A Christmas Meme!

This meme came from Birdsong who says that Christmas is her favorite holiday. This time of year is my favorite, too, but I start the celebrating with Thanksgiving and am happiest thru Yule/Winter Solstice on to New Year's Eve. So without further ado, here are my answers to the meme's questions:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both – always recycled. The second generation calls me the “Wrapping Paper Nazi” because I’m so slow about opening gifts, making sure to tear as little as possible, and chasing down everyone’s bows…I love using real ribbon on packages, too. And I love gift bags.
2. Real or artificial tree? An artificial tree - I’m allergic to so many things, having a real tree can cause serious problems.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually Thanksgiving weekend because I have the extra time off work to not have to rush the process. Though now that I have a 4-foot, tabletop, pre-lit tree, it doesn’t take as long as the 750-light 7-foot tree used to take to put up!
4. When do you take the tree down? New Year’s Day during the Rose Parade.
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? A craft kit to make a felt, flower-power decorated stuffed toy Dachsund.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? No
8. Hardest person to buy for? Any of the men in my family.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom (and I wish I could still do so)
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The bag of (dirty, used, and laddered) stockings given before I opened #6 above – the stockings were to be washed and then used for stuffing for the toy dog. But I was such an easily offended child and teenager, that I was stunned and hurt that my Big Sis and former Sis-in-law (the first one, not the one I’m good friends with now) would give me such a thing (the equivalent of the proverbial lump of coal in the stocking!) - I'm not much on practical jokes...dontcha know?
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both. I choose email mostly for environmental and cost issues. But there is an entire generation of aunts who do not use email (okay, there are one or two who do…). I don't send the annual Christmas letter.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Dec 26 – for the next year!
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course, I recycle everything possible and if I can’t use something it’s better to release it to find it’s proper home!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate Covered Cherries!!!
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear - white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night/Night of Silence sung as a round – the only thing I miss about no longer attending the church I grew up in. The congregation sings Silent Night and the choir chimes in with Night of Silence as the entire darkened church is lit by a sea of white candles held by each congregant. That is the definition of peace in my mind.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay Home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yup.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. A Victorian Santa dressed in ivory & white satin and velvet with fur trims, carrying a staff with a star on top and a brocade bag of nature’s bounty, roses, and pine. (see below)
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas day
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Christmas music on the radio the week BEFORE Thanksgiving! Heck - Christmas appearing in the stores before Halloween!
23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color – Yes. My tree has been crystal, white, gold, and silver with white lights for many years. Many of the ornaments were my mother’s and many feature feathered birds - I made a lot of them for her.
24. What do/did you leave for Santa? Chocolate Covered Cherries, chocolate chip cookies and Earl Grey tea.
Here's my tree this year:

And Santa!