I’ve disappointed my darling husband (DH) greatly, Gentle Reader, by having nothing I want for Christmas, my birthday, or our anniversary (last month). My response is to save the money and put it toward our next big trip in a few years (another cruise, this time in the Baltic!), but DH wants to buy gifts. Unfortunately, we’ve hit an age in which we just buy something we want during the year without waiting for Christmas, and he says my Amazon wish list is the most boring imaginable (!!!).
We still have a few gifts left to buy, and we don’t buy for many anymore: just the godchildren and immediate family only. Our friends are in agreement: time spent is better than money spent. I saw many of my friends for my birthday lunch, and that meant more to me than any gift imaginable.
I feel *happy* because there’s nothing material I want, really. A new car, certainly, as mine is almost 15 years old, but that’s a Big Purchase, not a Christmas Purchase. I want a book contract, but that’s a Thing, not a Purchase. I like gifts, don’t get me wrong. I just can’t think of anything I want.
One thing I do love about the holidays is the amount of holiday cards we receive. We don’t send out cards–although it is my dream to one year send out a photo card with the dogs in matching sweaters! (which they own, *ahem*)–but I do respond to the Christmas cards I get with a card of my own. It’s not a holiday card, just a note. My Dad calls everyone who sends him a card, and I got the idea from him. Except I’m a writer, so I write cards instead of calling. It’s a nice tradition.
What’s your favorite holiday tradition, Friends?
The Postmodern Bluestocking 