Gift Giving

I like the Christmas holiday. I like the decorations, the wrapping paper, the jingle of the Salvation Army bell and the happy people I see when I’m shopping. I’m not going to get into the crabby people (that would fill an entire page all by itself). I know I sound like I’m from another planet, but I DO enjoy it.

I make a list of whom I’m buying for and what that person would like. I get into the nitty-gritty of each person because I want to give a gift that would really be liked and shows that I actually put some thought into it. Gift cards, to me, aren’t personal enough and I don’t really like them (although they are convenient). I heard on the radio the other day that last year 8 billion dollars worth of gift cards haven’t been used from the previous year! I haven’t purchased many gift cards, and after that stat I'm not sure I want to buy another! Cash is much easier and the person isn't limited, so I'll stick with that "universal gift".

I know, I said I like to shop for that special gift, so how is it I give cash? To keep it short and simple-I give cash for the same reason others give me and mine gift cards. Read into that what you wish.

I hear so many people say they’re at a loss for gift ideas. I’ve only felt that way once or twice and that was for a boss who had everything. Other than that, I normally don’t have a problem with gift ideas. I think it has to do with how well you pay attention to people. If you’re attentive, you’ll know what they like and dislike. Life is fast paced and crazy, even more so during the holidays. But if we just took a little time to get to know 3 details about our family members, friends and co-workers we’d have 3 clues, that with some deliberation, would turn into 3 or even 6 gift ideas.

However, Christmas isn’t about BUYING something. Each year I make someone a gift. This year I made my son a shirt with his favorite World of War Craft character ironed onto it. I printed the character off the game using the print screen button then pulled it into my photo program and added the character’s name. I printed that onto iron-on transfer paper and voila’ a custom made, one-of-a kind t-shirt! I also made bracelets for my mom, sisters and nieces. These bracelets happened by accident. I made one and it turned out SO pretty and it was SO easy that I HAD to make more!

Making gifts for people feels special to me. I’m creative and I like to share what I create. I think baking falls into this category too, but I don’t bake. I LOVE to get baked goods as a gift though! Chocolate chip cookies, cheese cake, rum balls, snicker doodles...YUM! If I were a Baker, I’d bake gifts for myself people.

But Christmas is truly about sharing love and the joy of the season. We should just chuck the whole gift exchange tradition for shared time with one another where we give of ourselves. Those are the treasures you CAN'T buy.

Printed News Prediction

Political Correctness is getting out of hand. We aren’t allowed to stereotype for fear someone will be offended and the NAACP or some other organization will be knocking on our door seeking retribution. The only place you can get the truth anymore is the blogosphere because newspapers sure as heck don’t print it like it is.

Newspapers sugar coat everything by using words like youths, undocumented American, unidentified individuals, etc. The local news stations report stories that make you want to laugh or cry; but nothing that’s truly news worthy. No one will report Muslim extremist, illegal Mexican, poor black teen, or 18 year old white male because it’s stereotyping. Duh! Isn’t that the whole purpose of stereotyping? It’s meant to serve as a means to identify someone. If a person commits a crime how do you properly identity that person by saying a man robbed the bank? You must identify him! And if the only way you can do that is by stating his skin color or ethnicity-oh well!

I’m going to predict that printed newspapers will be totally obsolete in the near future. They don’t come close to printing real news anymore. They print what their so-called bosses tell them to and they comply because they have no backbones and leave us readers with stories with no substance. Bernie Goldberg hit the nail on the head…there are crazies on the left and wimps on the right! At least in the blogosphere you can get real stories with real substance and political correctness isn’t treated like a religion.

Deportation isn’t Difficult

A Tucson 9th grader and his family were deported after he was caught with marijuana in his backpack. When the principal met with the boys’ parents and asked for their driver’s licenses the parents admitted to being illegal immigrants. The border patrol was called and the mother and her 2 sons were escorted to the Mexican border for a voluntary return while the father was held for formal deportation because this wasn’t his first offense.

Tucson residents and some school officials were up in arms stating that people will hesitate to report crimes in the future if they think illegals can be deported. Some even stated that the punishment didn’t fit the crime. Um, excuse me, coming here under the cloak of darkness is a crime, strike one. Living here in the shadows is a crime, strike two. Not paying taxes is a crime, strike three. Possessing marijuana is a crime, strike four. The punishment doesn’t fit the crime? True. Because it’s crimes, as in plural.

If you aren’t here legally you need to be deported; so, the punishment does fit the crime-perfectly. For the record, I’m all for legal immigration. After all, most of us wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for legal immigrants. I, like most Americans, have a problem with illegal aliens. Taxes aren’t being paid, crimes are being committed, free aid is being exploited, and American Citizens’ identities are being stolen. Illegals are abusing our Country! I heard they don’t want to be called illegals anymore-comparing it to the “N” word and it hurts their feelings. They prefer Undocumented Americans. Pah-Leeze! They are illegal and I will refer to them as such. Hurt feelings be damned. If the illegal aliens want rights and privileges then they need to go through the system, legally, and become United States Citizens.

Until then-round them up and ship them back to their country. It is that simple.

The Menace of Convenience

I was shopping today; yes my life now consists of mommy things, shopping, writing, and my favorite-napping. Needless to say I’m in my glory…anyway, while in the checkout line I heard a baby wailing and I cringed. I have to explain myself and the cringing.

My 2nd son turned colicky at 3 weeks old and cried all the time plus he didn’t sleep straight through the night until he was almost 2. When I hear a baby cry in a store I immediately get all knotted up inside; so I try to get out of hearing distance of the sound, but if I can’t, I leave the store. Well, in this case I was already checking out and the mother of the wailer was now pushing a double stroller-double as in twins, out the door, so I relaxed and finished my task.

While I was loading my Jeep Liberty (I feel inclined to advertise I buy American), I spotted the woman with the twins and almost dropped my bags! She was at the rear of an SUV with 2 infant seats in the hatch and she was strapping those babies in those seats! I stood there, in the parking lot, with my mouth agape, not believing my eyes. How could she see them while driving? What if they choked on something? What if she got rear-ended? Then it dawned on me-if she couldn’t see them, she probably couldn’t HEAR them either. Not to mention it was a lot easier loading them in and out of the hatch than it was the back seat.

Now, I can totally relate to a whiny kid. Been there, done that, still sane-I think. However, there is no way I’d ever do anything UNSAFE for convenience. Anyone that knows me knows that my vehicle doesn’t move until all passengers are in their own seat, strapped in their own belt and no one under the age of 13 sits in the front. Rules are there for a reason and I do my best to follow them. Some family members think I’m a spaz. Well, at least I make my position known and stand by it-- no flip-flopping.

Being a safety spaz and seeing a woman strapping her babies in the hatch of an SUV made my head spin. How she secured those seats I’ve no idea; but at least her stroller was safe and sound in the back seat! I don’t know if this woman did this out of stupidity or convenience. Doesn’t matter much, those babies were NOT safe.

People have to get licenses to cut and dye hair and to drive and sell automobiles; but any moron can reproduce and raise a child. What the answer is I’m not sure. Too bad people don’t have to take a test before having children. Can you imagine how many would fail? As I’ve come to discern-convenience is more important than safety and common sense isn’t common.