Show us your New Year's Resolution.
This year, she said, emphatically, I am learning to ride a damn bicycle. I turn 36 in March. It is never, ever too late.
What's the best photo you took this year? Show and tell!
Okay, I know, I've posted it before, but come on. It doesn't get much better than that!
Well, not for me, at least. Hee!
What treats do the kids in your family leave out for Santa? What treats did you leave for him as a child?
My family is officially past the Santa stage entirely. Well, my immediate family. My cousin's kid is probably edging into the age where Santa means something, but they're off in Texas somewhere and we're not close, so I cannot answer for him.
When I was a kid, it was the standard cookies-and-milk. Which I later learned my dad would just pour out half the milk, because he loathes milk. For years we made both chocolate chip cookies and those sugar cookies that you cut out with cookie cutters and decorate. But as the years went on we got even lazier, and stopped the sugar cookies. (Now I'm the only one in the family left who bakes any cookies at all, strictly Nestle Toll House for this gal.) I think sometimes we left out fruitcake, if anyone gave us any, because it turns out that my dad actually does eat the stuff.
For a few years there, we'd make a special ornament for the tree from a kit (eighty billion little beads and sequins stuck on pins and then stuck into a styrofoam mold), and that would be the ornament that Santa would hang on the tree. On Christmas morning we'd race to see who could spot it on the tree first.
Today's "Question of the Day" is: "Who do you want to be caught under the mistletoe with this holiday season?"
Today's "Vox Hunt" is: "Show us what you hope Santa brings you."
It occurs to my aging yet occasionally tiresomely libidinous mind that these questions could, by many people and in many situations, have the very same answer.
And that's all I'm sayin' about that!
Show us your holiday decorations.
Well, let's see. Here is a peaceful scene!
Oh, it's not all bad. Actually it's mostly hilarious. Here's a snippet from the glorious week in-between the two above photos:
D'aw! Anyway, my other cat Oz is a full participant in the holidays, but is too much a delicate snowflake to mess around with tree-climbing. Plus he's too shy to come out at parties (at least not for long). I have some lights up, like you do, and the cats have stockings (...yeah, I know), and I have a wreath on the door. But mostly I like decorating with good cheer. And cookies!
Audio: What's your favorite carol or holiday song?
Well, you know, they say it's an audio question, but I I don't have an audio clip of this handy (nor does one come up on YouTube, more's the pity).
It's weird. I was at guitar lesson last night and my teacher and I played "Angels We Have Heard on High." It's a beautiful song, and I love it. We've been doing a Christmas carol a week for a few weeks, actually which is pretty cool. (For the record, he knows I'm Catholic, it's not like he tried to force Christmas down my gullet in any way.) Melody and chord bits, so I could theoretically accompany other people, if they happened to want to sing one of the three carols I know ("Feliz Navidad," "Deck the Halls," and the aforementioned "Angels..."). And if they wanted to sing them slowly.
Anyway, we were talking about Christmas music, and really, I love almost all sacred music of this holiday. So why, after all my positive, fuzzy, pro-Christmas-music notes here, am I going to post this particular song?
Because for years I wandered. I was Catholic, I was Christian, I was nothing, I was agnostic, I was atheist, I was...all over the map. Despite my years of wandering (which, in fact, are really still going on, just perhaps...more quietly), and despite my apparent settling back into certain traditions, some songs have stuck with me no matter what kind of terms I was on with the ostensible object of Christmas himself. And this is one. I think it comforted me for years when I wanted Christmas but had no energy for faith.
"The Rebel Jesus" by Jackson Browne
It's on the Chieftains' Bells of Dublin Christmas album. And I really wish I could find the actual song because I think that's the more complete experience than just the lyrics. But, there you have it.
If your Vox Neighborhood had a potluck dinner tonight, what dish, drink or dessert would you bring?
I am answering this because I literally just got an invite to a potluck for Saturday night! And my answer's the same for both: I'm very into comfort food right now, but trying to be aware of certain dietary changes I've made this year. There's this super-simple meatloaf recipe that I make with ground turkey, it's yummy, and only 4 carbs per serving, bless its little heart. So that is totally what I would bring. Also with the pies for Thanksgiving last week, the apple pie I'll make for Dad for his birthday, and the chocolate-and-Bailey's-swirl cheesecake for the tree-trimming party next week, not to mention the upcoming inevitability of Nestle Toll House cookies, I think I can take a break from making desserts for a while!
Did you shop for great deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Or did you observe Buy Nothing Day?
I did kind of observe Buy Nothing Day, but mainly to preserve my sanity. For the past three years I've worked onsite at a government office, and the day after Thanksgiving is not a government holiday. So I usually didn't have to deal with crowds at the malls, because I was at work. This year I was fortunate enough to have Friday off, so I purposefully stayed inside, in my pajamas all day (well, until 5:30, which was sunup to sundown, which counts), and cleaned and organized things around my home. There is lots more to do, but it was very satisfying, and cost me nothing.
I didn't really buy anything yesterday either, other than lunch, which was sort of inadvertent - coworkers asked, so I went. But my new cell phone, which I technically bought last week, arrived yesterday, so I did spend some time on consumer goods. Today I bought presents for my mom and dad online. I intend to do presents in dribs and drabs to keep the whole thing more manageable.
Online shopping is a real boon, and I wish I could get all my presents that way, but for some people, I still find I need to browse for inspiration for their presents. And online browsing doesn't work the same way for me, I need to touch stuff and pick it up and think about it more. I use online shopping for precision strikes: "I know I want to get gift X, Y, and Z for friends 1, 2, and 3 respectively, a few clicks and I'm done!" Picking a pair of earrings for my sister-in-law from my favorite local jeweler, I have to do in person. And I do like to throw business to locals when I can.
This weekend's cat-trapping went well. Little Dude, who was a mere slip of a kitten last winter, is now neutered and vaccinated and back out in the parking lot. We didn't get the other guy, but there is another clinic on Dec. 1 and we may try again. They've asked me to do the actual trapping this time, which I'm fine with. It basically means sitting out there until the right cat walks into the trap and then pulling the string. The other woman is still willing to do all the driving around and letting the cat recuperate overnight at her place, etc., which is the part I really can't help with.
I really need to take more pictures of the outdoor kitties. Trouble is, the best time to see them is at dawn or dusk when the lighting is tough. Plus the camera noises sometimes scare them off. We shall see!
