Topic: 11 MORE Shopping Days Til Christmas, Are YOU Ready? Counting Down!

[bill440cars]

       I'm sure not! Haven't done a thing AND not sure just WHAT I'm gonna do!

       I'm just hoping that YOU ALL are better prepared than I am!

       At ANY Rate, I want to take this time to say that I Hope You All Will

                           HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!


       Be Safe, Take Care Of Your Families, Pay EXTRA Attention To Your Mates (Never Know How Long You (OR They) Will Be There AND Come back to the SOHC4, with a renewed Spirit! Don't know what I'd DO without you ALL!

                 (Gotta GO before I get any Mushier!) Take  care, Bill

[bucky katt]

sure am since i cant afford to shop this year  the only people that got gifts are the cats. i made them all cat treats out of this book i have and i sewed up the last of the fresh catnip into socks that couldnt be patched anymore. and i got some free carpet remnants so i could re-cover all their cat trees as well. i made cards for the rest of the family.

[bill440cars]

sure am since i cant afford to shop this year  the only people that got gifts are the cats. i made them all cat treats out of this book i have and i sewed up the last of the fresh catnip into socks that couldnt be patched anymore. and i got some free carpet remnants so i could re-cover all their cat trees as well. i made cards for the rest of the family.

        Sounds like YOUR cats ought to be in "Cat Heaven" and hope they enjoy their treats. hey sure have a Decent person looking after them (I didn't say "Owner" because I've always heard that you don't OWN cats, THEY OWN YOU!   It's like this saying that I found out about, about a week ago. It goes like this:

        You call a DOG and THEY COME!
        You call a CAT, they make note
        and get back with you!

       Sure sounds like  MY cats (and all the ones who have since passed on!)! 

[74cb750]

I'm not buying any gifts this year.
Been unemployed too long.

As a matter of fact,
2 weeks ago was offered a job on a friday, to start in 5-6 days;
then on monday I ready company was laying off 15-20% of their workforce! 

[droopy]

well my wife and I are sure not ready and sure if we will be ready before chirstmas, got good news in mail though medicade is to restart on jan 1st for the kids  . Wife's doctor uppered her zoloft to the max does and she has been on it for a day or two now and she is getting a little better with the depression part, slowley but surley. Once the medicade kicks back in the wife is gonna call the nurologist to make that appointment and she is also gonna make an appointment with a child phycatrist to see if our son is adhd or if there is something else going on. We had a very rough week with him at school telling just about everyone the he "HATES" them, teacher included because she gives us reports daily on his behavior. so we will see how that goes. Just Glad I still have a family, Wife included. I am happy that she is staying home with all of us. she still don't have much energy but her mind is getting better on what her thoughts and intenstions were. So to close this update and response to bills post. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!Oh p.s. on sunday the 20th of December I am happy to announce that both my children are getting baptised. What a better way to spen part of the holiday's is seeing your children getting baptisted

[Hush]

I always ignore Xmas and just get through it with as little hassle as possible, when the kids were young it was the whole 9 yards, tree/decorations/prezzies etc but now I'm happy with a bar-bq and a few beers with the family.
Jaffa got her prezzy early as she wanted her old GSX400 registered and vinned ($371) so that's one I don't need to worry about.
I'm so sorry to hear that so many people have been affected by the hard financial times, esp the nice people I have chatted to on here.
At least 2 members mentioned recently that they had to sell their beloved SOHC4 bikes to make ends meet and many more have lost jobs and are still struggling to find a new one.
Let's hope 2010 is our year and things start looking up for a lot more families.

[Retro Rocket]

Let's hope 2010 is our year and things start looking up for a lot more families. Smiley

Amen to that Hush...

Mick

[bill440cars]

well my wife and I are sure not ready and sure if we will be ready before chirstmas, got good news in mail though medicade is to restart on jan 1st for the kids  . Wife's doctor uppered her zoloft to the max does and she has been on it for a day or two now and she is getting a little better with the depression part, slowley but surley. Once the medicade kicks back in the wife is gonna call the nurologist to make that appointment and she is also gonna make an appointment with a child phycatrist to see if our son is adhd or if there is something else going on. We had a very rough week with him at school telling just about everyone the he "HATES" them, teacher included because she gives us reports daily on his behavior. so we will see how that goes. Just Glad I still have a family, Wife included. I am happy that she is staying home with all of us. she still don't have much energy but her mind is getting better on what her thoughts and intenstions were. So to close this update and response to bills post. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!Oh p.s. on sunday the 20th of December I am happy to announce that both my children are getting baptised. What a better way to spen part of the holiday's is seeing your children getting baptisted

               Whoa! Folks, I just got MY Christmas Present! (need a Smiley that expresses ESTATIC!)  The news that James and Family seem to be on the "Rebound" IS the BEST PRESENT I Could have asked for! I Am SO ELATED! THIS is just SO INCREDIBLE!  It just doesn't get much better than THIS! THE post from JAMES (droopy), has just MADE MY DAY!   AWESOME way to head for the NEW YEAR!

             In looking at the posts here, I see that I should have elaborated a bit. Too many folks feel that Christmas is about going out and BUYING things for others. Not necessarily so. There are all kinds of things you can do. Our family has done things like li miting the cost of the things, if you do buy the gift. picking names out of a hat, for the ONE person you might buy for. Gifts don't actually HAVE to be bought. Some gifts that WE have given in the past, were homemade. You'd be surprised how that can go. To think that someone would take the time and effort to MAKE something for you, can be a really decent experience. Brenda and I hadn't really exchanged gifts in several years. We'd do things for each other throughout the year, not just on any certain day. Christmas is thought of as a time of giving, but it doesn't have to be Material Things. It can be a giving of "Time Spent" with someone or even a family just spending some TIME TOGETHER, doing something TOGETHER. Now, even though Brenda and I didn't exchange gifts, I would also welch on the deal and get her a few clothes AND a "Santa Claus" for her collection. Then, she'd tell me that I didn't AND SHOULDN'T have done that AND I'm definitely gonna MISS that! But, anyway, ENJOY EACH OTHER! Let them know what they mean to you!

         James, buddy, You Have Gotten the best CHRISTMAS present of all!

                                         I'm Proud For You All,  Bill

[bucky katt]

actually Bill, i have to agree with you about gift giving. because we're so broke this year my wife and i are making all of the christmas gifts we give this year. there are a couple of family members that are cat people so theyre getting steel kitties, shaped cut out an old banged up motorcycle tank, cut the steel to the shape of a cats head, seperate piece of the body then i pound the plates on a beater bag to give them a little dimension and texture and i then make springs out of steel rod and weld them to the body and head shapes then make legs from the same steel and makelegs that i weld to metal pieces that are shaped to look like cat feet. for my brother in law and his wife, since they have 2 siamese, i painted theirs to look like a siamese, right down to their blue, crossed eyes. my wifes nephew and his wife get the same cat but painted to look like an orange tabby. i bake cookies, can relishes and preserves (lots of friends and family like my hot red pepper jelly).

[bill440cars]

actually Bill, i have to agree with you about gift giving. because we're so broke this year my wife and i are making all of the christmas gifts we give this year. there are a couple of family members that are cat people so theyre getting steel kitties, shaped cut out an old banged up motorcycle tank, cut the steel to the shape of a cats head, seperate piece of the body then i pound the plates on a beater bag to give them a little dimension and texture and i then make springs out of steel rod and weld them to the body and head shapes then make legs from the same steel and makelegs that i weld to metal pieces that are shaped to look like cat feet. for my brother in law and his wife, since they have 2 siamese, i painted theirs to look like a siamese, right down to their blue, crossed eyes. my wifes nephew and his wife get the same cat but painted to look like an orange tabby. i bake cookies, can relishes and preserves (lots of friends and family like my hot red pepper jelly).

            That's really cool Jeff. My Daughter Karla has crocheted things for folks, in the past. She has made things like Icicles  & ornamates to hang on the Christmas tree, baby blankets, pot holders and things like that. Brenda used to see things in magazines that could be made and do things like that for Christmas. Brenda also used to make Christmas Stockings for the family members and friends. I'd venture to say that all of our familys have one of those stockings and SOME might have 2, because she'd see another design that would better fit that person. My Mom used to make Moo moos for Brenda and Karla (glad she didn't make one for ME!) and my Mom has made all kind of things for us and others. She was very talented with sewing and doing crafts as well. Of course, back when my parents were first married, money was tight and she HAD to do a lot of sewing and such. She made quite a bit of my clothes and things for my Dad and for her as well.
                           

Right now, I'm just trying to make it past THIS Christmas myself (all things considered) but, I am starting to try to focus on the next one and how I want to decorate in remembrance of Her!    

                                         Take care, Bill

[bill440cars]

         If at all possible, I hope and Pray that families can pull together and manage a time for ALL to just be together and be thankful for what we DO have. Might not be much, but it COULD be a lot worse.

                                                   Take care, Bill

[tramp]

adults are just buying for the kids
tough economic times
we got to remember that christmas is not about buying gifts
i'm just thankful all my family has jobs now