Thursday, November 20, 2008

Feel-good Christmas Shopping

Despite having a book due December 15, I've already started the Christmas shopping, either the gifts I plan to make (hello, crochet hook!) or buying from charitable institutions on-line.

The UNICEF order arrived quickly and I'm so impressed with the mugs in particular, I'm ordering more.

In the name of a family member currently working in the mental health field, I'm providing some Gifts of Light at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

As I've done in the past, I've purchased a goat, some pigs, some chickens and (new this year) some baby chicks for those in need in developing countries via the Christian Blind Mission.

I choose goats because it's been a long-running joke in our family that goats will be the bridal or dower gift when our kids get married. Pigs are chosen because of the example question in the old home version of Jeopardy. ("What is a shoat?" is the correct response.)

And as for the chickens...apparently I fled in terror from a little black chick on my grandparents' farm when I was a wee bairn. I myself think this was a natural reaction to a Dick and Jane story featuring a particularly aggressive chicken. At least I seem to recall such a story. Just goes to show one's childhood reactions can haunt one...and also lead to some smiles when gifts are exchanged years later.

2 comments:

Amy Ruttan said...

You ran away from chickens?

I ran away from a pig when I was three. My parents like to tell THAT story often. How I was at the Ex petting zoo. Petting all the farm animals and a little piglet came up wagging it's tail and I screamed in horror, sending away said piglet with it's curly tail between its legs.

Margaret Moore said...

Not even chickens -- a baby chick. Oh, the shame....