Remember
This December,
That love weighs more than gold!
~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon
Travels With Maggie
Rocky considers himself a family member, too, and wonders what's beneath the tree for him. -- Photo by Pat Bean
I didn’t post a blog yesterday. And I didn’t add a 1,000 words to the travel book that I’m rewriting.
So what, you may be asking, did I do?
I walked Maggie, of course, and cleaned her ears, a daily chore because of her proneness to chronic cocker spaniel ear infection – and I went Christmas shopping.
It is that time of year you know. And because of that I’m not beating myself up too badly for what I didn’t do. You see, I’m a traitor to my gender. I HATE SHOPPING!
But on the opposite end of the spectrum, I LOVE CHRISTMAS, and giving gifts to my loved ones. The challenge for me is finding something I think each person in my growing family will like within my limited budget of $20 or less per person.
We break into this blog for an Important Announcement: Believe it or not just as I was mentioning my large family, I got a text message saying one more has been added. My granddaughter in Orlando, Florida, just delivered a beautiful (I know he is even though I haven’t seen him yet), healthy 6-pound-9-ounce boy to it.
Maggie and I passed this tree on our morning walk in the park across from son's home. I thought it as festive as any Christmas tree. -- Photo by Pat Bean
We now take you back to our regular program:
Anyway, I try to pick up things in my travels that I think will appeal to one loved one or another, but this year I didn’t do much of that. It left me with a hard day of shopping, but with only two presents yet to buy.
That’s actually way ahead of schedule for me. I’ve been known to frantically be shopping the stores at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go shout the news of my new great-grandchild to the world.
And then hopefully tackle my travel book.
Pat Bean's blog 
Congratulations on the grandbaby! I’m living vicariously since I’m beginning to think neither of my kids will marry, let alone have kids.
Wait a minute! Go back and tell us what gifts you got for under $20. I want to know.
Thanks Helen. Cheap Xmas gifts: Photo frames into which I put special pictures I’ve taken during the year; garden ornaments for the gardeners; turtle items for the daughter who collects turtles; books of course; down and dirty money for teenagers, with a little extra for the ones in college. Game Stop gift certificates for the game players; wind chimes for the wind chime lovers, fun T-shirts (everybody wears T-shirts and I try to collect them at National Parks and such), a framed painting of a piece of my own art; soft blanket throws, funky jewelry for teenage girls. A half-pound of Godiva chocolates for the chocoholics, and $20 gift certificates when all else fails. My family consists of 5 children and their spouses; 15 grandchildren (four spouses or partners) and six great-grandkids. My Xmas budget is $600 but I usually end up going over a bit, but this year I can’t afford it.
Congratulations on the addition to your family.
Rocky looks like a polite fellow, one not given to knocking over trees or eating ribbon.
He’s a fat old lap cat who belongs to my youngest daughter. She rescued him during a typhoon in Guam. Thanks for the kind words Kathy
Congratulations on the new baby in the family.
As for shopping…I’m a traitor too because I don’t like shopping either. Well, I like shopping for books, but other than that,I try to avoid it.
Its great to meet Rocky! Hello Rocky. Nice to meet you. I’m sure there’s something under the tree for you too.
Rocky says hi back Stephen
Hi Pat.
Congrats on NaNo!
Good for you about the Christmas shopping! I haven’t bought anything yet this year except a few things for my bff. The grandkids are at the awkward age where they would like a new car or lots of money. (Sorry about that kids.)
I’m at the age where I keep thinking “Christmas? Are they having that again this year? So soon?”
Actually, I did start off the season in the best possible way. I visited and wrote a feature story for our local daily newspaper about Bethlehem in Denton County, a collection of nearly 3,000 nativity scenes. It’s an amazing display. The story made the front page and was picked up as a feature on Channel 5. Visiting Bethlehem makes you really aware of the reason we celebrate the holiday!
Congratulations! 🙂
I hate shopping too. I am a bad U.S. citizen, not wanting to contribute to our consumer-based economy. 😉
Despite vows to the contrary, I’m mightily helped the economy this Xmas. But shopping’s all done for another year and it’s now back to my twice a month supplies runs. I try mightily to stay out of the stores at all other times.
Keep writing … Pat Bean https://patbean.wordpress.com