Monday 22 December 2008

Gastric Flu and a Christmas Meme

Thank you to everyone who left such lovely messages about the swap and also your 'Happy Christmas' wishes. I'm so sorry that I haven't been to see everyone recently but for the last 9 days I've been struck down with gastric flu. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (not that I have one - lol!). Today was the first day that I managed to eat properly. You'd think I might have lost weight, but no, only 2lbs, so there hasn't even been an 'upside'. I'm finally feeling vaguely human again but still have a really bad chest. At least my tummy is over the worst now though! If I don't get to catch up with everyone then please all have a super Christmas and I'll be along to visit soon, xx

I was tagged by Linda (Remote Treechanger - see under 'Followers') for a little Christmas fun and I had this in draft so can now do a post while I have a bit of energy:

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

I quite like both though since I'm pregnant it'll have to be hot chocolate. I'm apt to overdue it though by putting huge amounts of 'shushy' cream on top. ('Shushy' cream is that mock cream which comes in an aerosol can and makes a 'shushy' sound when you squeeze the dispenser. Gross really but yummy on hot chocolate.)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Oh they have to be wrapped and with ribbon and a bow on too preferably. If it's not wrapped then it's not a proper present!

3. Colored lights on house/tree or white?

I don't mind really. Our lights are coloured and they twinkle .

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

No

5. When do you put your decorations up?

Usually the weekend before Christmas Day.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

Hmm, not sure. I'm not that much of a foodie really. Mr Earplugs has to have a mountain of 'pigs-in-blankets' and I quite like them. I like the 'peripherals' really, the bread sauce and the stuffing. And I love roast potatoes.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

I used to like watching (and sometimes being in) the school Christmas play. Also, there was a very steep hill opposite our school and we used to going sledging down it, usually in half a plastic water barrel. You could get about 3 kids in one and they were very fast (and probably quite dangerous as there was a barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill and you had to swerve at the last minute in order to miss it!)

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't know. I don't remember believing or not believing.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

No, that's cheating!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

The lights go on first, followed by tinsel and those chains of little balls, then the ornaments, the chocolates, and lastly the angel on the top (though I've forgotten to get chocolates this year).

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?

Now that's a difficult one. Where I grew up we used to get snow which was several feet deep. Great for playing in for a while but not much fun when you were trying to walk to school in it or when they canceled public transport and you couldn't get anywhere. Where I live now it's quite rare to get more than a sprinkling of snow so I guess now it has novelty value.

12. Can you ice skate?

Yes, though I can't do anything fancy.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

As a kid I was given a game called 'Tug a Bug'. You had a large plastic bug in a large plastic cage. The cage had a hole on each side which was big enough to get the bug through. Each player had a long stick with a hook on the end and you had to catch the bug and get it out of your side of the cage. It was great fun and there was lots of tugging – hence 'Tug a Bug'.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Time with hubby and the kids. To be honest the perfect Christmas Day for me would be a lovely day with hubby and the kids, opening presents, playing some games and watching a good film etc, and just having some quiet family time. I know that most people see Christmas as a time for seeing all the family, but whenever this happens I find that I have a very stressful day, don't get time to do presents properly as everything ends up in a big rush, and I don't get to relax at all. I much prefer to 'do' Christmas with family slightly after Christmas but this doesn't go down well at all. I guess I'm being a bit 'bah humbug!'

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Mr Earplugs loves Christmas pudding but I've only recently developed a taste for it. I'm not very keen on dried fruit but we found a pudding recently which contained lots of cherries and nuts and it was really yummy. Otherwise I love to make Delia Smith's Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding which is scrumptious and very easy to do.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

I've been thinking of this recently and we don't really have any. As a kid I used to like leaving milk and mince pies for Father Christmas which my Dad would obligingly eat. But as we got older he didn't eat them anymore and I found that quite sad. I do like decorating the tree with the kids and having candles in the fireplace.

17. What tops your Christmas tree?

A cardboard angel with a bit of tinsel and half a paper doily stuck on it which was made by Miss Muffett when she was at Nursery.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?

I love seeing the kid's faces when they open their presents. I have to say the 'giving' has become a bit of a stress in recent years. I always end up doing Mr Earplug's Christmas shopping (even though I say I'm not going to do it anymore). He never knows what to get for anyone and it gets left to the last minute. I tried to solve this by asking for wish lists. This usually results in responses of 'I don't know', or everybody being told the same item so a person ends up with the same thing 3 times over!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

'Santa Baby'. Kylie has done a version of this song but my favourite is the version by Suzanne Courtney who is a co-presenter on the Andrew Peach Breakfast Show on our local BBC radio station.

20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?

Look lovely on the tree but to eat - yuk.


21. What do you want for Christmas?

I'm a very low maintenance person. I don't do expensive perfumes, designer gear or fancy jewelery. There's usually a cd or book that I quite fancy. I'm a real cheap date! I do like getting chocolates of some sort at Christmastime. I use an old and rather unstable laptop which is on it's 3rd hard drive so I think Mr Earplug's is getting me a memory stick so I can backup my stuff regularly (can't get this laptop to burn cd's properly!).

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party.

If this means an adult party then no. We have had a party at nursery and a party at the toddler group.

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ’s?

Not sure I get what the question means – is there a tradition where you dress up on Christmas Eve? I very rarely dress up for anything so the answer would be no.

24. Do you own a Santa hat?

There's one in the house somewhere – I think it's at the bottom of the toy tub.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?

It changes from year to year. If Miss Muffett is with us (rather than being with her Dad) then there are the 4 of us, plus my Mum and Dad who come to stay for a few days (as they live a long way away it's not possible to just come for Christmas dinner). On the 'alternate' years we either visit my in-laws or they visit us.

I won't tag anyone as I know this is a busy time of year. But if any of you do your own version of this then let me know as I'd love to see your answers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! xx

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25 comments:

  1. Hi tilly, so sorry you have been ill....poor us!xxxx

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  2. Hope you're feeling better now... this bug's horrible, loads of people have it at work. I love the Christmas questions... really intresting :)

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  3. Merry Christmas to you too! Hope you're feeling completely better by Christmas day. I'm going to answer the questions as I love this kind of thing!

    Mel xxx

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  4. Tilly, I mainly wanted to wish you a most wonderful Christmas and a very blessed, happy, healthy new year. I am on a bit of a blog break so I will chat with you on the other side of 2009.

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  5. Glad you're feeling better, Tilly. Hear the bug's been a baddie! It's our first Christmas alone (just my husband and I) and I have to agree with you, we're quite looking forward to a calm and quiet day. Enjoyed reading your responses and it sounds like we like the same taste in gifts, to receive that is: books, music, chocolate... Have a fantastic Christmas break.

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  6. Merry Christmas to you Tilly

    Enjoy yourself :)

    X

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  7. Merry Christmas, my blog friend! Hope you feel better real soon, too.

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  8. Hi Tilly hope the celebrations would make u feel better :)

    I am not a Christian and do not celebrate Christmas however Bible is the scripture I've read the most and I can't object to anything Jesus taught.

    Anyways this is not a time to argue over what followers have made out of their respective religions.

    Wish u a merry christmas and a very happy new year :)

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  9. We sock in on Christmas day. Our toes won't cross the threshold. I'll make a big breakfast, but then no more cooking for the day. Games, movies, naps, repeat.

    Hope you have a fabulous Christmas my friend! And SO glad that you are feeling better. ; )

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  10. Oh no! Sorry to hear you've been proper poorly :-( I know there's a lot of it about though - so many people with poorly people!

    Hope you've got your wish of a quiet family day with a film and presents.

    Here's to 2009!

    x

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  11. Merry Christmas, Tilly! I had that same stomache flu as well! It is completely dreadful. I had to lie in bed and couldn't move, it was so painful. It's awful to get it at Christmas too. Hope you had a happy one. Merry, merry Christmas to you!

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  12. I hope you feel better now.
    Now that the first part of the holidays are over, I look forward to getting back to normal.

    Merry Christmas!

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  13. Glad your on the mend....awful getting ill this time of yr, i am so glad to be better, was a bind, being ill.

    Nice to go to the sales today....:>))

    xxx

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  14. Hi Tilly, thank you for the Christmas wishes. So sorry to hear you haven't been well :( Hope you are feeling better now. I wasn't well in the run up to Christmas either but luckily I was ok over Christmas,
    Take care
    xxx

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  15. Hi there, Belated Merry Christmas and happy new year, i hope that you had a lovely time apart from the nasty bug you had :-(

    Take care

    Kelly xxxx

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  16. hi there - a happy new year to you and yours - are you feeling better now? hope you had lovely christmas!
    lesley x

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  17. So sorry you've been ill through Christmas - we had flu through it all too so it was a big bust in the end! Never mind - not long now until the sun starts to shine again!
    Kim xx

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  18. Hiya, thanks a lot for the advice, I think I might experiment with doing the doors differently to how I originally thought, but hopefully get the same effect, if you see what I mean! My husband's a bit dubious about the removing the slats too, though generally I think I am winning him over ;) Thanks for the tips on the stuff you used to paint doors before, I will have a good look in B&Q

    Mel xxx

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  19. I'm glad to hear that the worst of the bug is behind you.

    It's nice to hear that I'm not the only cheap date in the world, too. My husband managed to forget Christmas one year (I know. I don't know how, either), so these days I'm impressed if he's remembered and got me a gift card...

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  20. That was great fun to read!!

    Happy New Year!!

    :)

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  21. Tilly, life is always better when you are eating cream from a can. Always. Especially if it is going straight from the can into your mouth!

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