Now that the Christmas season is upon us again, I have the annual tedious task of Christmas shopping. I wish gift-giving wasn’t such a wobegon chore.  Next to unraveling the Christmas lights, it is my least favorite part of the Christmas season.

As is his wont, Someone gives me no guidance; he doesn’t want anything nor does he have any ideas. Worse luck, his birthday is in the middle of the month.  So what’s to do?

I start this ornery task by searching through the catalogs – and there is no lack of catalogs; everyday they arrive by the handful. I prefer to do my shopping on-line. If I don’t have to set foot in a department store then I feel fortunate.  Worse case scenario: I will brave a mall,  aimlessly wandering until something leaps off the shelf or some nice salesman sells me “Summer Rain”.

Happily, this year I have a few ideas, which I shan’t share here lest Someon be reading this entry. We set a budget. Our gift giving may be modest but we both fret whether or not they will be well received.

My family continues to draw names for Secret Santa. Happily an idea I had in autumn will match with the name I drew. So that task it easy.  The nieces will get clothes. I need to email the nephews ASAP to find out what they want. Usually their lists consist of violent sounding items of which I have never heard.  It is sometimes easier for me to ask Brother #2 to buy it for me.

Besides the angst of what to get, there is the anxiety to get it posted in time. Someone – bless’em ! – has time to stand in line at the Post Office or UPS or Fedex. I forget which one is the least painful.

For Spo-fans wondering what I want for Christmas –

  1. a pony
  2. something I shall remain blank lest my mother reads this

and

c) smoked salmon (no rubbish)