Flotsam / Jetsam

I wish it was Christmas today

Here’s another one of those mems deals that I’m betting started as an email …

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Both. Not at the same time. So “either” would be a more appropriate answer, I guess. Hot chocolate isn’t as seasonal as egg nog, though. I just have to be cold to drink hot chocolate. Egg nog is something I actually look forward to when the holidays roll around. It was a little disconcerting to see it available just after Halloween, though. Personally, I don’t hit the nog until after Thanksgiving.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps presents in his very own wrapping paper.

Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White on the tree, nothing on the house.

Do you hang mistletoe?
I did once, when we got fresh, free mistletoe at a wedding. But that’s the only time I’ve done it.

When do you put your decorations up?
Usually the day after Thanksgiving, but all of our decor is in my dad’s barn this year so there will be no decorating for us.

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Excluding dessert? There’s no such thing as excluding dessert. I refuse to answer such a question.

Favorite holiday memory as a child:
I don’t know if I have a favorite. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I think it would just be the cumulative experience of having the whole family together, eating good food and being generally happy.

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don’t remember.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
I’d like to, but Rockford won’t let me.

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I let Rockford do it. I love Christmas, but I hate decorating the tree. Go figure.

Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I love the idea of snow. As long as I don’t have to go out in it, I’m happy.

Can you ice skate?
I can stay basically upright, but I wouldn’t say I can ice skate, no.

Do you remember your favorite gift?
No.

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Spending time with my loved ones.

What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Cookie pudding. I’m not at liberty to share any details. It’s a family recipe.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” with Rockford (and crying like a big doof) on Christmas Eve.

What tops your tree?
It used to be a little angel made out of a paperclip. I’m afraid it might have gotten lost in the moving, though. A little girl made it for me one year when I taught a class at church.

Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving.

What is your favorite Christmas song?
The SNL one … “I wish it was Christmas today”

Candy canes! Yuck or Yum?
Yuck. But I’ll agree with Becky; peppermint mocha is awesome!

Screen time

A shocking revelation

I like Christopher and Lorelai. They have nice chemistry. They’re sweet and funny together.

So it appears I’m on Team Chris and Team Karen. Team Karen by default, because Roy has sort of broken my heart a little with his broken-hearted regret and I’m on Team Roy. Which means I have to be on Team Karen.

Even so.

What have I become?

EDITED TO ADD
Great googly moogly! I didn’t think they’d get married! I don’t like this! Too soon too soon! Gah!

Reading

Reading challenge

Michelle at Overdue Books has started the “From the Stacks” reading challenge. Here are the official rules:

So for this challenge we would be reading 5 books that we have already purchased, have been meaning to get to, have been sitting on the nightstand and haven’t read before. No going out and buying new books. No getting sidetracked by the lure of the holiday bookstore displays.

The bonus would be that we would finally get to some of those titles (you know you picked them for a reason!) and we wouldn’t be spending any extra money over the holidays.

The time frame would be Nov. 1st until Jan. 30 and there will be some small, fun prizes awarded to random participants and/or those with clever review posts. There will be one random drawing for a prize to those who submit their list of books in the comment section by Nov. 15th but feel free to join any time. There will be another random drawing for those who submit five reviews by Jan. 30 for a small gift certificate to Amazon.

I don’t buy very many books. I might have 5 books in the house that I haven’t read. I know I have two Cormac McCarthys and two Ngaio Marshes. I haven’t read anything by either of them before, and if I sign up for this I’ll feel obligated to read both books by each author and I’m worried that I won’t like one of them, or maybe both, but I’ll feel obligated because I signed up for this challenge. So I’m not signing up. But I’d like to encourage you to play if you have a lot of books in your to-read stack.