Wendy Hatfield

By Wendy Hatfield

I have a recurring dream that it is Christmas Eve and I have not purchased any gifts the entire Christmas season and  the store  is about to close. This dream is puzzling to me because I am a female and a Mom and I would never do something so crazy as to wait until Christmas Eve to buy gifts. I think this dream is a testament to the type of stress that only comes at Christmas. From the tree to the cookies to the Christmas cards to the red and green articles of clothing purchased for Christmas get togethers to of course the actual buying of the various gifts. That is enough pressure and stress to last you all year. Even so, I do not dislike Christmas. It is  part of Christmas as an adult to sweat the cost and attend to all the activities. Plus, my parents put enough wonderment in the season when I was a child to help override any Christmas negativity. Read the rest of this entry »

   Not wishing ill on anyone who has lost a job or is facing uncertain times, there may be an upside to the economic turmoil we are facing. Sort of getting back to basics, if you will.
    With unemployment rising and a topsy-turvy stock market, a lot of us are being forced to change our outlook on gift giving for the Christmas season. An article in the Times-Union recently quoted some families who were cutting back on their spending this holiday season. That may not be a bad thing.

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