The GTNG Getting-To-Know-You Meme, holiday edition

Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Ddefinitely, hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? The Elves wrap the presents and Santa puts them under the tree. Santa's too busy checking his list twice to wrap presents.


3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
We have colored lights on the tree. I like white lights outside, but I also like the colored lights. We have a white twig tree with white lights that we set up and plug in.

4. Do you hang mistletoe on the house?
Yup. It's fake though.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
From now until the week of Christmas. We'll buy the tree this weekend. I'll cajole LH into setting it up one night. Then it sits in the corner for a couple days til the branches drop. Then I coax LH to string the lights on it. It takes one evening to hang ornaments. The next evening to hang the tinsel. The mantle will be decorated this weekend. And all will stay up until after New Year's. The season of Christmas lasts 12 days you know.


6. What is your favorite holiday meal (excluding dessert)?
Pastaetli, a Swiss dish of sweatbreads, veal and 'shrooms in a white cream sauce poured into a pastry shell. Preparing the sweetbreads are alot of work. So sometimes we make it with leftover (frozen and thawed) Thanksgiving turkey and 'shrooms. Tastes great too.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
Christmas Eve when my sister and I would recite a German poem and read the Christmas story from the Bible. We did a mini Lessons and Carols as we both played German and English Christmas carols on the piano and our little family, with sometimes my aunt present, singing away. Then it would be off to the 11 pm service.
Christmas day was for opening up presents, eating a traditional Swiss braided bread with butter, lazing about and enjoying a great dinner. Being together as family.


8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was crushed when my Dad told me after my 7th birthday and flung myself on the bed weeping for lost magic. My family reassured me about the spirit of Christmas that exists in all our hearts. And Christmas become more spiritual and filled with the fullness of wonder and mystery. Not a bad trade off. Actually, much, much better!



9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Nope. We wait til Christmas Day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
With colored lights, decorations from childhood and collected over the years, and with tinsel icicles.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
I generally love it. Love to watch it fall, dance and cling. Not to thrilled to drive in it when the roads get snow covered. Sometimes, I even like to shovel it!!!

12. Can you ice skate?
Not really. Never was much good at it, hard to get my balance on that little blade.
I did skate down the church steps two years ago and tore the quad muscle off the knee. I was out for three months! Not quite the way to skate.


13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The Lionel electric train from my folks on my 4th Christmas. Still have it. Still works. And the Easy-Bake Oven on my 5th Christmas. Now I use a real oven.


14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Celebrating well with meaningful worship. Haven't been with my family for Christmas in 22 years, that's the price and sacrifice of being clergy. Have spent part of Christmas Day with LH's family some years. Usually, we're pretty worn out and keep a quiet Christmas Day.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Christmas cookies from parishioners, but mostly I nibble on chocolate!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Since we have no children and we work Christmas Eve as clergy, our one tradition is,
Champagne and Brie on crackers after our last services on Christmas Eve. We usually don't go to bed til well after 1:30 pm.

17. What tops your tree?
A glowing, sparkly star.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?
Both! I so enjoy shopping all year, including arts & crafts shows, vacation spots for just the right things I know each particular person will enjoy and use. I delight in watching others open their gifts as well! Just as I delight in receiving and opening the gifts given to me.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Joy to the World! (Sung and played up to speed!)

20. Candy Canes!
Not a hard candy liking person. I may have one little candy cane once at Christmas.

21. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Rudolf, the Grinch, A Christmas Story, and even Elf.

22. What would you most like to find under your tree this year?
Peace in the world. Elders and Deacons to serve the church. Shoes that don't hurt my feet and still look nice. That Sheila Fleet ring I saw in Scotland.


23. Favorite Holiday memory as an adult?
Our midnight Champagne, Brie, Cracker time with LH after celebrating meaningful and well-done Christmas Eve services.

Now it's your turn to share!