A Christmas Meme
OK, I know I said I was taking a break, but I have been tagged in this Christmas meme by Nicole. So, I am going to tag Mandy and Dave.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.
2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial (would like a real one, would especially like to trudge through the snow to get a real one, but that's just not the way it is).
3. When do you put up your tree? Early December (actually I don't put it up anymore, but that is when it goes up).
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually a few days after Christmas.
5. Do you like eggnog? Not sure I could say with any certainty ...
6. Favourite gift received as a child? The Littles' Doll House. I still have it. All the old-fashioned furniture is made out of cast metal, and it's just exquisite. There's a pot-belly stove with a door that opens, and tiny bed-side lamps and foot stools etc.
7. Do you have a Nativity scene? No. But my sister brought a wooden one for my Mum back from Africa, so we have that at home.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My brothers-in-law, but history books usually work.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My nieces! I just have to rein myself in.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of one either.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? Hmmm, not sure. But I like watching movies like Little Women at Christmas - they take all their precious Christmas food, which was not a lot during the war, to their destitute neighbours, and when Beth gets the piano, well, I come undone at that point.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um, usually in November, when family starts reminding me that Christmas is coming.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.
15. Favorite things to eat at Christmas? Cherries! And my Nana's pudding and a special chocolate-caramel slice my family does at Christmas and fruit mince pies. And I like to have some of the foreign food too, like panforte, pannetone and stollen, just for a treat (I usually go to Peter's of Kensington and find a few fine things to take home).
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear - don't like tacky things at Christmas!
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Gloria" as sung on the Michael W. Smith Christmas album. I also love the "Christmas Hymn" on an old Amy Grant Christmas tape. Sounds REALLY corney I know, but Gloria is just euphoric - I love the choir and the drums and the crescendo - and the words of the Hymn are great (see below) - Amy Grant sings out a line, then the choir echoes, and we used to sing it as an item in my old church in Tamworth.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel these days, as I have no family in Sydney.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? NO!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The hoards of people at the shops, and the consumerism - and the heat in Queensland, which usually means we end up confined to an air-conditioned room.
23. What is the "corniest" family tradition you do, or miss doing? Hmmm, it's all class at our place ;). We usually have those cheap Christmas crackers, which contain the corniest jokes ever so we go around the table and groan over those.
24. Ugliest Christmas Decoration ever invented? Blow-up lawn decorations.
25. Which looks the best, theme trees or homey trees? Homey trees.
26. What does Christmas mean to you? Immanuel, God with us.
Christmas Hymn
Praise to god whose love was shown
Who sent his son to earth
Jesus left his rightful throne
Became a man by birth
The virgin’s baby son
All creation praised him
God incarnate come
Come to bethlehem
Still a higher call had he
Deliverance from our sins
Come to set his people free
From satan’s hold within
For by the sin of man we fell
By the son of god
He crushed the power of hell
Death we fear no more
Now we stand with strength, with power
The sons of God on earth
Faithful to the final hour
Christ’s righteousness our worth
And now all praise is given
For the babe, the son
The savior king is risen
Christ is lord indeed
For the babe, the son
The savior king is risen
Christ is lord indeed