Xmas shopping - DONE

Did it, and a week early! Did I mention our family rule is to say what you want, but did I add that this sometimes means being handed a list of possibles? This usually means I'm dithering till the 21st of December, my deadline day for getting pressies. But this year I surpassed myself, all our bought, cards are written and addressed, well save for my sister's kids who keep moving.... I now add their addresses in my diary in pencil.

So ventured to supermarket to do the food shopping, usually I realise at this point that I am weeks behind everyone else, that most of the stuff has gone (what do people do with all this stuff?). It does always amaze me, especially as you get closer to Xmas how folk begin to panic, shop as if the shops were never going to open again. I do feel very sorry for supermarket and shop staff, it does seem as tho for some of the public that Christmas comes as a surprise (where the heck have they been for the last few months?) and so they hit the shops at the very last minute, just when the shop staff have had enough and just wish to go home. I know how it feels as I used to be a shop assistant. One Christmas I was employed as a temp in a well known jewellers (its then owner later made some statement about the stuff being 'crap), and couldn't believe the amount of men (yes, men) who wandered in late on Xmas eve to buy their poor wives either a clock or watch... I know how I would have reacted had my husband presented me with a clock on Xmas day, he would have worn it for the rest of the day. They also wanted us to gift wrap the things. We did try to push them back to the jewelry section, thinking that thier poor wives would much prefer a nice necklace, ring, bracelet ect, but nope most of the idiots wanted to buy carriage clocks.

So folks spare a thought for shop staff and do NOT venture anywhere near a shop minutes before closing time on Xmas eve. Nor should you be queuing up outside Supermarket day after Boxing Day - let them have a bit of peace and quiet. And why not try wishing them a Merry Christmas?