Thanks for the welcome Cooky! I see you're a Hoosier too! We're just on opposite ends of the state! I didn't answer the questions yesterday, I was too excited about my package! Here goes:

Two trees, one family and a small one my son likes to decorate


We have two villages but we just moved into a new home...not sure where they'll go

Stockings, always! Even one for the fur ball

Cards, I sent out a few then send one when I get one

Never meet a cookie I didn't love...Christmas time; sugar cookies are a favorite (I'm not supposed to have them either! I'm a bad diabetic!)

If I'm brave enough to do any black Friday shopping it's usually at a quilt shop!

My husband is the cook and usually does a turkey with all the fixings! Yum!

Favorite Christmas movie: The Muppet's Christmas Carol (I'm a kid at heart!)
Favorite Christmas carol: Duet of the little drummer boy with Bing Crosby and David Bowie

We don't do a lot of outside decorations but love driving around and looking at others!

Question: When you you put up your tree and how long do you leave it up after Christmas?? Me: Up on Thanksgiving weekend and it's usually down by New Years Day.

Yes, we have a feast for family. Everyone helps by making something. We have a busy day on christmas. We start here at home with the kids, then off to DH parents where she make a huge breakfast for all. Then to my DGM where we have our lunch feast and open gifts. After that off to DH DGM and we have more gifts to open and yet another feast. Usually start around 5 in the morning and end up back home around 10 that night. Its a long and exhausting day but so worth seeing the kids faces opening all the gifts and seeing family. We are so so so blessed.

Our trees, we try to get to it the weekend after Thanksgiving but with hunting season ending sometimes its delayed a few days. It usually comes down whenever we can get to it. Last year it was almost Feb. before it came done. Basketball season starts right after Christmas so its busy around here.

Favorite movie, I dont really have one but DH loves that one called A Christmas story, I cant stand it but he loves to watch it over and over again. LOL

Favorite Christmas song: O Holy Night. If the right person is singing it, this song will literally bring me to tears.

I forgot to add a question

What is something you can see or hear and it brings all those childhood memories of Christmas rushing back? For me its any Christmas song sang by Elvis. My Dad would play his Elvis Christmas Albums every year when we put up the tree. How I miss that.

For me it is the old time bubble lights. Seeing those remind me of trimming the tree with my siblings and waiting for them to heat up enough to bubble.

mdall, why not buy a copy of that album and continue on the tradition?

Now to answer the questions ...

Yes we have a big tree, everyone over for a big meal and then a great movie is put on for those who want to watch. My favorite is, "The Holiday" with Cameron diez (sp?) or, "Miracle on 54th Street", (the oldest black and white one) . But, there was one I can't remember the name of that was about a woman whose family was taken from her and was given the chance to make it all right on Christmas eve while mailing her daughter's santa letter. Anyone remember the name of that movie? It had a cowboy singing angel in it. The biggest hit we put on many years ago? "It's complicated", with myrel streep. Go figure..

I love making baskets of jellies, candies, cookies and baked goods for friends and family. They are always appreciated and well received.

RedGarnet - I thought about that but everyone else here is a country or rock fan and they hate Elvis so its country Christmas songs here. Oh well, I could always get the copy for me when I am here alone and finishing up all the other decorations and baking. I may just do that.

((mdall)) You should! I love hearing the Christmas music during the season. Even by myself sewing or baking. My favorite album lately is a CD by Michael McDonald. But, who doesn't remember Brenda Lee's, ' Rockin' around the Christmas tree"?

I know the song but who is Brenda Lee? Must have been before my time. LOL

I am pretty sure she was the first one to record it. It's a classic really, I don't think you have to be a certain age to remember it. But, I am old enough to remember it from back then. Barely, but, for sure ... LOL!

i did the Black Friday seen only once. My oldest granddaughter wanted a Furbee for Xmas so since her mother was buying it for her i decided to get one for the other granddaughter. I saw the ad fo them in sale circular for Wal-Mart. i called the store and they said they weren't going on sale til 6 am on Black Friday and no pre-sales. So alarms got set for 4 am and my daughter and I were up and running to the store. We arrived at 5:55am only to find that all the Furbees were gone as they put them out early. The store was not issuing rainchecks on any sales items but my daughter threatened to sue the store for false advertisement in front of the crowded customer service area. the manager tried to get her to quiet down but she just kept getting louder and louder attracting more and more people and embarassing me. She got her rain check and so did I. We didnt get the Furbees til almost Easter but she said it was important to get across the point that the store should keep their promises to keep their customers especially since we had gone to effort of getting exact time they were to go on sale and was there in time based on that information. Would have been different if we had been there and they had started sale on correct time and we just hadnt managed to get our hands on one before they ran out.

I use to go to shopping on black friday years ago when I had better health. Back then I just thought it was a fun way to start the season. lol.. My husband went early to one a few years ago to get in on a real deal for a movie camera. The is our last time, and won't be going to any again.

My favorite Christmas childhood memory is of mom hanging those shiny strings of icicles, and she did it one at a time where they hung perfectly straight on a big real tree that dad would get at a tree lot on his way home from work. We lived in Chicago when I was a kid. We also before Christmas would each look through the Wish Book catalogs for what we wanted, and would circle our favorite things.

Did anyone in your family read any Christmas Story when you was a kid? My mother would read one to us or either tell us what Christmas was about.