Like last year, I’m pleased to report that my Christmas shopping is already complete—and, in fact, presents have already been delivered. I took the time to deliver all the presents I was going to purchase and deliver back in October while I was staying with my parents and visiting my siblings.
There’s a huge plus to not needing to buy presents—I can wander the Weimar and Erfurt Christmas Markets without any pressure to buy whatsoever.
Naturally I might still buy a few things—a few small things for me and maybe I’ll buy a present or two for my colleague who lives here in Weimar—well, actually for the colleague’s kid. He’s technically dual German-American and so I’ve decided it’s my duty to ensure that he gets things that help him be an American and speaking English, like books. While in Yellowstone National Park I picked up a delightful book, Whose Poop is that?, a book that helps little children overcome their fear of Bears in the park.
Before giving it to the kid, I loaned it to a more aged colleague who’s going on holiday to the States next year and needed some reassurance with respect to bears and snakes.
About the only legitimate Christmas things I’ve bought are for me: two candles, cookies, and a calendar, although I’m not really sure that one cinnamon and one vanilla candle really count as seasonal. The cookies surely are seasonal—I buy too many 600g packages of Spekulatius cookies for 85 cents and more than any other German traditions, these cookies taste like Christmas to me. I actually have to limit myself because I can, without noticing, eat an entire package in one evening. The other item, the calendar, I bought yesterday. It is a Lindt Advent Calendar with 24 doors hiding Lindt Chocolates. I opened the first door yesterday after dinner and enjoyed a Walnut-Chocolate. It’s now standing in my living room waiting for me to open door number 2.
You are doing better than I am! I have finished shopping for everyone except The Coach. And somewhere along the line, I ordered myself a shiny red netbook to take back and forth to work … my plan in the spring is to hide out in the library a couple days a week and my regular laptop is just heavy (and loaded with other distractions). The netbook is only going to have one project on it at a time. 😀
What a weird name for a kid’s book. I’ll bet there were some interesting pre-publication meetings about that.
I messed up the title, it’s actually Who Pooped in the Park? Yellowstone National Park. It’s a charming book that meets a specific childhood need!
Spekulatius are my all time fav cookies.
What’s behind door number 2?? It sounds more like a game show. Heh. I’m glad someone is getting shopping done. I don’t think I will even start for a week!
disenchanted: I priced one out for fun and wow, they are cheap! That said I like my MacBook, even if its not a MacBookAir or the most recent generation. I hope you enjoy your toy!
J: I really have to restrain myself with Spekulatius. I just bought a package today. I better have some left over for tomorrow night.
mateo: there were two small vanilla chocolate balls. Tasty, but small. I was actually a bit disappointed.
Oh, so you are a size queen when it comes to tasty balls, are you?
It depends how far into the mouth the balls are going — for balls entering and exiting the same hole, there is an optimal size, as well as other issues that matter. For vanilla-chocolate balls, which enter and exit different holes, then I want the balls to be a bit bigger than what I got.