About Holiday shopping

What is your thought process regarding Christmas shopping?

Do you ask the recipient what they want, or do you think of something you would like them to have? Do you walk through stores to glean ideas, or do you impulse buy, do you make lists? Do you take vacations and cruises instead of shop? Do you buy only for immediate family, or wrap and mail gifts, and buy things for poor families working through social service agencies?

It seems to be different for me every year. I had no interest in the "day after Thanksgiving" ritual this year, but by December 6, I was ready to work on shopping. For years, I had people on my list for whom to buy toys, but this year, the 'toy' bracket has morphed into electronic games and cosmetic items. It's too bad, and I need to rebel against that thought process, because I think playing games and using some sort of toy is important all through one's life.

It's hard for me not to remember the stories from my childhood, in which the bachelor friend of the Ingalls family (Little House on the Prairie)walked through a Dakota blizzard to bring the nearby children a pocket full of Christmas candy, and everyone felt blessed. But sometimes repeating stories like that to children only ends up shutting off their ears and shutting down. I realize we only have the present situation to make a difference.

Already, such thought and meaning into what should have been such a simple act have made an intrusion. I have children that would love to have a dog. Much of my life, I have owned dogs, even as an adult. I don't know how to make my children understand to me owning a dog is almost as much responsibility as having a child, and they are not present enough and don't even have the skills to take on the responsibility that I am unwilling to take on for them. I can't deal with the responsibility when they are not there, which is most of the time.

But I am constantly being given guilt trips on this matter, by family, outsiders and the children themselves. That's a hard one. But more on that later -

This year, because we are not traveling, I am buying more presents to wrap and put under the tree. I plan to shop on different days, in different stores, no more than one hour at a time to remain fresh. So far, I have hit Walmart ('boo' from many of you), Meier (the local mega-grocery store that I still like) Marshall's (a discount clothing store) and CVS (my local pharmacy which has good sales-promotion items and loss leaders, look up the marketing terms if you'd like). I plan to make it to Macy's, and maybe Pier 1, and Target, and more, from which I will report later.

In this year of bad economic climate, bad mood, pre-election, and other general non-spirit, I am still trying to make something of it. Even if the best moment is my young daughter's clear soprano voice ringing out. So check back in, it may be a few days, but I promise I will have something to report. Namiste, and many blessing upon you, and yours.