Christmas Shopping

I haven't been in a mall in over five years. Don't get me wrong- I love shopping. I can only stand in one place for a few minutes, and walking to the mailbox or from my car to the handicapped scooter at the grocery store is about as far as I can go. While I'm on the subject, why do they put the handicapped parking spaces farther away from the doors than regular spaces? Even the expectant and new mothers get closer than the disabled. Shouldn't the mommies-to-be and new mommies be walking?

I have most of my Christmas shopping done already without going to a mall. I've hardly gone to a store at all. And I have spent very little money. I've learned to be quite creative when it comes to gift giving. At my parents' house, our extended family has grown over the years, and we can barely fit in the living room to open gifts. So we play White Elephant with a $10 limit. Now, these days you can't get a lot for ten dollars, but I have managed to find things that I'm pretty sure folks will be fighting over. This should be interesting.

It will soon be time to start baking. I'll make the usual Sourdough bread, of course, but this is the season for sweets! Florentine Cookies, Orange Balls, Toffee Bars, Coconut Macaroons, Hot Blueberry Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Applesauce Cake. Maybe I'll add some new items to the list. We won't be eating all this fattening stuff. Most will go to neighbors, the postal carrier, relatives that we don't exchange gifts with. Our family gets the gift of smelling all of the baked goods while they are in the oven.

Will Rogers once said, "Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like." I'm stretching this a little to include the giving of gifts. But most folks I know would rather have a macaroni necklace made by a child they love, than an impersonal tie or another nick-knack to dust.

Outside, it might get up to freezing today. I'm staying inside where it's nice and cozy. Good luck with YOUR Christmas shopping!