CAN ANYONE BELIEVE THAT CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE?????

(I certainly can't....)

It seems this month I was inundated with tags! I love getting tags as much as I love getting presents at Christmas time, so I don't mind in the least!

A few weeks ago, Elanor tagged me for The Christmas Tag!!! You can view her post HERE.  Thank you, dear! I loved reading your post, and was so glad to get this one!

Without a further ado, let's get to the questions!

1. What is your favorite Christmas movie?

White Christmas. It is never the Christmas season until we've seen White Christmas at least once :)

I've watched this movie since I was a wee little kid. I loved the double romance, the inn in Vermont and General Waverly. Betty is my favorite character out of all them - she and I are like two peas in a pod.

Source: Wikipedia

2. Have you ever had a white Christmas?

Where I am, it's about a 30% chance of getting a white Christmas. We've had them, but they don't happen too often. Normally, the snow doesn't really start flying until January-February.

Much to my brothers' chagrin.

3. Where do you normally spend the holidays?

We usually spend Christmas at home, and sometimes we go up to my grandparent's during New Years.

4. What's your favorite Christmas song?

My favorite classic carol is "Angels We Have Heard on High" because of the long "Gloria" phrase. Other favorites include "Good Christian Men Rejoice", "God Rest Ye Gentlemen", and "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming".



5. Do you ever open any gifts on Christmas Eve?

Nope! Christmas Eve tends to be a crazy mess as it is. I don't even want to imagine what opening gifts in the middle of that would be.

And this year it's even WEIRDER since Christmas Eve is on a SUNDAY. So, besides the 1 1/2 hours of singing for Sunday's Mass, we have to go back literally 12 hours later in order to another 2 hours of singing!!!

Not that I don't love singing. I just don't like a raw and sore throat on Christmas. Been there, done that too many times, NOT FUN.

6. What holiday traditions do you look forward the most?

I typically bake about 5 different cookies for Christmas with my brothers. That and we make homemade cinnamon swirl bread - about 6-8 loaves worth. Cause we tend to go through A LOT of it during the holidays.

7. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Fake. It's almost 50 years old. It's aged rather well - even if we have to tie up half of the lower branches because they sag on us. And we had to remake the bottom pole because it split on us a few years ago. Or that we have to stick toothpicks in it to make it level. It still has 90% of it's needles, surprisingly.

Copyright: Catherine Hawthorn

8. What is your favorite holiday food or sweet treat?

One that I've started making in recent years is cucidati, or Italian fig cookies. I love dried fruit, and these are PACKED with them. It tends to be a pain to make though - I tried making the fruit portion in the blender and it was a HUGE mess. So I'm stuck chopping it all - and there is a lot of fruit that goes into these cookies!

9. Be honest: do you like giving or receiving gifts better?

Both. I like both.

10. What is the best gift you've ever received?

I remember getting a dress in a really pretty fabric that I always wanted to have one year. I still have that dress (I'll have to see if it still fits - a lot of my clothes from that time have gotten a little small for me.)

Other gifts would be toys I saw ads for as a kid, or movies that I wanted as an adult :).

11. What would be your dream place to visit during the holidays?

Someplace where there is a life size Nativity scene, a really tall Christmas tree, picturesque snow and ice sculptures and on the trees, light displays, and a skating area. With a coffee/tea shop nearby.

Just don't put that in a city. A small town will do just fine please and thank you. (can't stand the city.)

12. Are you a pro present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

I'm a pro.

Though I do have a few snafus occasionaly (oh darn you drawing pad, STAY IN THERE!!!)



13. Most memorable holiday moment?

I remember going down to Tennessee when I was six (I think it was sometime in early December). We saw a lot of light displays and we went to an ice palace (where my brother and I had a blast with the ice slide). I think during that trip we also stayed in a large hotel that had a really really tall dark green Christmas tree, with red ribbons all over it. It was beautiful.

14. What made you realize the truth about Santa?

I think I started to suspect that it was Mom and Dad for a couple of years before they finally told me. It still kinda hurt though that the magic was gone.

But that was before I really knew my Faith. And I found something much more worthwhile to look forward to.

15. Do you make New Years Resolutions? And do you keep them?

Ummm, I've tried. It usually fails the second day of the year, so I don't really bother anymore.

16. What makes the holidays special for you?

Family. Cookies. Music. Movies. Presents.

But most of all.....

That Baby Jesus is here at last!!!




I Tag:

Lilah @ The Singing Writer

Anyone that (like me!) celebrates Christmas until February 2nd!!!!

And now...



Scribblingly yours,

Catherine