(no subject)

[auntiemeesh]

Gacked from slightlytookish and ansothehobbit

1. Do you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
I haven't ever had a fake tree. I always try to get a real tree, even if it's only a little Charlie Brown tree. There's just something so special about the scent of real pine, that can't be captured in an artificial tree.

2. Do you put up Christmas lights on the exterior of your home?
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I haven't in the past couple of years, but at the apartment I lived in before that, my upstairs neighbor and I always combined forces and strung lights up outside.

3. What's your favorite Christmas song/carol?
I couldn't really say. It used to be 'Angels We Have Heard on High' but nowadays, I like too many to pick one as my favorite.

4. What do you like better. turkey or ham?
Turkey all the way. I'm not a big fan of pig products.

5. Do you open up any Christmas presents on Christmas Eve?
When I was a kid, we always opened one gift on Christmas Eve and saved the rest for Christmas morning. Now, we usually just wait until Christmas for all of them. Unless I'm spending Christmas alone, in which case I sometimes still open one thing on Christmas Eve, to jolly myself along.

6. Have you ever been Christmas caroling?
We went caroling almost every year when I was a kid, but I haven't been in a long time. I think it's sad that people don't really do it any more.

7. What was your most memorable Christmas gift(s) that you received?
I would have to say, a record player that Santa gave me when I was five or six. It was such a cool thing, to have my very own record player!

8. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
A White Christmas

9. Have you ever built a real snowman?
Yep. Fairly often, actually, as I work with kids. Whenever it snows we're almost contractually obliged to build snowmen. :)

10. Have you ever peeked into a present and found out what it was before Christmas?
I was a tame child and never did more than shake a present to figure out what was in it. Hey, don't knock it.

11. What is on the top of your Christmas tree?
I don't have a tree-topper. Most years my tree just goes bare-headed.

12. Do you own a Santa hat?
Nope.

13. When was the last time you had your picture taken with Santa Claus?
As far as I can tell, I never had my picture taken with Santa. We went and sat on his lap every year when I was little, but we never got our picture taken with him.

14. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?
I'm almost done. I just need to get one more thing.

15. Do you put candy canes on your Christmas tree?
We always had real candy canes on the tree when I was a kid, and I usually put them on the tree, if I have one.

16. Who is hardest person to buy for?
They're all hard. See below.

17. Who is the easiest person to buy for?
Nobody. I'm a terrible shopper so all gift-buying, for anyone, any occasion, is frought with stress.

18. How old were you when you realized Santa was imaginary?
Wait! What? Santa's real.

19. What does your morning of Christmas routine consist of?
I don't really have a specific Christmas morning routine. It depends on who I'm spending the holiday with, or if I'm hanging out alone. But it's usually pretty relaxed, putzing around getting breakfast and coffee, or getting some of the cooking started.

20. Egg nog?
I'll drink egg nog if it's available, but we don't go out of the way to have it in our family. Instead, on Christmas Eve (preferably at midnight, if anyone's still awake) we make Red Reindeers - a mix of cranberry, sprite and ice cream.

21. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Lots of random stuff but nothing really big. Some music, some dvds - Serenity comes out on DVD Dec 20, just in time to want it for Christmas. Okay, I also want a digital camera. I think I'm probably hard to shop for, because I buy all the little things for myself as I want them, and no one in my family actually has the money to buy me the things that I can't afford for myself, lol.

Comments

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

You spend Christmas alone? That sounds very sad to me.

My family can never afford buying me the big things either, but this year I think they will join together to get me a set of cups and plates.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Well, luckily I'm not spending Christmas alone this year. I've got my sister and we're going to our Aunt's for Christmas day. But there have been several years when I couldn't afford to go home for Christmas. Sometimes in that case I'll go to a friend's house for dinner, but sometimes I just hang out by myself. It's not great fun, but most years I'm able to make it be okay.

The best Christmas ever

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

Christmas alone can be very nice - sometimes I prefer it to spending Christmas with whatever acquaintance has happened to invite me over. But spending Christmas with Meesh just can't be beat. The best "Christmas" ever was the one that Meeshie and I celebrated with lyda_pearl and Mr. P over Thanksgiving weekend one year. It was a little rushed, but we got all the highlights of the whole Christmas "season" into those 4 days!

Re: The best Christmas ever

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

That has to be one of my favorite Christmas memories as well. I think this year is going to be very nice as well; Christmas day with Ant Bee and New Year's with ani_no_mouse. What could be better?

Re: The best Christmas ever

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

Squeezing a few minutes with WWC in the mix?

Re: The best Christmas ever

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I think it will be lovely. I've a bit envious about your Christmas Day with Ant Bee, but not at all envious about your drive. So I will probably just try to join you by phone or WDTM chat.

BTW, Mom sent me the little felt stocking decorations I made many years ago. The collection she sent included one for Jane Parks, but not one for you? Do you perhaps have it? No matter, I've created a sparkling new one for you, so you won't feel left out in any case.

Re: The best Christmas ever

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I don't have that little stocking decoration. It probably just got lost at some point. Thanks for making me a new one!

[dreamflower]

Yay! It looks as though you and me and isil_elensar are in the Still-Believes Club!

And, yes, I really do. And yes, I'm 53. And, no, I'm not delusional.

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

It's good to know that there are a few believers still out there!

[westwindschild.livejournal.com]

I stopped believing in Santa Claus in the literal sense, I guess when I was about 8; but in another sense, I've always believed in Santa. Somehow the magic of Christmas just pervades this time of year, and all sorts of wonderful, impossible things can and do happen. Homes are homier, music is happier, food is more flavorful, the light has a golden glow to it, the frosty air carries a sense of well-being as it rushes into our lungs. And somehow, we always manage to make a little Christmas in our hearts, no matter how tight the budget or how far-off our families. How else can this be explained, if not Santa Claus?

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

:)

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

Christmas songs are all wonderful, aren't they? (I even like some of the goofy ones, like Percy the Puny Poinsettia: he sat all alone on the shelf...even a plant, with no uncle or aunt, shouldn't spend Christmas Eve by himself...)

Percy

[ani-no-mouse.livejournal.com]

That sounds great! Much classier than "Grandma got run over by a reindeer," which doesn't seem to express the proper Christmas spirit, somehoww. Do you have complete lyrics?

Percy lyrics

[topaztook.livejournal.com]

"Percy the Puny Poinsettia" by Randy Brooks (copyright 1982 Kris Publishing)

Percy the puny poinsettia
Hanging his bloom in dismay
If they had just kept him wetter
He'd be a houseplant today

Folks like the other plants better
Now he's alone on the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
Shouldn't spend Christmas Day by himself

Holiday shoppers would stop at the counter
And pick out a plant to take home
One at a time all his friends were adopted
'Til Percy was left all alone

Then into the shop on the day before Christmas
Came a poor little girl who was cryin'
But when she saw Percy her eyes opened wide
And she said can I please make him mine?

Now Percy the puny poinsettia
Is standing beside Mr. Tree
His leaves have never been redder
He's as proud as a flower can be

Somebody made him feel better
Rescued him off of the shelf
Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
Shouldn't spend Christmas Day by himself

Even a plant with no uncle or aunt
Shouldn't spend Christmas Day by himself

I don't know about classier, but fun anyhow. The lyrics are from the liner notes on my Elmo and Patsy album, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

That's one I've never heard before! Poot little Poinsettia, all by himself.

[slightlytookish]

I'm glad you won't have to spend Christmas alone this year! I've never heard of Red Reindeers, but it sounds like something I would try. Sprite is the only soda I drink and whenever you add ice cream to something it's automatically better, isn't it? :)

BTW I got your card today! Eeee it is beautiful, you have a real talent for making cards! I showed it to my parents separately and both of them said, "Is that Gandalf?" So it was definitely a success! I thought immediately of your adorable Yule story from the other day. Thank you so much! *hugs*

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I'm not humongously fond of ice cream floats and when I was a kid I'd never actually drink my Red Reindeer, but as I've gotten older, I've learned to appreciate it. We sometimes use sprite, sometimes 7 up, sometimes Gingerale, but it's always a clear soda.

I showed it to my parents separately and both of them said, "Is that Gandalf?"

My sister read this and immediately felt bad because even though she lives with me and knows my obsession with LotR, it never occurred to her that it might be Gandalf. I tried to reassure her that to most people such an association would never cross their minds, lol.

Now I want a Gandalf the Red icon! I don't suppose you'd be able to help me out? Maybe an exchange - a fic for an icon or something? (Don't worry about it if the answer's no.)

[slightlytookish]

Sure! I can do it tonight when I get home from work. Do you have a scan of Gandalf the Red or should I scan in my card? And would you like any words or (not so fancy) somesuch?

:D

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

I don't have a scan of it - one of the downsides of not having any computer accessories, lol. It would be cool if it said Yule Wizard or Gandalf the Red, or something like that, but I'll leave that to your discretion. Thanks a bunch!

[slightlytookish]

I have three choices for you:



Let me know if you would like something different. I did the best that I could with the coloring but colored pencils never scan well and I don't have a fancy program that could alter it, lol. But if you'd like something else, let me know and I'll work on it this weekend :)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

They're all awesome! I particularly like the third one.

Now, what kind of fic would you like? A yule story, a Pippin fic, you name it.

:D

[slightlytookish]

Wonderful! I'm glad you found one that you liked! Gandalf the Red is wonderful - you just know that underneath that grumpy exterior he has a heart of gold :D

I wouldn't be adverse to a Pippin-fic, you know. I know that must be shocking to you LOL :)

[auntiemeesh.livejournal.com]

Gasp! What a surprise, lol. I'll see what I can come up with. :D