Wednesday Hodgepodge - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yes, folks, it IS beginning to look a lot like Christmas here ... we actually have a little snow on the ground here, although I'm sure it will be just a memory by the time Christmas gets here.

Once again, Joyce has come up with some thought-provoking questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge.  If you'd like to play along or see what everyone else's answers are, click on the button at the top of this post.

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'?
To me, it means having a spirit of wonder and awe ... of excitement and anticipation ... of generosity and joy and wonder ... of remembering old traditions while making new ones.  And because I believe, it means having a spirit of worship, of looking back to when Christ first came and looking forward to when He comes again.

2. What sits atop your tree (s)? Why?

An angel sits atop our Christmas tree.  I found a cute little angel quite a number of years ago that I liked ... so she's on top of our tree.  I like that her "dress" is a bit of an old quilt (it doesn't hurt that her skirt slips over the top of the tree ... so regardless of how thick the top of the tree is, she fits).

3. When was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back?

To be honest, I don't know ... I have a tendency to be pretty hard on myself, so it's probably been a while.

4. Which of your senses is most sensitive this time of year?

I don't know that any one is more sensitive than the others, although the two senses I think of most when I think of Christmas are my sense of smell and my sense of sight.  There are so many wonderful aromas associated with the Christmas season ... fresh-cut trees, Christmas cookies, scented candles.  And of course there are so many wonderful sights associated with the Christmas season ... the lights twinkling on the tree, the wonder in the grandkids' eyes when they open their gifts, watching snow fall.

5. What do you have too much of in your kitchen?

I don't know that I have too much of anything in my kitchen ... if for no other reason than my kitchen isn't huge and I have to be judicious with what I keep/store in the kitchen.  Although I do have what some might think is too much stuff on the refrigerator (although I've seen more cluttered refrigerators than mine ha!).  I try to collect magnets when we travel so I have them on one half of the refrigerator, and on the other half I have artwork/notes from the Ts.

6. What do you do for meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Big meal? Breakfast tradition? Open the cookie tins and have at it? 

Having had to split holidays for so many years (splitting with DD's dad when she was growing up and then with DSIL's family now that she's married), we don't really have a huge tradition for meals on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  When we all get together at Christmas varies between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from year to year (or even on the 18th like this year!), so I've learned early on to just "go with the flow".  Yes, there are times when I wish we wouldn't have had to split the holidays, but I've learned that what's most important is that we're together.  

7. What is the best thing about winter? 

Snow!  You had to know that was coming.  ha!  Seriously though, snow is what makes the short days and cold temperatures tolerable.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
We have more wintry weather in the forecast for this evening ... freezing rain and/or sleet.  Thankfully there's enough salt/chemicals on the streets that ice should only form on untreated areas ... grass, trees, bushes, etc.  Which means it ought to be gorgeous tomorrow ... all sparkly.  But I would have rather had snow.  ha!