Category : Blogs

Sub Category : LifeStyle

GIFT GIVING
	My sister Cathy takes after Mom with her joy in gift giving.  I'm sorry to say that I didn't.  I did all the necessary gifting as the years past but never am quite happy with the gifts I chose.  
	Our children seemed to enjoy their Christmas gifts but I made one mistake in treating both my sons equally. If Alan got a certain toy or say a baseball and bat and glove, we got the same for Steve.  This happened most of their Santa years. Valerie being a girl loved all the girly things and seemed happy with what she got.  Girl stuff. However, Alan and Steve were quite different from each other. Alan loved sports, had hobbies and was very outgoing. 
	Steve was quiet and tried all the sports but wasn't that fond of them. Later we found out Steve enjoyed things that you could put together. One of our favorites was a marionette bird complete with feathers. Another one was a set of tree ornaments as he did love painting pictures and drawing. He insisted it would be more fun for him if we all did them together. I still have them.  Then we gave him a manger stable of wood as a kit and he put it together with Dad's help. I still have that. One gift Steve gave me for my birthday he made at school and was a paper weight. I still have it but never found out until we lost Steve that he tried so  hard to get all the coins in the paperweight to be with my birth year 1940. He couldn't get the last tone and was disappointed. 
	As teens we gave them a lot of like gifts. They both got tape players and Alan used his for recording music that he learned to play on the guitar. Steve never used his. Other gifts they got together were often not used by Steve. We started to notice that and stopped trying to be completely the same and so fair we thought.
	I hem and haw over a gift I plan on giving someone.  It takes forever to make up my mind. I finally think I have a good choice and then after I give it to them find myself thinking it is all wrong and they won't like it or use it. Maybe I'm happy with gifts given to me as I drop little hints without knowing it most of the time and get things I like or can use. Others don't often do that.
	In older age I've learned to be careful about saying anything that might make a person think you would like a certain item. I may say that is pretty and then find myself getting it when I was just admiring it and didn't want it for myself. I've gotten some great gifts but some I wish I didn't give them the idea for. 
	I'm one for keeping gifts as I wouldn't want to disappoint the giver or I may like it but it doesn't go with my décor. My house is decorated with items that were gifts and no room for things I would like to add. 
	Buying gifts for others is a real chore these days. When I got a gift when I was young, I needed everything and all gifts were treasures. A toaster, and iron or whatever was gladly received. No everyone has all they want and want to get just what they chose. They even tell you to give money for wedding gifts etc. People often settle the quandary wit a gift card or cash. I give you a gift card or cash and you give me back the same thing. Only the gift card may be for something I don't want and the money may not be equal. Of course, this doesn't matter with grandchildren. They will take all the money and gift cards you can give and be happy with them. To me I say just keep your gift and buy yourself something and I will do the same.  Grandparents and parents don't mind being on the higher giving end.  Any gift from our children or grandchildren they get themselves are treasures. 
	Moving into a new and growing area of Florida presented us with many opportunities to attend grand openings. In the beginning they were Hugh buffets and gifts and sometimes music.  AS the area got more and more crowded these became less and less offertory. But still get some fun times. 
	We are lucky to have Urgent Care in front of our community.  Each year for quite some time now they put on a picnic and the best fireworks right in the parking lot. The food started out being a lot but has dwindled to hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and soda or water. But it is all free. Some people bring things to share.  The fireworks are the best I've ever seen except for in Epcot but it way out beats any of the local ones I've seen in New Jersey or here in Florida.  They are continuous and like the grand finale the whole time and you can sit really close.  You feel and see them right over your head. It is exciting. 
          I hear some people go to Pubix or other stores known to give out samples they make there and it is usually around noon time. People say sometimes it can be their lunch. Today a person was getting some lunch meat and cheese cut at the deli while Bob waited his turn.  He said the lady had to taste everything and even more than one slice as they made it thinner. She bought like 6 slices of this and 6 slices of that. When it became Bob's turn the lazy said they had something new and did he want to try it? He said no thank you and this same lady said I will and took and ate the piece the deli person was holding ate. No wonder we pay so much for these products.
	Sometimes there are fairs around the area, health fairs or some businesses have them, lawyers and other businesses get together.  They hand out tote bags in plastic or canvas and you can put this or that from the individual tables as gifts. I get most of my pens that way and like the little bottles of hand sanitizer. Note pads are handy and lots of other treats or things with advertising on them.
	Speaking of note pads. I have enough note pads and address stickers to keep my going the rest of my life.  I've stopped giving to charities except through my church or anonymous with cash. Someone dies and family requests a donation be sent to their favorite charity. Well, don't do it unless you want to be dunned for the rest of your life.  They send you these note pads and labels and other things in hopes you will feel bad and return them some money. But that isn't the end of it. Now I get monthly bills (they call requests for donations) but bills to me. You can't stop them. Then I feel like any money I gave them they spent it all on dunning me for more. So I gave up these donations. Stop quilting me! I gave what I could. I don't like to get letters saying where have you been? We missed you (they mean your donation).
	That reminds me of telemarketers. How can they make any money? You are not too smart if you buy from someone you don't know these days and over the phone with no guarantees of any kind. Half of the people calling are speaking foreign accents and you can't even understand them.  They are so tricky trying to make you think they checked your computer and it has a virus they can get rid of for only $300.  Now really. I know there isn't much privacy anymore; and I even have a character perched over my eye on the computer for videos or picture taking, but I wasn't born in a day. I may be old now but wiser and not dumber. 
	I don't answer the phone anymore until I know who it is.  I laugh when I hear a  message that your order is ready for pickup and I am not expecting anything ordered especially something I could never use.
	Don't call me, I'll call you as the saying goes. And if you are a friend or family, please say so and don't hang up and then tell me later you called and I wasn't home.

(c) Jean Gorney