Public Service Announcement

There are only 74 shopping days left until Christmas. That's right folks, 10 weeks and 4 days! And that includes Christmas Eve.
In an effort to save y'all some hassle, and save the planet by cutting down on your fruitless drive up and down crowded lanes at the Mall parking lot; I'm gonna provide y'all with links to some of my favorite catalog sites.
No, No, don't thank me. Don't envy me, either. All MY Christmas shopping is done. I shop sales throughout the year for gifts I know friends will enjoy.
My new favorite online catalog shop is Despair.com. Link http://despair.com/. They have some of the funniest [and true] DE-motivational products I've seen. My favorite tee is the light gray tee, with the periodic table symbol for Iron emblazoned on the front. The caption? “Irony.” For your engineer, contractor, architect, builder friends...how about a Desk Topper with a pic of the pyramids and the caption. “ACHIEVEMENT You can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor.”
Or for your Baseball lovin' pals, picture from the back of a hitter swinging a bat; the caption, “POSSIBILITIES With focus, dedication and steroids, men can achieve impossible dreams. Like breaking a world record. Or growing their own breasts.”
Got a Soccer Mom on your gift list? How about the GOALS lithograph? One kid pushing another out of the way in front of a soccer goal. “It's best to avoid standing directly between a competitive jerk and his goals.”
One of my Personal favorites is “PROPAGANDA What lies behind us and before us are small matters compared to what lies right to our faces.” That one is a room with an empty couch, coffee table and TeeVee. A new one I put on my personalized 2009 calendar is “GOVERNMENT If you think the problems we create are bad, just wait until you see our solutions.”
GO, follow the link and see which lithograph strikes YOU as the perfect gift for someone in your life.
Another great source of tees is What On Earth. http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/. White on black tee or sweatshirt, “what I really need are Minions.” “Easily distracted by shiny objects,” is perfect for any magpie or ADD person in your life. Or how about “I'm a technology addict and you can byte me.”? They also have plaques, nut crackers, and all sorts of toys.
Don't have time to wade through a bunch of catalogs? Go straight to Catalog Favorites http://www.catalogfavorites.com/default.asp?kwsrch=brand. They have all the best items from a slew of catalogs. Gifts, clothing and jewelry for adults, per lovers, kids.
Now, get online and stimulate the economy! On a similar note and what inspired this post was a survey the local NBC affiliate is conducting today. You can text in your A, B, C, or D answer to the question, “How much do you plan to spend for Christmas?” A is $500 or less; B is $1000 or less; C is less that $2000 and D is more that $2000 or no limit. Not a very scientific study, but it will give them a “filler” story at the 4, 5, 6, and 10p.m. Broadcasts.

Christmas Eve Gift!

You all owe me a Cheek Smoochie! And I want it RIGHT NOW!
For those of you unfamiliar with this tradition, I will explain.
When I was a little girl, when you got up on Christmas Eve, if you said, "Christams Eve Gift!" first to your parents, or siblings, or grandparents or the dog, or cousins, or Aunt or Uncle or who ever else was visiting for Christmas, you got a Kiss. Then you could pretend that because you had been sooooooo good you were allowed to open just ONE, teeny, tiny, itsy, bitsy present from among the gajillion piled up under, around, up and in the Christmas tree.

After all, we were goin' to go from our house to Nanny's and Sister's and Mimi's, those were the constants. Some years there were also trips over to Uncle Clifford's or Aunt Leona's or Aunt Susie's. Some years we'd go out to Son's or over to Melba's.

So, since I said it first, y'all owe me a kiss. Some of you I already know and see on a regular or semi-regular basis, so I intend to collect. To those of you I have yet to meet, you remember this, because I will!
I hope you all have a wonderful celebration with your friends and family and pets gathered together to celebrate this holiday.
Please remember and send a prayer or what ever you feel is appropriate for our Police, Firefighters, Nurses, other First Responders, and all those men and women serving in the Armed Forces who cannot be with their Kith and Kin this Holiday season. They serve all of us and are all too often forgotten while we are busy celebrating.
In the words of Tiny Tim, the Original, not the freaky one, "God Bless us, every one!"