Hallelujah, the finish line is in sight!
Christmas is only a few days away, and the year almost over.
So what better way to wrap up the blog for 2017 than by completing a fun Christmas questionnaire – thanks to Nessville for the shout out, I’m touched that you thought of me.
I can never remember movies after I’ve seen them, so I’ll say “The Family Man” with Nicholas Cage. Hubster and I watched it the other night (for about the 5th time) and loved it – kind of a modern day Scrooge who is shown a glimpse of what his life “could” have been, if he’d stayed with his true love.
2. Have you ever had a White Christmas?
No, but it’s on the bucket list, for sure.
3. Where do you usually spend your holiday?
Right here at home, and it’s such a treat. After doing the rounds for years, hubster and I decided we were over it, and now spend Christmas Day at home. We love that this way, there’s no rush to open presents, have food packed and ready to go, and then to get in the car and get stuck in a traffic jam drive for hours. It’s so much less pressure to catch up with extended family AFTER the big event!
4. What’s your favourite Christmas song?
I don’t really remember the words because I think they’re Spanish or something, but I’m rather taken with “Feliz Navidad”. But the hubster insists on singing “Elise’s Navy Duds” (I used to work with an Elise) … which is weird …
5. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
Definitely not.
6. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeers?
There’s Rudolf and Prancer and Donner and Blitzen, Dasher and Dancer and Comet and is it Vixen? What a terrible name for a reindeer!
7. What holiday traditions are you looking forward to this year?
Meh. I’m not hugely into traditions – they come bound up with all the “shoulds” and “musts”, which for me are a real joy-killer at Christmas time.
8. Is your Christmas Tree real or fake?
Fake. Real Christmas trees remind me of one of my horrible stepfathers.
Nowadays, we actually have two trees to choose from – a big one that we bought when we were first married (it’s looking a bit sparse these days), and a little one which sits atop the Ikea shelves in the dining room. Personally I like the low maintenance, little version, while hubster likes the big one. Anyways, I won the battle of the Christmas tree this year! Which is just as well, because with the big one I feel like I’m vacuuming up pine needles for months even after the tree has been packed away!
9. What’s your favourite holiday treat/food/sweet?
Christmas ham and roast dinner; cherry rum balls; cherry liqueur chocolates (I can never find them in the shops except at Christmas time); stone fruit like cherries and plums and the like. I do love pavlova but we never have it as hubster hates meringue so it just doesn’t seem worth the effort! Oh, and we love getting a bag of nuts to crack, but would you believe they were SOLD OUT when hubster tried to buy some on the weekend (because real men do the grocery shopping!)?
10. Be honest, do you prefer the giving or receiving of gifts?
Although I have been known to stress over choosing Christmas gifts, the highlight for me is giving presents to our grown children. This year we are giving them money, and some fun little things which I’m pretty sure will put a smile on each of their dials!
11. What’s the best Christmas present you ever received?
The hubster is a bit of a champion in the gift giving stakes, but early in our relationship he gave me a gift that was PRICELESS!
12. What’s your dream place to visit for the holiday season?
I’d love to do a European river cruise one day, so I can take in all the Christmas markets, and enjoy winter festivities like ice skating, and all that comes with a white Christmas!
13. Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?
Pretty average really.
14. Most memorable Christmas memory?
Unfortunately the most memorable Christmases are some of the hideous ones from my childhood, when my mother would create huge dramas and make everybody miserable.
15. What made you realise the truth about Santa?
Look, I was pretty ticked off the Christmas I was almost 6, when I wrote a letter to Santa and everything because I desperately wanted a Shaker Maker. But I never got it. So I probably started questioning then …
I don’t think it was a real light bulb moment; I seem to remember my parents coming clean when I was about 8, and being warned not to spoil the magic for my younger siblings!
16. What makes the holidays special for you?
I just enjoy the break from the usual routines, spending time with my family, and being able to relax for a week or two.
As it’s so close to Christmas, I’m not going to worry about tagging anybody else … but if you’d like to take up the challenge, feel free and consider yourself tagged 🙂 .
Merry Christmas everyone!
What are you doing for Christmas?