In which it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Okay, maybe it's only looking a little like Christmas. Despite it being very stormy here (and cold... brrr!) it doesn't really feel like Christmas. Arizona is just not... christmassy.  We did, however, put up our tree and some basic decorations (we got rid of a lot of stuff when we moved two years ago, and again this summer.)  We opted for an artificial tree this year, since the prices for decent sized trees were outrageous here in Arizona (says the woman who has spent all her life in places where "christmas trees" grow wild all over the place). As well, I had a lot of concern about how dry things are here, and how far the tree would be traveling (so how long it had already begun to dry out). I love having the tree up for a long time, and didn't want to have to worry about it turning into uber-kindling before Christmas even arrived.

We found this one at Lowe's and I'm really pleased with it. It's fairly bushy, and has lots of lights and the branches are all tipped with molded needles (not the tinsel-type that look like shiny plastic strips).

( Cut for pictures of holiday cheer )

In which we post our preferences...

Stolen from abracanabra because it seemed worth posting. People tend to say I'm difficult to shop for, so... here's my holiday line up...

Socializing:
1. IF YOU HAVE A REGULAR SCHEDULE, WHAT IS IT? I get up at 6am every weekday. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays I drop the Valkyrie off at school by 7:30 and head to the realty office to work until noon. I frequently work other days/hours as the workload demands, but those are my core days. I pick her up by noon on Mondays (just before 3 other days) and we're home until the Viking gets off work at 5. I have a couple of things I do on a monthly or semi-weekly basis (the occasional Cam-game or Game Night or Meet Up) but mostly my evenings are hanging out with the family or writing (or both).
2. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS (VEGAN/VEGETARIAN/CELIAC ETC): None, other than avoiding a lot of sugar stuff and trying to stick to whole grains, etc.
3. FOODS YOU HATE: Liver (and other internal organs), brussel sprouts, dry wine. That's bout it, I'm not really picky.
4. ANY FOOD ALLERGIES? None.
5. ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING LEFT ON YOUR OWN WITH NEW PEOPLE? Yes, as long as they're nice. If they treat me like an outsider, then, no, probably not (Who would be?)
6. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU LIKE: Seeing movies in the theatre, going out to eat at a new place, potluck dinners, going to a zoo or museum, playing card or board games, going to cons, SCA events, going to (non-stupidity-level) parties.
7. SOCIAL ACTIVITIES YOU DON'T LIKE: Watching movies in someone's home (I get bored and restless and there's no elegant way to excuse myself from them when everyone else is enjoying them). Sports or physical challenges when people take them seriously, rather than just using them as an excuse to hang out and have fun. Going to parties where there is stupid levels of drinking going on, nude hottubbing/hanging out (or illegal activities).

Gifts:
1.FREE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: Letters/cards in the mail. Offers to hang out (concrete, not "we should do something, some time). Tips and connections that will help my career (putting in a good word for me somewhere, or introducing me to someone who might need a writer/editor.) Reviews of my work posted to forums or websites. Invitations to social gatherings. Hand-me-down clothing/shoes/jewelry (especially if you think they'd look good on me). Compliments (sincere, please). Recipes. Offers to do something specific for me: wash/clean my car, back rubs, etc. Offer (from people I trust for it) to house/pet sit. Offer (from those I trust) to have the Valkyrie stay with them or come here to stay with her so that the Viking and I can have an overnight away. Plant/flower starts. Lessons to teach me how to do anything I don't already know how to do.
2. CHEAP, SMALL THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY: BPAL imps, offers to go to the movies/eat out, flowers, coffee, good chocolate, homemade recipes, lotions, chai tea, hand knitted things (especially fingerless gloves, scarves or hats), cool socks, cool jewelry/beads. Yarn. Magic Scarves. CDs.
3. MEDIUM-SIZE THINGS THAT YOU WANT: My car detailed. Gift certificates for pedicures or other things I wouldn't normally splurge on. Shelves for my office (mission style). Plants (herbs, especially). Mead. Exotic cooking spices (especially with recipes on how to use them). Cool kitchen gadgets. Boxes, bins, bottles, bags or other neat "things to put other things in".
4. BIG THINGS THAT YOU WANT: Bookshelves (mission style), a headboard/footboard (mission style), a futon (again, mission style) for my office/guestroom. (REALLY big things I want: new appliances in the kitchen. A non-pink countertop. Plane tickets home to visit my sissy and older kids.)
5. DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING: Fairytale books. Wade figurines (not really actively collecting any more) That's about it (two cross country moves with the accompanying down-sizing has cured me of most "things for the sake of things" collections.
6. WHAT SMELLS DO YOU LIKE? Perfumes: Queen Crossbones, Blood Countess, Bastet.  Smells: Vanilla, honey, cinnamon, apple pie, sugar cookies, and most spicy or fruit-based smells. Tea Rose (although I rarely wear it). Nag Champa. Lavendar. Rosemary.
7. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO SURROUND YOURSELF WITH? Hunter green, burgundy/cranberry, warm yellows and golds, rich chocolate browns, black (of course), deep reds.
8. WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR? Black. (Sorry, mom.) Usually accented with wine/red/burgundy, or deep greens or blues. I rarely wear pastels (sometimes a top with bluejeans). I also like rich earth tones, chocolate browns and beiges, etc.
9. CLOTHING SIZE: Jeans - 16LONG (now) Shirts - XL in knit stuff, hard to buy non-knit because of my barrel chest. Skirts - XL or 14-16. Dresses - depends on the cut/fabric. Shoes - 10 Socks - regular, but have to be stretchy if they're tall, as I have big calves. Jammies/Yoga Pants - XL
10. GOOD PLACES TO GET YOU GIFT CERTIFICATES TO: Services I wouldn't normally spend money for (car detailing, pedicure/manicures, massages). Bookstores (especially online ones), as we live in the middle of nowhere. Any sort of catalog I can shop on line without guilt.
11. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU ALREADY HAVE: None
12. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE: Any of the "womens"/"household" magazines (Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Cosmo) Any writers/writing magazines. Puzzle/games magazines. Recipe magazines.
11. NOT SO GOOD GIFTS: Photos if they're not framed and hang-ready. Movies (the Viking already has enough trouble getting me to sit down and watch the ones we have, and we have Netflix) Anything religious. Knick-knacky stuff (see comments about collectibles above). Anything if you don't really want to be doing it (I'd rather have time with you and/or a nice note/letter) Quantity (rather than quality) foodstuffs - a small box of truffles is fine. 5 pound bags of M&Ms, not so much.

In which we follow the Christmas lemming...

Stolen from my mom and sis on their blogs....

Christmas questions...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper - Gift bags are cute, but too easy for kids (or Vikings) to peek into!

2. Real trees or Artificial? I prefer real ones, but this year we got our first artificial one. I'm very pleased with it, but it doesn't smell right. Anyone have any suggestions for a /real/ pine-smelling candle or such that we can use to help supplement the holiday feeling?

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the weekend after my birthday, but this year we put it up early (today).

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually sometime after the first of the year, depending on how dry it is. With the artificial one, it may stay up til June (just kidding!)

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, as long as it's really cold. Unfortunately, it's like pure calories, so I probably won't buy/drink it this year.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My first grownup book of fairy tales from my Aunt Linda and Uncle Jerry. Hard cover, beautiful paper jacket, and it made me feel very grown up. My parents always gave me great things too, but that's the first time I remember feeling mature.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No. I actually love creches (fell in love with them during my french class in high school), but it's a weird conundrum with us not being Christian. We tend to celebrate Christmas as a very secular holiday, but I do like creches.

8. Hardest person to buy for? The Viking.  I don't know enough about technology to get him cool gadgets or tools, and we tend to buy whatever "toys" we want during the year when we have money.

9. Easiest person to buy for? The Valkyrie - She's still great about making christmas lists! :)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I'm so bad about these. I try to mail them, but some years I just don't get them done.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Probably something from my ex-inlaws. I want to say they were well intended, but they never really knew or liked the person I was, just the person they wanted me to be.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? I don't think I really have one.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually after Thanksgiving. I'm a "one-holiday/crisis at a time" kind of person.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, but I may give away something I won't use to someone who will. It's silly to hang onto something that you have no use for. People give you things and you appreciate the thought and love that goes into it, but it's the thought and love, not the item, that is important. I wouldn't want someone to keep and not use (or use and not like) something I gave them, when it could be being used and liked by someone else.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's chocolates, especially the coconut ones. Almond Roca. Candy cane bark. Pomegranites. Frosted sugar cookies. Pie. (boy, is it any wonder I weigh so much?)

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Normally, colored (and lots). This year, white (they came already on the tree). I prefer white lights outside, especially if they dangle like icicles. But colored is okay on the tree and in windows.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Kermit the frog singing The Christmas Wish from the John Denver and the Muppets' Christmas Album. I also like "It's Cold Outside", "Santa Baby" (the Eartha Kitt version), Jingle Bells (the statler brother's version), "Un Flambeau Jeanette Isabella" and The Little Drummer Boy (Bing Crosby and David Bowie). Actually I love tons of them, but those are some of my favorites.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? For many many years, we had to divide Christmas with the older kids between our house and the ex-'s. It was really hard, because sometimes we were driving over a mountain pass or such, and it just made the holiday a constant reminder of what a jerk he was. Now that the older two are off on their own, we rarely travel for the holiday. The last two years we were in MA and too far from family to do so. This year, we went to Yuma to visit my folks for Thanksgiving, so they're coming here for Christmas.  I would love to get the whole family (Sis and her family, the older two kids (and their partner/spouses), my folks and us) all together for Christmas again, maybe like at a resort or something. I think it would be really fun to enjoy all of their company for a few days together.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Of course.

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? We have a Lady on top of our tree. I made her, very early in Pat and I's marriage, and she has been on top every year since.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? People who have grumpy attitudes about shopping or being out in public. Seriously, just stuff a sock in it, folks. If you can't give someone the courtesy of a little extra politeness/kindness this time of year, just stay home and Scrooge where you're not raining on anyone else's parade.

23. Favorite Christmas ornament? Little plastic figure of the wrestler that looks like the Viking. It reminds me of how lucky I am to have such a hunky hubby. :)

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? The Viking's father used to make prime rib when we visited them while Mom was still alive. That was pretty awesome. I think this year I'm making a turkey. Christmas eve, though, we're going to reintroduce one of the Viking's family's traditions, making Apple Fritters for Christmas eve.