Zorak came home yesterday with Advent calendars for the kids. We have friends who a) spoil them so sweetly, and b) are FAR more organized and holiday-aware than we are. The kids are excited. Em has no clue there's chocolate under there. I want to hang the calendars on the wall - out of her reach - before she clues in.
We've been making the loop through the Christmas sections of the stores - Lowe's, Kroger, Home Depot, even The Pig has Christmas stuff out. Normally, I'd complain that it's not even Thanksgiving yet! But I'm just glad they didn't put it out in August. And really, I need the constant reminder that it's COMING. It's almost CHRISTMAS. Plus, I'm a fiend for Christmas music. Even if it's formatted as Muzak. Really not picky when it comes to that.
We have to retool our gift-giving plans. Not because of any financial crunch, but because I remade the jelly and NONE of it set this time, either. The pear stuff we could probably get away with renaming "syrup". I don't think I can bring myself to give "persimmon syrup" to people I actually like. *shudder* Ew. Ew. Just thinking about it makes me cringe. It's the color of Pepto Bismol that's somehow, some way, gone horribly wrong. Like the bottle wasn't closed the last time it was used. Ten years ago. The kind of thing you find in the back of your great-great-Aunt's medicine cabinet. That color. That should never be poured on pancakes.
And I refuse to knowingly contribute a gift that WILL be regifted at white elephant exchanges for the next few years, either. So, back to square one.
The kids have some fun ideas for what they'd like to give each other. I have no idea how we'll separate everyone long enough for them to pick up something for the others. It's going to take a math major, a graphing calculator, some matrices, and possibly blindfolds to work that one out!
The stove is my gift. It's a wonderful gift, and I'm not at all disappointed that it won't be under the tree on Christmas morning. I'd much rather have it fired up, and a safe distance from the tree. Like I told Zorak the other night, this beats a diamond ring, hands down, every time. And, to show my appreciation to Zorak, I promise not to decorate the house until after Thanksgiving.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
8 comments:
You could just do a few art afternoons, and then make copies (if necessary) of their work, and frame them in inexpensive 5 x 7 frames. This gift is good for folks you know well, or new friends.
LB
But, Persimmon Syrup sounds so gourmet--maybe if you add a little food coloring?
I am SO jealous of your wood stove! I'm stuck with energy-sucking space heaters. UGH! Keep enjoying that lovely wood heat, you lucky girl.:0)
Yup, a wood stove tops a diamond ring for me too. So do doors in the basement, which will hopefully be done before Caleb gets home. And decorations will wait until after Danny's b-day on the 5th. Perhaps not all the way until after Na's b-day on the 14th.
You know, I thought about you the other day and I wasn't even online. I was in the commissary in the "Christmas shop."
They had a very small display of Archway wedding cookies.
Did you know that Archway filed bankruptcy last month? I hope that doesn't mean we'll lose out on the oatmeal cookies.
And let me tell you, I'd take a wood burning stove for Christmas. What I really wanted was a fireplace insert until I priced those buggers. Wooweeeeee.
Sometimes AK's jellies go awry. Something about pectin? Anyway, while (fill in the blank) syrup never sounds as good as (fill in the blank) jelly . . . turns out it's a lot more interesting and economical than the standard bottled maple variety. It all gets ate!
Chris, you're so cool about that stuff. And I'm sure it'll get eaten. Between the kids, there will be at least one who will be convinced it's great on anything, or mixed in milk. Or something. Yep, it'll get ate. Just probably not by me. :-)
Sheila, you know, if they'd have put out MORE of their Christmas-time cookies, they'd have made a PROFIT. Every year. Just think of me as a one-woman corporate debt reducer. But nooooo... and now, bankruptcy. Pfft. That stinks. (HOW can you run a cookie company into the ground? Seriously.)
Jenni, doors? In the basement? You mean the kids' doors? Oh, wouldn't that be cool? I feel for the eldest child, who never gets to live in a completed home. Just a construction zone, year after year. Oh, but it's an adventure! I'll be you're stoked to have him home soon!
Thom, the color isn't bad. Really. For jelly. It just shouldn't be a liquid. I don't think I can re-open them again and add coloring, anyway. But at least this way, I know they're All Natural!
LB, I'm sorry to say, the next time the kids get to do that kind of art will probably be the next time they see you! (Wanna come for Christmas???)
Give beer bread mix. It's great as a gift. Who doesn't like to get something you mix a beer with? No one you want to be friends with anyway. Don't get me started on the whole diamonds things. Watching Blood Diamonds two after coming home from the hospital with the baby doesn't rate as one of my better movie watching decisions. I'd pick the stove any day!
I've told Michael often to never let the advertisements ever make him think I need jewelry. I'd much rather have a wood stove too. Someday...
Christmas music obsession is in full swing around here but decorations do not come up until after Thanksgiving.
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