1. Wrapping paper or Gift Bags? Both...mostly wrapping, but gift bags work well for odd shaped things to wrap..or gifts that go somewhere to be opened where the paper mess is unwanted such as out to eat, maybe work? Ect.. 2. Real or Fake Tree? Fake, I have a fear of a fire with real....and I am also terribley allergic. 3. When do you put up the tree? I begin thinking about it the first week of Dec..it takes about a full week cuz crazy me cleans everything as I go. 4. When do you take the tree down? When I get sick of the mess, early January or when the urge to put the couch back in a better viewing position hits :) 5. Do you like eggnog? Love it, as does my entire family. It is a tradition to begin Thanksgiving morning with our first eggnog of the season. 6. Favorite gift received as a child? Betsy Wetsy Doll 7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, I handpainted it years ago. It has been boxed away tho for ten years or so. It is just to large for my space. This year I will pass it on as a Christmas gift to my daughter. 8. Hardest person to buy for? My brother, he doesnt care about anything but work...it is ALL he does..and he has no hobbies and cares nothing about clothes as long as they cover and are clean....makes gifts tuff.. 9. Easiest person to buy for? This is an easy one, my first grandchild...just 7 months this year.....super easy...and for now, inexpensive :) 10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A vaccum cleaner...bought by my husband because ours broke :(. 11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Snail mail also. I look forward to pictures in them from family...and tho I hate to admit it, even the stupid christmas newsletters from braggy family members. 12. Favorite Christmas Movie/show? A Christmas Story. 13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime in October..but more heavily after Thanksgiving. 14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Maybe, I can't recall :) 15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Fudge...Shrimp cocktail and mom's blueberry cheesecake. 16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear, nice and elegant...but I like colored outside.. 17. Favorite Christmas song? Grandma got ran over by a reindeer...a family joke. My dad's favorite to tease my mom with once she became a grandma. He is gone now..so it has become a whole family favorite now..just because.. 18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Christmas Ev about a 1/2 mile from here..Christmas Day at my home. 19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Only if I sing the song as I do.. :) 20. Angel on the tree top or a star? mm..star usually..sometimes nothing :) 21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve we go to my mom's and have a huge caotic gathering where we exchange gifts and dozens of kids run about...then we come home late late late, and stay up and open ours now that my children are grown. They like to sleep in the next day and be lazy ... :) 22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Trying to please everyone.... 23. What I love most about Christmas? The love, the fellowship....the laughter..

Red Lover beat me to it, my favorite is also Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. It's such a bittersweet song; it captures the joy of the season but also something I think every year--how precious it is to mark a holiday and have those you love with you. Especially as I (and those I love in my family) get older, it is a thought that resonates with me. I don't ever sit down for Thanksgiving or Christmas without silently giving thanks that we are all together making another memory. "Through the years we all will be together, if the fates allow. Hang a shining star on the highest bough. And have yourself a merry little Christmas now."

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? BOTH - sorry! Egg Nog w/ nutmeg or Hot Chocolate w/ a shot of Butterscotch Schnapps. 2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap, wrap! & he always seems to know what color's we've decorated in that yr.! 3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White in various sizes & finishes. I would like to do the house in colored lights just one yr. though. Not the tree though! 4. Do you hang mistletoe? I keep meaning to! My Nana ALWAYS did! 5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually 2nd wk. of Dec. although I'm finally getting it together & we've already begun! 6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Hmmmm.... My mom's corn pudding. But her mashed potatoes are perfect. Her Ham is too. Did I mention her cherry pies?! 7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Well.... It's not my favorite but my family discusses it & laughs about it every yr. at my expense. When I was little I would get so worked up, excited & anxious about Christmas Day that on Christmas Eve I'd start getting sick & w/o fail every Christmas morning until I was 8 or so, I'd throw up as soon as my feet would hit the flr. Everyone would wait for me every morning while someone took me to the bathroom as soon as I woke up. 8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? When I pulled the beard off of Santa & made all of the kids start crying. My mom always reminds me of how I yelled "YOU'RE NOT THE REAL SANTA CLAUS!" & yanked his beard off. We were asked to leave. 9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, it was the only way my mom could get my nerve's to settle. DH asks me every yr. if I need to open a present on Christmas Eve & I always say 'No thanks, I'm a big girl now!' 10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? In gold. Also with ornaments that look like old mirrors and old Russian icons. Okay - that sounds really pretty!!!! This yr. I have a red whimsical tree in the LR, I'm aiming for an elegant woodland tree in the office & I'd like to do a small cars, planes, trains & boats theme on a small white tree in the playroom. 11. Snow: love it or hate it? LOVE IT! But I'd better be inside enjoying that doctored up hot chocolate by a fire. 12. Can you ice skate? Nope. That'd mean I'd have to go outside. 13. Do you remember your favorite gift? There are so many great gifts, but last yr. my sister who lives out of state & doesn't have much money to spare, put together a small basket of her favorite things. It makes me feel like we're together during the yr. sharing & introducing each other to new things. You can't beat that! 14. Whats the most important thing about the holidays for you? The shear magic, wonderment & joy of it all. My heart just sings - it feels like anything is possible! 15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? My mom's cherry pie. 16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Watching It's A Wonderful Life w/ a bottle of red wine w/ DH. 17. What tops your tree? Usually a finial but I just found a great angel that I hid in the back at Bombay. 18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Totally giving! In my family we look all yr. long wherever we go for each other & we never ask for lists. You never know when you'll find the most perfect thing at some little dive on a wknd. trip in August & it was probably under $10! DH's family seems to always ask for lists & go at the last minute. Then they never get me anything off of it! It's taken me a long time to get used to the whole list & generic wrapping/ bag thing but I finally have. 19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Holy Night by Bing but I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a real close runner up! 20. Candy canes??? Sometimes at DS1's insistence. He always wants you to have what he has. 21. Favorite Christmas movie? Either The Santa Claus or Elf. 22. What do you leave for Santa? In our family -- we ALWAYS leave out the Best Scotch and shortbread. Mum always says that Santa will need a "warm-up" by the time he gets to our house ...... even when I was very little -- Santa always got a crystal glass of The Best. Milk & cookies but I think we may be starting a new tradition this yr.! Thanks Teacats!

50 Odd Things about you! If you opened this, FILL IT OUT! Learn 50 things about your friends, and let them learn 50 things about you! Do you like blue cheese? Yes 2. Have you ever smoked heroin? Never 3. Do you own a gun? No 4. Your favorite song? theme from "a Summer Place" and the Animals "House of the Rising Sun" 5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No, over the past 10 years I have been to so many appointments I just take all in stride. I think "positive" and so far...all has been something I can/will survive. My motto: "this too shall pass" and my family/friends support has helped me over the hurdles 6. What do you think of hot dogs? Great food at the baseball park 7. Favorite Christmas Song? Traditional..."Silver Bells" Religious..."Silent Night" Fun.."I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa" 8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee 9. Can you do 10 push ups? I doubt it 10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? I have several pieces that are my favorite 11. Favorite hobby? Reading 12. Secret weapon to get the opposite sex? SPORTS...however; KNOW what you are talking about...Grand Slams and Touchdowns are NOT the same sport 13. Do you have A.D.D? Not that I am aware off 14. What one trait do you hate about yourself? My height 4'11" 15. Middle name? Kay 16. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? 1) Concern for my sister/family in Texas 2.) How I am going to pay the past due bills my DH neglected 3.) How my soldier, Jon is going to handle Iraq 17. Name 3 things you bought yesterday? 1) Groceries, Gas and toilet paper 18. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? 1) Water, 2) Coffee, 3.) Miller Lite 19. Current worry right now? Sister/family in Texas 20. Favorite place to be? My bedroom in total QUIET 21. How did you bring in the New Year? LOUDLY with family 22. Where would you like to go? Cancun, Mexico or Italy 23. Name three people who will complete this: ???? 24. Do you own slippers? Yes, a pair with a Breast Cancer Ribbon on them 25. What color shirt are you wearing? Blue 26. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No, prefer flannel SATIN SHEETS ARE FOR CRYING ON 27. Can you whistle? Yes, the regular way and using my fingers 28. Favorite color? Blue 29. Would you be a pirate? No 30. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't sing in the shower. 31. Favorite girl's name? Adeline (grandbaby's name...but I have always loved Paige Nicole) 32. Favorite boy's name? Philip and Jonathan (my sons names) 33. What's in your pocket right now? Lint probably 34. Last thing that made you laugh? My life is in such turmoil I don't know 35. Best bed sheets as a child? Growing up in the 60's and 70's no such thing as "themed bedding" 36. Worst injury you've ever had? A broken left foot that I walked on for 3 weeks before I had an MRI (x-ray didn't show a break/fracture)revealing 2 broken bones under all the "top" bones in your foot. I was in hard cast for 8 weeks, air cast for 4 and a walking boot for 2 37. Do you love where you live? I LOVE the Nevada desert. I can't stand to be cold....give me heat, I can always undress 38. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3 too many 39. Who is your loudest friend? Everyone would probably agree it's ME 40. Do you have a dog? Yes, Cheebah....Bull Mastif/Pit Bull mix...gentle and most loving dog...nothing like her breeds 41. Does someone have a crush on you? heck if I know 42. Favorite cartoons? Anything Disney 43. Who is your favorite author? I have 3....Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steele or Nicholas Sparks 44. What is your favorite candy? Snickers or Baby Ruth 45. Your favorite Sports Team? Football: Dallas Cowboys Basball: Atlanta Braves 46. What song do you want played at your funeral? My wishes are...NO FUNERAL...take that $$$$ and have a good time remembering ME and all our good times 47. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping 48. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? Coffee, I need/want coffee...thank goodness I have an automatic timer 49. If you could work any kind of a job what would you? What I am doing now.....Party Rentals...I help "spend" other peoples $$$$ so they can have a great time and look good in their guests eyes 50.) Trait about yourself if you could you would change? ummmmmmmmmmm Maybe NOT to be soooooo forgiving Next?