I've been shopping.....

Christmas in 5 days. I still don't feel it, so I probably never will. I have gifts for Michel. This is fun this year. He is getting a trip to France. So the box to announce the trip contains a survival kit, of sorts. A beret... but of course. And some obvious stuff. And the pista la resistance being, a SPEEDO!! Can't go to Europe and wear big ole' baggy American shorts. HA

For Emma, a wonderful Emma sized wicker rocking chair and I knitted her a cabled blanket to go with it. So she can be warm and "rock on" in 07.

Otherwise, I had lots of "misfits" to surprise with this and that. This is all done. Nothing left for me to do.

The family in general and Phil and I don't usually exchange gifts. We gave up the commercial need to satisfy this trend that has gotten so out of hand in society. We decided years ago to just get gifts for the kids and spend our money on fine food and drink and celebration together. This has taken so much stress out of the holiday. But, this year, something is developing or brewing or whatever. People are plotting and whispering. Michel especially, seems to have done something extravagant on my behalf. (They are so bad at being secretive). AND!!!! Mom and Dad seem to have some plan up their sleeve, even though she made a point to call me - like she does every year - to reiterate that we are not doing gifts. I don't know. The only rule that I broke was to get for Phil a print for his new office of the Port of Marseilles where he was born. But I can cover it up by giving it to Michel to give to him. Oh, and for Nikki and Nate, I got gifts to put under their tree, but they are from EMMA. So no rules broken. He heeee Mom and Dad however, are on my shit list!!! They have blatantly bent some rules. I can tell by the giggles and whispers and secretive phone calls to Michel. Hmmmmm

So maybe in some twisted and/or screwy way, we have actually captured the essence of what Christmas is suppose to be. A surprise, no matter what rules are broken. Nothing expected. No appliances, no clothes, no meaningless filler gifts. But rather, a gift with immense meaning because we just could not help ourselves.