Christmas: It's In The Bag

Gift giving has to be one of the hardest things to get right. Some people send out a list of what they "want" and that helps but that's usually within the fam.  This year I thought about how to get the gift business fixed early, so that not only my giftees but also I, could feel satisfied about it. I am not into expensive presents because most of us are grown up and being urbies don't have space to "put" things at any rate. In passing, I read The V Mag which I get free online because  no one I know has mags coming in the mail - or anything else, actually.  Just for fun, I gazed at what V recommended as last minute seasonal gift suggestions. On perusing the photos, I wasn't sure whether I was looking in the comedy section or Mad Mag on leave. I knew it couldn't be Mad, for it's no more, so I guessed that V was probably serious. The Magazine's "serious" is my laugh-uproariously. The fashions in it are mind-bogglingly ridiculous. Nothing in some of the styles could possibly be worn on the street by real people. Well, if you are top royalty or a movie star, perhaps or your last name starts with a K. I ask you, who is going to grab a 2000 dollar purse at the last minute for  their  BFF no matter what a good F they are? The one item in the piece I drooled to dream on was a pair of gold and pearl earrings. They were a four figure bargain but I had to turn them down -I am not six feet tall. I jest. A mere thousand? I guess that's thrifty for Park Avenue NYC.  Then there was the weird white vase at only half that. Still way too much. It was a definite no to the fake leopard coat in the triple zeros. Back to reality. Last year my wonderful career granddaughters gave everyone shopping bags. Ho ho ho! Great idea. I bought some bags very early on: one for each of my giftees. This year instead of noting what I'd go back to buy, I popped in and picked up the item right then. When I arrived home, without using wrapping paper, in it went to rightful bag. The bags have been sitting in my den on the couch in a row. Slowly, they filled up. I buy small items, but nice ones I hope. Some are sweets or a pen or a gift card or a  cosmetic item or a container of something the dear one mentioned they loved. It has been the easiest gift buying year ever. And my giftees will be getting a whole lot of little things I think they will enjoy the whole year through. A gift can be anything someone favours: an exotic jelly or chocolate, a sack of responsible tea or coffee, a jar of jam or sauce, a soap or candle to float or pretty paper napkins. You know your people and what they love. And not only you are shopping without last-minute pressures, you get a lot of little smiles as you go thinking about the person who will be receiving.  Best, at gift giving time, it's all in the bag.