Once Upon a Time…
Leslie doesn’t know this, but before I became an honest to goodness blogger, I was an honest to goodness lurker! I read Leslie’s blog because she is a retired school librarian. And, I am a retired school teacher! I have to tell you Leslie is such a lovely person, inside and out. If you haven’t read her blog, hop on over. You will find so many different things to love! One of the things Leslie does is a 10 on the 10th Q & A type of post. This month’s is all things Christmas! Without further ado, I present to you my 10 on the 10th!
- In what ways do you decorate for the winter holiday season? Do you use traditional colors or have your own color scheme? Is there a theme to your decorating?
- My decorating scheme is a hodge podge of different styles. I have primitive Christmas decorations as well as traditional ones. I don’t have specific colors in mind, but I do tend towards silver, gold, burgundy, grey, and white. I have large collections of Santas, snowmen and Christmas trees. Of course, my favorite Christmas decorations are old ones from our first Christmas together…a trio of angels and a trio of elves from Home Interiors. Does anyone remember those parties?
- Share a family holiday tradition or recipe. Is there something new you plan to try this year?
- I think the Christmas season at our house revolves around traditional Christmas sugar cookies. I am not a decorator at all. I usually bake the cookies and let the grandkids decorate them. Otherwise, I just slop some colored frosting (or is it icing) on along with some colored sugar and call it a day!
- Do you have a favorite Christmas book, movie, song or TV show? Why is it special to you? Is there a popular holiday book, program or movie you have never seen?
- Hmmm…I have several favorite Christmas songs. I play handbells at church and love “Carol of the Bells”. Our director refuses to have us play it. I am also weepy when hearing “Silent Night” because of the beauty of the words. One of my bucket list items is to see Transiberian Orchestra at Christmas time.
- How do you handle the stress of the holidays? Do you have some go-to for restoring calm to your life when things get crazy?
- Cursey words…lots and lots of cursey words! No, I just go with the crazy until I have everything done with lots and lots of cursey words!
- What will you wear over the holidays? Do you dress up for New Year’s Eve?
- Honestly? I have several Christmas sweaters…they are not ugly in the least. I will probably feature them on the blog soon. But, on the actual day? I have no idea! And, unless you count flannel pajamas as dressing up, I don’t dress up for New Year’s Eve.
- How do you feel about snow? What are the chances you will see a white Christmas? Do you enjoy any snow day activities? What will the weather be like where you live in this last month of the year?
- “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” I love snow. I love playing in it. I love smelling it. I love seeing mounds of it around my house. I do not love shoveling it, but I’ll do it if that’s the only way I can have snow! I don’t think we will have a white Christmas. We haven’t had one for several years now. Right now, the forecast for the remainder of the month is around 40 in the daytime with lows in the 20s.
- Do you have a gift-giving budget? For how many people do buy gifts? Do you buy for the postman, your hair dresser, nail tech, children’s teachers? When do you open gift? Who is the hardest person you buy for?
- I don’t have a budget exactly. I try to spend the same amount on each child and child-in-law. I also try to spend the same on each grandchild. So, I buy for five adults and three kids. Oh, and Nigel! I do try to make my hair stylist a gift, but I’d better get hopping on that one! We open gifts on Christmas Day. And, Nigel is, by far, the hardest to buy a gift!
- If you could give a kind of impossible gift to someone, what would it be? Perhaps something beyond your price range? Or something you can’t buy. Something intangible.
- I would give my children and their families the gift of security, security against financial worry, safety, and knowing they are happy.
- As we bid farewell to 2021, what was your biggest success this year? Will you be making goals or resolutions or plans for 2022? If so, what will some of them be?
- Without a doubt, the biggest success was this blog. I know that seems shallow, but for an extroverted introvert like me, putting myself out there in the virtual world in pictures no less…that was a huge, huge success! I do not make goals or resolutions although I do fully intend to be several pounds lighter next summer. I also hope to convince Nigel to begin traveling again.
- Describe 2021 in 3 words. Name 3 things you wish for in 2022.
- Frightening, hopeful, disappointing
- An end to the pandemic, a return to kindness (in me and the world), to travel again
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I forgot to take any pictures, but I promise a blog post with Christmas decorations at some point! What about you? How would you answer these questions? Leave a comment or two! I promise to respond!
I love to read more personal thing behind the blogger! And yes, Leslie is a lovely woman!
Thanks, Nancy. It is fun to get to “know” people better. I think that’s why I love blogging so much…you meet the best people!
Great answers! I shared mine over on my blog today too but mostly I tend to feel the exact opposite of you with snow. In fact we had a dusting yesterday and I immediately picked up my phone to see how much warmer it was going to get and how soon it would all melt away. I keep asking my husband and family to move south but so far that’s a no go.
Don’t you live in New England (or close to it)? I love snow. It may stem from being a teacher, but I think snow days are a thing of the past with virtual learning now. No, I loved it when I was a kid, too! It’s 57 here today…my sinuses and allergies are a mess with the temperatures going from 30s to 50s and back again! I have always wanted to move farther north! Maybe we should just switch!
Yep, I live in Ct! I loved snow days when I was a kid and as a teacher but once we began homeschooling we found that we preferred to work through snow days and get out earlier in the spring. My son has been told that his high school will be having snow days and he was kind of bummed; hoping they would have virtual learning days instead.
Wow! I would think they would want to have virtual days. But, they must have built in snow days. We always had 2 or 3 when I was teaching. We would use them up and then some!
I’m with Joanne and the snow which is why I adore AZ. although there is snow in parts of AZ…haha. And it’s funny because that’s not why we left Colorado, but it’s been a wonderful side note.
Aren’t all Christmas sweaters ugly? LOL!! Not that I’m judging, because I still have one too!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Nope…not all Christmas sweaters are ugly!! I had one for every school day from Thanksgiving break until Christmas break. I did give away several when I retired, but I kept the truly gorgeous ones!
I love snow, but we just don’t get that much any more. Last winter, we did get enough to actually get the snowblower out. I had to use it since Mike had broken his ankle. I actually rather enjoyed it!
Loved reading this. I meant to write a 10/10 post but had no time. Maybe I can write a late post. Your answers are similar to what mine would be…I have several Christmas sweaters, not ugly – and my husband is impossible to buy presents for. Thanks for linking!
Thanks, Gail! Look for a post on my not ugly Christmas sweaters soon! I haven’t even begun to think about a gift for Nigel! Eek!
Loved learning more about you in this post! Christmas cookies are such a fave of mine too. So glad you started this blog this year. You do an amazing job! I would describe 2021 just like you did. I’m hopeful for 2022!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! My kids laugh about my decorating skills and threaten to nominate me for “Nailed It”! And, thanks so much for the compliment on my blog. It’s definitely been a steep learning curve, but I’m loving it!
I, too, am hopeful for 2022!
I enjoyed reading your answers to these question and it’s lovely to know these things about you.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you so much, Lovely! These questions sometimes take some thought and other times none at all!
I am so hoping for snow this year. It has been 4 years since we had a decent one here. We will head to North Carolina after Christmas for some fake snow at least.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
I am hoping for snow, too. But, the weather forecast doesn’t look so good for it. We will get it in late January or early February. It probably won’t last very long either! Personally, I love blizzards!
I enjoyed your answers. I think primitive decor would be cool to have.
I have a friend who is a master at primitive decor year round! My dining room is a mixture of primitive and traditional.
Thanks for coming by!
It’s so lovely to read more about the thought processes of bloggers. Oh, and I love the honesty of “cursey words!” LOL! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Oh, Michelle, the cursey words were flowing this year! I couldn’t find the lights for the front porch (they were in the basement in the box clearly marked front porch lights). And, then, I couldn’t find the lights for the unlit Christmas tree…those little buggers are in hiding because of said cursey words! I doubt they will even come out next year for fear of all of the retaliation!
I do really like these 10 on the 10th posts. Some of them really make me think!
Merry Christmas, Michelle!
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