The Scrapping Abyss

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know
your friends.

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not
to be a

SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email
and paste into a

new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers
so that they

apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of
people you know,

INCLUDING the person that sent it to you.. 'Tis the
Season to

be .........NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Either...I like that
gift bags are recyclable, to a point, though I admit
it's more fun to tear into a wrapped gift.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial

3. When do you put up the tree? within 2 weeks of
Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? as an adult I
decided I could take it down whenever I wanted, so I
usually leave it up until Epiphany. Not necessarily
b/c we celebrate, but b/c I like leaving it up
longer:)

5. Do you like eggnog? yes, but not out of a carton

6. Favorite gift received as a child? a toughie...the
homemade Care Bear I thought I wouldn't like b/c it
wasn't the real thing (the year they were so popular
no one could find them in stores), the hanging wicker
chair (who knew furniture could be so fun...it was
like an indoor swing!)...

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? my husband-he waits
until the absolute last minute to tell anyone what he
wants and meanwhile not only do I not know what I'm
getting him, but I have his parents and sister
breathing down my neck wanting ideas too, lol. My
parents gave up a couple years ago and usually give us
money for this reason!

9. Easiest person to buy for? Kids

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My mom's
cousin Shirley is well known for her, shall we say,
unusual gifts. I have a stellar pic (OMG I need to
scrapbook some of these stories I'm telling!!!) of
Jeff wearing a ridiculous boa thingy she made
(something similar to crochet I think but it was a
really really weird stitch of some sort) one year for
me. Now to her credit, she has actually given the boys
some rather nice presents lately, so this is all in
the past, knock on wood. (A book she gave Christopher
last year is one of his favorites and one of Michael's
favorite blankies came from her).

11. Favorite Christmas Cartoon? The Grinch

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I was never much for
the non-animated Christmas movies, so I'll repeat
Grinch here.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
whenever. If I see a perfect gift in the summer I'll
get it, but usually around October.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Yes...shh!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Another
toughie...chili, the Thieleke tradition of Elegant
Beef Tenderloin, pretty much any dessert, peanut
brittle, ...

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear on one,
colored on the other.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Another toughie: O Holy
Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Joy to the World,
Angels We Have Heard on High...

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? depends on the
year. My parents usually come here from Atlantic, we
go to Jeff's parents in Urbandale, and some years we
go to Massena, Jewell, or Indianola IA to celebrate
with my dad's side of the family.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, and I
was disappointed that Basic Grey (scrapbook thing)
didn't continue on past Blitzen and Dasher.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star on one
tree, huge ribbon bow on the other.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? a
little of both

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
Traffic and parking lots, lines.

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme?
Both trees have mostly Hallmark ornaments on them, but
there's a healthy amount of homemade and other special
ornaments as well.