Newscast Follow Up

By popular demand here is the link to the newscast.

http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/mitt-romney-addresses-mormon-faith/131837.htm#top

Clicking on the link or copying and pasting it into your web browser should take you to the newscast.

On the News

Mitt Romney's speech on December 6th created quite a stir here in Nashville. Bob received an e-mail saying that channel 2 wanted to interview a Church representative and get their reaction to the speech. Well...guess who ended up being that representative? His twenty minute interview ended up being about one minute. He and a professor from Vanderbilt were interviewed not only about the speech, but about a study that has recently been done regarding discrimination against Mormons. The results of the study show that Mormons are discriminated against. (Gee are you surprised?) The interview actually went very well, but the reporter used only a small portion of what was said. When asked if there was prejudice against Mormons, Bob hesitated for a moment and then answered, "Yes, there is, but as people get to know us, they find out we're no different than anyone else." Yes...people actually do find out that we are pretty decent people. Why do we have to keep proving ourselves? Can the American people actually look beyond a person's race or religion, or is bigotry alive and well in this the United States of America? It sure makes you think.

Christmas tag

This Christmas tag asked 25 questions for the 25 days of December. Since my house is less than half decorated, the baking is less than half done, the lights on the Christmas tree only half light up, and we will be spending Christmas day split half in Utah and half in San Diego...I feel it appropriate that I halfway answer all these questions. Here goes:

1. Do you like egg nog or hot chocolate? Hot chocolate! (that one was easy)
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just leave them under the tree? It depends on whether or not the kids he is leaving them for would snoop....I think he wraps them.
3. Do you hang mistletoe? No, never have....that would take too much planning.
4. When do you decorate? We'll just skip this question this year. We'll let you know when it happens.
5. What is your favorite holiday dish? My family would say it's the prime rib we had two years in a row that they say is now a tradition. (Good try kids) It was good though!
6. My favorite holiday memory...There are too many to name a favorite. I do remember being VERY excited to have Santa deliver a new puppy to our house. I couldn't wait to see our kids reactions!
7. When did I find out the truth about Santa? What in the world does this question mean...you guys know the rules. You gotta believe!
8. Do we open a gift on Christmas Eve? Always...new pajamas!
9. Real or fake tree? Always real until last year. The lights don't work on the top of the tree so we've been trying to get them to work. Thus, no decorations are on it yet. (stupid fake tree!)
10. What tops your tree? An angel made by Miss Shauna at Monroe Elementary school. She gave it to us before we moved from Utah to California and told me that when I look at it I should remember that I have angel children. I should keep it up all year!
11. Do you enjoy giving or receiving? I enjoy giving (of course)!
12. I'll try to combine all the remaining questions in this last answer.

I've gone back and forth with the colored or white light thing. I used to really like different colors on the Christmas tree...now I like white and different colored ornaments. I have always loved the snow. I probably fantasize about it since I haven't lived in it for so many years. If I lived in it, I'd probably fantasize about living somewhere that it didn't snow. Go figure! I love all Christmas music except the one about the little boy trying to buy shoes for his mother because she is about to die. I seriously have to turn the station when that song comes on. Also, the song we used to make fun of that talks about giving your heart to "someone special" has really grown on me! I do NOT like candy canes. I don't think I've ever just eaten one by itself. I would love to be able to shop on line, but have a hard time buying something I haven't touched. Our Christmas morning tradition has been Christmas breakfast for as long as I can remember. I wonder if we'll ever change the menu. (Grandma Johnson's Christmas casserole, hot chocolate, and Carma's bran muffins.....yummmm!) As for the Christmas card...we started doing one of those Christmas newsletters many years ago...it kindof tops off our year. Many people dislike getting them, but we really do read each and every one we get. Maybe we appreciate them a little more because most of the one's we get are from friends and family we don't live near anymore.

So I guess I'd better be off to finishing my half done list of things to do. If I don't get busy, none of you will receive our much anticipated newsletter. Now wouldn't that be tragic?! If anyone is interested....next year my shopping will be done by July 1st, and the Christmas lights are going up on the house the day after Halloween, right after I take down our wonderful Halloween display!