1.  Many families have a story they love to tell every year around a holiday. Does your family have one? Are you the star of that story, or does another family member take center stage? Share your story if you want.

My family didn’t really do that with any Christmas stories but I guess one that Ash likes to circulate every year is that of Elliot’s first Christmas. He was four months old and my father in law and brother in law were here, as was his girlfriend. We were setting everything up that morning and Ash was working on the video camera and I don’t remember why I was mad at him but I dropped the middle finger on him, not realizing he was already filming. So our first actual family Christmas I’m on film being ugly. Sigh!

2. Are you afraid to speak your own opinion?

You know, sometimes I’m really not. I think it’s important to exercise that right. I also think there’s a line people can cross and we should at least tread carefully. However, I don’t think that should stop you from having opinions or expressing them when necessary. We’ve gotten too emotional and soft in this country and suddenly, words hurt. I don’t think that should be the case.

3. Pantone has announced the color of the year for 2016, and for the first time have chosen two shades-rose quartz and serenity. Hmmm…did you know serenity was a color? You can read the thought behind their selection here, but essentially it’s blending the warmth of rose quartz with the tranquility of a very soft shade of blue. So what do you think? Are these colors I’d find in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in these shades to either place in the new year?

They’re ok but nothing I’m super into. I don’t tend to wear anything that reeks of “soft shade” of anything.

4. If you could be in a Christmas carol, which one would you choose? Why?

Easy! Here we Come a-Wassailing. I have always been intrigued by the idea of having a wassail: a tradition where folks make an apple cider type drink (wassail) and go house to house with a big bowl of it. They share it with neighbors and sing carols. For years I have wanted to start this in my own neighborhood. I thought I could put out flyers and attach some kind of item that would be the person’s signal. Put it on your mailbox if you want to partake and my family would go around and share our wassail. I saw a show on FoodTV one year that showed someone making a traditional wassail and since then, I’ve loved the idea.

5. December 9th is National Pastry Day. Will you celebrate? When did you last purchase something from a bakery? What’s your favorite treat that falls under the heading of pastry? Do you make it yourself or buy from the professionals?

Hmm, I’m going to say my fave in this category would be a cheese danish. Funny thing is that we have a bakery here named Tasty Pastry and I don’t like their cheese danish! I prefer it from Publix. It is SO good.

6. When it comes to holiday decorating_____________________________.

I do a whole lot indoors but not so much out!

7. When did you last laugh so much it hurt? Explain.

Actually, it has been a few weeks now but it was when we watched Spaceballs. I hadn’t seen it in a long time and I was in such a bad mood and I guess I hadn’t laughed in a while. I totally lost it at just about every joke. It was wonderful.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The word of the week is “discombobulated”. I have all this stuff to do and I keep remembering it but yet, feeling like I’m reeling out of control and cannot possibly do it all. I will say, I did two of my to-do list items last night: cleaned the kegerator lines and cleaned off the elliptical so I could work out this morning, which felt really good. I only did 20 minutes but it’s a start and better than nothing. Our keg of Shocktop should be here soon and it’ll be nice to have beer on tap again. Though maybe not so good for my weight. For all the complaining I do about my BIL who eats only fruits and veggies and runs a million miles a week, he drinks beer with the best of ’em. And that’s gonna be fun!