Christmas Favorites!

Still no editing done on the novel yet - why am I so hesitant? Maybe I'm making this into a bigger beast than it's supposed to be. We'll see if I can't crack the shell of resistance tonight.

Now for a fun tag...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
I love hot chocolate! In fact, I had a cup for my morning breakfast and had some Monday night while curled under a blanket with a good book.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
With our kids, Santa wraps the presents. Hubby even goes so far as to get different wrapping paper so it looks like it came from Santa. Our daughter still believes in Santa, but the stepson's been "wise" for a few years now.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We usually do the white icicle lights on the house but we did have blue lights one year. Haven't put them on yet for this season. On the tree, it depends.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
I always make myself wait until after Thanksgiving. Strangely enough, I haven't been inspired yet to decorate, so the tree isn't up yet and neither is anything else.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
Homemade raviolis and butterball soup (the first dish is Italian, the second is German-from Russia). If anyone doesn't know what a butterball is, don't feel bad. It's a rather obscure food. But it's absolutely YUMMY.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Way too many! But here's one: Going to church as a child and listening to a lady sing "Oh Holy Night." It was a gorgeous rendition of the carol and I still think of it after all these years. I also love when we sing "Silent Night", the church is dark, and we're all holding candles.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Hmm...y'know, I don't think I ever truly believed in him. How sad is that?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes - at Grandma Lucy's house. Every. Single. Year. Part of our holidays tradition!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
The last few years, I've tried to color-coordinate it. One year I had blue and silver, and last year I had burgundy and gold. I'll probably stick with that theme again this year. I also include all of my ornaments from my childhood and those my children have made.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love to look at it- hate to drive in it.

12. Can you ice skate?
Barely. I tried it once when I was in junior high. I remember falling a lot.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I've had lots of favorite gifts over the years. I think a big one was the Cabbage Patch kid.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
I love celebrating Jesus' birth, spending time with my family, the decorations, the spirit of giving - basically, and the whole atmosphere!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Ooh, tough one. I'd have to say frosted sugar cookies and a mug of cocoa.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I watch classic Christmas movies - a favorite one is Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck. But another favorite tradition is reading a book, cuddled under a blanket with a sugar cookie and a cup of cocoa, surrounded by all the Christmas lights and decorations, and listening to my traditional Christmas carols.

17. What tops your tree?
A star

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
The whole receiving part has sort of waned through the years. I love to see the joy and anticipation when people open my presents to them.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
This one is tough. I have lots of favorite Christmas songs. So I'll narrow it down to a few:
O Holy Night
God Rest Thee Merry Gentleman
I'll Be Home for Christmas

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yuck! Never did like them, but we'll usually put them on the tree.