A few Christmas questions answered ....

1. Do you celebrate Christmas? Are you celebrating with your family or are you traveling?
Yes, I celebrate Christmas.....
Christmas is celebrated at more than one house and on more than one day in our families. For example, I am working Christmas Day so I will try to have my brothers and parents over on Christmas Eve for a bit. With three brothers that all work very different schedules, it's hard to do things like we used to. I know that still bothers my mom. Every year I find myself longing even more for the days of waking up with my brothers and running to the den to find our piles from Santa. I am a very immature 41 .... or at least a very honest 41.

2. Do you know what presents to get and have you already done some shopping?
Sort of. Some people have given me lists. I like ideas and general suggestions... I don't like lists of specifics... That -- at least to me -- ruins it. Yes, it makes for easy shopping, but .... that shouldn't be the point.

3. Do you already know what to have for the Christmas meal?
chicken wings and Jim Beam and Diet Coke would suit me just fine. BUT... there are plenty of cooks and chefs in this extended family so I leave it to them. Crown roast, hams, turkeys, prime ribs, pork loins ... it's all been enjoyed in the past.

4. Do you have a Christmas tree? When do you decorate it and when does it come down again? How do you like it to look?
Yes, there is a tree in the house (pictured at right)... and one on the front porch. The trees go up shortly after
Thanksgiving and don't come down until after the new year. Eclectic with an eye toward tradition is how I'd describe the tree. The new addition this year is something from the past – bubble lights.

Here is a link to a video of this year's tree. The song is Purple Snowflakes from Marvin Gaye. Like the song? Download it here from Aquarium Drunkard while the post lasts.

5. Are you going to church?
I do not attend church. I believe in God or a higher power .. I don't believe you have to go somewhere specific for her or him or them to hear you. I also don't knock those who like to gather together as a group to do it. More power to you. Whatever works.

6. Do you think you will be having a white Christmas?
Unlikely, but it could happen. It's cold enough this time of year, generally, but we usually don't have anything around Christmas where the temps and precip match up.

And a question added by Kim and Victoria:

7. What was your strangest Christmas?
Last year ... 2006 ... Last Christmas is sort of the demarcation of the B.C. and A.D. of my life .. and a year later, I'm still trying to figure out everything that happened.

Here are some links to others who answered similar questions. Please check their blogs for their answers. Seeing how others think and live is the kind of thing that makes blogging so interesting ... at least for me it does.

• Kim and Victoria
• BEK ... scroll down for English
• Mara at Whole Lots o' Nothin'
• Lacey

Looking for some Christmas songs to download ... shhhhhh... Then check out the daily posting at Hello Vegetables.