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December 2023 Prompts - Part 1
I got home Friday morning and I am only just now really starting to get caught up on anything. I have at least 5 entries to write here, so I am just going to start with a few easier ones, then write about my trip and get around to the 2023 year in review after all that.
1 – Cookie Cutter Day: Do you own any cookie cutters? Any unusual ones? Tell us about them. I own a lot of cookie cutters. They range from normal things like stars and hearts and circles to various sorts of animals. I have ones shaped like teapots that I like for thin lemony cookies that I think go well with tea. I also do gingerbread men and women and bears.
2 – Play Basketball Day: Have you ever played basketball? We played basketball in gym class in elementary school, junior high, and the first couple of years of high school. (After that we chose elective sports and I favored racket sports and dancing.) The summer I spent at a biochemistry program at a private school (a National Science Foundation program), the different project groups played basketball against one another. There was one girl in my group who refused to play for some reason, so I played more than I might have otherwise done.
3 – Make a Gift Day: Do you make gifts for anybody? How about cards? I’ve been known to knit or crochet gifts for friends. I used to make cards a lot, but haven’t in several years.
4 – Wear Brown Shoes Day: Do you own any brown shoes? I own one pair of plain brown slip-ons that I don’t wear often since I rarely wear brown, though they go well with one plaid dress I own. I also have a pair of mostly brown shoes with fancy ties that one of my friends calls my flibbertigibbet shoes.
5 – National Repeal Day: December 5th marks the end of prohibition in the United States (back in 1933). If you're not American, did your country ever prohibit the sale of alcohol (or maybe it still does)? Does it make sense that alcohol is legal, but other substances aren’t? I’m American. We figured out that prohibition didn’t work. Not that prohibiting many other drugs works, either.
6 – Put on Your Own Shoes Day: How old were you when you learned to put on your own shoes? How about when you learned to tie your own shoelaces? Does anybody actually know the answer to this?
7 – Cotton Candy Day: Do you like cotton candy? (Also known as Fairy Floss.) I detest cotton candy. It has no flavor other than sweet and stains your hands annoying colors.
8 – Lost and Found Day: Have you ever lost something important to you and thought you would never get it back, but then you found it or someone returned it to you? The only thing important to me that I lost was a ring that, alas, I never found.
9 – Christmas Card Day: Do you send Christmas/holiday cards? How many do you send? Do you receive many cards? I normally do send holiday cards. I probably send 20-30 or so. This year, I only got halfway through my list because I was in a mad rush to pack and leave on vacation and hadn’t started soon enough. Finishing writing to people is one of the many things on my to-do list.
10 – World Choral Day: Have you ever sung in a choir? I was in chorus from 4th through 6th grade in school. I think I was also in chorus at one summer camp I went to, but the memory is vaguer.
11 – Stretching Day: How flexible are you? Do you do any stretching or flexibility exercises regularly? I’m not as flexible as I used to be back when I took a lot of dance classes. I really need to make more of a point of doing stretching exercises again.
12 – Gingerbread House Day: Have you ever made a gingerbread house? How did it turn out? I’ve never made a gingerbread house. They intrigue me, but they’re not really part of my culture.
13 – Day of the Horse: Have you ever been horseback riding? Have you read any of the classic horse books, e.g. Black Beauty, the Misty of Chincoteague books, the Black Stallion books, the Silver Brumby books? Are you a fan of any horse-related sports, e.g. racing or show jumping? I went horseback riding at one summer camp I went to, but only a few times. I read Black Beauty, but not any other horse books. I went to the equestrian events at the Athens Olympics and I went to the Kentucky Derby in 2023.
14 – Roast Chestnuts Day: Have you ever made or eaten roast chestnuts? I think I ate some (bought from a street vendor) when I was in high school, but it was a long long time ago.
15 – Cat Herders' Day: Have you ever had to do anything where it felt like you were trying to herd cats? I have organized events, so, yes.
16 – Chocolate-Covered Anything Day: Is there anything that would not be improved by being covered in chocolate? What is your favourite chocolate-covered food? In general, there are two categories of food - those improved by the addition of chocolate and those improved by the addition of garlic. On those grounds, mole is the perfect food. I will admit, however, that even though I love ginger, I am not crazy about chocolate covered ginger. In general, I favor chocolate with nuts, especially hazelnuts.
17 – Wright Brothers Day: How do you feel about plane travel? I understand its environmental impact, but it is the most efficient way of traveling long distances. You really don’t want to know how many frequent flyer miles I have.
18 – International Migrants Day: International Migrants Day emphasizes the protection of migrants’ human rights. The day also recognizes the contributions and efforts of migrants around the world. Has anyone in your family ever migrated from one country to another? What would your country be like without migrants? Many members of my family spent a lot of time fleeing from the Tsar’s Army. A lot of relatives went to various parts of Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba) and to South Africa, due to restrictive immigration quotas for the U.S. Others went to Israel later on.
19 – Look for an Evergreen Day: Are there many species of evergreens where you live? The Commonwealth of Virginia is the largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States, with the Virginia pine the most commonly grown. We also have southern magnolia, Japanese cedar, common yew, something called Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, American holly, Eastern red cedar (aka Virgnia Juniper), Canadian hemlock, Eastern white pine, Green giant arborvitae (you can identify it because its leaves call out “ho ho ho” to you), Leyland cypress, Concolor fir, Eastern white pine, and Mountain laurel. That is based on 30 seconds of google. I pretty much call most of them just pine trees, though I know that cedars and arborvitae are skinnier.
20 – Go Caroling Day: Have you ever been caroling? Are there any groups in your neighbourhood who go caroling at this time of year? I don’t think I’ve ever been caroling. Not really part of my culture.
21 – Don't Make Your Bed Day: Were you brought up to make your bed every day? Do you make your bed every day? In theory, I make my bed every day. In practice, I do sometimes get lazy.
22 – Mathematics Day: Were you good at mathematics in school? How much of the math/s you learned in school do you use in your everyday life now? I was very good at math in school. In my academic life, I used a lot of linear algebra, but it has been years. In grad school, I took a few classes that I would describe as “topics in applied math that the professor thinks are interesting.” I have forgotten anything I ever knew about the spherical theta function.
23 – Roots Day: How much do you know about your own family history? Do you know the names of your great grandparents? Have any of your ancestors been a part of any significant historical events? I know the names of all of my great grandparents. Many of my ancestors were part of the Shoah, as victims, alas.
24 – Christmas Eve: Christmas Eve is filled with both religious and nonreligious traditions and a variety of foods. What are some of your holiday traditions? How did they begin? We always lit Chanukah menorahs and ate potato latkes.
25 – Pumpkin Pie Day: Pumpkin pie, yes or no? It’s okay, but there are other sorts of pie that I like better.
26 – Whiner's Day: National Whiner’s Day is here to encourage people to appreciate what they have instead of complaining about what they don’t! What do you have to be thankful for today? I’m thankful not to be around whiners.
27 – Make Cut-out Snowflake Day: Have you ever made cut-out snowflakes? How about a string of cut-out paper dolls? I’m pretty sure I made cut-out snowflakes, to be used in making home-made cards. I have no specific memory re: strings of paper dolls.
28 – Card Playing Day: Do you play card games? I play all sorts of games, including board games and card games. When I was growing up my family played several card games, with our favorites being gin rummy and casino.
29 – Tick Tock Day: Tick Tock Day reminds you that the year is almost at an end, and there are things still left to be doing, and in fact, only two days left to do them in. What do you need to get done so that you don't let the year end with regret? I got home on the 29th. All I wanted to do was sleep.
30 – Bicarbonate of Soda Day. How many uses do you know of for bicarbonate of soda? It’s used in baking, as well as to absorb odors and in cleaning (often mixed with vinegar).
31 – Make Up Your Mind Day: How decisive are you? What is likely to make it hard for you to make a decision? I can be very decisive, but I do sometimes get stuck when I feel like I have too many options.
1 – Cookie Cutter Day: Do you own any cookie cutters? Any unusual ones? Tell us about them. I own a lot of cookie cutters. They range from normal things like stars and hearts and circles to various sorts of animals. I have ones shaped like teapots that I like for thin lemony cookies that I think go well with tea. I also do gingerbread men and women and bears.
2 – Play Basketball Day: Have you ever played basketball? We played basketball in gym class in elementary school, junior high, and the first couple of years of high school. (After that we chose elective sports and I favored racket sports and dancing.) The summer I spent at a biochemistry program at a private school (a National Science Foundation program), the different project groups played basketball against one another. There was one girl in my group who refused to play for some reason, so I played more than I might have otherwise done.
3 – Make a Gift Day: Do you make gifts for anybody? How about cards? I’ve been known to knit or crochet gifts for friends. I used to make cards a lot, but haven’t in several years.
4 – Wear Brown Shoes Day: Do you own any brown shoes? I own one pair of plain brown slip-ons that I don’t wear often since I rarely wear brown, though they go well with one plaid dress I own. I also have a pair of mostly brown shoes with fancy ties that one of my friends calls my flibbertigibbet shoes.
5 – National Repeal Day: December 5th marks the end of prohibition in the United States (back in 1933). If you're not American, did your country ever prohibit the sale of alcohol (or maybe it still does)? Does it make sense that alcohol is legal, but other substances aren’t? I’m American. We figured out that prohibition didn’t work. Not that prohibiting many other drugs works, either.
6 – Put on Your Own Shoes Day: How old were you when you learned to put on your own shoes? How about when you learned to tie your own shoelaces? Does anybody actually know the answer to this?
7 – Cotton Candy Day: Do you like cotton candy? (Also known as Fairy Floss.) I detest cotton candy. It has no flavor other than sweet and stains your hands annoying colors.
8 – Lost and Found Day: Have you ever lost something important to you and thought you would never get it back, but then you found it or someone returned it to you? The only thing important to me that I lost was a ring that, alas, I never found.
9 – Christmas Card Day: Do you send Christmas/holiday cards? How many do you send? Do you receive many cards? I normally do send holiday cards. I probably send 20-30 or so. This year, I only got halfway through my list because I was in a mad rush to pack and leave on vacation and hadn’t started soon enough. Finishing writing to people is one of the many things on my to-do list.
10 – World Choral Day: Have you ever sung in a choir? I was in chorus from 4th through 6th grade in school. I think I was also in chorus at one summer camp I went to, but the memory is vaguer.
11 – Stretching Day: How flexible are you? Do you do any stretching or flexibility exercises regularly? I’m not as flexible as I used to be back when I took a lot of dance classes. I really need to make more of a point of doing stretching exercises again.
12 – Gingerbread House Day: Have you ever made a gingerbread house? How did it turn out? I’ve never made a gingerbread house. They intrigue me, but they’re not really part of my culture.
13 – Day of the Horse: Have you ever been horseback riding? Have you read any of the classic horse books, e.g. Black Beauty, the Misty of Chincoteague books, the Black Stallion books, the Silver Brumby books? Are you a fan of any horse-related sports, e.g. racing or show jumping? I went horseback riding at one summer camp I went to, but only a few times. I read Black Beauty, but not any other horse books. I went to the equestrian events at the Athens Olympics and I went to the Kentucky Derby in 2023.
14 – Roast Chestnuts Day: Have you ever made or eaten roast chestnuts? I think I ate some (bought from a street vendor) when I was in high school, but it was a long long time ago.
15 – Cat Herders' Day: Have you ever had to do anything where it felt like you were trying to herd cats? I have organized events, so, yes.
16 – Chocolate-Covered Anything Day: Is there anything that would not be improved by being covered in chocolate? What is your favourite chocolate-covered food? In general, there are two categories of food - those improved by the addition of chocolate and those improved by the addition of garlic. On those grounds, mole is the perfect food. I will admit, however, that even though I love ginger, I am not crazy about chocolate covered ginger. In general, I favor chocolate with nuts, especially hazelnuts.
17 – Wright Brothers Day: How do you feel about plane travel? I understand its environmental impact, but it is the most efficient way of traveling long distances. You really don’t want to know how many frequent flyer miles I have.
18 – International Migrants Day: International Migrants Day emphasizes the protection of migrants’ human rights. The day also recognizes the contributions and efforts of migrants around the world. Has anyone in your family ever migrated from one country to another? What would your country be like without migrants? Many members of my family spent a lot of time fleeing from the Tsar’s Army. A lot of relatives went to various parts of Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba) and to South Africa, due to restrictive immigration quotas for the U.S. Others went to Israel later on.
19 – Look for an Evergreen Day: Are there many species of evergreens where you live? The Commonwealth of Virginia is the largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States, with the Virginia pine the most commonly grown. We also have southern magnolia, Japanese cedar, common yew, something called Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress, American holly, Eastern red cedar (aka Virgnia Juniper), Canadian hemlock, Eastern white pine, Green giant arborvitae (you can identify it because its leaves call out “ho ho ho” to you), Leyland cypress, Concolor fir, Eastern white pine, and Mountain laurel. That is based on 30 seconds of google. I pretty much call most of them just pine trees, though I know that cedars and arborvitae are skinnier.
20 – Go Caroling Day: Have you ever been caroling? Are there any groups in your neighbourhood who go caroling at this time of year? I don’t think I’ve ever been caroling. Not really part of my culture.
21 – Don't Make Your Bed Day: Were you brought up to make your bed every day? Do you make your bed every day? In theory, I make my bed every day. In practice, I do sometimes get lazy.
22 – Mathematics Day: Were you good at mathematics in school? How much of the math/s you learned in school do you use in your everyday life now? I was very good at math in school. In my academic life, I used a lot of linear algebra, but it has been years. In grad school, I took a few classes that I would describe as “topics in applied math that the professor thinks are interesting.” I have forgotten anything I ever knew about the spherical theta function.
23 – Roots Day: How much do you know about your own family history? Do you know the names of your great grandparents? Have any of your ancestors been a part of any significant historical events? I know the names of all of my great grandparents. Many of my ancestors were part of the Shoah, as victims, alas.
24 – Christmas Eve: Christmas Eve is filled with both religious and nonreligious traditions and a variety of foods. What are some of your holiday traditions? How did they begin? We always lit Chanukah menorahs and ate potato latkes.
25 – Pumpkin Pie Day: Pumpkin pie, yes or no? It’s okay, but there are other sorts of pie that I like better.
26 – Whiner's Day: National Whiner’s Day is here to encourage people to appreciate what they have instead of complaining about what they don’t! What do you have to be thankful for today? I’m thankful not to be around whiners.
27 – Make Cut-out Snowflake Day: Have you ever made cut-out snowflakes? How about a string of cut-out paper dolls? I’m pretty sure I made cut-out snowflakes, to be used in making home-made cards. I have no specific memory re: strings of paper dolls.
28 – Card Playing Day: Do you play card games? I play all sorts of games, including board games and card games. When I was growing up my family played several card games, with our favorites being gin rummy and casino.
29 – Tick Tock Day: Tick Tock Day reminds you that the year is almost at an end, and there are things still left to be doing, and in fact, only two days left to do them in. What do you need to get done so that you don't let the year end with regret? I got home on the 29th. All I wanted to do was sleep.
30 – Bicarbonate of Soda Day. How many uses do you know of for bicarbonate of soda? It’s used in baking, as well as to absorb odors and in cleaning (often mixed with vinegar).
31 – Make Up Your Mind Day: How decisive are you? What is likely to make it hard for you to make a decision? I can be very decisive, but I do sometimes get stuck when I feel like I have too many options.