I've been thinking about the things that I REALLY LIKE about Christmas (which of course, leads to the things I REALLY DON'T LIKE...)
CHRISTMAS SONGS: REALLY LIKE "O Little Town of Bethlehem" - if I was an artist, I would paint a series of pictures to express the mystical wonder of this song. (Also LIKE Rosie O'Donnell's song, "Gonna Eat for Christmas"!) REALLY DON'T LIKE "The First Noel" - it's the song with an infinite number of verses that don't say much, and the tune is not user-friendly for most of us.
CHRISTMAS FOOD: REALLY LIKE pinwheels - little rolled up desserts made from leftover pie crust, with brown sugar and cinnammon throughout. REALLY DON'T LIKE eggnog. It's gross. Christmas cake is iffy.
TREE ORNAMENTS: REALLY LIKE an antique ornament made of broken glass bits, all glued together to make a shiny smooth ball that reflects light in all directions. A gift from my sister-in-law several years ago. REALLY DON'T LIKE those tinsel-icicle things, but that's because the cat eats them, and things go terribly wrong.
CHRISTMAS EVENTS: REALLY LIKE a candlelight service and the Encarna in Waterdown (link to the left - it's next weekend!). REALLY DON'T CARE FOR huge cantatas, but that's just me. I know others love them. Also REALLY LIKE walking through the Christmas outdoor display in my hometown, if there's snow. The walk ends at Tim Horton's. As a child, that meant Horton's hot chocolate, which I REALLY DON'T LIKE, but now I'm grown up and can have coffee.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS GIVEN: I REALLY DON'T LIKE trying to find the perfect gift for someone I have no ideas for, and I have a hard time letting myself off that hook. I REALLY LIKE the year I got Jeff a big wall picture of the Leafs past and present - he was actually surprised AND thrilled at the same time, and he's a hard guy to surprise!
CHRISTMAS GIFTS RECEIVED: OK, there's never a gift that I REALLY DON'T LIKE, but once, someone gave me a cell phone caddy. I don't have a cell phone, so I was at quite a loss to find words for the thank you card. But I REALLY LIKE the chocolate covered cherries that my sister gives me every year, without fail. And I also REALLY LIKED the year that Jeff wrapped gift certificates in different sized boxes, so I couldn't tell what they were until I opened them - and then he went shopping with me! I also have had a number of people over the years that gave me tree ornaments they had made themselves - I REALLY LIKE that - reminds me of them every year when I decorate the tree.
CHRISTMAS EVE: I REALLY LIKE the peace of Christmas Eve. I also REALLY LIKE laying in bed late at night, looking out the skylight at the stars, and happily pondering the thought that just because grown-ups don't believe in Santa, doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't exist. (I only ponder that on Christmas Eve - the rest of the year, I am properly mature, and don't entertain such silly thoughts.) I REALLY DON'T LIKE shopping on Christmas Eve.
CHRISTMAS CARDS: I REALLY LIKE receiving them. I REALLY DON'T LIKE sending them.
How about you? Likes? Dislikes? Let's hear them!
