Quiz Show
So, says you, have you gotten the latest email asking all those sweet Christmas questions?
Indeed I have. Many times. Many many times. Enough that it reminds me of snowflakes scattering into my email and forming a formidable drift of saccharine delight. I’ve seen it propagating throughout the web too: the Christmas Meme intent on becoming the blogosphere’s “Song that Never Ends.”
I suppose, barring ownership of a Zamboni equipped with a flame-thrower, the only way to melt the drift is to wade my way through and answer. So, here ’tis.
Christmas Questionnaire Answers
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Neither, actually. Cheese boxes don’t lend themselves to fancy duds, especially when they are being sent hither and yon.
2. Real tree or artificial? Vinyl. I’m considering a paper tree for next year.
3. When do you put up the tree? When we have a thaw that let’s us pound the stakes into the ground.
4. When do you take the tree down? Around June 1st, when it’s warm enough to crowbar the tree stakes back out of the frozen tundra.
5. Do you like eggnog? Is this a trick question? No! Especially not when it’s been made by taking a raw egg, tossing it into a glass and then smushing in frozen Tom and Jerry mix.
Eggnog, indeed.
*gack*
6. Do you have a nativity scene? Duh! It’s Christmas. What were you expecting, a shadowbox of Santa Claus tubing behind a Holstein?
7. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, with hopes of having them actually in the post by Valentine’s Day, more or less.
8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Why would anything that was given as a gift ever get rated as “best” to “worst” by anyone?
*shakes head at state of the world*
9. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Good heavens, no! Is this one of those questions from the eco-intelligentsia popping up again?
10. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cheesecake. Not that gelatin-filled imitation stuff that gets passed off on unsuspecting innocents. Real cheesecake, topped with Sibby’s vanilla ice cream and home-made whipped cream. Or, as we call it, the “triple coronary by-pass delight.”
11. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored, small, and in jewel tones. And no flashing lights, thank you kindly.
12. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeers? Certainly. And I always remember to include Adolph the Antelope in my list, as he had a very special characteristic that made him Santa’s backup light. Thank you, Mathguy, my beloved, for making sure that little ditty would haunt me throughout my life.
13. Angel on the tree top or a star? This is another one of those trick questions, right? A star, of course! I seem to recall every instance of angels appearing in the Bible including falling flat on one’s face in sheer terror and awe at the sight. I’m not quite up to experiencing that every time I look at my tree.
14. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Advertisements. And Christmas memes, I might add.
15. What would you like for Christmas? A total body transplant, but that doesn’t seem to be in the offing. So, as Gracie Hart says, “I’ll take world peace.” That’s always good.
23 Dec 2006 JAS
Okay well I never even got one of those annoying Chrismas Q&As, altho I’ve had lots of general Q&A forwards. For the record, our tree here in Belize is 3′, artificial (purchased by Rick as a surprise for me), with the needles falling off by the time he got it home. It is decorated with a 100 light string, half of which is on the window above it cos there are waaaay too many for a little Charlie Brown tree (and yes, they’re small and colored- that’s all there is here), with a lovely silver garland and the beautiful gold on white balls and Merry Christmas Bells that Rick bought at the same time. It’s on a couple of boxes so it is visible - both inside and out. The angel on top was made by yours truly out of what there was around the house - a plastic cup, a napkin (robe), cardboard (head and wings), a cotton ball (hair), and a twist tie (halo). I would have done a star but I can’t cut cardboard very well. The angel has no features on its face cos I can’t draw that well.
When I was growing up, my parents had the most beautiful star - a long thin thing that was encrusted in gold glitter and had a beautiful set of gold strands flowing off of it (to simulate the movement of the star, I guess). They replaced it at some point and I asked if I could have it. Big mistake. Something that’s magical to you as a child should be left in your memory. Nuff said.
I like eggnog (I have made it from scratch but prefer store bought - it doesn’t exist in Belize) but in moderation. Big time moderation. I send emails because I don’t get around to doing christmas cards and because from Belize, it would take month for them to get there and we didn’t arrive until 11/29.
It’ll be different here than past Christmases. OTOH, I have never lived in a white christmas sort of place. Reno could be but it never was all the years I lived there. Christmas is generally gloomy and foggy - both in Merced and in Eugene. So having a bright sunny Christmas will be quite different.
Very into Christmas here - tons of decorations and they’re very big on nativity scenes. And snowmen, and reindeer, and Santa, and all the trimmings they inherited from the Brits and the Americans.
Merry Christmas from the land of warmth - We send some your way and hope it warms your heart even if your toes are still cold.
Hugs,
Carol and Rick
- DQ!! Hugs back at ya both - and you can have all my eggnog. Or not. BTW - this is a salmon-free site. Enjoy.
[…] Since Kris tagged me for a Christmas meme that is identical to one I posted last year, I thought I’d entertain myself and write a new meme. […]