Christmas Memes

(Rehash from the past--you'll have to search for "Christmas meme" and possibly page back through the previous posts)

#1
1. Worst Christmas song?

I didn't hear too much Christmas music this year, so I'm not exhausted from them. I don't like Mariah Carey or other treacly crap. Just sing the songs, do it well and with sincerity.

2. If you were a Christmas character, who would you be?

Anna. [Go read the first chapter or two of Luke.]

3. What type of decoration should stop being made?

Anything that smacks of "The War on Christmas"--I'm sick to death of super-defensive Christians.

4. Tastiest holiday treat?

My mom's fudge was so good....

5. Favorite pop culture/stereotypical Christmas icon?

Joseph. I always feel bad for him.

6. Know how to make cookies/brownies/cake from scratch?

Reposting last time's answer: Of course! Do I? Nope, except for the aforementioned [7-Layer Bars], and sometimes fudge.

7. Ever cut your mouth on a candy cane/candy?

This is why I don't eat much hard candy anymore. Or, frankly, a lot of sharp pointy foods (like potato chips).

8. What other culture would you like to experience Christmas with?

I don't know about the cultural traditions, but I'd like to go to Italy or Greece in December. Or Israel.

9. What kind of pattern/pictures do you like on your wrapping paper?

Again the last answer still applies: I'm not overly fussy.

10. Will Did you make a Christmas picture for your blog/website/profile?

I don't change the picture here ever, but I do have Christmassy photos on Facebook for profile and dashboard.

11. Three best things about Christmas?

Presents, good-hearted people who prefer to spread cheer rather than grinchiness, kids' faces after Santa visits.

#2
1. Candy cane or peppermint patties?

I prefer Ghirardelli's Peppermint Bark, thanks.

2. Sugar or gingerbread cookies?

This one hasn't changed at all since last time: Sugar. Of course. Really, need you EVER ask? :-)

3. Tinsel or beaded strands?

Tinsel.

4. Multi-colored or same-colored lights?

Still the same: I really prefer multi-colored, but the pre-lit trees apparently only come in white. So we have all white. And this year, that's ALL that made it "on" the tree. No ornaments, no tinsel, no other decor. It's been a crappy month.

5. Flashing or still lights?

No flashing.

6. Wreaths or mistletoe/holly?

We usually have a wreath on the front door, but not this year. Almost never have holly or mistletoe.

7. Rudolph or Frosty?

It will ALWAYS be ...: Rudolph.

8. Sledding or snowball fights?

I don't like snowballs, just handsful of snow flung. And while I have good memories of sledding/tubing, that is just not happening anymore for me. Not with a previously-broken tailbone that is quite twingy already.

9. Snow or ice/icicles?

Icicles are pretty, but as the daughter of a builder, I've always been aware that icicles now mean leaks in the spring. And snow is lovely when it's falling.

10. Snow hat or earmuffs?

I haven't worn either very often in the last few years.

11. Getting or giving?

The "correct" answer is giving, but I do like getting just as much. And it rather depends on what sorts of people I'm shopping for. Giving stuff to unappreciative people bites.

12. Snow days or plow trucks?

Snow days.

13. Stockings or presents?

Presents. Usually bigger items don't fit in sox. ;-)

14. Cookies & milk or letter to Santa?

When Sparky was little, yes, both. When I was little, yes, both. Not anymore: no kids in the house. And anyway, we broke our Santa dish a few years ago, so it's not very attractive anymore with the glue lines.

15. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

I love Christmas Eve service, preferably the later one. But I love sitting around in PJs and playing with my new presents on Christmas Day.

16. Log Burning Channel or real thing?

Real thing.

17. Cards or emails?

Email. I haven't sent cards the last two years. Facebook FTW.

18. Shoveling or cleaning off the car?

From last time: Cleaning off the car. That's nothing. Shoveling is a nightmare.

19. Hot cocoa or eggnog?

There's no contest here: EGGNOG!!

20. Jack Frost or Little Drummer Boy?

LDB. Sorry, Jack, kickin' ya to the curb.

#3
Have You Ever?
1. Built a snowman?

Of course. But not this year--no snow--and not for a long time.

2. Heard Santa's sleigh?

We didn't have a chimney in the house I grew up in, so I never understood how Santa got in the house. Our chimney was on the back patio...so confusing to a wee one.

3. Seen Santa & Rudolph in the sky?

Nope. I was in bed, sound asleep before the gang was out delivering.

4. Sat on Santa's lap?

Yes.

5. Shoveled the driveway/sidewalk?

Ugh! SO . MANY . TIMES .

6. Made snow angels?

Yes, Not for a long time.

7. Built a fort/igloo?

Yup.

8. Written a Christmas list?

Yes. Thank you to Amazon for making it relatively easy to do this.

9. Written a letter to Santa?

Probably. I wrote more letters from Santa than I ever wrote to him, for sure.

10. Left cookies/milk for Santa & reindeer?

Yes, of course.

11. Caught a snowflake on your tongue?

Yes I have.

12. Gone caroling?

One of my favorite activities, and I haven't done it in a decade or more.

13. Gotten hurt during the winter season?

What I wrote last time still holds true: I had the flu one year when I was in high school, and I'm sure at some point I've had a cold, but that's it. Thank God! Beast had surgery day before yesterday, so I don't think I can outdo that, not that I want to!

14. Gone ice skating/sledding?

Not good at skating at all. Sledding was more fun when we called it tubing or trash-bagging.

15. Kissed under a mistletoe?

Yes. Not for awhile.

16. Get everything you wanted for Christmas?

I generally make out pretty well.

17. Cooked/baked Christmas goodies?

I stopped this about a decade ago because I realized I was eating everything that I made. Since I already pound down junk food at an appalling pace, I stopped making my own.

#4
Holiday Yay or.. Ugh
1. Holiday shopping?

Ugh

2. Icy roads?

Ugh

3. Limited driving visibility?

Ugh

4. Christmas carolers?

Yay

5. Mall Santas?

Yay, but I'm so glad this isn't a job option for me.

6. Salvation Army Santas?

Yay

7. Blizzards?

From last time: If I'm inside, yay.

8. 24/7 Holiday radio?

Yay

9. Freezing cold?

Last time: If I'm inside, yay. Unfortunately, freezing cold often happens around the same time as falling snow, requiring shoveling time. That's a definite UGH.

10. Setting up the tree?

This year it never got past the first stage for us: Thinking about it: ugh. Once I get started, it's usually yay.

11. Wrapping presents?

Yay

12. Visiting/seeing family?

Ugh.

13. Ad-Lib on "Rudolph…" (like Monopoly!)

YAY!

14. Free mint red/white candy?

Ugh.

15. Belief in Santa Claus?

Yay.

16. Chocolate countdown calendar?

I can't improve on this one at all: [from KW: Does nobody know the word “advent” anymore? which I second BIG time!] Yay.

17. Peeking at your gifts (or by accident)?

Ugh.

18. Making out with Santa under the mistletoe?

Last time: Since I know who is Santa in this house...weird beyond belief.

19. Decorated houses?

Yay.

20. Extreme decorated houses?

Not near me: yay.

21. White Christmas morning?

As long as it doesn't mean shoveling, yay.

22. Searching for ornaments in the attic?

This hasn't changed: Ours are in our front hall closet, easily accessible. Now, the wrapping paper? It's buried in storage. Ugh.

23. Santa knowing when you’re sleeping and awake?

A little creepy now that Elf of the Shelf has arrived.

#5
One Or the Other
1. Tree is fake/real?

All our inside trees are fake.

2. Tree is under/above 4′?

We still have all these trees: One is 6.5 feet, one is about 2 feet. The others are in between those sizes. Beast & I are discussing building a wooden tree on which the geek ornaments can hang. The little one isn't working anymore...hasn't for years: too many ornaments.

3. Open presents Christmas Eve/Day?

We always used to open one gift after church and before putting out cookies & milk for Santa. Beast's family did all their gifts on the Eve. My family did all of ours in the morning. We compromised. This year, though, we just did the morning because there wasn't much.

4. House/entire yard is decorated?

From last time--and I didn't even get THIS much done this year! HELL no! I get the tree up and some stuff scattered around inside the house, and a wreath on the door. That's it.

5. Amount of presents under the tree?

I think we each had 4-5 wrapped gifts under the tree and our stockings.

6. Snowman is a male/female?

Snowman.

7. Go for Santa/Jesus?

Last time: BOTH. Do people know that "Santa" means "holy" or "sainted"??

8. Homemade/delivered/takeout Christmas dinner?

Today I cooked a ham, but usually this is true: Christmas Eve, Chinese (Beast's family thing again). Day, we usually don't do ANYthing and just snack on leftovers and so forth.

9. Bedtime is before/after midnight?

We were tucked in bed by 10:30 last night following early church, Chinese dinner, and medication for Beast after returning home.

10. Wake-up is before/after 7am?

The rule has ALWAYS been after 7. Al.Ways.

11. Go/don’t go to church on Christmas?

Presbys don't church on the Day, just the Eve. We usually go to the later service, around 10:30.

12. Do shopping before/after Thanksgiving?

This year, I did virtually all my shopping online last week, and in the Random Gift closet upstairs.

13. Low-key/over the top decorations (inside and out)?

Nope. Nope nope nope. I like other people's stuff, but I'm far too lazy to do all that work.

#6
First Thought That Comes To Mind When You Hear…
1. Snowflake!

We've had exactly two snows this season, one heavy one, and one dusting. We haven't even seen much below-zero weather. It's a bit weird to have no snow here. Growing up...well, that was a crapshoot.

2. North Pole!

Elves

3. Elves!

Not those creepy ones on SNL.

4. Sleigh!

I'd love a sleigh ride. We do get carriage rides around the Square nearby, but it's not the same.

5. Presents!

Surprises.

6. Cookies!

Yum.

7. Mistletoe!

Haven't seen any in years.

8. Rudolph!

Adorable in my memory, excruciating to watch.

9. Blizzard!

If it means being stuck at home, I'm all for it.

10. School’s Canceled!

I totally follow this maxim these days: No work for me either, then!

11. Ice Skating!

Broken ankle/knee/hip...

12. Santa’s Lap!

Crying kids.

13. Black Friday!

The Great Satan, as far as I'm concerned.

14. Melting Snow!

Drip drip drip.

15. Carols!

I may go up and sing along with my (bad) keyboard playing and sing them to myself next week.

16. Lumps of Coal!

Myth. Never have I seen someone actually get this!

17. Nutcracker!

Always confused me as a child. I mean, this is what we used to open nuts when I was a kid. It confused me that there would be a ballet about this implement.

18. Ho Ho Ho!

I'd love if the original meaning of this came back.

#7
How Does He Do It?
1. Get down the chimney?

Maybe he's Dr Who....

2. Deliver presents all over the world?

See #1

3. Get so fat and still act so jolly?

Xanax and pie.

4. Recruit reindeer for sleigh-pulling lessons?

Don't you think, especially in this economy, that they are lining up for jobs?

5. Provide compensation for elves making toys?

Cookies. And lots of coffee. And also, where else are they going to get jobs?

6. Stay unseen from the rest of the world?

See #1

Would It Still Be Christmas Without…
7. Candy canes?

For sure.

8. Snow?

It seems to have occurred this year.

9. Stores opening at 5am?

Stores open at 5 on Xmas? Not around here!

10. Winter vacation?

No. At least around here, they've rejiggered the school schedule so the semester break happens when they break at Christmas.

11. Visiting family & friends?

Absolutely.

12. Fake Santas?

As long as they are appropriately merry and kind.

13. Christmas trees?

No. I think I have to insist on a tree.

14. New holiday movies?

Ugh, yes: please, no more!!

15. Getting holiday greeting cards/email?

Yeah. I can totally live without those.

16. Holiday tunes?

I've got to hear at least a few at some point.

#8
True Or False
1. You prefer to stay inside where it’s warm?

True.

2. You’ve given something (or $) to charity?

Yeah, for sure.

3. You spent more than what people spent on you?

Actually, I think it's starting to even out a little.

4. You like to take your time opening presents?

True. Drives people nuts.

5. The thing you want most this year costs $100+?

"Want" not so much, but I did get a new laptop. Which I've worked on getting set up for most of the day...still working on it.

6. You expect to get got more than 10 presents this year?

I think we hovered in that range, counting the stocking stuff.

7. You’re a Scrooge/Grinch?

Not usually. Not fully in the spirit of Doing Things Up Right this year, however.

8. Christmas = snow?

It's definitely more Christmas-like to me with snow, but I don't mind the occasional miss like this year.

9. You know the lyrics to more than 25 Christmas songs?

Easily true.