The above pics were taken from our back door. We had so many birds and squirrels this year but not near as many deer as we usually have. Trying to keep them all fed is a never ending, expensive job.Been sitting here on the sofa the last few days doing my Christmas shopping. Have most of it finished. OMG!! The way things have changed through the years. Sit on my butt and shop until you drop. Oh, wait a minute....I'm already dropped....on the sofa. My sister-in-law, Carol, said it best. When we were kids we didn't get "new" things throughout the year. We were given our school clothes, church dresses, winter shoes and summer shoes. On our birthday and Christmas we received gifts. And not lots of gifts. Then there was Easter. The Easter basket and the poor, little dyed chickie and Lord only knows whatever happened to them. I know mine always died as I'm sure thousands of others did. When I see them in cardboard boxes today at farm stores I just want to put them in my purse and take them to some farm so that they can live a happy life. I'm a dreamer.
Anyhow....here's the point of this story from Carol; When we were young and our parents were young, gifts were appreciated....no matter how small or how inexpensive. To this day we still display our children's paper candy canes and clothes pin reindeer on our 10' Christmas tree. Those gifts, the ones from our children's heart, the gifts made or given to us years and years ago from family when we could afford very little; those gifts mean the most. Today if we want it we can buy it. So it is so with everyone I know. Just as society has made overweight people an oddity, not a part of the "acceptably attractive" group of people, so too have we made Christmas all about material things. And since I was once a size 7 and now carry many extra pounds I speak from experience. On both matters. It hurts my heart.
