Sunday, December 25, 2016


1, Do you send out Christmas cards and if so how many do you send?
I have written an annual letter since 1965. Several years ago, I made it an on-line version and mail out links to about 140 people.  I mail to a handful of folks who do not have email.

2.Do you write and send a holiday letter to describe your year?
I have written a chritmas letter for >50 years.  Now I post it on line.

3. What do you think of photo cards?
Love ‘em.  It's fun to watch everyone's kids grow up.

4.  How about the tree thing -- do you have one?
We always have had a real tree, but these days when we have no kids around to celebrate, and 2 dogs in the house, who might decide to eat ornaments, I used a small tree made out of ornaments.
5. Describe your typical tree (size, decorations, type). If you don’t have a tree, do you decorate and if so, tell us about it. (If you don’t decorate make up a story here…)
This year I bought a teeny fake tree, about 3' high, scrunched in a little box, so the branches had to be unfolded.  It just has teeny lights on it, with an angel from our manger set on top.

6. Do you hang up stockings? Whose names are on them (and relationships)?
.When the kids were living at home, we did.  They were huge stockings I knitted when they were babies.  Now we don't.

7. Your favorite Christmas Movie(s) is/are?
Miracle on 34th St (the original version).  I also love White Christmas

8. Tell us about a Christmas movie you hate
I don’t HATE it, but I am no longer a big fan of It’s a Wonderful Life.  I am tired of the chick lit flicks on the Hallmark Channel 24/7 in December.

9. Favorite Christmas Song(s)
Silver Bells

10. What holiday song makes you want to hurl?
Feliz Navidad
11,  What do you prefer for your holiday meal?
We always have turkey, but it was only a week or so ago that I finished the Thanksgiving turkey, so this year we are having prime rib ($115!) for the first time.  (when Walt saw the price all he had to say was "don't burn it!")
12. When do you open your gifts?
It varies.  Used to be we opened family gifts in the morning and extended family at night.  Now it's just Walt and me, so we open from each other in the morning and wait for whenever the kids can get here to open the rest.

13. Do you buy gifts for your pet?
No.  But I might buy them some Greenies this year.  They have bad breath (especially Polly)

14. What's the worst gift you've ever gotten?
A Mary Hartman doll when I wanted a big fancy doll (I was about 10 at the time) 15. Do you ever travel for the holiday?
We've gone to Santa Barbara a few times to have Christmas with the grandkids, but with my mother's dementia, I don't want to leave Davis this year.
16. Did you see Santa as a child?
Definitely. Santa at the Emporium in San Francisco.

17. Have you ever gone caroling?
Yes several times. My favorite time was when we did it on the cable car in San Francisco with a bunch of professional singers. The last time we went caroling it was here in Davis with a handful of people with kazoos.

18. Do you drive around and look at the Xmas lights?
We just did that two days ago.  I posted photos yesterday.

19. Have you ever had a white Christmas?
I was born and raised in San Francisco.  No white Christmas.

20. Do you know how to ice skate? If yes, when did you skate the last time?
I ice skated a little bit when I was in grammar school and took lessons. I could not skate now if my life depended on it.  I don't think I've skated since high school.

21. Are we crazy for thinking that the holiday season is WAY too commercial?
Since it now starts around 4th of July, definitely!!!!
 
22. Have you ever worked Xmas eve or Xmas day?
Fortunately, no.

23. What are your Xmas pet peeves?
The commercialism, and the 24/7 Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channels

24. What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?
Family being all together, which is why I have had such a difficult time the last few years. Family is scattered, 2 kids are dead, and my mother doesn’t even know what month it is, let alone that it is Christmas.

25. Here's your chance to say something significant to our players. Go for it!
They're rioting in Africa
They're starving in Spain
There's hurricanes in Florida
And Texas needs rain
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch
And I don't like anybody very much!!
But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud
For man's been endowed with a mushroom-shaped cloud
And we know for certain that some lovely day
Someone will set the spark off
And we will all be blown away!!
They're rioting in Africa
There's strife in Iran
What nature doesn't so to us
Will be done by our fellow man
Kingston Trio - Merry Minuet Lyrics |                                                                

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