MEMEME

Stolen from The Peanut Queen

1. Name 3 people that you miss that you haven't seen in a long time.
My two sisters who live in Minnesota. They haven't been here for Christmas for a quite a few years. It would be nice to have the whole family together.

2. Name 3 things you miss about home during the holidays.
Winter. Idaho had winter, Seattle doesn't. Here we have the warm rainy season and the cold rainy season.

.3. Name 1 holiday memory that you have from childhood that you will never forget.
The year when my brother and I got bikes for Christmas. Sure, they were used, but no one could have happier.

4. Name at least one favorite book or movie that always reminds you of the holidays.
When we were growing up, I always read DR. Seus to my little sisters. I loved the word play and illiteration. I was the only one in the family that could wrap my tongue around all that fun without stumbling, so The Grinch always reminds me of those times.

5. Name your top 3 favorite holiday songs that get you in the mood to celebrate.
Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song", Bing's "White Christmas", and "Jingle Bell Rock"

6. If you could go anywhere other than home for the holidays, where would you choose to go and who would you want to bring along?
Actually Carol and I were just looking into a trip to China at Christmas time. It would be awesome if the two of us could get away for a couple of weeks. I want to see the Forbidden City, walk the Great Wall.

7. The Grinch or Rudolph? Definitely The Grinch, for reasons mentioned above

8. Formal holiday dinner or casual get-together food? Since there are around 25 immediate members in my family and another 15 in Carols, the only way to go is casual, otherwise we would both be frazzled out of our minds, and there would be no time to visit.

9. Name the best holiday gift you ever received and why?
You've seen "A Christmas Story" where Ralphie gets the Red Ryder BB gun? That could have been me, except for the having my mouth washed out with soap.

10. Describe the funniest holiday moment you've ever had. My little brother, Bill wasa always the one to tell an amusing story when we were together. SOme of them were even probably even true. I remember hin telling This story: Bill owned a 1959 Triumph TR3, which we both spent a lot of time working on. When it was together it was a lot of fun. One of his friends' wife loved that car, and every time he went to visit he had to take her for a spin. One fall day he got over to their house after dark, and took her for a spin to Golden Gardens Park. WHen they came around the corner into the parking lot, they noticed a small light that was travelling back and forth in the middle of the parking lot. They pulled up close and got out of the car. It was a mouse, running around in a circle, and the light was the headlights reflected from his eyes. They stood there mesmerized, watching this mouse run around and around in a circle. He says that he has no idea how long they stood there watching the mouse. He put out his foot and stopped the mouse, and it stopped, but when he removed his foot, it kept right on going. Eventually when he stopped it, it shook it's head and seemed to come to it's senses, and ran off into the night. He and the lady got back into the car and he drove her home. His friend was furious. "Do you know how long you have been gone?" Bill figures his friend never believed him. I found the story highly amusing, especially the way he told it. And of course I'd had a couple of Hot buttered Rums. I was never sure if it was true.
A couple of years ago I was going to work at zero dark thirty, taking a path through the ornamental shrubbery here at the "Lazy B", when I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye.
It was a mouse.
He was running around and around in a circle. Every once in a while he would stop and roll over, then go back to running in a circle.

11. Name a holiday memory that truly warmed your heart.
When I was stationed overseas, one of the places I worked part of the time was Camp Mercy, which was a home for retarded kids. Most of them were abandoned. We got together and donated a bunch of cheap gifts to the kids, delivered them and sang some Christmas Carols. Those kids were thrilled. It was like we had given them the most wonerful things. None of them was disappointed or jealouse. I thought we all could learn a lesson from these kids about being happy with what you get.

12. Name your top 3 favorite TV specials that frequent the airwaves during the holiday season.
The Grinch, It's a wonderful life, and A Christmas Story.

13. Sledding, snowball fight, snow angels or building a snowman?
None of the above. Snowmobiling rules!

14. Eggnog, hot chocolate or hot cider
I suppose hot chocolate, but I'd really prefer a hot buttered Rum!

16. Favorite holiday cookie: They are all equally bad for me, since I am diabetic. So which ones will I cheat with? Buckeyes! My sister-in-law is from Ohio, where they are like the state official cookie or something. Peanut butter and chocolate, kinda like a round Resse's peanut butter cup.