thursday's ten or so: the holiday edition

since i'm still kind of in a holiday coma (and more to come since we haven't celebrated with my family yet!) i thought it would be fun to share a few holiday memories from this year. please feel free to respond in the comments or write your own post with these memories and more!

most awkward moment
a toss up between playing a dirty santa game that half the room wasn't into and when we all had to be silent while an aunt read the weather report from...louisville?

most satisfying receipt of a gift (for me)
anthony's reaction when he realized that i had bought him the complete collection of calvin and hobbes. 

most satisfying receipt of a gift (for us)
we made anthony's mom cry. twice in a row :-) first for a cashmere scarf and second for a family photo from our wedding we had printed and framed for his parents

most surprising gift (for me)
anthony got me a new tv!

most surprising gift (for us)
anthony's aunt bought us the sound of music on bluray, which was on our list. only she got us a limited edition collector's set. it's pretty amazing...and TOTALLY above what we would have ever expected!

most gobbled part of the main meal?
we had prime rib and sides...not surprisingly the prime rib was number one on the "like" list (at least at our table). however, the twice baked garlic potatoes were pretty freaking awesome too!


most fun stocking surprise?
for me? pretty sure it was the OPI bondettes mini set anthony stuffed in there. for him? i think it's a toss-up between the ninja-bread cookie cutters and the om-nom (character from cut the rope) plush. he might tell you differently though ;-)

most pleasant surprise?
that instead of everyone ripping into their gifts at once there were several of us who watched for the reactions of everyone else...that made it last slightly longer, but certainly made it more fun.

most fun new tradition?
we added to an old tradition (that of everyone gathering to watch a christmas movie for 3 or 4 nights) but offering to bring dinner one of the nights. tomato basil soup and grilled cheese is now officially "the" meal for the viewing of white christmas :-)

so. how were your festivities?

ashes

Lent
every year i get to fat tuesday and i start wondering
"hmmm, what should i give up this year for Lent?"

this year, it was more of a pondering
with all that has been given up this year
both voluntarily and with me kicking and screaming
and with all that i've learned this year
about the Grace of God
about being a daughter instead of an orphan
about breaking off curses and welcoming in blessings

with all that charismatic and wonderful stuff
is it even appropriate to celebrate Lent?

still, the stirrings in my soul cry out
to follow a church calendar
to remember the heritage
of a Church more ancient than any worship style
than any living earthly being

to remember Sacrifice
that brought us that Grace
to remember the Son
who made it possible for me to be a daughter
to remember that He was the one who broke off all the curses
and brought all the blessings

there are so many things i'm learning about
about Papa
about Jesus
about Holy Spirit

but today i will begin by asking Holy Spirit for guidance
as to what my Lenten sacrifice will be
i will attend a mid-day Mass
grateful for a Catholic church that will place the ashes on my Protestant forehead
reminding me of the sacrifice of the Son
and i will end the day by attending a class that talks about Father's heart
in a church where i will likely be told more than once
that i "have something on my forehead"

and i will smile and explain
the reason for the ashes

Father, Son, Holy Spirit
all entertwined in this day
all entertwined in my life

this is how it should be

and for these 40 days of Lent
may i remember

Thursday's Ten: Christmas traditions

today's list: your favorite personal or family traditions for this time of year :0)



1. opening one (just one!) gift on Christmas Eve
my parents always let me, and i loved it.  i think i'll continue the tradition with my kids with Christmas pajamas :)
2. Christmas Eve Mass
i'm not catholic, but i love the service
3. sleeping just one night per season underneath the Christmas tree
that wouldn't be hard for me this year...considering the tree is just across the room from where i sleep anyway...
4. black Friday Christmas shopping -- online and in person
i know some think it's crazy but i love it!
5. wrapping presents. it may not be a tradition, really, but i have a rule at Christmas that there will be NO bags involved unless it's just a particularly hard gift to wrap.
i love wrapping gifts.  is that weird?
6. movies -- A's family watches the same movies every year, starting with Elf on thanksgiving night and including White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life...and a few others ;-)
and anthony and i watched Love Actually tonight...and i think we'll do Four Christmases before Christmas day
7. the Advent wreath. this year I put it up late, and didn't prepare by finding any books to do during the season...so unprepared, but hopefully this is the only year that will be a problem.
there's something so peaceful and lovely about lighting a candle and whispering simple words
8. my open house party...that's another thing that just isn't happening this year :( 
but there are plenty to attend, and i hope that next year's will more than make up for this year's lack
9.  caroling.  i haven't done it for YEARS, but maybe i should change that.  my cell group (small group) talked last night about the possibility of caroling sometime before Christmas, so who knows? :-)
we actually snuck to a friends house to sing a song for them last night...which is what brought the conversation up 
10.  playing Christmas music...constantly
normally i have only holiday music playing after thanksgiving.  this year has been a little strange in all regards.  i'm missing directing a choir, i'm missing decorating a space that's truly mine, and i've discovered pandora to play in the car...but i suppose i could choose a pandora Christmas station...

i'm sure as the years go by and i have children things will get even crazier.  but those are the simple traditions i've kept for the last 5 years or so.  what about you?

thursday's ten: my favorite nashville holiday traditions

please share your favorite things to do in YOUR area of the world during this season!  i'd love to read them...and maybe plan a visit! :)

1.  the Christmas village.  every year that A and i have been dating we've gone, so it's become a fun little tradition.  basically it's a huge craft and foods fair where you can buy gifts for everyone on your list...or just wander around and admire.

2. opryland hotel.  after the may flooding, we weren't sure about this year's holiday season...so there was much rejoicing in town when we found out that the hotel was re-opening just in time for the holidays.  we always go to see the lights, but there's also a huge ICE display, the rockettes are in town for awhile, and there's tons of other festivities in the opryland hotel complex.

3.   local theater.  one of the standards is a tuna christmas at tpac, but there are shows going on EVERYWHERE that are both funny and heartwarming.  :)

4.  downtown Christmas trees.  nashville being the state capitol and all, we have both the state tree and the city tree downtown.  there's been a lot of push to plant a tree in the future (at least for the metro tree), and i kind of hope that goes through.  it'd be nice, not only from a eco-friendly aspect, but also to know that you're looking at the same tree year after year :)

5.  Christmas lights.  every year there's a county-wide contest, and every year the winners are announced in early to mid december.  the announcement includes addresses, so it's fun to see the winners year after year.  it DOES sometimes seem like we're going to the same houses over and over year after year, but it's totally worth it :)

6.  parades, naturally!  of course there are your normal street parades, but there's also a more creative approach.  not in nashville proper, but a bit north...when i lived on that lake i spoke about, i could watch the hendersonville lighted boat parade.  boats decked out for christmas.  it was way cool :)  one of these years i'll have to get up there again for it -- definitely a lot of fun!

7.  not to be outdone, south of nashville in little franklin...every year holds a street festival called "a dickens of a christmas".  unfortunately, we're going to be out of town this year...but i hope to get there next year!

8.  tons of amazing church concerts and the like.  my favorite every year is the Christ Church Choir one.  they're amazing!

9.  the live nativity -- actually the live walk through bethlehem -- at a church on hillsboro rd.  now, i've never actually MEANT to go to this, but just about every year i get stuck in traffic because of it.  and i smile...

10.  and some places just pull out all the stops.  cheekwood, for example, has a TON of stuff going on all season long.  cookie decorating, wreath making, and something called martinis and mistletoe that i think i need to investigate.

one that isn't really a tradition but i love is snow pictures...if we're lucky enough to get a snowfall.  i've lived in nashville for 11 winters now, and it's only happened a couple of times that i get GOOD snow to take pictures in.  so, because it's such a rare thing it makes it all the more special.

what about you?  what fun things do you and your family like to do to enjoy and savor the season?