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I may have written about this before. You’re harried, running from one store to another, trying to get the house ready for visitors, mailing out gifts and cards. (You “are” still sending cards through the mail and giving Hallmark a paycheck, right?)
It’s stress time!
More and more people (like in the “Prevention” magazine) are saying you should look at different kinds of stress relievers, like calming music and natural sounds, some meditative breathing, and having a boatload of patience. And being organized with your list of “must dos” helps also.
But then, there is that itch. You know, to buy something NOT on the list. And where can you get that itch satisfied while you’re shopping?
Of course, the holiday arts and crafts/other gifts bazaars.
In Kingsport, Tennessee, they seem to have such a craft sale every November with all kinds of goodies: lit up, painted bottles; different shaped ornaments made of various materials which could be cloth, wooden, painted, crocheted; also, jewelry selections, note cards, or even stuffed animals. I was recently at the Senior Center bazaar, trying to sell a few of my books when I, of course, got tempted by the many inexpensive ornaments. Also got a lit up bottle (by battery) that had on it the face the of the Christmas-humbug, the Grinch himself!
Another time, at another craft sale closer to my area, the Grinch “got me” there too. The woman with these life size, colorfully painted, four foot Grinches in Santa suits, told me they were created by Amish kids. Was that some kind of a joke? And am I just too darn gullible? I wanted a bigger outdoor decoration and these wooden statues with a small platform on the bottom fit the fill, so I spent WAY MORE than I should have. I just hope it lasts for a while.
When my sons were little we didn’t have a lot to spend on Christmas. But somehow we managed (and I skipped all these fancy Christmas bazaars).
Yes, gifts can make you happy, but you don’t need loads of them for a huge amount in order to feel content.
One interesting find at this recent Christmas bazaar was the inspired memoir of a fellow writer. Aubrie Abernethy’s “Finding Peace in the Promise” is an interesting, short (60 pp.?) book with some photos of her 1,000 mile walk at age 75, sponsoring some worthwhile organizations along the way. It is descriptive and maybe a bit meditative, something we could all use more of this time of year. And yes, I got a copy (that the spouse bought for me)!
And, true, it is a little less stressful to buy gifts online, which my sons are mostly doing now. But where is the excitement in that? How can you show off a goofy/ugly Christmas sweater if shopping is all done online? That’s no fun, now, is it?
Good luck with your Christmas shopping, concerts, and/or entertaining. And take time to sit and have a sherry/eggnog/cookie on me. Cheers.
( D. J. Mathews is a freelance writer/author/Master naturalist. Her most recent little book is “Nature vs. Technology — who’s Winning?”)
