Yesterday we did Christmas with Cheryl, Reid, and Grandma Flo. While I had already let people know that we weren’t buying presents for anyone this year, I was still very uncomfortable receiving gifts and not giving anything back but a card. I wrote the most heartfelt thank yous and I love yous that I could in the cards, and they were pretty and I did calligraphy on the envelopes, but that’s not the same as a real present. (The Christmas portraits I ordered from smugmug haven’t arrived yet. I’m hoping they’ll get here on Monday so I can hurry up and get all my cards out that day. The Christmas cookies I’m planning on giving as gifts will be baked today.)
Sean and I made the decision to be cheapskates together. I think we’re at the lowest point we’ve ever been right now. I hope we’ll have managed to pull ourselves back up by next Christmas. I want to go back to being completely normal.
I still think back fondly on my high school days, when I bought everyone I loved presents and baked cookies. I won’t say high school was the best time of my life, but it was neat to have so much freedom and money all at once. I like being able to give gifts and make people happy.
Hopefully everyone will enjoy the cookies.