'Twas the Hodgepodge Before Christmas....

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. I loved Joyce's Christmas play on words so I borrowed it.  I hope she doesn't mind.  I too hope this week finds you enjoying time with friends and family as we celebrate the gift of God's only Son. Be sure to join us and add your link to the bottom of Joyce's post and then go spread Christmas cheer to some of the other Hodgepodgers playing along today. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

1. Are you cooking Christmas dinner? How many will be round your table this year? What are we having?  We are going to Amanda's on Saturday for brunch and I am making Noel's wonderful overnight sweet bread.  I will make a picture of it on my Project 365 for this weekend.  Sunday, Kat and Brian are coming and I am making something like chili.  We always play games after we eat and my family does not do the traditional....on either side.

2. What is one must-have Christmas cookie in your house?  Oreos.....year round.... in any way form or fashion.  Dipped, plain, with milk, with coffee, it does not matter.  But we don't eat them often....they are a special treat.

3. Santa likes a glass of milk with his cookies-do you? What kind of milk is on tap at your house-skim, almond, soy, full fat (Gasp!)  In our house Santa drinks 2%.  Mrs. Claus does not drink milk(yuck), except in her coffee.

4. Time magazine recently named its Person of the Year for 2011. This is the person the editors believe has had the greatest impact, for better or worse, in the past year. This year they chose 'The Protester'. Your thoughts? Who would you name person of the year for 2011?  Gabriel Giffords would be my choice.  She definitely triumphed over tragedy, and I mean come in....in this day and time her own husband stood beside her and declared his love and support from outer space. I am tired of seeing people like the Kardashians, Charlie Sheen, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton in the spotlight like they are something special.  Special implies above and beyond.  I would like to see faces of our military, or Gabriel Giffords be honored....instead of overpaid, spoiled people who feel the world owes them something.  

5. December 21st is National Flashlight Day...when was the last time you needed a flashlight? Did you know right where to find one?  I used one yesterday to look into a closet that does not have a light in it.  I know where several are because I have them posted around the house in case we lose our power.  There are batteries in all of them.

6. Candy canes...yum or yuck?  I can take them or leave them.  I like the taste of peppermint in coffee or cocoa, I like it crushed in my peppermint almond bark, I like it crushed as an adornment on something I have cooked.  To just eat one....not so much.

7. What Christmas carol lyric means the most to you?  From Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) - "I am frightened, by this load I bear" - can you imagine what this young woman was feeling?  Can you imagine what you would have felt at this age carrying this responsibility?

8. Insert your own random thought here.  Are you a traditionalChristmas song person or do you like those goofy Christmas songs...or both?  I am a purist.  I love the traditional songs like "What Child is This" and "Silent Night"; the hymn carols, and the songs like "The Christmas Song" and "Silver Bells" "The Christmas Shoes".  I do not like songs that talk about Grandma getting run over by reindeers, or 9 years probation, or even Robert Earl Keen's song about Christmas with his family.  You would think that as musical as I am I would like it all and my friends say that all songs are my favorites....but when it comes to Christmas music....not so much.  Have a wonderful rest of the week and I will see you back at Hodgepodge next Wednesday from Gatlinburg, TN. Woooo Hooo....we are taking our youth to Winter Extreme!  Can't wait!