‘Tis the holiday season and people are busily buying gifts, maybe even frantically now with only three days left until Christmas.
For many, holiday shopping can be puzzling, even stressful. Finding the right gift, or even one that will do, is often challenging.
Here’s a list of the best gifts I’ve ever received to give you some ideas at the last minute:
A skirt-pants hanger. It holds six pair of pants or skirts. My dad bought it for decades ago when he went to a state tournament for the Chelan High School basketball team. I use it every day. Thanks dad.
A red coat. My niece Debra bought me a beautiful red coat. Imagine getting such a stylish coat as a gift and having it fit perfectly. I get compliments on it all the time. That’s me, second from the left, in the great red coat.
A potholder. It says “For this, I spent four years in college.” My friend Marie gave it to me. My daughter said I should throw it away because it’s getting a bit dingy. However, it’s a great reminder of two things: my friend Marie and how great it was that I was able to go to college when I was a young person.
Reporter’s notebooks. Reporter’s notebooks are about half the size of stenographer’s notebooks. They fit in the pocket of a sports coat. When I worked in newsrooms, they were handed out at no cost. However, I’ve missed having them, so I put them on my Christmas list. Then, a miracle happened. A mistake was made, so I received 16 instead of eight.
A navy blue purse. I’d bought one in Madrid that I really liked, but it was wearing out. I asked my daughter to go back to the shop where I’d bought it several years later when I visited, but she said we didn’t have time that day. The next year for Christmas, there it was. Another great-looking, sturdy navy blue Spanish purse. It’s lasting a long time just like the first one, aided by a trip to the shoe shop to get the strap sewn back together.
A contribution for my new mirrorless camera. My sister gave me money to help pay for my new Canon R10. It’s a great camera – light weight, even though it has a zoom lens, and it performs well in low-light situations.
Fruitcake. For years, my niece Linda sent me a fruitcake, maybe because I’d made them when she was growing up and she remembered that I liked them. I finally told her when I was in the empty nest that it was too much for me to eat by myself. However, that was before I figured out that you can slice up a dessert and freeze the pieces to eat once a week on Sugar Day.
Red-white-and-blue dishes. When my friend Sue moved, she gave me a great set of red-white-and blue, star-shaped dishes and bowls. They’re great for parties, including the July Fourth Party I like to have every year.
My next article will be on gifts to avoid.
