Gotta Have 'Em!

The holidays are coming.

We got up relatively early for a Saturday and left the house, heading to the madness of Christmas shopping. During the year I had picked up a few things here and there. This trip was for our grandchildren. We went to World Market for stocking stuffers. I picked up licorice and black current humbugs, salted black licorice herrings, chocolate santas, jelly belly's and crisp ginger snaps. Toys were found, choices were made. I shopped for the ofice gift and also for my boss's present. We broke for lunch at a favorite Chinese restaurant. The tea was perfect and mellow with just a hint of flowery-ness. I watched the guys eat and sipped tea between General chicken and butter dinner shrimp. The moment felt wonderful. I realized that the three of us had not sat down like this in quite a while.

After lunch, we drove my son to a friends house and the weekend was ours. I began my hunt for art supplies...gum arabic, brushes, clay, embossing powders and two art kits for the grandkids. The last stop was the bookstores. Nothing at Borders...so on to Barnes and Noble. We found the book...a special volume edition, too. Gilt edge and leather bound it was the perfect gift. I looked for art books...I looked for technique books...I looked for a creative blog magazine and they were sold out. I settled for the Vampire Armand by Anne Rice and we bought Frappachinos to end our day.

Walking through the front door we were greeted by 3 of our cats, all seemingly complaining about being left alone during a weekend. The dogs were worse. Upon letting them in, they proceeded to sit in front of us and voice their opinions of the day in the garage. It wasn't pretty. We were being scolded for our thoughtlessness. A chuck of roast turkey and everybody seemed to be in a more forgiving mood.

The wrapping can wait. The goodies were stashed and I have only for my son, my hubby and the dogs to buy for. All three are painless and easy. No malls or crowds..only the season left to bake, wrap, and enjoy. A couple of batches of different cookies and candies to do this year. It isn't the season without the delectible smells of baking bread, gingerbread cookies, cinnamon and nutmeg. I love it when it is like this. Wrapped in an afghan on the sofa, a book, cocoa or a bottle of Newcastle...I drowse listening to the Colts game that my husband is watching. Now that's the way to spend the upcoming holiday evenings!

Sunday was house cleaning, ball games and fixing a few broken Yule ornaments that I didn't get to last year. I had made a couple dozen salt dough stars and have about 15 of them left ready to be gilded and bejeweled. This next weekend we will put up the tree with all the old fashioned toy type ornaments that I have picked up or made over the years...Snoopy and Charlie Brown...the black sheep, snowmen. rocking horses, skiers, and gnomes. Gotta have the gnomes...they drive my daughter crazy...she says they're evil and come alive at night. My daughter is 22. Ok, honey.

Gotta have gnomes!