...All I have today is the Sunday Brunch! Which is a double header, thank goodness (and if anyone can tell me what happened to the Stitcher's Question of the Week, because my link to it is dead dead dead... Never mind... found it.

"The peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm old traditions and make new beginnings." -George W. Bush

1) What is a Christmas tradition that your family did when you were a child that you loved the most?

2) What is a Christmas tradition that you plan to instill in your own family or already have instilled from when you were a child?

Other than putting up a tree, I don't have any traditions from when I was a child. My parents told me that Santa didn't exist when I was 5, and Mom really wasn't hyped on the holidays, so I didn't have any traditions. But, with DH and A & B, we've got our yearly stockings, and the tree going up the day after Thanksgiving, and leaving cookies out for Santa...

3) What is a new Christmas tradition that you have instilled in your family that is new to both you and your significant other?

Wrapping paper. We always buy one roll of wrapping paper to leave out for Santa to use on the presents.

4) Do you make any traditional holiday dishes?

edit: Whoops... I must have had my mind elsewhere - I read this as 'wishes' not dishes... So, I'm leaving my original answer here, and answering this correctly under it...

That there be peace on earth everywhere - even if it's only for a single hour of a single day. (that's my wish)

I usually just spend a day baking cookies, and a family standby is 'Lemon Love Notes' (that's my dish)

5) Does your family open Christmas gifts Christmas morning, when the clock strikes twelve, or one gift the night before and the rest the next morning?

Gifts get opened in the morning. After all, we don't know what time Santa will come in the night, so we need to have a full good night's sleep.

"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.'" -Aaron Copland

1) Can you play a musical instrument? If so, which one(s)?

I very rustily play the piano - it's been quite a few years since I spent 2 to 3 hours a day practicing, and that shows.

2) If you could be part of any band or musical group on the planet, which one would it be and who would you be and why?

Any band? Anyone? Oooo. Either the Rippingtons or Chicago. I think I'd rather like to be myself, but with the talent of any member of either group.

3) What is your favorite genre of music?

Jazz. Definitely. But rock takes a very tight close second.

4) What is your least favorite genre of music?

Rap. HipHop. Hate a lot of that stuff.

5) What was the last song you heard or what are you listening to right now?

Well, DH is listening to music in the other room, but the last song that I heard clearly was Mark Knofler doing a live version of "Romeo & Juliet" from a concert a couple of years ago. (For those interested, it's a long version, very well orchestrated and mic'd, and it's on KFOG's 'Live from the Archives, Vol 11')

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Besides framing, what other ways do you finish your cross-stitch pieces?

I'm working on a bellpull, and I've got a couple of stockings, but other than that I've never finished any of my stitching in any way other than framing.