A Christmas Meme

I found this Christmas meme over at Mama Bear's.

About the TREE....
1.When do you put up the Christmas tree?
We always have had a live tree, so put it up the weekend before Christmas.
2. Real or fake?
This year, artificial. The first time in 25 years.
3. Lights? What color?
Multi-colored
4. Garland?
Not usually
5. Theme or no theme?
No theme. I have a lot of decorations that have been gifted to me and they all hold treasured memories. I usually let the boys put them wherever they like on the tree.
6. What kind of topper? An angel made by Mom. It has porcelain hands and head.
7. What's your favorite ornament?
So many are treasured gifts, as I said.
8. What does your tree skirt look like?
Red with Victorian Santas. Another gift from Mom.
9. Where do you put your tree?
Living room
10. Who decorates the tree? The boys and I.
11.What's "under" the tree?
Right now? Nothing except the tree skirt. Dakota (dog) is under a year old. He would have a heyday with presents.
12. Do you put candy canes on your tree?
Usually

About the FOODS....

1. What's your favorite Christmas cookie?
Grandma's sugar cookies and shortbread.
2. Do you bake cookies and give them away?
Almost every year.
3. Any "special" foods or candy that you only have at Christmas time?
Homemade marschino cherry chocolates.
4. What do you eat Christmas EVE?
We usually just snack on cheese, crackers, pickles etc.
5. What do you eat on Christmas day?
Depends if we have Christmas here or if we are invited to my daughter's. Usually turkey and all the trimmings.
6. Do you like Eggnog??
Love it but can't have it anymore because of the sugar content.
7. Do you like candy canes?
No candy canes for this girl, but always have some on hand. Love 'em. Just can't have 'em. Have never found sugar free candy canes.

Decorations

1. Where do you hang your stockings?
Hubby and I don't do stockings. We have always done them for the boys and they hang outside the computer room door.
2. Do you put lights on your house?
Yes, used to be clear icicle lights but now is green LED.
3. Got any outside lawn decorations?
Yes, a reindeer that lights up, a blow up Christmas moose that was given to me by the boys.
4. Do you put up a nativity (creche)?
Always. Last year Baby Jesus and Mary went missing. This year they reappeared and Joseph is missing.
5. Do you hang mistletoe over the door?
No, used to have artificial mistletoe but haven't for a few years now.
6. Got a wreath on your front door?
Not this year so far.
7. How long does it take you to decorate?
The boys usually come the first weekend in December to put up the Christmas village. Hubby and I hand the garland around the doors and put up the decorations there. We put the Christmas tree up the weekend before Christmas, as we usually have a live tree. This year we put it up on December 5th, as we're using the old artificial tree.

About the movies/show
1 . Favorite Children's Xmas TV show/cartoon? ? Mickey's Christmas Carol.
2. Wonderful Life/Miracle on 34th St.
Neither so far this year. Watched White Christmas and Santa Claus 2
3.Favorite Christmas movie??
Like them all.
4. Have you ever seen the Nutcracker Suite Ballet live?
No
5. Ever been to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show??
No
6. Ever gone to the movies on Xmas Day?
Yes, once long ago in the early 70s. I thought the person who asked me to go was a little crazy. LOL To me, Christmas is family time.

Other Christmas things....
1. Favorite Christmas book or story?
And it came to pass that Ceasar Augustus...The Christmas Story.
2. Do you stuff your stockings with any types of food?
Yes, always candy for the boys...a chocolate orange for Jordan; a mint chocolate orange for Brandon.
3. Do you go to church on Christmas or Christmas Eve?
Not in the last few years.
4. Have you ever gone Caroling?
No
5. Favorite Christmas Carol?
O' Holy Night and Silent Night
6. Do you believe in Santa?
Of course. Don't you? He doesn't come if you don't believe.
7. Do you leave Santa cookies?
No, Santa needs to lose some weight.
8. What about Rudolph...
Used to make and put out reindeer food when the boys were small. Not any more.
9. What was your best Christmas gift?
When I was a child? A pair of brown boy's ice skates. My first pair. Other than that, I always looked forward to a book...still do.
10. What was the worst/most odd gift?
My MIL always gives me something that doesn't fit.
11. Do you go to a "work" Christmas party?
No
12. Do you hate going?
Always did. I'm not a social butterfly at parties. Never attend them.
13. Do you send Christmas cards?
Don't you? It's not Christmas without Christmas cards.
14. Do you make a "list"?
A Christmas card list...other than that, no.
15. Do you check it twice?
No
16.When do you start shopping?
I shop all year 'round. If I see something that I know someone on my Christmas list would like and it's a good deal, I buy it and put it away.
17.Do you shop on Black Friday?
We don't have Black Friday in Canada. Our Thanksgiving is in October and our big sales of the year is Boxing Day Sales.
18. ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTMAS?
I have all my shopping done. Still have to wrap the gifts and do some baking.

Hanging Our Stockings

Do you remember hanging your stocking on Christmas Eve when you were a child. I certainly do.

Once we were in our warm flannel pajamas and ready to retire where we would toss and turn for a while in anticipation of a visit from Santa, Mom would bring out our stockings for us to hang. These weren't fancy stockings like the children have today. My sister's and mine were a long white stocking that we wore. Mom would take them out of our drawer and we would hang them from our bedpost. My brother would hang one of Dad's wool socks...the grey ones with the white and red ring at the top...the kind they make sock monkeys out of today.

We weren't allowed to open any presents or our stockings on Christmas morning until our parents were up. We could enjoy playing with any gift that was from Santa, as they were never wrapped, just placed with loving care under the tree. There was never much. Just a present or two...nothing like the bundles of gifts that children of today find beneath the tree.

But back to the stockings. Once Mom and Dad were up, we would open our stockings. Inside we would find an apple, an orange, nuts and some hard candy, which Dad called "hard tack." They came in a variety of colors but the center was always white with a little flower in it. There might also be a candy cane. There were never toys or games in our stockings; only treats.

Today's children miss out on so much. Christmas was special to me and my siblings. That was the time of year we enjoyed things that we didn't get the rest of the year.

What did you get in your Christmas stocking when you were young? I'd be interested in how many others miss the simple treats that our stockings held when we were kids.

Saturday with the Boys

The boys came over on Saturday morning about 11am. We had lunch and then we put up a little artificial tree that's been in the basement for years. It isn't anything fancy. Just a basic tree that I bought many years ago. We decided to just do a small tree this year instead of the usual large live tree.

Both boys helped decorate the tree for a while and then Brandon wanted to bake chocolate chip cookies by himself. He did a great job. I had one while it was still warm and the boys had a couple each. Very tasty.

While Brandon baked cookies, Jordan wanted to know if he could finish decorating the tree by himself. I let him. After all, these boys are getting older and want to be independent. That allows me to keep an eye on them, yet let them spread their wings. Jordan really enjoyed decorating and the tree doesn't look half bad considering. I will post a photo in a day or two.

Around 4pm, it was time to take the boys home. I packed up some of Brandon's cookies and some candy that my friend JoAnn had sent over for them. They will have treats for the entire week.

It was cold here today with a biting wind, but we still don't have any snow. Many areas all around us do and snow is predicted in this area for tomorrow.

Wishing everyone a great week. If you have winter storms in your area, remember to be careful on the roads and be safe.