Random Dozen -- the Christmas version

Hosted by Lid at 2nd Cup of Coffee, this is the weekly meme of 12 random questions. If you'd like to play along, you can cut and paste the questions into your own blog, and then go to 2nd Cup of Coffee to link in with the Mr. Linky button.

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1. Which physical trait do you now accept--maybe not love, but accept--and no longer feel extremely self-conscious about? My nose, which is rather large and has a bump in it (you can see the bump when you look at me from the side). Thanks, Great-Grandmom Sadie.

2. This week Meredith Baxter Birney, best known as the mom on the favorite 80s sitcom "Family Ties" came out of the closet, which led me to formulate this question: Who do you think is/was the best TV mom? Sada Thompson in the TV show “Family.” She was cool but also completely believable.

3. Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any you'd like to learn? I still have a very small French vocabulary remaining from my high school French language classes, but that’s about it. (I can ask “Ou est le bibliotèque?” and toss off the phrase “Je ne sais quoi” with the best of ‘em.) I’d love to learn to speak Spanish – regional conversation, not textbook version.

4. Who is your personal hero? My husband, without a doubt. He lost his right arm in a farming accident 26 years ago (when he was 27), yet he doesn’t consider himself to be disabled and he can do just about anything a two-handed person can do. He has other chronic health issues that stem from that incident but he never gives up on life. I wish I had half his ability to stick to something and see it through, no matter the odds. Tenacity, thy name is Tim. In addition, to his tenacity, he has grown into a man after God's own heart. I didn't know him in his younger years, but I do know that in his middle age, he truly seeks the Lord and tries to live his life according to God's will. I am very blessed to have him as my husband.

5. What is one holiday food that you find extremely difficult to resist over- indulging in? Magic Cookie Bars are still a real downfall for me. I see them… and then I eat them. All of them. Period.

6. Tell me about a Christmas decoration that has special meaning or sentimental value. I searched high and low for a Nativity scene that I could love. I didn’t want porcelain, or anything too detailed or florid, but neither did I want something completely impressionistic. In a tiny Christmas shop that was going out of business I found their last remaining Nativity scene that is made of a wood-like resin. It has just enough detail for each figurine, but isn’t overly done. Each figure has been minimally painted and everything is done in lovely mellow tones. It’s a great set – very nice to contemplate. Except when my son comes along and re-arranges all the figurines into a football huddle around the baby Jesus. Sometimes there are just no words.....

7. How do you feel about snow? Love/hate. I love it when I can stay inside and not have to deal with it. I hate driving in it.

8. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Not that I'm jealous of any number over three or anything. You've no need to be jealous of me. These days, I get about six hours on average. Sometimes a lot less and sometimes maybe an hour more (I don’t think I’ve slept more than seven hours straight in a very long time). Last night it was five.

9. Tell me about your first crush. A 4th grade classmate. I thought he was just wonderful and I treasured the penny Valentine that I received from him. In fact, I don’t think I gave up my crush on him until we were in middle school.

10. You're stuck in a room for 2 hours with only a chalkboard and chalk. What will you write/draw? Nothing. I hate the feeling of chalk on my fingers, actually.

11. Do you dress for the current temp or for the day's forecast? Both, I think. In Idaho in the spring and fall, the temperature can climb 40 degrees from low to high in a 24 hour period, so I dress in layers.

12. Favorite Christmas movie is? Just one?! Hmmmm….. I like White Christmas and I like all the versions of A Christmas Carol. I also like A Christmas Story (“You’ll shoot your eye out!”). It’s hard to choose!