What'd ya get for Christmas?

[CuppaJoe]

Best gift I got this year was one from myself, it was the good memories from long ago. Sure, I could dredge up bad memories from Christmases past but this Christmas Eve it was the good ones I remembered. Hope old age is like this.

[haha]

I gave Dune Perfume. What I got was her creative use of it.

I know many people today don't like scents, but she does and I love them, especially when they have softened a bit and are just barely noticeable.

I didn't get to see either of my kids as one was out of town and the other was too far for me to walk and it was not possible for either of us to safely drive.

Ha

[Sue J]

Since we really don't celebrate Christmas we've always gone to the movies. We're all adults now so this year we picked Frost/Nixon and we just got back home. This movie isn't playing anywhere near us, we had to drive from Akron, OH to the Cleveland suburbs to find a showing.

This was not my first choice for a movie, I would have rather seen "MIlk", which also isn't playing anywhere near us. I really didn't expect to like Frost/Nixon. I don't like politics, I lived through the 70's (and even remember the important parts) and never liked Nixon even at the time. But this was very well done and was quite good. Certainly not a warm, fuzzy, feel-good kind of movie, but an interesting story and well executed.

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texarkandy Forgive me if I've gotten the wrong impression DangerMouse, but your attitude about Christmas sounds a bit judgemental and perhaps even scornful of others. (Kind of reminds me of my younger years when I was an "angry atheist" and looked down upon all things religious - nowadays I can attend, enjoy, & even appreciate a religious service or event on the occasional once in a while a religious friend invites me) I'm a stone-cold atheist & I just revel in the Xmas holidays - it's really more of an American cultural event than a "religious holiday" for me. Why should I deny myself the festivities of the culture I live in? And if one enjoys engaging in a little gift giving, what's the harm (all things in moderation of course - doesn't mean we have to buy-into the commercialism "whole-hog") I suppose being of Northern European ethnicity I could say I'm celebrating the winter solstice or some other such thing but I'm not really into that neo-celtic, neo-pagan, neo-whatever stuff either. (I enjoy renaissance festivals though & a lot of those folks are, doesn't bother me or keep me from having fun with them) Isn't St Paddy's day "all about" being Irish & Catholic? I'm not either, but given the chance I still like to play at wearing the green, drinking some Guiness, listening to Irish folk music & dancing a jig, etc.

+1 That about sums it up for me too. I like the decorations, the meals, the open houses. Can't say I like shopping but online ordering has largely solved that. My brother lives nearby. He has seven kids and is very Catholic (with a big C). I have no problem saying grace at his house even though I am not a believer. As for gifts, I got a Blackberry Storm (actually ordered it myself a few weeks ago but DW gets to claim it as her present to me). I think I mentioned in a previous thread that the service is pretty pricey but it gets me Internet access at my weekend house for less that a data card. No other service is available.

Great story Alan. DS and (soon-to-be) DIL bought a house less than a mile from us. It is great to have them nearby.

[HFWR]

Two weeks off!

[Walt34]

New Suzuki C90T motorcycle. Not delivered yet, but next week! Hoping for warm weather.

DW wanted a year's membership at a gym, new watch.

Spent time with family.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lakedog My furry kid got some new chew toys......

Awwwww.........and I didn't get my furry friend anything. But she has a birthday next month so I will get her a new nylon dog bone. She loves chewing on that and they last about a year. She has found tons of tennis balls on our walks by the courts at the local college.

I got wine, golf balls and shirts, and some cash from good old mom. For some reason, that's always my favorite present.

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

I gave Dune Perfume.

Does it smell like Frank Herbert?

[DangerMouse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texarkandy Forgive me if I've gotten the wrong impression DangerMouse, but your attitude about Christmas sounds a bit judgemental and perhaps even scornful of others. (Kind of reminds me of my younger years when I was an "angry atheist" and looked down upon all things religious - nowadays I can attend, enjoy, & even appreciate a religious service or event on the occasional once in a while a religious friend invites me)

Actually Andy you have gotten the wrong impression on my attitude to Christmas.

Given our particular situation, that is no children and all that we want when we want, I just don't see a need to participate in the buying frenzy. As a child I loved Christmas, every year my siblings and I spent months plotting and planning what we were going to buy. We would save all our money for months determined to give everyone the best gifts we could find. We weren't rich, but we did a wonderful job with our gift giving - it wasn't about the monetary value, but was about being thoughtful and giving something we knew they would enjoy.

What disappoints me about Christmas these days, is it seems to be measured in monetary values. I see my niece and nephew innundated with hundreds of $'s worth of presents that their parents can't really afford. I remember one year, nephew unwrapped probably 30 presents, stood with his hands on hips and said "is that it"? It makes me sad that these kids can only receive, they do not know how to give, as it was the giving part that used to give us such joy as children.

I worry about all those people who can't afford it but were probably at the mall last week charging gifts that can never pay for.

In some ways I wish we could get back to simpler times when it was all about the family getting together, having a good meal and exchanging modest gifts. These days it almost seems like a big competition as to who can spend the most.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DangerMouse In some ways I wish we could get back to simpler times when it was all about the family getting together, having a good meal and exchanging modest gifts. These days it almost seems like a big competition as to who can spend the most.

I agree. It is hard to do when children are involved. My kids were home schooled, and as such for a good while our parental influence was greater than peer influence. We lived what I would call a moderately frugal life. Christmas was something of an undertaking in energy and money, but not financially dangerous. The kids never displayed that surfeited attitude that disturbed you in your nephew.

But that was a while ago, and it gets worse every year out there! I negotiated gift limits with my children this year. They have more money available than I do, especially this year. My Grandaughter is still an infant, and young adults are hard to buy for as their taste in music, books, even clothes is so specialized. So Christmas is not going to set me back much. Still, with few required Christmas tips and a few gifts it will likely $250+

Ha

[Bestwifeever]

DH and I did the opposite of "eh, Christmas, nothing special, we get what we need all year long, why bother" this year. Everything we needed since September, we went ahead and bought but did not use--we stored them in the empty bedroom and wrapped them all up (in newspaper) and put them under the tree. It was fun to open them all at once--had forgotten about the sox, butane lighter, thumb drive that were waiting for us.

[JOHNNIE36]

My daughter, SIL and the two grand kids got my wife and me the largest outdoor grille you ever saw. I love to grille out by this thing is rediculous. Its got a grille area of about 18"x32" with a side cooking burner. One of those big chrome thingies
with knobs all over the place. I'm gonna look pretty stupid grilling three burgers on this thing. But, I love it because they cared enough to give it to us.