For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. Psalm 92:4
I'm a pretty crafty person, which means I have a LOT of supplies. I think if you ask anyone who is into doing even just one craft, he/she will have a collection of materials that encompasses a closet or even an entire room! A friend of mine, a sweet elderly lady who crochets a lot of prayer shawls, told me the other day that she decided not to buy any yarn for a while because she had enough to make 18 shawls! We see something we like, it's on sale, the store has conveniently given us a 40 or 50% off coupon, and we just have to buy it! That brings me to my own closets of fabric, yarn, thread, paper, glue, beads, etc., etc.
Since I won't be buying any new supplies this year, I'm working on using what I have and cleaning out the closets that are serving as storehouses. Currently, I'm crocheting a large afghan for our bed to use up skeins of yarn that are leftovers from other projects or I bought just because I thought it would come in handy. I've also got a sweater for Kevin that I need to finish (started it late last winter) and yarn to make him another skull cap or two, which he likes to wear.
As we head into October, the conversation ultimately turns to Christmas shopping (which, by the way, I've never done this early). At this stage of our lives, though, we just don't buy a lot of gifts. Our family really only gives gifts to the children. We may have a few other random folks we buy for, but those are generally small gifts.
Truthfully, I just cannot bring myself to get involved in the crazed, Black Friday, gotta-have-it mayhem that ensues every year. Maybe that comes from working at Hallmark for six years and dealing with lines of people who arrived before the crack of dawn to get a Beanie Baby or Barbie doll Christmas ornament. But, is this really how we show we love one another, by purchasing items that will only bring temporary joy? Or, is it just one more way society is brainwashed into feeding the economy? I just think it's incredibly sad that people, who already can barely afford to feed their families, feel the need to accrue more debt simply because Walmart makes them believe they have to have that 1000 inch flat screen TV for only $500.
The gifts I give this year will be handmade. They will be gifts that not only reflect my creativity, but also how much I care for the receiver. When I make it, it will be for you and with you in mind as I sew and glue and paint and crochet. It won't be a gift I saw in a sale paper. It won't be a gift I waited in long lines to buy. It will be a gift I saw in my heart and wanted to give to you because you are a cherished part of my life.
One of the most memorable Christmases I ever had was about 1982 or '83. That year my mother's family--aunts, uncles, cousins--all spent Christmas Eve night at my Aunt Laura and Uncle Sam's house. When we awoke, there were snow flurries, which are rare on Christmas in North Carolina. We were so excited to think we could have a white Christmas that we hadn't considered the presents waiting under the tree. When we finally got around to seeing what Santa brought, we couldn't believe our eyes--presents everywhere! That was the year I got a handmade bookbag with pockets for everything (that I carried all the way through the 8th grade, when it finally wore out), and a doll that had a Styrofoam head and a body made of a plastic ginger ale bottle filled with sand and a head of yellow hair made of yarn (on which I learned how to braid). What I learned later in life was that year the family had decided not to buy gifts because money was tight. But, my mother and Aunt Laura decided to surprise everyone by making gifts. The children were surprised, but not as much as the adults, who never expected to see all those presents. The true gift was in the gesture of love.
By the way...I still have my doll.
I'm a pretty crafty person, which means I have a LOT of supplies. I think if you ask anyone who is into doing even just one craft, he/she will have a collection of materials that encompasses a closet or even an entire room! A friend of mine, a sweet elderly lady who crochets a lot of prayer shawls, told me the other day that she decided not to buy any yarn for a while because she had enough to make 18 shawls! We see something we like, it's on sale, the store has conveniently given us a 40 or 50% off coupon, and we just have to buy it! That brings me to my own closets of fabric, yarn, thread, paper, glue, beads, etc., etc.
Since I won't be buying any new supplies this year, I'm working on using what I have and cleaning out the closets that are serving as storehouses. Currently, I'm crocheting a large afghan for our bed to use up skeins of yarn that are leftovers from other projects or I bought just because I thought it would come in handy. I've also got a sweater for Kevin that I need to finish (started it late last winter) and yarn to make him another skull cap or two, which he likes to wear.
As we head into October, the conversation ultimately turns to Christmas shopping (which, by the way, I've never done this early). At this stage of our lives, though, we just don't buy a lot of gifts. Our family really only gives gifts to the children. We may have a few other random folks we buy for, but those are generally small gifts.
Truthfully, I just cannot bring myself to get involved in the crazed, Black Friday, gotta-have-it mayhem that ensues every year. Maybe that comes from working at Hallmark for six years and dealing with lines of people who arrived before the crack of dawn to get a Beanie Baby or Barbie doll Christmas ornament. But, is this really how we show we love one another, by purchasing items that will only bring temporary joy? Or, is it just one more way society is brainwashed into feeding the economy? I just think it's incredibly sad that people, who already can barely afford to feed their families, feel the need to accrue more debt simply because Walmart makes them believe they have to have that 1000 inch flat screen TV for only $500.
The gifts I give this year will be handmade. They will be gifts that not only reflect my creativity, but also how much I care for the receiver. When I make it, it will be for you and with you in mind as I sew and glue and paint and crochet. It won't be a gift I saw in a sale paper. It won't be a gift I waited in long lines to buy. It will be a gift I saw in my heart and wanted to give to you because you are a cherished part of my life.
One of the most memorable Christmases I ever had was about 1982 or '83. That year my mother's family--aunts, uncles, cousins--all spent Christmas Eve night at my Aunt Laura and Uncle Sam's house. When we awoke, there were snow flurries, which are rare on Christmas in North Carolina. We were so excited to think we could have a white Christmas that we hadn't considered the presents waiting under the tree. When we finally got around to seeing what Santa brought, we couldn't believe our eyes--presents everywhere! That was the year I got a handmade bookbag with pockets for everything (that I carried all the way through the 8th grade, when it finally wore out), and a doll that had a Styrofoam head and a body made of a plastic ginger ale bottle filled with sand and a head of yellow hair made of yarn (on which I learned how to braid). What I learned later in life was that year the family had decided not to buy gifts because money was tight. But, my mother and Aunt Laura decided to surprise everyone by making gifts. The children were surprised, but not as much as the adults, who never expected to see all those presents. The true gift was in the gesture of love.
By the way...I still have my doll.