Friday, December 2, 2011

December: Christmas Lists

It is the second day of December.  22 more shopping days till Christmas.   We have a skiff of snow..not enough to cover up the grass.  We have had some real frosty mornings.

Hummingbird Weather Vane

Usually we have lots of snow by now..It is hard to get into the shopping mood without three feet of snow and the wind blowing and temperatures below zero.

So I am not in the shopping mood yet.  I am not sure when or if the mood will strike me..guess I will just wait around and see what happens.  I have 22 days..that is over three weeks!!  Certainly within the next three weeks I will be in the mood to shop for an hour or two.  Maybe.

Frosty Weather Vane

I guess everyone has a list someplace on some web site..not sure how to find it..I suppose I should figure that out first. I was there once and couldn’t find anyone's “stuff.”

I never gave my Grandmother a list.  I usually got one gift from Grandma and Grandpa because I was their God Child ( they renounced the devil and all his wicked works and ways for me when I was an infant at my baptism.)  The other grandkids didn’t get anything.  They got a gift when they were born.

Sometimes I got a pair of flannel pajamas from them..warm and cozy for the long winter.  Or a hat and a scarf that matched..or mittens. When I got older, I got Corning Ware..and much later in life..Grandma would say, “Pick out a couple of my pretty dishes to take with you.”

My baby brother and I would mark up the Wish Book that came in the Fall.  We would circle all the treasures we wanted, and dream about what would be under the tree for us.  The Wish Book was good for many hours of entertainment.  We used to save them from one year to the next so we wouldn’t have to share the same book. I suppose the Wish Book was our way of making a list.  We may have made a list of the most important things we wanted and tucked it into the Wish Book.

I suppose Amazon or wherever those lists are must be the equivalent of a Wish Book..however sometimes I would just like to feel the paper between my fingers as I turn the pages.  Of course that makes me “Old Fashioned.”  Sometimes the Grands say  “Grandma, you just have to get with it.” :)

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20 comments:

Rae said...

I like your hummingbird weathervane. I need to get a new one. I still have one with a Lab on it - think I need to upgrade to one with a Sheltie sitting in the wind.
I'm old fashioned too. I like the feel of paper and a catalog in hand, but I have made the move to online browsing and shopping - reluctantly. Guess there is no going back to the old days.

Pauline Persing said...

The Sears and Roebuck Christmas catolog is one of my favorite childhood memories.

Muffy's Marks said...

I love the wish book. Lots and lots of hours of dreaming and wishing. I think the catalog was as much fun as Christmas morning.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Oh sweetie, your little sugar coated weather vane is just a wonderful picture!!! Great capture girl!

I truly haven't began yet. Yep, I too would grab those wonderful Christmas Catalogs and spend hours circlin' 'Nezzy would love this for Christmas'. I knew sooner or later the 'wish book' would end up in the bathroom with 'Santa'! Heeehehehe!

I'll sit down soon and dot.com the eight grandkiddos gifts and in a couple day have 'em under the tree.

This is one chick who wasn't born with the shoppin' gene and I don't do crowds well.

God bless and have a super weekend!!! :o)

DJan said...

You made me remember the times I would sit as a young girl with the Sears & Roebuck catalog and dream of what I would have in my own house once I got married. Of course reality set in as I got older. :-)

TARYTERRE said...

I too have fond memories of the Sears Catalog at Christmastime. My dreams were all wrapped up in that book. But times have changed and the click of a mouse gives our grandkids a thrill now and I confess, me too. LOL LOVE your weathervane. Take care.

Anonymous said...

I searched all the toys in the Sears catalog when I was a kid. It was great fun to stretch out on the floor and circle the ones I wanted. Now, I would be happy to be able to get down on the floor!!!!!

Nancy said...

Montgomery Ward and Sears Christmas catalogs were anticipated by everyone in my family. Of course, toys were not advertised on the TV in those days, so the catalog was a way to see what was available in Santa's shop. The hours that I spent looking at all the items, not just toys, were magical.

Judy said...

I've been hunting for a (quality) cuckoo clock for my son and his Mrs...of course we found the one they like on the net, but can't order it there...trying to find a dealer in the area...no luck yet...bah humbug shopping...

Ellen said...

Great post. I remember when my kids were little, somewhere around August, when they would start getting bored on summer vacation, I would sit them down with paper and pencil and tell them to start their Christmas lists. The wish book wasn't out that early, but they would pour over ads and such. Kept them busy for hours and hours.

Rita said...

Yes, I guess the Amazon, etc, "wish lists" are like the old wish books. I'm old fashioned, too. But I do love the wish lists on websites these days, too. ;)

Country Gal said...

Love your photos ! Love your weather vane ! Yup I remember the Wish book to when we were kids gota love the Sears Christmas catalogs ! Have a wonderful day !

Karmyn R said...

I never sent a Christmas list when I was a kid either. Years later, I told my mom I wanted a remote control car so badly - and all I ever got was girly stuff. My mom said, "Well, I never knew that." And I remember thinking as a kid that they did know. hahaha - maybe I should have written a list!

Just Stuff From a Boomer said...

I'm doing pretty well as far as buying this year. We leave the 17th for Mi. so I have an earlier deadline.

I didn't get present from my grandparents. My parents had moved far from them so they didn't send anything either. Our present was talking to them "long distance" on Christmas day. My parents would call their parents and pass the phone around.

I still make stockings for my daughters. My sister does too. We didn't have stockings growing up so I think both of us don't know when is "too old".

Our family does do the amazon list so everyone can get ideas. I think the little ones are missing out on those Sears and JC Penny CHristmas Wish catalogs. They were wonderful.

lisa said...

I am never in the shopping mode for Christmas. I make a list just before I leave or I go out blind and once I buy things I write down who and what I bought for them and cross that person off my list. I love your weathervane.

Dreaming said...

My family didn't do lists, but my husband's family does. I much prefer being surprised... and I'd rather have one thoughtful gift than dozens of packages... which is kinda how things go.
I hadn't thought about the wish books for years. Those were always so much fun and I remember circling things I wanted.

Red said...

A post that causes some thought. I don't think things ever could be the same. The world has changed and so have we. As you say the wish book isn't available anymore and the items in the wish book would all be different. What is the same is our thoughts and feelings toward friends and family at this time.

Lynda said...

I agree with having a book in your hands - - - nothing beats it for reading or browsing.
What a sweet thing for your grandmother to do - - - having you pick the pretty dishes while she could see you enjoy them.

L. D. said...

Sears and Montgomery Ward had wonderful catalogs for children ever year. I picked out my toy barn set in them and one year actually got it. Health and economy made our list decrease this year for the purchases for others. They said no gift exchange this year. I hope it isn't permanent but we will still buy for our kids.

Pamela said...

I find it incredibly odd that your grandparents were your godparents and chose only to give you a gift and not the others.

We didn't get much as kids and maybe that is why I gave mine quite a bit.
Three of my 4 grand parents had passed away by the time I was toddling around - and I don't recall ever getting a gift from my Grandma Grace.
But I think she had
eleventy jillion
grand chillun

I loved the Christmas catalog though and would spend hours looking at it. I never worried about getting any of it though.