Merry Christmas!
Although it's been said many times many ways - Merry Christmas! I am headed back to Haliburton via Kingston tomorrow afternoon (with a pit stop in Syracuse) and will be heading back to Hamilton on January 2, at least staying until early afternoon on the 3rd, possibly until the morning of the 4th. So, if you'll be around during those times, drop me a comment or an e-mail and hopefully we can get together (I might not get back to you until the new year though, no internet access at home).
Hope you take some time to reflect on the reason for season amidst all the busyness of Christmas.
PS - Jason tagged me, so in the spirit of the season, here it goes - add your thoughts to any/all of these categories in the comments:
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate hands down - tell me, who initially sat down and postulated "you know, drinking a liquified egg would just be great!"
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa just leaves them under the tree (probably just a coping mechanism - could you imagine the labeling system required to pull his job off otherwise?)
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Coloured - variety is the spice of life.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Negative.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Last week of November/first week of December - not before! They stay up until just after the New Year
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Got to be the turkey stuffing... my mom makes excellent stuffing.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child Probably receiving my first Majo kit, which was a city-assembly toy which kind of became popular in the early-mid '80s and then just disappeared. It was all set up when I walked into the living room (I think my dad had stayed up for a couple of hours putting it together) and it was pretty great.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Honestly, I have no idea... seemed to happen pretty organically as I recall... apparently I wasn't too traumatized by it (I tend to be an outcome-driven person, so if the presents still arrived, I was fine with it).
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? No way. Good things come to those who wait.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Lights first, then garland, then balls, then ornaments - we get one per year, a tradition started by my grandmother and now carried on by my parents (it is all documented when each ornament arrived).
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Depends on whether or not I have to shovel my parents' roof off.... last year, three feet of snow plus inch-thick ice layer = five hours of good fun. On the bright side, when I was done, you could just walk up the snow pile on to the roof at one place (ladders? Who needs 'em?)
12. Can you ice skate? I can skate really well (one year of figure skating training!); stopping on the other hand... well...
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? As a kid, my own Ernie doll - I was a big Ernie fan (of Bert and Ernie fame). More recently, the 3100+ piece New York City 3D puzzle... four days of glorious fun.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? The real reason for the season for one; also, considering I have been a moderately nomadic student/hired slave for the past nine and half years, getting to go home is great.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Hmm, tough call... a tight race between mincemeat tarts and sugar-jam cookies (they are rot-your-teeth-out-of-your-skull good)
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Putting together Lego originally and now a puzzle on Christmas Day afternoon - every year as long as I can remember.
17. What tops your tree? A star
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Honestly, I am more excited about people opening my gifts to them (particularly if I thought of something cool for them) than opening my own gifts.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? What Child is This? (although I also love "Sleigh Ride" on the more frivolous side of things - most fun song to play ever.
Hey, I wouldn't mind seeing you if you're in Hamilton-- it depends on the state of the baby-news. Joanne is expecting right about then, so we'll see.
Take care, and Merry Christmas!
Jason (Comment this)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa just leaves them under the tree OR wraps them
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? A mix, mostly white. I hate putting up lights. Period
4. Do you hang mistletoe?Nope
5. When do you put your decorations up? 2weeks before Christmas, then down in January sometime.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Give me turnip, give me mixed nuts.
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child Having to move on Boxing Day and not see my christmas toys for about 8 weeks because the moving company screwed up.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I still believe in Santa.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yup, if I can find one under the tree.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I do the lights, I haul the boxes out, then I let the rest of the family take over.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? during the holidays it's great. But I hate having to drive in it.
12. Can you ice skate? Not bad.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Probably my Hot Weels Laguna Oval rechargable set.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Trying to find a sense of quietness and reflection about where I'm going in the upcoming year. Enjoying my family and being thankful for all that God has given.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I can't stand mincemeat. But anything like a buttertart or apple pie is nice.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We've always gone to church on Christmas Eve. That's probably it for me.
17. What tops your tree? An angel.
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I get irritated when someone is obsessed with receiving this or that or the other thing. But I feel strongly about being grateful and thankful for whatever is given. I like to receive, and I like to give to people who aren't expecting to receive.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I like the part in Frosty the Snowman that goes thumpety thump thump. That is the ONLY part of christmas music that I could say I enjoy. The rest of it is SOOO over played that I'm tired of it. Altho, not to be too harsh, there are some hymns that still mean a lot, such as What child is This? (Comment this)
The rest of the moving story is that our furniture didn't arrive either, so for two weeks my whole family lived in two adjoining motel rooms, in a motel which used to be at the exact spot where "Hikers Haven" is now located on the s. service road in oakville. We played every tune on that juke box in the motel restaurant- even "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
Do ya?
Do ya?
:) (Comment this)