There's a quite a bit of thinking yet to be done about our Christmas celebration this year even though I haven't finished thinking through our Thanksgiving celebration. However, I was just doing my round of blog reading (this is mostly how I get my news these days) and ran across yet another discussion of the economy's effect on Christmas. That made me think about my birthday. LOL!
The discussion included some thoughts about giving less for Christmas, commiserating with those that would have little or nothing to spare for Christmas in this economy, and the joys of giving homemade gifts. I've been making many of my gifts for years since I make jewelry and seem to be able to please most of my female relatives with my creations. Indeed, the stand out presents for my birthday this year were a trip to my favorite bead shop sponsored by (and shared with) My Prince and a kick ass pile of beads from Big Kid Cousin. I am delirious with all the fun I will have with these treasures.
I did, however, get the biggest laugh out of a present that a couple of family friends gave me, since it was most peculiar to reach into the tissue-stuffed bags and feel . . . limes. Once I got through mugging about those, I began pulling out a half dozen limes, a large jicama, and not one but two bottles of hot sauce: Del Primo Green Sauce and La Costena Taquera Salsa Hot. This has to be one of my most memorable presents. The occasion and the company surely helped make it so, but I was also struck both by its simplicity and it rightness. The gift will be used (indeed it has already been partially consumed). The gift will be appreciated (I love spicy jicama and know that I will enjoy these sauces). The gift will not be a burden (it's not something that will take up space for years to come). I do have to recycle the bottles that the sauce came in, but otherwise there is minimal waste from this gift. (There would be less, of course, if I could compost, but that ain't gonna happen at Mama's house. My Prince is not too fond of the idea either. *sigh*)
Just to re-emphasize the value of this sort of gift, BKC did her own version of hitting the sweet spot. Not only did she give me the beads with which to make what will become one of my favorite necklaces (once I get it made), she had some chopsticks sticking up of her bag. I was delighted, of course. I love to eat with chopsticks, especially well formed ones that don't threaten me with splinters. These were lovely to look at and will be lovely to use. They are also a renewable resource, being made of bamboo. Maybe BKC should be MGC (my green cousin)! Down in the bottom of the bag, there was yet one more present to be discovered: Red Monkey Organic Cayenne Pepper. I may carry this one in my purse, diguised as "medicine," to sprinkle on my food whenever the need arises. :) As BKC knows, I already set a bottle of it out on my table along with the regular seasonings.
So, yes, I had a fine birthday and, yes, I got some wonderful presents. These were not cheap presents, especially in combination. Groceries are not such a bargain these days. But I'm thinking that this is both the season and the time to start looking at food gifts as a way to lower the cost, the wasteful consumerism, and general greed of Christmas in the US. I will, no doubt, tell myself that a girl just can't have too much handmade jewelry, but the truth is, she can't have too many spices either. We may not have time (or, in my case, skill) to do the carb-laden baking that some will do this season. We may not be able to sew or make jewelry or do carpentry or any of the many other skills that would allow us to make a special present for those on our gift list, but we could, I think, figure out something that will make good eating better.
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