WRAPPING PRESENTS

I suppose I should preface all of this with a Curmudgeon warning.

 

 

A few "brown paper packages tied up with strings"... 


My Christmas wrapping is finished, and a nice carton full of presents is on its way to Texas.  I must pat myself on the head this year: it wasn't a conscious effort, but I didn't buy one single thing for wrapping.  I had the tissue paper and the roll of brown builder's paper from two years ago (caution: you'd better love this heavy but very inexpensive paper because it seems to last forever. I've even used it with parti-colored yarn for wrapping birthday presents and still I've got half a roll left.) I had several editions of the Toronto Globe and Mail, brought by our son from his Canadian business trips. I had gently-used gift bags, and I had tags made from last year's Christmas cards. I've always got lots of inexpensive yarn instead of ribbons and bows. I hate stick-on bows with a passion!
Each year the shelter and decor magazines and blogs are chock full of opulently wrapped Christmas packages.  I suppose in some homes they are part of the overall decorating theme, though a turquoise or aubergine Christmas does strike an off note, and they're wrapped early enough and left lying about so that they'll be seen and admired.  Boosh-wah!  All that fancy wrapping will be ripped off and trown away.  Do you think all those fancy wrapper people recycle and reuse? Not on your old lady's corset cover!

Well, I'll climb down from off my high horse.  Old Ebenezerella Scrooge here is into a one-woman tiff - a very personal fight - with the Christmas Excess powers-that-be.  I'll not change a thing world wide, but I can express myself, can't I?