I’m confident that you won’t tell my grandsons if you see them … but I’ve started my Christmas shopping by purchasing them their 2024 Christmas Tree ornaments. The older one’s ornament is a Pikachu (from Pokémon, he’s obsessed) and the younger one’s is a Baby Shark (the character from that annoying song … he’s been obsessed with it for nearly a year now!).

I wish I had a good feeling about having started my holiday shopping, but unfortunately, I’m already feeling like I’m behind. I’ve seen Christmas commercials on TV and received ads via social media and email reminding me to start shopping now. And Costco? Well, it’s practically full-on Christmas in there already.

Usually by now I do have a few more gifts purchased – I don’t like to wait until the last minute.

But … it seems like Fall is taking its sweet time to get here this year, right? It’s hard to want to Christmas shop when you also still want to sit in the sun. We just closed our pool last weekend, and, truthfully, probably could have waited another week or so since the water was still pretty darn warm. The temperature at Army football game was in the upper 70s on Saturday, and while the early mornings have been cool, they’ve not even been cool enough to really justify a sweater.

It also has been so bright and sunny – with no precipitation – that some of the powers-that-be are carefully watching local reservoirs. They’re certainly not near a concerning level yet, but we do need some rain. (Sorry, I said it. It’s been great to go to festivals and outdoor events without having to wear rain gear, but we do need it. My grass is as brown and dry as can be!)

You’ve heard of Hallothanksmas, right? I read the other day that it’s the new ‘Turducken’, and it officially begins on September 25 each year. We’re right there! Great, more pressure.

I think I’ll give myself another week or so to not think about holiday shopping. There’s no way I can wait until Halloween. Once we give out all that candy on October 31, it may as well be Thanksgiving and then it may as well be Christmas. Sigh.

If you’re like me and haven’t started your shopping yet, let me suggest making use of the many festivals and craft/holiday fairs that will happen in the months ahead, and of the area ‘mom and pop’ stores that we drive past every day. While I believe that the ‘big box’ stores certainly have a purpose in all our lives, I also think it’s incumbent upon us all to do our best to support not only the local businesses, but the ‘from home’ artisans. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to receive a homemade treat at Christmas, or a hand-knit scarf or greenery put together locally. Local restaurant gift certificates are a great idea for a gift.

I mean, really, do any of us need more stuff? I don’t. I guess what I should start doing is to give my grandkids ‘vintage’ Christmas tree ornaments right out of my own collection. Wonder how they’d feel about a 1976 Holly Hobbie ornament that says ‘Mary Jane’ on it?

Have a great week. Don’t fret about Christmas. You’ve got a solid 91 days left!