Welcome to the Christmas edition of the Tuesday 4. Thanks goes out to Anne for coming up with the questions and keeping it going in honor of Toni Taddeo.
1. Is your tree up? Yes, it is. How tall... what color lights? It is 6.5 feet with white lights. Is there a color scheme you use? There are no ornaments on the tree this year because of the new kitty, but normally the tree is done in a red and white woodland theme.2. Got a menu for Christmas Eve and Day? Nothing for Christmas Eve as I believe we are going to go out. I'm firming up the Christmas Day menu...not that it changes too much from year to year. There are certain things that are expected and/or demanded. So far, it looks like we will be having a double smoked ham, au gratin potatoes, corn spoonbread, roasted green beans and mushrooms in a basalmic vinaigrette, deviled eggs, rolls, and whatever other little yummies I decide on or others bring.
3. When does it go up and how long does it stay up? Most years the tree goes up Thanksgiving weekend, but it was a week or two late this year for several reasons.
4. What is your favorite Christmas memory. I don't think I have any one in particular. My favorites were those when I was growing up and both sides of the family came to our house, filling it to the brim and having those huge, fun-filled meals and afternoons of games and laughter. A close second were the years when my children were young and before my dad passed away. He loved those kids so much and got so excited about the holidays. He really was the driving force behind our family traditions and many of them faded away after he was gone. When do you open your gifts? It's always been Christmas Day except for a couple of years when our son and his family could only come on Christmas Eve and then again when I worked at the nursing home and we had to postpone our celebrations to weekends when I wasn't working.
Sounds like you have good memories of Christmas and a great family celebration planned for this year. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, we opened Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve because my Uncle and my cousins had to attend a different Christmas on Christmas day. I opened Christmas gifts from Santa on Christmas day though. My Granie and Papa made Christmas so fun. Loved your answers! Have a nice week.
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When we used to exchange gifts, it was always on Christmas Day. That's about the only tradition we have.
ReplyDeleteBlessings. xx
Good idea not putting anything on the tree. Our sons dog has pulled their tree down twice and of course after the first time they took everything off. Your Christmas day dinner sounds delicious. Those are beautiful memories. Have a Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI did a table-top this year and the cats haven't paid a bit attention to it this year! Your Christmas dinner sounds almost the same as I am planning here. Wishing you and all a blessed Christmas and new year!! xo
ReplyDeleteI did table top too. Have a great holiday.
ReplyDeleteI have never had a cat, but I know they can jump. Minnie was trying to open her gifts so we moved them up higher. I baked cookies with the grands today. It is cool how you did that the other day with your mom! Special memories for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe've no kitty, but the last couple years our tree's remained bare -- save the hundreds of pre-lit fairy lights. Your Christmas dinner sounds mouth-watering, and I'm not even a fan of ham! We always leave our tree up until the Epiphany ... not for any particularly religious reason, but I just hate having to say 'goodbye' to it.
ReplyDeleteMyra, you sound like me... I hate "having to say goodbye to it" too...the lights mostly. Until we start having more daylight again, I love having the lights in the house at night. Stacy, your dinner sounds wonderful. Can I come? I know my father was the driving force of family traditions too, and it's interesting that my brother and his family do many of the same things, and so do we. And my sister and her family too. We've tried to maintain those traditions even after my parents died, but we also have some of our own that we've adapted over the years. I baked a few cookies today, and am waiting for my son Scott to bake our family traditional cookies...my mother's Orange Cookies. I'd love for him to also bake my Grandma's Sand Tarts, but since they are a roll-out and cut cookie, I don't see that happening this year. He has no time and I am not physically up to it. So we adapt and try new things. The important thing is to do SOMETHING. I love that you had that cookie baking time with your kids/mother/etc. That was really really special. I'm glad you took pictures too. You will treasure them in the future, trust me. Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Some of our plans for decorating were delayed, so I decided we really did not need them. The house is festive enough
ReplyDeleteI loved your answers. I can definitely see how a kitty can cause havoc. Have an amazing Christmas.
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