Christmas Meme

This has beeen done by several other people-Tara, Jenster & Cindy (links on the sidebar) among others. I saved mine for today.


1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Both, but not at the same time.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Both.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? We had white for years because it was Husband’s preference, but now we’ve colors inside and out.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not unless I can find the real item.
5. When do you put your decorations up? First week after Thanksgiving
6. What is your favourite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Mashed potatoes and gravy
7. Favourite Holiday memory as a child: See post below.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Don’t remember. Third grade maybe??
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, after midnight service.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? :0 UH..with ornaments and lights? I prefer the tree to be very green and open- as opposed to being so laden with trinkets that one cannot recognize the tree for all of the stuff on it. Mostly the children hang the ornaments after Husband has done the lights.
11. Snow Love it or Dread it? SNOW. Lots and lots and lots and lots of snow. Not that I get it in our current location.
12. Can you ice skate? Nope. Love to watch others.
13. Do you remember your favourite gift? My grandmother made me a beautiful quilted satin multistriped formal skirt to wear to holiday parties with them. It was gorgeous & I felt very grown up.
14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being together with the kids and our family.
15. What is your favourite Holiday dessert? All of them. ;) Pecan pie and ice cream, I suppose, if I can only choose one.
16. What is your favourite holiday tradition? Midnight mass. Driving around looking at everyone’s lights. I like the entire season, really.
17. What tops your tree? This year there are several large snowflakes. Other years we’ve had a star or an angel.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving, by far.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Gabriel’s Message & Once in Royal David’s City
20. What is your favourite Christmas movie? I don’t have one, really. The Patrick Stewart version of A Christmas Carol. Eloise at Christmas. A Christmas Story.

City of Joy; Dominique LaPierre

The copy I have was published in 1985 by Warner Books. Dominique Lapierre is a well known French author who wrote this book based on experiences he and his wife had in the late 1970's and early 1980's in India. Half of all royalties from the sale of this book support various charities LaPierre patronizes in India. Details here. The movie version of City of Joy seems to be an adaptation that may have caused some controversy at the time it was released (1992), but I didn't research any background information.

Alternately heartwarming and horrifying City of Joy is the tale of a Polish priest who becomes a solitary missionary in the slums of Calcutta. The book alternates Father Stephan's accounts of his adaptation to daily life among the poorest of the poor and the story of a peasant family scrapping for a meagre existance alongside thousands of others.

Here, the dreams are of sufficient food to feed everyone at least once a day- twice a day makes you rich. In Fr. Stephan's world, 'moving on up' means off the sidewalk into a shanty. No matter how vermin infested or rickety, a shack wards off the worst of the monsoon or provides shade during the oven-like summer heat. Hope means you don't become chronically ill until you can provide a living for your children.

Yet, ultimately, this is an uplifting book. For me, the Beatitudes are more vivid, more profound than they were a few days ago. Above all, City of Joy inspires thankfulness and hope. Hope that people reach out their hands to one another with offers of food, job skills, adequate shelter, medicine.

One issue immediately brought to my mind was the efficacy of international handouts (food, medicine, etc) for the destitute. No one argues that the wealthy have an obligation to the destitute. However, one can quibble over the method and the results. In this case, Africa immediately came to my mind, but the discussion could be made over many situations around the world.

I have no answers. That the destitute shall be among humanity forever seems to be a given. That each of us is obliged to help as much as we can in our corner of the world is also understood.

“God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try”Mother Theresa

AFI Top 100 Inspiring Movies

I watched an AFI (American Film Institute) special last night with Husband. They chose a list of the top 100 most inspiring films. Click link above for complete list. Do you agree? Disagree? Think they forgot your movie? Can't believe a movie made the list at all?

Top 25 from AFI's Most Inspiring Movies:

1.It's A Wonderful Life
2. To Kill A Mockingbird
3. Schindler's List
4. Rocky
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
6. ET
7. Grapes of Wrath
8. Breaking Away
9. Miracle on 34th St.
10. Saving Pvt. Ryan
11. The Best Years of Our Lives
12. Apollo 13
13. Hoosiers
14. The Bridge on the River Kwai
15. The Miracle Worker
16. Norma Rae
17. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest
18. The Right Stuff
19. The Diary of Anne Frank
20. Philadelphia
21. In the Heat of the Night
22. Pride of the Yankees
23. Shawshank Redemption
24. National Velvet
25. Sullivan's Travels

I'm not really a movie person, so I've not seen many of the movies on the list. I can tell you I don't think Rocky should've made the list all. Neither do I understand sports or sports movies as a metaphor for mankind (life, etc). There are quite a few sports movies on the list, but I simply don't understand the affinity. Tell me what you think.

Thursday Thirteen #1~ Fav. Movies

Technorati (click link above) does a weekly meme where participants make out a list of thirteen___________ fill in the blank about your favorite subject. I found this via Balls & Walnuts & I like his list & the others I found on Technorati. So, here's my

Thursday Thirteen

Favorite Movies in no particular order

1. Lion in Winter

2. Casablanca

3. LOTR series

4. Ragtime

5. Amelie

6. On Golden Pond

7. In America

8. Triplets of Belleville

9. War & Peace

10. March of the Penguins

11. Sleeping Beauty

12. Gigi

13. Pink Panther series

thursday thirteen