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["Lisa K.V. Perry" <lisakvperry AT gmail.com>]

On Thu, Jul 3, 2008 at 8:40 AM, <paxamicus AT earthlink.net> wrote:

>
> Christmas with my (extended family) is no longer a good thing.


I thought sure you were talking about my family. We must be attending the
same gatherings and just miss each other. Maybe it was *you* they were
talking about and not me, for a change. ;0

>
> Heh. We do a Solstice pizza and a Yule log/bonfire and a Christmas
> tree and a lot of cooking, with a few nice small pressies tucked in
> there. Lots of Christmas carols because that's my personal soundtrack
> for the holidays even if they are no longer my spiritual soundtrack.


We make Solstice sun pancakes with orange slices for rays around them.

For me the biggest part of the holidays is the tree, the homemade treats and
the music. I still love the Christmas music I grew up with (Andy Williams
being a personal favorite - the 'red' album), though I've changed. I never
knew how to explain it before. From now on I will quote your sentence above
about personal and spiritual soundtracks.

>
> I've caved and just send my family gift cards from electronics stores,
> with a token handmade scarves or preserves or whatever.


This past year we caved for the first time, but don't you know the family
seemed more pleased with the dang gift cards than they ever did with a heavy
box full of homemade goodies. I still threw in token gifts (local homemade
soap, my spiced pumpkin seeds and pumpkin bread). Due to my neurosis that if
I don't give something homemade, it doesn't feel right to me.

My 'great idea' this year is little hand bags and scarves made from recycled
wool sweaters. Hubby's comment? "It will be lightweight (to mail)." Three or
four sweater sleeves make a scarf. You can buy sweaters at Goodwill in the
middle of summer for half price (our store does this, don't know about every
store). That means you can get 6 wool sweaters for about $10. Make sure
they're 100% wool. Last year I found a cashmere sweater (kept that one for
myself). You can choose to wash and dry the wool (to shrink it some) or not.

Lisa