"When I tell you something is dangerous, I mean it. And, I never forget the Victims"
T.J. Hooker
"Everyone can master a Grief but he who has it”
William Shakespeare
”I had given him a life not worth living, but I had also given him an iron will to live. This was a common combination on the planet Earth”
Kurt Vonnegut about his character, Kilgore Trout.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Want to join in or see the other's responses?  Go HERE

Last week we talked about things that bug us.  This week (and maybe next), how about things that we like about the holidays.  

Apologies if you do not celebrate Christmas, but perhaps you can change some questions to match the winter holiday you do celebrate.  I would love to hear from people who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Winter Solstice!

1. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?
Getting together with family or old friends.  
And that thing about The Holidays we celebrate.  They are all about equal as in they are all made up ones.  So, I think it's just several versions of Yule, with a Religious twist to them.  At least Kwanza really has a genesis that is non denominational.  I like that about it.

2. Do you send out Christmas cards and if so how many do you send?
We used to send a lot.  Now we send out maybe a dozen?

3. Be honest: holiday newsletters. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Some are interesting and some are just brag sheets.  I'm not crazy about them except for one or two we get from old friends.  The one I LOVED was the one my Aunt D used to send.  She pretended she was still down on the farm and told us all about the trials and tribulations of being on the Farm.  It was hilarious.

4. Be honest: photo cards. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
I like them to see how much the kids have grown.  I have always liked them

5. How soon do you start shopping?
I haven't done any shopping yet.

6. Real or fake tree?
Fake to look as real as possible.  They are pretty good with that now.

7. When do you put up your tree?
Usually it went up the week after Thanksgiving.  Now it's really haphazard.  It goes up when I move my spinning wheel.

8. When do you take down your tree?
As late in the new year as possible.  Once it's up, I want it to last all winter.

9. Describe your typical tree (size, decorations, type)
It's a 7 foot, pre-lit tree.  Most of the hassle factor is now gone.  Family hand made ornaments, and one year after Jazzie died I decorated the tree with all the bows he'd ever gotten from his groomer.  It was a beautiful tree.

10. What do you top your tree with?
A ceramic angel in a lace dress with white feather wings.

11. Do you put Christmas lights outside your house?
Yes

12. Is there a wreath hanging on your door?
No
13. Do you hang up stockings?
When the kids were home and/or little we did.

14. Your favorite Christmas Movie(s)
"One Magic Christmas"

15. Be honest: A Christmas movie you don't like
Whatever I say it might be offensive to someone, so I will just say, to each their own.  There are some so called "funny" ones that I can't stand.

16. Favorite Christmas Song(s) 
 "Carol of the Bells". Loreena Mckennett



17. Be honest: If I hear this/these Christmas songs again I will throw up
Something about Grandma dying under Santa's Sleigh.

18. Give or Receive?
I'd rather give.  It's lovely to see some joy on someone's face. Let's face it, people like to see that.

19. Eggnog or Mulled Cider?
Neither.  Just give me a Margarita!

20. Ham or Turkey?
I pass on the meats.  I can't eat them. I just can't anymore.  I know too much.  I know, I'm a big spoil sport, but you did ask....

12 comments:

  1. I adored your answer to #1, especially as pertained to Kwanzaa. Totally agree there. As far as the Jazzie bow tree, that gave me all the feels. I'm sure it was beautiful. ♥

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    1. It was a beautiful tree. I think there is a picture of it somewhere. Question #1. I'm so sick of the commercialization of what is essentially Yule. Come in, World. Stop it already!
      I can't comment on your blog and I've tried five times. I'm signed into Typepad and everything! Grrr. I wanted to say that I loved that video you put up so much! It's totally lovely!
      Merry Christmas to you and your great family!

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  2. I hope you have a picture of the Jazzie tree. It sounds charming. So filled with memories. My tree is so different ffrom anything I've ever done. This year it is all red and silver with a few pine cones, ribbons, grapevine, raffia. I love it. Richard always liked the traditional. The holidays really bring me grief surges so I am trying to work with that! Merry Christmas to you and yours my friend!

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    1. Thank you so much Paula, for the good wishes. And yes, it is so hard now but inching the way into Christmas has been working. I must come see that beautiful tree if you posted pick of it. I'm so very behind the times now.

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  3. I couldn't agree more on the Christmas newsletters. Brag sheets is the perfect name for them!
    Love the idea of the Jazzie tree. We've never honored a pet that way, but after my dad died my mom raided his collection of John Deere model tractors and equipment and decorated the tree with those.
    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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    Replies
    1. I like the light hearted or funny newsletters but some people are just so honed into themselves that it shows. Jazzie's tree must be in the photos somewhere. I'll post it when/if I find it. Probably on Christmas! lol Your mother's decorating the tree with the model tractors, etc, sounds like a perfect thing to do with things he loved. A comforting thing, I reckon. Merry Christmas, Stacy, to you and yours!

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  4. We have seldom done themed trees. We're very haphazard in our decorating, too. It's kind of "whatever." But it suits us and we're the only ones here, anyway.

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    1. We usually do this. That's what we like the best. That one year we were still aching from losing Jazzie. Our tree usually has ornaments from our childhood trees and even some from my grandmother's tree, and ornaments from when the girls were little and which they made.
      The generational ones I kept when mother died, and no one else wanted them. My sister decided she wanted some so I give her a few. She doesn't use them. And I'll keep the rest of them 'til I die.

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  5. I love the idea of the Jazzie tree. We have the "necropsy ornaments," which are things that remind us of the dogs that died. This year we will add Lizzie's collar.

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    1. I think of the Christmas tree as sort of Chronicle of Family Life. It's sweet that you have kept things in remembrance of your pets. It is a comfort to do it.

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  6. Loreena Mckennett is a wonderful choice! I love her!

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    Replies
    1. I'm glad you like it! I have a couple of her albums and she is one of my favorite singers. Though this isn't one, Irish folk songs are big favorites of mine.

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I’m going through some stuff but I will peek in now and then and will be back when it’s over..