Saturday 13 December 2008

Getting to know others at Christmas

Here's another meme of sorts, this time with a Christmas theme ... you know the deal: Café Chick reveals all, then you follow suit. As always, 'stolen' from another great blog.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper, although I often use gift bags for friends if I'm taking a gift to a Christmas party.

2. Real tree or artificial?Real pine, all the way. We always had one in our home growing up and there's something about the smell of pine, and all the pine needles getting stuck in the carpet, that signifies Christmas for me. Our family had an artificial tree last Christmas; we haven't thought far enough ahead to know what will happen this year!

3. When do you put up the tree?Sometime during the week before Christmas, depending on whether it will be a real tree and if we can find a suitable fresh one.

4. When do you take the tree down?
Early January. Depending on how fresh it is when it goes up (and how early we got it), it sometimes makes it until 6 January.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Never tasted it, but am keen to try, if anyone knows a good recipe ...

6. Favourite gift received as a child?
A double swing set when I was five. I'll never forget the thrill of opening the back door and seeing it set up on the lawn. We played on it until we outgrew the swings years later.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
Geez, where do I start? Probably my brother: Mr Practical. If it doesn't have a direction function or use that immediately relates to his life here and now, he's not interested. Some may say that would make it easy to buy for him; perhaps, but it doesn't allow for much creativity.

8. Do you have a nativity scene?
No, but I loved them as a child. (Never had one then either.)

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail two to the UK because theirs always arrive in early December (and I haven't sent theirs yet). Email a few. Facebook will hopefully do the rest.

10. Favourite Christmas movie?
I'll always remember A Christmas Story (1983), from when I was young. Who couldn't love Ralphie in his ever-determined quest for a BB gun?

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Hmm, when is the week before Christmas? I think it's coming soon ...

12. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?Maybe ... ;-)

13. Favourite thing to eat at Christmas?
I don't know how to write it in Italian. It's our version of Christmas mince, with a hard pastry, sultanas, nuts, and other assorted goodies.

14. Lights on the tree?
Yes, definitely. Delicate, coloured, and sometimes flashing.

15. Favourite Christmas song?
I love the original tune for Away in a Manger. As for pop Christmas songs, The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy's Christmas always brings a smile to my face, even after playing it with my band for ten Christmases in a row.

16. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Always at home at my parents' place, and in recent years we've joined extended family afterwards for lunch. Always.

17. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Maybe not all twelve, but I could probably get eight ... and I'm sure I can name all of the seven dwarves. Does that count?

18. Angel on the tree top or a star? I think we've had both over the years. Either is fine.

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Always on Christmas morning at my parents' place. This is usually followed by chocolate for breakfast (because someone always gives someone else chocolate), real Italian coffee and an Italian Christmas sweet.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The craziness of what has become 'Christmas'. I raise an eyebrow (or more) at people who profess to love Christmas and everything about it, yet say they are not religious at all. Why bother, then?

21. Favourite ornament theme and colour? Probably silver with white fairy lights.

22. Favourite for Christmas dinner? Homemade ravioli. Being Italian, we've never done the 'traditional' Christmas dinner. In fact, I was in my mid-twenties before I'd even tasted turkey! No great loss ...

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A purple ukulele. ;-)

24. Who is most likely to respond to this? Others who read my blog and are also suckers for quizzes (just like me!).

25. Who is least likely to respond to this? My sweetie. :-P

Your turn ...

1 comment:

Kelly said...

Oooo can I come to your house Christmas morning - real Italian coffee!!!!!!

(PS - sorry, it appears that because my wellwrittenkitty is invite only you can't add RSS feeds to it. *pout*)