Christmas Shopping

Thanks to friends of ours with whom we visited the Winnipeg art gallery this weekend I now have a new fun little place to find gifts and unique little items.  It’s a teeny little store tucked into the corner of a building on Academy Rd.  by the name of Michael Rodent’s Bed, Bath and Kitchen.

It also solved a dilemma I’ve been having.  For Christmas I’ve been struggling with trying to find items with Snoopy on them.  Since our last visit to Minneapolis and Planet Snoopy in Valleyfair A has become absolutely obsessed with the little beagle.

She has 4 snoopy shirts and wears each one every single week. She draws Snoopy and Woodstock over and over again.  We’ve recorded each of the Peanut specials that have aired since the summer and her most prized book is now The Great Pumpkin.   About a month ago I found a plush snoopy carrying Woodstock for her and it has become her constant companion.

Her Christmas letter to Santa includes the following line; I want a Snoopy book and a Snoopy toy and a Snoopy and Woodstock toy and a Snoopy and Woodstock baby for Christmas.

On the bottom she has even included a drawing of Snoopy and Woodstock I suppose in case Santa isn’t sure who they are. So long story short I’ve been after Snoopy stuff and haven’t had much luck. Any items I have found are very specifically Christmas items and I wanted to get her things which she can use year round.  

I had a couple of shopping hours on Saturday night and so found myself on a mission.  At the one store I’ve seen Snoopy items I asked a clerk to dig out the non Christmas Snoopy stuff from the back of the store which she happily obliged for me and the first item was procured.

Now back to this store I was speaking off at the beginning. This store is full of novelty and character items including Snoopy.  They have an amazing selection crammed into such a small space and not only did I purchase some Snoopy items for A but several other unique gifts. 

Thanks to the last few items I picked up here I solved the problems of a few hard to shop for people and am now 90% done my own Christmas shopping.  The only things left to pick up are very small simple items that are easy to find. So I may be slightly behind my normal Christmas schedule but I must concede I’m not doing to bad.

The Leaves Have Fallen

Despite the higher than normal temperatures the past couple of months, one cannot ignore the sound of winter knocking on the door in Massachusetts. Cold and snow is inevitable around here. It is not a question of IF. It is a question of WHEN. So, when possible, I try to take advantage of mild days in the Fall and Spring. While running along the Charles River last week I took notice of the leafless trees and thought about how much outdoor fun I have had with our daughters since winter ended last year.

Just last week the girls had a blast running through leaves in our back yard. Here is a clip of the fun:




Things the girls say Emily, after being told I am 45 years old: "Wow, Daddy you are a BIG boy now!"

Between the Yellow Lines

Parking fees are really beginning to tick me off. Last night I ended up parking a bit of a ways from the entrance to the health centre as I’m really trying to avoid racking up any more parking fees than I already have.  I got just a wee bit chilly on the way in, and a little more on my way out. Of course on my way out I was also heading for a very cold car. Brrrr.

As I turned on the heater driving home a collection of half a dozen parking slips flew off the dash into my face.  Thankfully they didn’t distract me from my driving at all (yes sarcasm) and after narrowly avoiding a bloody calming circle (that’s a whole other rant) I realized that those little slips represented 30 or 40 dollars and I got all riled up.

In the past month, although I’ve admittedly spent a great deal of time at hospitals or health centers, I have ended up spending around a hundred dollars on parking alone.  These days it’s an annoyance (albeit a big annoyance) and not a disastrous impact on our budget but still it hurts.

Ten years ago we were in a much different financial situation and that extra hundred would have had a much larger impact on us.  I can’t help but think of those who are either ill or caring for loved ones who are on fixed incomes and what the parking fees must do to them.

The fact of the matter is for some driving is the only way to get to a hospital, and some cannot park farther away as I do due to illness or disability. Having parking near a hospital is simply a necessity however are parking fees? Not only any parking fees either but the highest fees found anywhere in the city?

Now coincidentally The Globe and Mail printed an article about this very issue a few days ago and there have been several others since (CBC, The Star, Global) . I’ve read them all with interest and I must say I find myself in favor of abolishing parking fees.  At the very least I wish a way could be found to make parking more affordable and accessible to those on fixed incomes or who are facing a long term illness or have immediate family expecting a long term stay.

The only question in my mind that really carries weight on this issue is this: Do parking fees in any way hinder access to our health care system?   The fact of the matter is that yes it is sometimes a hindrance to receiving care, as is not having relatives able to afford to visit a hindrance to healing. 

That right there is the only thing that matters and why a validated parking system or the abolishment of parking fees surrounding hospitals needs to be considered.  I believe as do most other Canadians that we all deserve equal access to our health care system, it’s why we have this system in the first place, if parking fees are presenting a barrier to some it needs to be remedied.

100 word picture prompt

The simplest of gifts

I like to have on hand some sort of little gift for those who come to our home over the holidays.  Just something little to show I care.  These are made from hot chocolate mix, marshmallows and chocolate chips packaged together in an icing bag. 

It’s the icing bags that make all the difference in any other bag or container they wouldn’t look very special at all.  The icing bags make them look like ice cream cones and the ribbons make them festive.  They may be a small and rather simple gift but sometimes those are the best of all.