Loose Ends

If you need someone to hate, I am finished with my holiday decorating. Actually, I was finished by Dec. 1. And yes, I am bragging. This is a first - and last - for me, I'm sure. We celebrated Christmas morning gift-giving and family dinner on Dec. 2 because my "fly-by" daughter is leaving to go back to Congo.

She's here on home-leave from Congo but not really here. Her gifts were electronic and small or earrings. She got lots of earrings. They are small, inexpensive, nearly weightless and will go through the scanner at airports without alerting the militia.

She picked out her own electronics. They go with her laptop. I think. Actually, I am not sure what they do, but she seems happy with them. And they will go through airport security.

I have to confess that we bought an artificial tree this year. Thirty minutes from box to tree stand with the lights on. My other half said that was a good-enough gift for him for the next five years. We put a few shiny glass balls on it, intending to finish the next day, and our offspring said it was the prettiest tree we have ever had. We have disowned them.

Traditionally, we had a huge cut tree, ornaments on every twig and lots of colored lights. We used to spend two and a half days getting the tree up and decorated every year - for the children.

I thought tradition was important. Gifts were surprises and were opened Christmas morning. The kids always loved toys, and my other half and I needed everything so it became a good opportunity to buy the new dress shirt on his list.

But things started to change as our kids reached their teen years and became…different people. So I sacrificed tradition and got what they told us to get, or we gave them a check (those are antique gift cards).

But adult offspring - whoa - another whole issue. Our son and daughter-in-law are back in the "give us a check" phase because their apartment is too small for a new pincushion. I quit buying our male offspring clothes decades ago when he grew a size between the time I bought his gift and the day he opened it. That's not a problem now (wait until he hits 40), but he doesn't have room in his closet for one extra shirt unless he gets rid of one.

The gift exchange and dinner with them may be on Christmas Day, or may be the day after. I just love a plan. It all depends on work schedules. And dinner may be lunch - maybe even lunch downtown at a pizza place.

I insist on gift stockings for everyone, though. That is a tradition set in granite. It's just more expensive to fill our kids' stockings now.

A new tradition wouldn't be a bad thing, but no one's ever taken the hint - where's my stocking?