Random Christmas hoopla

Tagged by Thordora for this one.

teh rules:

Here are the rules, as decreed by someone higher up than myself.
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a ‘hoopla’ and not the dreaded ‘m’-word
3. You have to specifically tag people when you’re done. None of this “if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged” stuff is allowed…then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you — but the more, the merrier to get this ‘hoopla’ circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I’d like to get as many people involved as possible.

Here we go:

1. My dad and I used to wrap most of the presents, even ones for us (boxed and labeled, so still secret). The rules were to try to disguise the gift, and to be creative with the paper, and definitely to add ribbon and such.

2. I still like to wrap presents, and I don’t like gift bags. Not very green of me.

3. I searched and searched for a nativity set I would like. I didn’t really find what I wanted — something simple, wooden, not mass-produced, not holy wood from Israel that costs a fortune — decided on Fontanini, got a whopping bunch of figures all in one year, thanks to family generosity, and don’t really like it right now. Maybe I’ll like it again later.

4. I listen to Christmas music whenever I feel like it, any time of year. Especially if it’s my own album.

5. I find a lot of Christmas music very annoying, but I like a lot of the traditional carols and hymns, done simply and beautifully.

6. Our Christmas tree skirt is a white blanket wrapped around the stand.

7. I have a love / hate relationship with presents. I rarely want to buy any for anyone, and I usually don’t even want to receive many. I am afraid of things that look like obligation.

8. I don’t decorate the house. I had a hard enough time agreeing to put up the tree. I did put out the stuffed tree I made as my first project on my sewing machine, and the bobbing reindeer thing because I figured Amy would like it. And someday I will make stockings for us.

9. We don’t have anywhere to hang stockings.

10. I used to make my own Christmas cards. I don’t even send cards anymore. I have a hard time seeing the point. If it’s to update friends on what I’ve done all year, well, they must not be very good friends if we haven’t been in touch since last Christmas.

11. I used to write back to Christmas cards. Since I rarely got replies, I don’t bother anymore.

12. I’m not really as much a grinch as I sound.

And I hereby tag Sandi, Tamara, and Beauty. I would tag ama but she doesn’t do memes. I mean, hooplas.