Bring on the Dogs of Christmas--Sunday Stealing

1. Do you send out Xmas cards and if so how many do you send? Not anymore, Most of my Holiday Greetings are done through social media....I know I'm a terrible person.

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2. Do you write and send a holiday letter to describe your year? Sometimes, I wrote a longer message in my Cards, I never liked just sending a signed card.
3. What do you think of photo cards? I like them. I would send this one of Gwennie.

4. How about the tree thing – do you have one every year? Do you prefer a real or artificial?  We had a lovely artificial tree, out in CA, due to allergies.  I have 2 small ones back here in MO, and they are up if we are spending the holidays here. They are here.

5. Describe your typical tree (size, decorations, type). If you don’t have a tree, do you decorate and if so, tell us about it. (If you don’t decorate make up a story here…) See #4

6. Do you hang up stockings? Whose names are on them (and relationships)? My mother knitted stockings for all of her family and some nieces and nephews....my guess is they still have them.

  7. Your favorite Xmas movie(s) are? Mentioned them in Saturday 9 here.

8. Tell us about an Xmas movie you hate. I do not like the horror ones and won't watch them.  Gremlins was bad enough.
9. What’s favorite Xmas Song(s) That would be hard to decide.

10. What holiday song makes you want to hurl? I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, it is being used on a USPS commercial and I get an ear worm every time.

11. What do you prefer for your holiday meal? Something simple.  We have chili on Christmas Eve and this year we are going to have lasagna, salad and Italian pastries. We use to do turkey and trimmings and I hated being in the kitchen all day. 

12. When do you open your gifts? When the girls were small, they got to open their Christmas PJ's the night before....but every thing else on Christmas morning.

13. Do you buy gifts for your pet? Of course.

14. What's the worst gift you've ever gotten? Nothing that stands out in memory. Maybe some Christmas exchanges gifts.

15. Do you ever travel for the holiday? We travel to family....but never to a Christmas destination.
16. Did you see Santa as a child? Yes, but we haven't taken the dogs to see Santa.

17. Have you ever gone caroling? Yes. In Girl Scouts.

18. Do you drive around and look at the Xmas lights? Not any more....there is just a lot of inflatables around and boy do those look funny on the ground in the morning.
19. Have you ever had a white Christmas? Oh sure!  Not in CA though!

20. Do you know how to ice skate? If yes, when did you skate the last time? I took lessons....again in Girl Scouts, i was about 12, I haven't been back.
21. Are we crazy for thinking that the holiday season is WAY too commercial? We're not crazy....the reason for the season seems to be material goods.

22. Have you ever worked Xmas eve or Xmas day? Years ago I liked to work on Christmas, lots of great overtime and since my teenagers no longer got up early, I use to do an early shift and someone else in my family got to do Christmas dinner.
23. What are your Xmas pet peeves? Traffic, we even have it here in MO. Christmas starts too early and so lasts way too long.
24. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays? We will be a small family group this year, and I would love to be spending it with the boys as well. They will be in Belgrade for 2 Christmases and New Year.

  25. Here's your chance to say something significant to our players. Go for it! 

Saturday 9-Happy Holidays

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas? We went to see Santa when I was 8 and my brother was about 1.5. I didn't believe much but since I had a new baby brother, I continued on for several years.  I remember writing a letter once and burning it in the fireplace, that was suppose to get it to him quickly.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I think I am on the Nice List.  I don't do too many Naughty things anymore.

 3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest? My thing go from Amazon to Santa Barbara.  The grandsons will be in Belgrade, Serbia, this year so I shipped early.  I have some books that I am saving to bring for birthdays in February. Most all shopping was done online this year.

 
4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? Not really.  It is easy not to do that when I am online shopping....I put a bunch of things on Amazon's wish list for Mr BC to follow up on. I bought a humidifier, but that was for all of us.

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? It is a toss-up, Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation

 

 6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day? We were going to see Star Wars last year, but Mr BC was still sick. Now that I haven't got so much to do during the holidays, I don't find Movies on Christmas Day so odd.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party? I am sure I have, but now that I don't work, I don't have anyone bringing it up.

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather? One of my own creation....Apple cider heated with equal amounts of Tazo Chai Tea concentrate....Hot Spiced Cider. Lovely in the afternoon.

9. Share a memory from last Christmas. It was kind of a sad Christmas, Mr BC was still sick, and was not eating well. We had tickets to see Willie Nelson, so DD1 went with me, as Mr BC was just out of the hospital. This Christmas Mr BC went shopping online and there will be gifts.

Fra-Gee-Lay Wednesday HodgePodge

1. Let's talk holiday decorating. On a scale of 1-10 where do you fall? (1=Scrooge and 10= Clark Griswold). What's your favorite corner-room-table-space to decorate? Is it done? I am about a 5 on the decoration scale. most of my decorations are currently on the dining room table, as I have just purchased some plants and got a neat new table tree. My dining room is the first flat surface near the front door so, it is usually stacked with mail and stuff.  
I also have another table tree that is still upstairs in storage that will set in another window.  My wreaths will come down at the same time.  I have to carry up the summer clothes and bring down the winter one, along with the ornaments.  I have a huge stash of Christmas up there but I have pared down the decorations. I will be finished by Christmas.

 2. Is there a nativity scene in your decorating somewhere? Post a picture or, if it's special to you in some way, tell us why. Or do both-it's Christmas! There is not a nativity scene up there, because it was broken beyond repair in the move. It was similar to this, though not as well made.

3.  Do you live in a social neighborhood? If so are you glad? If not do you wish you did? No, we are the only house on the block.  I wish we had more neighbors. I grew up in a very social neighborhood, in the 50's and 60's.
 
4.  As the saying goes, 'there's no time like the present'. How does that ring true in your life right now? For sure we are in our sunset years, so if we want to accomplish something there's no time like the present ! That is how we ended up in Europe last fall.  I just looked for a tour and made a reservation and deposit about 6 months before we left, and told Mr BC we were going.  So glad we did, as Mr BC got sick, soon after.  With dialysis, travel to Europe again would be problematic.  Although with our RV, we can still do North America.
 
5. Do you dread Mondays? Why or why not? Not so much, when you are retired, every day is the weekend, and Monday is just another day.  I have been sleeping poorly the past week or so, and I often can't make out what day it is when I wake up.

6.  Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis-which on the list is your favorite holiday plant? Poinsettias Are any of these on display in your home right now? I got a centerpiece for Thanksgiving that had a Poinsettia in it, but that will be it this year. (See answer 1)  I found a beautiful Christmas cactus at The Walmart.

7. Share a favorite quote from a Christmas movie. This is our favorite Christmas movie.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

https://heatst.com/uncategorized/racism-row-erupts-over-mall-of-americas-black-santa-claus/ 

It's hard to deny racism is not alive and well in America.

Merry Christmas-Saturday 9

1. As you can see, when Sam Winters was a little girl, she loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be? 
I would love to have a slightly used small car just to tow behind our RV when we travel next fall. 

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? 
I think, my grandsons would say, I am on his nice list, and I know they will think that when, they open their Christmas Presents.

3. Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train? 
I traveled last Tuesday. by many planes, to Santa Barbara, CA.  It was a very long trip, three planes, four airports.
4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? 
Not yet, I will probably pick up some earrings as I did not bring any with me.  My gift is really this trip.

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie or TV special? Have you seen it yet this year? Last year, I shared Christmas Vacation because I have several favorites and we had the same question.  Another favorite is Love Actually, which takes place at Christmas.  I watched on Netflix last Sunday afternoon and I love the music.  I has some of my favorite male actors in it too.

6. Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread? Gingerbread for sure! I like almost anything ginger.

7. Close your eyes and tell us the first carol that comes to mind. 
Silver Bells, since I sang it to my grandson Caшa last night, when I put him to bed. 

8. What's your favorite winter beverage? 
Hot Buttered Rum, my dad use to make it Christmas Eve.  

9. What will you remember most about 2013?

Pozdrav "Greetings" and Happy Holidays-Saturday 9

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?
I can't remember seeing Santa until my brother was born.  I don't think I was shy, I can remember telling Santa what I wanted and what my brother wanted too.  I think I wrote to him at least once. I have no pictures with him, they were always too expensive. I do have one of Лука.  I haven't seen any new pics for this year.