holidays!

I was recently "tagged" by Kacie to share things about myself on my blog. However, I'm breaking the rules a bit and making mine all holiday-related! I've been listening to Christmas music, and it snowed this weekend, and all the stores have Christmas displays up -- which means I am more than eager for some holiday joy! So here's my "Welcome to the Holidays" themed 7 random things about myself:
1. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition from my childhood took place at Granny and Papa's farm. We would shake the pecan trees (literally) and then pick up all the pecans -- and there were a lot! It got a little competitive at times. :) As an added bonus, that meant we had pecans for the rest of the year... and I was always very thankful for that!
2. I love cranberries. I do not, however, love cranberry sauce. Also, I prefer my turkey deep-fried, and Christmas Eve feels somewhat incomplete without a few porkskins on the snack table next to the Rice Krispie Treats (clearly, I am a product of the South).
3. My family listens to Christmas music year-round. Even in the middle of summer, Dad will sometimes put on his favorite Christmas record (yes, record!) at night.
4. My two favorite religious Christmas songs are O Come All Ye Faithful and O Holy Night. As for secular songs, I love Nat King Cole's Christmas Song -- and living in Budapest has finally allowed me to taste chestnuts roasted over an open fire!
5. We love our Christmas decorations in my family, and we don't throw any away. So every year, my kindergarten ornament (a plastic cup melted around some beads) still makes an appearance on our tree, as does a glued-string model of Hailley's comet from 3rd grade.
6. As a somewhat precocious child and an avid reader from an early age, I put two and two together after I read a label that said "Made in China" and realized that China was not, in fact, part of the North Pole, and therefore my stocking stuffer toothbrush could not have been made by elves. ah, innocence lost.
7. My favorite gift from last year was when my family sent a dvd slideshow with pictures from past Christmas celebrations. Then each gift was linked to one of the pictures. It was a brilliant way for them to help me feel close to my family and remember my favorite Christmas memories.


I'm supposed to tag 7 people who will also write 7 random things on their blogs, but I'm not sure who else posts consistently -- Karen? Lisa? Aaron? Renata? We'll see, I suppose!