Grinch Meme

All this talk in the blogosphere about the wonder of the Christmas season has me in full curmudgeon mode. I’ve never created my own meme before, but I suddenly feel inspired:

1. What do you hate most about Christmas?

The travel! Every year I fly back to New England to spend the holiday with my family. This means travelling at the most crowded time of the year, during some of the worst weather of the year, to see Massachusetts at a rather dismal season. Forget those Currier and Ives images of snow-covered New England. We have snow no more than 1 year in 4. Usually it’s brown, damp and raw. The only redeeming feature is getting to spend time with my family, whom I don’t get to see often enough.

2. What is your least favorite piece of Christmas music?

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. AIEEEEEE! Words cannot describe how much I loathe that one.

3. What traditional Christmas food OTHER THAN FRUITCAKE (too easy) is best sent down the garbage disposal?

Mincemeat Pie (Yuck).

4. Which animated Christmas TV special leaves you wanting to rip the wallpaper off of the walls?

The Tiny Tree. It's not that it's any more insipid than the many other bad Christmas specials. There is a song in it that's a pathetic ripoff of We Need a Little Christmas that vaults this one to the head of the line.

5. What was you least favorite Christmas gift ever?

When I was in the 5th grade, my great aunt gave me a hand-knit baby yellow hat in a girl’s style. What was she thinking???

6. Who on your Christmas gift list is the hardest to shop for?

My brother. Every year he promises to send a list of gift ideas. If he does, they come at the last minute when what he wants is already sold out. No exception this year. It’s Dec. 21 and I’ve heard…nothing.

7. How would you spend this time of year if you weren’t caught up in all of the holiday madness?

Doing many of the things that everyone says the Christmas season is supposed to be about: spending time with family and friends, taking the opportunity to reflect on how much love there really is in my life and how fortunate I really am in the world. Luckily, the chaos of the season doesn’t blot that out entirely. This year, I have a whole new set of connections that I’ve made through blogging. I’d wish you all a Merry Christmas, but in the spirit of the meme, I say instead BAH, HUMBUG.