Monday, November 22, 2004

The Ebeneezer Scrooge Paradox That is My Life

I am by no means stingy. Except at Christmas. I used to be a little afraid of the sterile, non-party, non-gift giving environment of the Jehovah's Witnesses, but I am beginning to see the logic. I think they have just figured out how to handle the holidays.

Although movies and books and church repeatedly demonstrate the TRUE meaning of Christmas, I am still not fooled. Christmas is about buying crap packaged in Christmas-y themes. As much as I LOVE the Life-Savers variety pack packaged like a Victorian novel, I hate the manipulation.

And how many of us really deserve gifts? I deserved a really nice gift on July 23rd and again on August 18th. But I extra don't deserve a gift right now. I just spent an insane amount of money on fat clothes.

But think about it... think about Christmas morning and giving nobody nothing. It's just not practical in the family/social relations department. You would be pissed if all you got from me was a form letter thanking you for your charitable donation to your favorite charity. You would be pissed and you know it.

The best catalog I have received all year was for purchasing farm animals to various regions of the world. For instance, you can purchase guinea pigs to be donated to a family in Ecuador, ducks for a family in China, water buffalo to an Indonesian family in need. There were also animal "gift baskets" intended for an entire village. But the best and most delightful option of all was "The Ark." And it was everything that it implies: chickens, cows, goats. ducks, guinea pigs, buffalo, etc. Now that would be Christmas. My only question is...how do you wrap a water buffalo?

8 comments:

kacy faulconer said...

Has someone hurt you deeply? I mean, why such a party pooper about Christmas? It doesn't seem you. PS I like your blog title.

Carrie Ann said...

I know...I had great Christmases growing up, but it is because I didn't pay for them, or organize them, or clean for them, or shop for crap for them. I don't mind throwing the parties, I guess. Thanks for liking the title, but I changed it. Until I have my own TV show or look as sexy as Nigela Lawson when I cook then I don't feel like I deserve that nomenclature. I'm kind of insecure about the title so it might change a lot...

kacy faulconer said...

I changed mine 3 times. I originally wanted to have a contest to create some hype and get readers to name my blog but no one really participated.

Also:
I AM SO FREAKED OUT BY YOUR TITLE! For the past 2 days I have been singing to myself the song "H.R. Puff n stuff you something get a little if you something get enough. . ." Do you remember that strange show by Sid and Marty Krofft? Is that why you named your blog Stuff n stuff? Because it's uncanny that you would choose that for your title.

Carrie Ann said...

I actually have no idea what you just referenced, but I am still laughing about it. No, I don't know where stuff-n-stuff came from, I think it's in a movie because I hear people say it.

Example:

Johnny: "Whatcha doin'..." (Although this is a question, the spoken inflection is more like a statement.)
Davey: "You know...stuff-n-stuff?" (Although this is not a question, the spoken inflection is definitely question-like.)

Dalton Sherwood said...

First time blogger!!!(and very excited)Wanna be my blog friend?

Abby told me to read this and she is right, we mostly agree about the holidays. People call me a party pooper too, but if they corrupted the holiday then they are the poopers! I have told everyone that I do not celebrate birthdays and Christmas because they are such copouts. You can not care about anyone for a year and then buy them some gift that they really dont want and they think you care about them. It is just a hoax. The funny thing is that my noncelebration challenges people so dramatically that they insist on buying me much more elaborate and expensive gifts than they originally would have. I would feel rude refusing gifts so I have not yet refused, but it is sort of rude to give me one when I said I didn't want it. If they care about someone let them give personal important gifts on a whim, when they think about you, not on some gimmicky fake day.

Carrie Ann said...

DALTON! Welcome to the blog! About your comments...i hear you brothah... i look forward to reading your entries. Get to it. Heaven knows you've got material!

Anonymous said...

I agree with you about Christmas! We set limits on presents a few years ago, and have enjoyed the season a lot more, ever since.

And WHERE can I get my hands on that catalog???? I would love to see it... Thanks!

Carrie Ann said...

The catalog can be found at www.heifer.org good luck!