x-mas is a-comin' and the geese are getting fat ...

[rubato]

Started the December gift round-up recently, miles still to go.

A Harry and David gift basket to the local California Highway Patrol office. This has turned into a tradition and it is sent with our sincere gratitude for keeping Hwy 17 safer.

A few H&D items to various and sundry.

Pendant by a local jeweler for mi esposa. Acquired during open studios in October. A rare instance of advance planning on my part.

A new biography for our BIL: "The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy" 787 pages There was a very positive review by Christopher Buckley (son of WFB) in the NYT on Sunday.

Love online gifting for people not in the area; don't have to fret about shipping.

Anyone else started?

[oldr_n_wsr]

My wife wants me to stay sober. So far I am giving her that gift (today anyway, can't look into the future).
Other than that, no, I have not shopped for Christmas yet.

ETA
Other than giving to the kids (27, 25, 23, 22 and 14) we don't really exchange gifts. We get together on Christmas Eve, sing Christmas Carols, enjoy each others company and have a great time. Christmas day is more of the same. I'll miss the Champagne toast on Christmas Eve and the Rum and eggnog on Christmas day, but I will be fine.

[Guinevere]

I try and shop throughout the year, but for some reason this year has been difficult and my presents shelves were rather bare. So I've done a little: Kindle Fires for Sis and Mom, a gorgeous Chicago print from a local artist (also acquired at a fall Open Studios) for my best friend, Baltimore print from same artist for my Father, and that's about it so far. I amy actually venture out on Black Friday to look for a couple of things for the boys.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Black Friday for me is putting up the Christmas lights (although it usually ends up fixing the Christmas lights which won't get put up until next weekend).

[Daisy]

Small presents for everyone this year, most of the people we're buying for are going to be on the cruise with me so space is a premium.

Also Cookie is in charge of a lot of the buying as he'll be picking up presents in duty free as he's off back to Jakarta next week with his new job, so perfume and gin all round right .

Cookie and I have bought ourselves a joint present for christmas already - a new 3D Smart TV that should be delivered this week.

[Gob]

Small gifts for everyone here, we're having a quiet Xmas. I'll shop on Amazon UK for gifts for the folks back in Blighty.

Got a few good gigs coming up, two at the Opera House.

But of course, the important thing will be CRICKET SEASON WILL BE ON!!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Got a few good gigs coming up, two at the Opera House.

Catching up on a few ZZZZZZ's?

But of course, the important thing will be CRICKET SEASON WILL BE ON!!

I stand corrected, catching up on a coma I see.

[Lord Jim]

We'll be doing the tree thing over the weekend....

Geez Louise, I haven't even begun focusing on the shopping yet....

[oldr_n_wsr]

Artificial or live LordJim?
You seem like an artificial tree kinda guy.
We get a live (ok it's almost dead) tree

[Lord Jim]

You seem like an artificial tree kinda guy.

Are you nuts older? What kind of commie do you take me for?

Royal Pine, eight-nine footer....(We have an older house with a high living room ceiling)

[Sean]

I must have at least 50% ownership of toys r us* at this stage...

*in Wolverhampton it's called toys am we.

[Lord Jim]

I must have at least 50% ownership of toys r us* at this stage...

Our "Toys R Us" is right next door to a Chucky Cheese...

Talk about "location"...

[Jarlaxle]

No gifts for me anymore, not for several years...three years ago was when i reached my limit and gave an ultimatum: Any gifts addressed to me will be burned unopened. God and goddess, I loathe the next month of hell with a white-hot passion.

I do need to pick up some mistletoe, though.

[TPFKA@W]

No gifts among the adults except we plan to buy a ping pong table for ourselves. Step-grand kids will get the usual crap. No tree this year. Humbug.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Humbugs all round! This year we buy nossing. Not even a card or two... It's almost impossible to get excited about Christmas in 90F heat. And we are cheap anyway.

[Jarlaxle]

All I want is some mistletoe to hang on the back of my belt.

[Gob]

Subtle Jarl, subtle.

(I'll hang it off the front of mine, I work in a an office full of females.)

[oldr_n_wsr]

You seem like an artificial tree kinda guy.

Are you nuts older? What kind of commie do you take me for?

Royal Pine, eight-nine footer....(We have an older house with a high living room ceiling)

My kinda commie.

We usually do a balsam or frasier fir. I like the way balsams look better than the frasier, but the branches on a frasier are stronger and hold all the "specialty" ornaments the wife has. I only get the tre in the stand, bring it indoors and string the lights. The rest is up to her. 7foot ceilings in my house.

Back when we first got married, we had a 9foot ceiling in our apartment. We went to get a tree and all the "regular sized" (7 foot) trees were $50+. Then I saw this beautiful tree that was about 10 feet tall for $20. We took it, I cut the top a little and the bottom a lot and had a really great 9 foot tree. I still think it was our best tree since we got married (and not because it was our first tree together).

[Beer Sponge]

You seem like an artificial tree kinda guy.

Are you nuts older? What kind of commie do you take me for?

Royal Pine, eight-nine footer....(We have an older house with a high living room ceiling)

My kinda commie.

We usually do a balsam or frasier fir. I like the way balsams look better than the frasier, but the branches on a frasier are stronger and hold all the "specialty" ornaments the wife has. I only get the tre in the stand, bring it indoors and string the lights. The rest is up to her. 7foot ceilings in my house.

Back when we first got married, we had a 9foot ceiling in our apartment. We went to get a tree and all the "regular sized" (7 foot) trees were $50+. Then I saw this beautiful tree that was about 10 feet tall for $20. We took it, I cut the top a little and the bottom a lot and had a really great 9 foot tree. I still think it was our best tree since we got married (and not because it was our first tree together).

You should try putting up a tall tree this year you guys. I'll be showing Jesus the proper respect with at least a 12 foot tree, if not a 13 footer. (If I go to 14 feet, there is no room for the tree topper!).

[Lord Jim]

Nine footer, beautiful tree, no bad side...(it smells wonderful too)

When I was a kid we always had nice trees, but I always wanted to have a tree that was so tall I had to stand on a ladder to decorate it...

And now that we have a house with the room for it, I finally do....

I know I've posted about our Christmas trees in the past, on the CSB...

300 plus lights, some steady, some blinking fast, some fading off and on...(And no cheating by just running them back and forth across the front and the sides; it's the back lighting that really makes the tree. ) It's really a work of art; the beautiful thing about doing a tree this way is when you turn off the other lights in the room, and it's the only thing lit up, it never looks exactly the same way twice...

When you add all the decorations and tinsel on top of that, my tree looks like a miniature version of the one in Rockefeller Center...

Neighbors who I barely see the rest of the year stop by just to come in and look at our tree, once I've got it up...

I have a reputation for putting up a magnificent Christmas tree...