Shopping..

I have been going through our Christmas shopping list, which is unusually long this year as we are heading back to Doug's hometown. He has 6 brothers and sisters and 14 nieces and nephews....wait..make that 16..his sibling just remarried. Usually the siblings draw a name each so only one gift has to be bought, but we know from past experience that a majority will buy Sash a gift (beauty of being youngest baby niece..the women in the family cant help themselves from buying cute-sy pink or cuddly stuff). So we suppose we should get each kiddie a small gift considering Doug without fail fails to remember their birthdays, and he has not been back for family Christmas since 2003. I have spent the last few days trying to figure out whether a 12 year old (or is she 14...too late to ask "By the way sweetie, how old are you?") would rather have a doll or a pretty shirt...but what size would a 5'10" 12 year old (or 14..or 11??)wear? Maybe a book? What do teenage girls read nowadays? Can she read?? I am thinking of pleading cultural difference, tell them in Malaysia cash is king, and fork over some hard currency. I have however bought Sasha the most adorable summer dress and a tank top for myself. Did I mention that FIL has heat on full blast in his house (along with remote controlled gas fireplace) so while it will be -30 Celsius outside during Christmas, we will most probably be walking around in our T-shirts inside, as we did last week. Hmm, maybe I should just buy a bunch of T shirts for everyone...wont the 4 year olds love that.

I like this season of giving. Yes, I find that it can be over commercialised and superficial, but then isn't everything what you make of it? What we have to remember is that gifts don't have to be extravagant or expensive to be appreciated, they have to be thoughtful. It is the time spent thinking about what you know about the person you are buying for, his/her likes and dislikes, and finding something that will tickle his/her fancy. It gives me an opportunity to think about someone, to recall a snippet of time spent together or a conversation. Sort of like Thanksgiving...in my own warped way. It is not the cost of something that touches me when I unwrap a present, it is the time spent by the person thinking of what to buy and the time spent purchasing it..or making it. It is of course a given that I will not turn down arbitrarily bought diamonds, but I will as equally appreciate a homemade bookmark..(now, which book is that bookmark in..). So while I whinge about the shopping, I am grateful that I have people in my life to think about fondly as I shop.

On a tangent, I am now a member of a blogging family. My dad has started a blog, and so has my sis. I love the fact that family happenings are just a click away.

On another tangent, we are hosting a brunch this Saturday. Have to learn how to make or figure out where to buy homemade like quiche by Friday night.

On yet another tangent...this world has gone absolutely insane. For fucks sake, it is a fucking teddy bear. Not even a stuffed pig, or dog. A stupid bleeding stuffed bear given one of, if not The most, popular name on this planet. I think that it is not she that should be charged with inciting religious hatred..it should be the stupid people pressing these charges as they are definitely proving yet again to the world how stupendously menacing a few intolerants can be.... For fucks sake...