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Small Packages |
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Whenever I hear the saying, “good things come in small packages,” I always think of two things, before anything else. The "grab bag" gifts at a little shop on the wharf in Monterey (how lucky we were to get one!) and stocking stuffers. Maybe stocking stuffers come to mind most strongly because, as a child, my stocking was nothing BUT tiny presents - the absolute, greatest treasure, especially during a lean year. Even when we had little in the way of presents, we could always look forward to a brilliantly stuffed stocking! At our house, there was always an orange in the toe, nuts and candies for ‘filler’ and then what seemed like hundreds of the tiniest, most itty bitty little wrapped presents you ever saw! And opening them was an activity that dragged out - but one that could NEVER grow tiresome! It absolutely took ages for our eager little fingers to open them all and I remember, when I was maybe eight years old, seriously contemplating how long it must have taken Santa’s elves to do this for us…I mean, to wrap so many tiny, little things, so tightly!!! It was nothing short of astonishing to me. It took a lot of years before I understood it was my mom that went to so much work, to make this part of Christmas special, particularly in such years as those when the stocking was, indeed, everything. These days, it seems like kids get lots and lots of stuff - that they expect more and more, all the time. For us, I will say, it isn't without challenge that we attempt to counter this part of our culture. One thing we try to do in our home is to go light on the ‘big presents’ and keep the focus on the ‘process’ part of the holidays. Making things for one another. Spending time in the kitchen together. Getting outdoors and some what we call 'laying around like slugs' together (reading stories from old, forgotten books and snuggling). Just being. And then, for my husband and I, taking the time to work like elves with tiny little fingers, to ensure there are many good things in small packages to bring memories of a well-stuffed stocking experience in childhood.
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Is your store ready to provide the ULTIMATE SOLUTION this holiday season? See what MOMS and GRANDMAS have to say! No Toxic Glues Age Appropriate Paper Packaging Swarovski Crystals
CHRISTMAS to me... Lynne L. Lewis Lynne surprised me with this pastel of my booth at the Gig Harbor Arts League Show in July - I have blogged about Lynne's fun and incredible surprise - see "Christmas in July" |
