1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both but definitely more gift bags each year. 2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial for years. Real for about 10 years with DH, but I convinced him to get a prelit artificial one a couple of years ago after yet another bout of bronchitis (I swear it's an allergy to the real trees!) 3. When do you put your tree up? Usually Thanksgiving weekend. 4. When do you take the tree down? The first weekend in January. The Snow Village comes down in February after the Super Bowl. 5. Do you like eggnog? ahhhhhhhhhh that would be No! 6. Favorite gift received as a child? A plastic pretend hat box filled with plastic pretend makeup. It was definitely picked out by my mom. 7 Hardest person to buy for? DH...he buys for himself all year round. 8. Easiest person to buy for? Me!!! 9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, it goes up first every year. Mail or email Christmas cards? I donate to a charity in honor of friends/family now instead of sending cards. This year, however, I'm making an exception for by Support Sistahs! Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My mother-in-law bought me a trashy leopard nighty with fake fur across the top. I am not kidding...did not know what to think, as DH and I were only engaged and I was well into my 40's! LOL!!!! Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life...I was named for Donna Reed. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Normally I'm finished before Thanksgiving. This year I have not purchased one thing and I'm not at all concerned. I'm in a great mood tho, so maybe I'll panic in a week or two! Have you ever regifted a Christmas present? Only for an annual, funny white elephant exchange I have with a professional group of friends...we are supposed to bring a gift we got but don't want. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? years ago? My mom's lasagna...the best I ever had. Nowadays, I really like spiral ham. Lights on the tree? Absolutely! Favorite Christmas song? Mariah's "Jesus, what a wonderful child"....followed by O Holy Night. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I love staying home. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes Angel on the tree top or a star? Beautiful Angel Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning, after DH's daughters come over. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Political Correctness....it's CHRISTmas time. Get over it! Favorite Ornament theme or color? Don't have a special one, but I have lots of ornaments from our vacations and from my support friends. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? see #15 What do you want for Christmas this year? I don't need anything besides good health!...I'm really blessed throughout the year. Thanks Patti!

In Canada we call it "Remembrance Day". The ones that we remember on this occasion are mainly the ones who lost their lives on the field of battle, and their service was completed at that time. We require that women and men be in top condition to join the military services. During their military service, many are grievously injured, in body, mind and/or emotion or spirit. For many, those injuries reduce their capacity to carry on and enjoy their lives well for years, even throughout the rest of their lives. When those who have served come home so broken, even to be unable to provide for themselves, and their families, their nation owes them to take care of them. We have not fulfilled those obligations well, as many of our veterans have not been able to provide for themselves and are among the homeless, wandering our streets. A substantial number, losing hope, take their own lives. We need to publicize this issue and build support among our citizenry for helping them, then our Department of Veterans' Affairs and our governments to care for these people who provided such loyal service at such great personal cost. ole joyful

Reminds me of the old joke from Nixon days. Nixon was very paranoid and when he woke up one winter morning to look out on the WH lawn, he saw "Nixon stinks" written in urine in the snow. He immediately sent the FBI to investigate and uncover who did such a thing and whether or not it was a genuine threat. They came back and told him they had good news and bad news. The good news was, it was not a serious threat as they traced the urine back to Henry Kissinger and they think it was just a prank. The bad news, it was in Pat's handwriting.

"2 1/2 holer", huh? Are you sure that's the hole truth? Just what is a half of a hole - does one cut only half way through the board? Perhaps we should sit down to contemplate this. Yes, I've used 'em - away from home, though my first experience of a bathrooom with running water was when at 18 I went to the University of Saskatchewan - in 1947. Not that I (and the whole fam damily) had saved up through those years! In summer we'd go from kitchen/dining room through summer kitchen, into a narrow porch/lean-to with a door at the far end leading to 2-holer, over 2 large buckets that Dad or hired man hauled occasionally to add the the pile of manure by the 5 - 6 horse barn. Would one call that "half way to an 'outhouse' "? In winter there was a metal can with a holey seat and lid in one of the six bedrooms upstairs, with a vent to one of the five chimnies, most of which unused after furnace installed a number of years earlier, 4 of which chimnies Dad had removed a few years later, before bricks fell off to break some slates on the roof. Cistern in basement with pump on sink in pantry offered soft water for washing and well in back yard offered water in a bucket via a hand-operated pump for drinking and cooking. The well needed cleaning, but Dad feared to go down to clean lest rocks and bricks in the wall fall on his head. In the midst of the Dirty Thirties, Depression, Dad had a well drilled by the house and a cold water tap installed on the other end of the sink. Also water lines to three barns to serve the horses, cows (and bull), pigs and chickens. Sorry, I lied. Soon after the end of World War II we moved from our farm in Ontario to a rented one in Saskatchewan and we used an outhouse there. In summer - but it gets down to 40 below (same in both Fahrenheit and Centigrade) in winter - so there was an alternative in the basement (only two bedrooms in second storey). At 17 when we moved, I spent only a couple years on that farm. After only a few years, Dad bought one. ole joyful