Many knitbloggers have done this meme. As delightful as it is to yammer on endlessly about oneself, others may find it unbearably boring. I mean, really, how much do I care when so-and-so takes down her tree?
Warning: possible humbuggery ahead. Read at your own risk.
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Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. Holiday job during high school was wrapping gifts at small-town department store. Inordinately proud of acquired gift-wrapping skill. Unless gift excessively oddly shaped; then give thanks for gift bags.
Open Christmas Eve or Morning? One Christmas eve, rest Christmas morning; or all whenever spouse isn't working. Double/triple time for Christmas Eve/Day; extortionate tuition payments in prior years.
Real tree or artificial? Artificial. Pre-lit. Untouched by further ornamentation. Lazy.
Clear lights or coloured? Either. Lights best thing about Christmas in Great Frozen Darkness of the North.
Angel or star on the top of the tree? Star. Nothing. Pre-lit tree lights extend to top, relieving responsibility to chose.
When do you take down the tree? Around New Year's, unless later. One infamous year lighting continued until March, take down occurred... June? Don't remember. Tree eventually taken outside and scoured with compressed air to remove dust.
Which looks best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey. Unless theme tasteful and creative. Whatever. Just have the damned tree. With lots of lights.
Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Spritz cookies. Sugar cookies. Only if made from mother's recipe. Almond flavoring in spritz, nutmeg in sugar cookies. Possibly other way around. (Spritz pictured above appear identical to those baked by mother in 1961, recreated on internet in shocking warp of space-time continuum. Note to self: give thanks for internet/google/warp of s-t c.)
Do you like fruitcake? No, except The Fruitcake Hater's Fruitcake. Decided to make it the same year mother died on December 1 and first child born (c-section with inadequate anesthesia) December 2. Whole season overwhelmingly stressful; however, TFHF, containing dried apricots and pecans and thoroughly soaked in brandy, inexplicably tasty. Huh. No idea. Recipe now tragically lost.
Gingerbread or sugar cookies? (See, "favorite thing to eat," above.)
Do you have a nativity scene? No. Never will. Shameless religious sentimentality unencumbered by historical accuracy. So-called Wise Men couldn't have arrived for weeks. Angels, if really exist, generally accepted to be invisible to human eye and unaccountably averse to hovering over feed troughs whilst engaged in trumpet playing.
Hardest person to buy for? Husband. Have not done so yet. May follow own suggestion to substitute generous donation to deserving charity in lieu of spousal gift exchange. Husband ignored such suggestion and purchased giftie for wife. Gift rumored to be electronic and found online for $20 rather than former price of $400. (Husband indefatigable bargain hunter.) Rumor continues that same present purchased for #2 son. Rumored clues indicate that rumored gift probably some sort of iPod thingie.
Easiest person to buy for? Sons. (Note: persons in #8 and 9 only humans deemed deserving of purchased gifts.)
Favorite gift received as a child? Don't remember. Apparently never had one. Whole thing completely unaccountable as only child spoiled rotten with consumerist objects. WTF?
Weirdest Christmas gift you ever received? Don't remember. Apparent early onset Alzheimer's has thankfully erased memory.
Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not saying. Taking Fifth. (see, "early onset Alzheimer's," above)
Mail or email Christmas Cards? Mail. No cards. Christmas letter, elaborately formatted with color photos and graphics. May indulge in selected email in current year to minimize environmental impact, also to save time. Lazy.
Favorite Christmas Movie? Love Actually. Discovered last year. Plan to make annual tradition. Already in transit to local library.
Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells. (MIL considered song Carol Of The Devil. Endless disbelief by kmkat.) Silver Bells. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear. Ave Maria. Little Drummer Boy. Twelve Days of Christmas and all variations thereon.
Travel or stay home at Christmas? Stay home. Traveled to Florida to visit the inlaws every frickin' Christmas during 500-year span between 1984 until 1994. Hated it. Inlaws now gone. Wish could repeat visit with same now.
Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes. Maybe not. (see, "early onset...," above)
What’s the corniest family tradition you do or miss doing? Don't have one. Corniness prevails year 'round.
What’s the worst thing you’ve seen related to Christmas? Giant inflatable crappe in yards. Gak.
Most annoying thing about this time of year? Too many expectations placed on female of family. Wish someone else were responsible for Christmas. Gee, can you tell?
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