An Unusual Christmas List

Both Kristi and Corrie tagged me with this list of questions. So, 'tis the season to spread cheer, so here you are.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper is my favorite. I guess I would liken it to how the French say that you need to care about the presentation of your food. Sure, it has the same nutritional value on a paper plate (which is certainly easier), but it isn't the same experience. In the Christmas of my dreams, I'd wrap everything in boxes, beautiful papers, and fabric ribbons. They'd be so breathtakingly beautiful that I'd have to display them all around the house before the big day.

2. Real tree or artificial? I would normally say "real" (with a bit of judgmental indignance in my voice at anyone who might suggest that an artificial tree is a viable alternative), but this year we are in an apartment in California and we didn't plan to spend Christmas here. I had to do something! So, we got a table-top affairs that has as much glittery Christmas balls, ribbon, and silk flowers than it does artificial greenery. To round it all out, we got a Christmas Fir sachet from Whole Foods and hung it on the door. If we don't have a real tree, at least it can smell like we did! While we were at the craft store getting our "tree," Douglas picked out a small, bright green irridescent aluminum tree to put in his room. He said his beloved "baby dog" needed his own tree. When it was time to pack up for Oregon, he decided to leave "baby dog" behind (possibly a first) because he was convinced that the stuffed animal wanted to spend Christmas with his tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? Mid-December has become our tradition (but that is generally because I start wanting one at Thanksgiving and Tony would rather wait until it is too late to fuss with it and we skip it entirely).

4. When do you take down the tree? Our first Christmas tree in our first apartment came down promptly on Valentine's Day (when the fire hazard became too great to ignore). Now, we try to be a little better. Furthermore some of the local Boy Scout troops will only accept them for a few weeks after Christmas.

5. Do you like egg-nog? Nope. Tony does however and has been known to stock up in after Christmas sales at the grocery store.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I have so many memories of wonderful gifts and I have a hard time picking one. My parents were very creative and always made the whole thing delightful. I usually received some practical things as well (my Mom has been known to pile up routine purchases for the 6 weeks before Christmas and load our stockings with toothbrushes, socks, toiletry products, etc and we could always count on a new pair of sheets every few years wrapped and under the tree).

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we have a ceramic one that we bought a few years ago that is beautiful (and breakable, which does limit where we can display it). My parents, however, have a whole nativity collection, some of them made of the most unlikely materials. Douglas had admired the Lloyd's VeggieTales nativity set one year, so perhaps we should get my parents that one for their collection?

8. Hardest person to buy for? Normally it is Tony. Because, frankly, no one is a better comparative shopper than him and somehow it takes the magic out of finding the "perfect" gift, when he specifies the model, the store, etc. That said, I have been able to surprise him a few times (the coup was when I bought him a 22 rifle). And when I do believe I have found the "perfect" gift for him, I do have to check myself that I am not just buying it for him because it is, in truth, what I want. I guess that is common in many marriages, as how many wives have gotten leaf blowers or bowling balls for Christmas?

9. Easiest person to buy for? Douglas. Loves so many things and is very quick to make suggestions. :)

10. Worst gift you ever received? I remember one year when I was a kid, my dear Grammie crocheted me a dress. That wouldn't have been so bad, had the yarn not been in a horrible shade of yellowish-chartreuse green. I actually felt bad not liking it, because of all the work that had gone into making it for me. I think I tried it on for a picture (and the color made me look jaundice) and then it hung in the closet until I grew out of it.

11. Favorite Christmas movie? I like the stand-bys "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's a Wonderful Life." We have "The Grinch" (the cartoon original). I agree with Kristi that "While You Were Sleeping" is a great movie any time of the year.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After Thanksgiving.

13. Have you ever recycled a present? I can't recall, but I am sure I have. Hostess gifts and candle sets are likely candidates.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Whatever anyone else is making! :) I love fudge. I also like the box of chocolate covered cherries that I get each year from my Mom (maybe not this year as it would cost more to mail then that it would to buy them at Walgreen's).

15. Clear or colored lights on tree? Clear (small bulbs) on the tree. As far as exterior lights, I think we have done it once. Clear lights. Very nice. Too much work. That would be a good winter fund raiser for some youth group, actually. I think we'd pay to have lights put up and taken down. Oh right, we have no house, so I guess we don't have to worry about this.

16. Favorite Christmas song? Let's see iTunes says I have 18.3 hours of Christmas music (and I don't think we have imported all the CDs yet), so needless to say I am a Christmas music junkie. I have so many favorites. All time favorite is probably the version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman/We Three Kings" from Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLauchlan or "Winter Wonderland" by Harry Connick Jr. off the "When Harry Met Sally" soundtrack. Favorite albums include Barry Manilow's "Because It's Christmas," Steven Curtis Chapman's "The Music of Christmas," and Kenny G's "Miracles." Some unique arrangements have been on the NBC/Target "Sound of the Seasons" CDs.

17. Travel or stay home? Varies. In the past years, we have stayed home, went to Gresham, or went to Dallas. This year, it is Gresham.

18. Can you name all of the reindeer? Absolutely. The other day Starbucks was giving a free drink to anyone who could name them all. So, the moral of this story is that you never know when being a Christmas music junkie will pay off!

19. What is on top of your tree? In storage is a white fabric angel with a ceramic face that we have used for several years. At the top of our arrangement here in the apartment is a glittery, wire-edged bow.

20. When do you open presents? One on Christmas eve and the rest on Christmas morning was my family's tradition. This year, we might save a few of the bulkier items for the kids to open when we get back in January.

21. Most annoying thing this time of year? Sad looking Christmas decorations. Not when there is such beautiful possibilities! On a more serious note, it saddens me that churches and Christians don't choose to celebrate Christmas. I know all the reasons why good people can hold this opinion (after all, we are not sure when Jesus was born and it most certainly wasn't on December 25th), but again...the beautiful possibilities!

22. Favorite ornament theme? I think the best ornaments are the ones with stories behind them. They commemorate an event, a place, a treasured relationship, etc. So, although they are not similarly colored or styled, they do have a common theme - us! That said, I really love the displays that I saw at Restoration Hardware where ornaments were silvery blue and burgandy. Beautiful!

Our family has another tradition that I just love that sort-of fits this category. On our stockings are all the pins, mementos, awards, and the like that we have collected through our lives. Otherwise, these things would collect dust in some box and it is our annual tradition to look at them, share the stories, and add new things to our stockings. Douglas added a Disneyland pin this year and mentioned that Daddy's had more things on it than his does, but I had to point out that if Douglas keeps adding at his current rate, he'll have both sides of the stockings filled before he reaches his 40th birthday.

23. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? Anything homemade (most of which contain butter, which is probably the secret ingredient in everything I love for Christmas).

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? To be with my family (who I am already missing horribly, even though they have only been away 2 days).

I tag EVERYONE! Merry Christmas!