Wendy's Christmas Survey answers!

by Wendy, www.retirement-online.com

Here are my answers...

Christmas Tree
-- Real Christmas tree or artificial? Fakey, here.. uggg!

-- When do you put up your Christmas tree? Before Thanksgiving... the family comes over, and we don't do Christmas, so the perfect opportunity to show it off a bit.

-- What is your favorite ornament on the tree? Describe it! A Polish Pierogi... no kidding! We got it at a family Christmas party years ago, we all swapped wrapped ornaments and we got the famous pierogi!

-- Clear lights or colored lights on the tree? Colored... I like color everywhere.

-- Angel on the tree top or a star? or something unique? Star.

Outside Decorations
-- How do you decorate outside the House? Details! Yes, my husband puts dangling icicles across the front of the garage and house, and that's it!

Christmas Gifts
-- When do you start shopping for Christmas? Late... we often finish on Christmas Eve and I have to do a wrapping marathon.

-- Do you buy lots of gifts or is your shopping limited (post retirement)? Lots... unfortunately. It's actually very stressful...

-- Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning, we travel to my sisters and everyone opens gifts. Eat a light breakfast, then come back later for dinner,

-- Best, most creative, most thoughtful, gift ever received? A few years ago, I got a new wedding ring for Christmas... it's really nice so I didn't want to wear it... So I wrapped in kleenex and stuck in my purse (not even in the box... biiiig dummy! Well, on the way over, I had a sneezing fit, not unusual for me, and used my kleenex. We get to my sisters and I pull my niece aside and said (privately) WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT I GOT!!! Guess what? It wasn't there. I was freaking out... An hour later, Terry (the husband) says to the group, DID YOU SHOW THEM YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFT? Ummm... welll, no, I didn't... I can't find it! As you can well imagine, that was not the response he expected and he stomped out of the house. A bit later -- he came in with the ring, Guess what it was? In the snow where I got out of the car... it was deep, 6-8 inches that year, and it made a perfect path down into the snow. Terry saw this one odd hole and VOILA -- there's the ring! Yikes. Bad Bad Wendy that year! GRIN!

-- Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

-- Do you use wrapping paper or gift bags? Both.

-- How many Christmas cards do you mail? I don't any more. Bad Wendy again!

Christmas Day, Christmas Eve...
-- Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Go to my sisters home... just a few miles away

-- Do you go to church on Christmas or Christmas Eve? Christmas Eve Candlelight Service... simply beautiful!

Christmas Food
-- Favorite food(s) to eat at Christmas? Turkey and all the fixings, gotta have it!

-- Does your family have any traditions regarding the food? No, and getting less traditional as the years go on.. the kids wanted prime rib last year and my sister cooked that and the turkey. She better not forget my turkey!

-- Favorite Christmas cookie(s)? Snowballs, full of buttery goodness and covered with powder sugar!

-- Do you like eggnog? Yes!!

Christmas Entertainment
-- Favorite Christmas song(s)? I LOVE the Trans-Siberian Orchestra!

-- Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? It’s a Wonderful Life (soo good!), A Christmas Story (good old Ralphie), A Christmas Story -- many more but those are my tops!

-- Ever attended the Nutcracker ballet? Yes, my brother-in-law's niece runs a Ballet Studio and is married to a Russian Ballet instructor (she is one too). So yes, we've attended their Nutcracker they do every year!

-- Any family traditions you do each year? Christmas Breakfast at my sisters?

Joy or Stress
--Do you feel the JOY of Christmas or mostly STRESS? Stress.

-- Do you do anything special to rid yourself of stress? Meditate all year round... it's great!

-- Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shopping, watching the list, making sure everyone is equal. Uggg.

Santa
-- Do you have a special/funny memory of Santa Claus? My uncle always brought Santa to our home. He was a personal friend (GRIN!) and Santa would chat with us, drink milk and eat a cookie or two, then he had to run as he had other kids to visit!

-- Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Grin! Yes.

I Love Christmas because: IT's a magical time of year...

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