Another meme

Ray tagged me for a meme, but I had already done that one, so am substituting this one instead since I'm running around today. It's the last week of bible study for the year and I have treats to make for the teachers and helpers, plus the usual household things that need doing, so here's my Christmas meme.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I am not a fan of wrapping gifts, but wrap most of them unless they are especially large or odd shaped. In that case, they get put in a gift bag. I usually wrap all the gifts at once so I don't have to dig out the wrap, tape and tags numerous times. My aunts wrap the most beautiful gifts and make their own bows and frilly things. Just gorgeous. They make you not want to open the gift and ruin the wrapping. I also have a friend who loves to wrap gifts, which is just odd since I find it a nuisance!

2. Real tree or artificial?
We used to have a real one when I was a kid, but then mom put the kibosh on it because of the mess and we got an artificial. We have always had a real tree in the 19 years we've been married, but the artificial ones are starting to look really nice!

3. When do you put up the tree?
When I was little, it was whenever my parents had a chance, but now we have typically done it the day after Thanksgiving. This year was different, however, and we put it up a week after Thanksgiving, just in time for Advent.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Any time after Epiphany, especially if the tree is REALLY dead. This year I don't know if the tree will even make it to Christmas.

5. Do you like eggnog?
I used to love it and drink it like it was milk, but then started to think about it being full of eggs (it is EGG nog, after all) and that grossed me out and I haven't been able to drink it ever since.

6. Favourite gift received as a child?
I had an Easy Bake oven I really liked and my first present I remember was a toy jeep. My parents said I really wanted the jeep, but I have no idea why I would've wanted one. Must've been watching too much news coverage with Dan Rather of Vietnam.

7. Do you have a Nativity scene?
I have about three nativity sets. Typically, I use my really large set and put it in front of the fireplace.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
My aunt is hard because she doesn't want any presents. She reads me the riot act if I buy her things and makes me swear I won't buy her stuff. Soooo, to get around this, I usually buy her a moderately priced practical gift and say it's from the kids. This year she is getting Father Hardon's book of Christian Prayer and a rosary CD (the CD she can use in her new Prius if she ever figures out how to use it!).

9. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
My MIL used to buy me clothes. She and I have WAY different tastes and I've told her NOT to buy my clothes, but each year I get something. I still have a bright orange corduroy button-down shirt she gave me. It's not even blaze orange that I could wear out in the woods, it is more like orange sherbet. How many other items of clothing do I own that are orange - ZERO. I can't stand the color in clothing. Then there are the sweaters that are various stripes of bold colors...I don't do stripes!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Both. For family and friends it is a snail mail card, but for genealogy friends and other friends I know only from the internet, it's an e-mail card.

11. Favourite Christmas Movie?
A Christmas Carol by Dickens (pretty much any version), but a Christmas Story, the comedy, is a very close second. The frozen tongue on the pole is so funny and, of course, the leg lamp (it's "Fragg eee lay" and a major prize), the dogs stealing dinner and they end up in a Chinese restaurant, visiting Santa ("You'll shoot your eye out, kid!) and the disappointment of decoding the Ovaltine secret saying.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
December 26. I shop all year long and buy things when I see something I think a particular person would really like. However, I have been doing this less and less now that evil retailers have changed their return policies. And, with the kids, I tend to start later and later each year.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
If this means "regifting," then technically no, not a Christmas present. But I have regifted other items.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
A really good spiral sliced ham and just about any baked good!

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
We have colored lights on the tree this year, but I tend to prefer the clear.

16. Favourite Christmas song?
Campy maybe, but the Little Drummer Boy.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Since we used to live in Seattle and everyone lived back in MN and WI, we were always on a plane headed back here. I HATED IT!! I can't even remember the number of times Seatac (airport in WA) was covered in fog and we had delays. Now we go as far as the PIL in WI, which is about two hours drive. When I was a child, the farthest we would go was my grandparents in Hudson, WI.

18. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
My husband just asked me this at dinner a few nights ago. Actually, he asked me to name them since he knew I could and he wanted to tell our son. I just wish I could remember the 12 Days of Christmas AND the religious meaning behind the numbers.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
It always was Christmas Eve forever, but then got married and hubby's family is a bit disjointed and it changed from year to year. Now it has typically been Christmas Eve with my aunt and kids and then Christmas Day with hubby's family.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Traffic around the malls, crowds in the malls. All the ads on TV. People camping outside stores to run in and fill their carts full of junk. Christmas office parties that are politically correct.

22. Best thing about this time of year?
The "hopeful anticipation." Being a parent and seeing the joy and wonder in my kids.

Oh, and I tag whoever sends Christmas cards that say "Merry Christmas."