs and cannot wait.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Lights and ornaments, sometimes garland, sometimes not. Sometimes ribbons cascading down. It’s different every year. We also use different themes each year, too. For instance, two years ago (my favorite tree, ever) it was all St. Nicholas ornaments, only. Last year I think it was all Glass Ornaments Only. Maybe this year it will be Religious Ornaments Only.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love to watch it fall, love to know it’s on the ground. Would love it more if only lasted a day and then melted.

12. Can you ice skate? I was never the most graceful of girls.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Received or given? My favorite gifts have always been the ones I’ve given, especially to the kids. And one year I pleased my dear MIL, and that was a notable occasion. She’s a love, but a real nightmare to shop for.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? The Incarnation, and family. I miss my son and his g/f and can’t wait for their extended visit home from school.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I like candy. Not a cake-eater. Cookies are great, but really, gimmee chocolate. Lindt truffles make me happy.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Lessons and Carols. And for years we made it a point to re-read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (or see a production of it) and my kids can recite snippets of the book, which - oddly - they do all year ’round!

17. What tops your tree? Anne the Angel. Although last year Buster made a Scroogesque tree topper in an art class and we indulged him. Ugly, ugly thing, and it didn’t sparkle.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? To be honest, I hate to say it because it sounds so goody-two-shoes…but I have more fun giving and watching folks’ reactions to their gifts.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Angels We Have Heard On High! I love that drawn out Gloria in Excelsis.

20. Candy canes: Ptooie! Chocolate canes rule!

21. Favorite Christmas movie? The Christmas Story…the one with Darren McGavin and the Major Award

22. What do you leave for Santa? Italian Rainbow Cookies, of course! Nothing but the best for him!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! And now, forgive me, Happy Catholic, Obi’s Sister, Siggy, Beth and the gang at Oh How I Love Jesus, but…your turn!

Ahhhh…back home! I love going away, but I love coming home more than anything!

Thanks to Kim of Musing Minds for doing such a great job “guest blogging” for me. I know it’s difficult to find time to be a mom, Christmas shop, run one’s OWN blog and sit in for someone else, too, but Kim made it look pretty easy! A round of applause, please!!!

Now, just let me unpack, go pick up the dog from the sitter, throw some laundry on and cook supper…and look at headlines and plow through some several hundred emails…and I’ll be right with you!

Note from Kim - Thanks for letting me house sit while you were gone. The chair was comfy cozy and I’ll replace the tea bags…