[HEADING=1]Merry Christmas[/HEADING]
Well, another Christmas is rolling through my life and its gonna be a blast. I'm off to Edmonton with my parents, my sister and her kids! It might just be for a few days but West Ed Mall is a lot of fun and I think my nephew and niece are going to have a great time.
I wanted to make a few Christmas related threads recently but I thought I'd do an all-in-one thread to save time but let's get in the mood first.
Oh arrogant worms, how I love you!
Now that you're in the mood, let's get started!
[HEADING=2]Christmas Music[/HEADING]
I work at a grocery store. I've been hearing Christmas music since November 15th. Now I think it is perfectly understandable for me to feel like I want to shoot every speaker in the building with a bazooka but the festive cheer still works on me. Despite the painful experience of hearing certain songs by certain artists over and over again[footnote]There is one lead singer with this Christmas blues ensemble who has the most piercing and annoying voice I've heard in ages. Whoever she is, she should be grateful I don't know her name.[/footnote] I can't help enjoying certain tunes.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Santa Baby, Frosty the Snowman and, my personal favorite, Jingle Bell Rock. It just makes me smile and day dream about that special moment of family warmth on the 24th.
However, there are certain songs that get into your head and never go away! The cheerful intent of these songs are usually lost in the frustration of trying to erase the soundworm in your brain. For me these are Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Winter Wonderland are currently ingrained in my mind.
So, what songs of the season fill your heart with genuine cheer? Which ones make you shudder and wish you could silence the source?
[HEADING=2]The Christmas Tree[/HEADING]
How important is the Christmas tree in your house? When I was a kid it was one of the best things about the season. Picking out all the decorations, begging mom for a real tree, wrapping it with sparkling garlands, putting the decorations on it, putting the angel on top, turning on the lights... It was a blast. This year and last year I didn't do it because of my nephew and niece taking up the sacred task. My family was especially good for tree decorating because we'd do our tree then we'd drive across Saskatchewan to both sets of grandparents and help set up their trees! I remember once my grandmother's cat got into the tree when we were sleeping Christmas Eve. I heard a crash at about 2 AM, went out and sure enough the tree was on the ground littering the floor with ornaments.
So was your family a Christmas tree family? Do you have any particular stories?
While you ponder these questions, go ahead and listen to Graham rap about Santa again. Do it, you know you want to.
[video=5141]
While we're thinking about Santa (or in my case nomming on some gingerbread cookies) we should talk about how that gigantic cultural icon has touched your life.
[HEADING=2]Your relationship with Santa[/HEADING]
I've heard some stories about how the truth about Santa[footnote]He's real I tell yah! Never stop believing![/footnote] was revealed to various friends of mine. One found out when a mall Santa very subtly took off the wig and beard, while still on the chair, when his shift was over. Another found the Santa suit in her dad's closet. As for me? Well I found out in elementary school, when eventually I allowed myself to be convinced that the vice principle and the Santa who visited every year looked very familiar.
So how did you find out the truth? Did you send him letters? Leave him milk and cookies?
[HEADING=2]Christmas shopping[/HEADING]
Some people love it. Some people hate it. I fall into the latter category. Buying gifts always gives me the greatest amount of stress during the season. I'm usually short on cash but I don't want to give something that is obviously from a second hand store. It becomes a war of balancing appearance vs cost! Then there is the whole deciding what to get people worry. My sister is generally easy to get and I can buy presents for kids but my parents are difficult. Did I get mom a book last year? What CD's did I pick up for dad again? Do we have that DVD in the library yet? ARRRRRRRGH!
So, what do you think about Christmas shopping? A pleasant experience or a difficult battle?
We're getting to the end, bear with me folks!
[HEADING=2]Christmas Food![/HEADING]
Christmas is as much about the food as it is the presents in my family. Traditionally our family has a feast on Christmas Eve and then a Christmas brunch in the morning. The results of those two meals usually leave me feeling a little bloated but the food is sooo worth it. Mashed potatos, turkey, ham, creamed corn, freshly homemade baked buns... And in the morning we have breakfast sausage, Waffles, toast and homemade jam... That's just the main meals! There are always Christmas chocolates laying around, caramel popcorn, nachos and, yet again homemade, salsa... Christmas food generally leaves me missing it in January when the bulk of what I eat is soup due to the frigid nature of the prairies.
Well, what food is around your house during Christmas?
And our last question for this thread is:
What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?!
Mine easily has to be visiting both sets of grandparents, seeing uncles and aunts I never see otherwise and of course that warm feeling of sitting with your closest loved ones.
As soon as I hit post, I'm shipping out to Edmonton for a few days, I'm heading out to Edmonton for a few days so please have a great holiday season Escapist!
Peace out Escapist!
[HEADING=1]And have a Happy New Year![/HEADING]
Well, another Christmas is rolling through my life and its gonna be a blast. I'm off to Edmonton with my parents, my sister and her kids! It might just be for a few days but West Ed Mall is a lot of fun and I think my nephew and niece are going to have a great time.
I wanted to make a few Christmas related threads recently but I thought I'd do an all-in-one thread to save time but let's get in the mood first.
Oh arrogant worms, how I love you!
Now that you're in the mood, let's get started!
[HEADING=2]Christmas Music[/HEADING]
I work at a grocery store. I've been hearing Christmas music since November 15th. Now I think it is perfectly understandable for me to feel like I want to shoot every speaker in the building with a bazooka but the festive cheer still works on me. Despite the painful experience of hearing certain songs by certain artists over and over again[footnote]There is one lead singer with this Christmas blues ensemble who has the most piercing and annoying voice I've heard in ages. Whoever she is, she should be grateful I don't know her name.[/footnote] I can't help enjoying certain tunes.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Santa Baby, Frosty the Snowman and, my personal favorite, Jingle Bell Rock. It just makes me smile and day dream about that special moment of family warmth on the 24th.
However, there are certain songs that get into your head and never go away! The cheerful intent of these songs are usually lost in the frustration of trying to erase the soundworm in your brain. For me these are Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Winter Wonderland are currently ingrained in my mind.
So, what songs of the season fill your heart with genuine cheer? Which ones make you shudder and wish you could silence the source?
[HEADING=2]The Christmas Tree[/HEADING]
How important is the Christmas tree in your house? When I was a kid it was one of the best things about the season. Picking out all the decorations, begging mom for a real tree, wrapping it with sparkling garlands, putting the decorations on it, putting the angel on top, turning on the lights... It was a blast. This year and last year I didn't do it because of my nephew and niece taking up the sacred task. My family was especially good for tree decorating because we'd do our tree then we'd drive across Saskatchewan to both sets of grandparents and help set up their trees! I remember once my grandmother's cat got into the tree when we were sleeping Christmas Eve. I heard a crash at about 2 AM, went out and sure enough the tree was on the ground littering the floor with ornaments.
So was your family a Christmas tree family? Do you have any particular stories?
While you ponder these questions, go ahead and listen to Graham rap about Santa again. Do it, you know you want to.
[video=5141]
While we're thinking about Santa (or in my case nomming on some gingerbread cookies) we should talk about how that gigantic cultural icon has touched your life.
[HEADING=2]Your relationship with Santa[/HEADING]
I've heard some stories about how the truth about Santa[footnote]He's real I tell yah! Never stop believing![/footnote] was revealed to various friends of mine. One found out when a mall Santa very subtly took off the wig and beard, while still on the chair, when his shift was over. Another found the Santa suit in her dad's closet. As for me? Well I found out in elementary school, when eventually I allowed myself to be convinced that the vice principle and the Santa who visited every year looked very familiar.
So how did you find out the truth? Did you send him letters? Leave him milk and cookies?
[HEADING=2]Christmas shopping[/HEADING]
Some people love it. Some people hate it. I fall into the latter category. Buying gifts always gives me the greatest amount of stress during the season. I'm usually short on cash but I don't want to give something that is obviously from a second hand store. It becomes a war of balancing appearance vs cost! Then there is the whole deciding what to get people worry. My sister is generally easy to get and I can buy presents for kids but my parents are difficult. Did I get mom a book last year? What CD's did I pick up for dad again? Do we have that DVD in the library yet? ARRRRRRRGH!
So, what do you think about Christmas shopping? A pleasant experience or a difficult battle?
We're getting to the end, bear with me folks!
[HEADING=2]Christmas Food![/HEADING]
Christmas is as much about the food as it is the presents in my family. Traditionally our family has a feast on Christmas Eve and then a Christmas brunch in the morning. The results of those two meals usually leave me feeling a little bloated but the food is sooo worth it. Mashed potatos, turkey, ham, creamed corn, freshly homemade baked buns... And in the morning we have breakfast sausage, Waffles, toast and homemade jam... That's just the main meals! There are always Christmas chocolates laying around, caramel popcorn, nachos and, yet again homemade, salsa... Christmas food generally leaves me missing it in January when the bulk of what I eat is soup due to the frigid nature of the prairies.
Well, what food is around your house during Christmas?
And our last question for this thread is:
What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?!
Mine easily has to be visiting both sets of grandparents, seeing uncles and aunts I never see otherwise and of course that warm feeling of sitting with your closest loved ones.
As soon as I hit post, I'm shipping out to Edmonton for a few days, I'm heading out to Edmonton for a few days so please have a great holiday season Escapist!
Peace out Escapist!
[HEADING=1]And have a Happy New Year![/HEADING]
