What do you want for Christmas?
This was the question posed on a forum at the Down To Earth blog of which I am a member. I don't know if anybody reading my blog also reads DTE, so if you do, you'll be reading this twice - sorry.
Ken will be a bit sad this year because it will be his first Christmas without his Mum. As he says, he was very lucky to have her in his life for 70 years, but he will still miss her presence this year. Just a bit. He asked me what I wanted and I hugged him and said "You". In his state of health, every birthday and Christmas is a bonus. He smiled and said "Thanks for that,but I want to buy you something that you will really like". So when we were out to lunch with a friend this week, we were looking in gift shops and I found a cute oven mitt with a rooster on it. I handed it to Ken and said "there you are - anything with a chook on it will be fine for me!" so he bought it, but now he's talking about buying me an I-pad. Just because I've admired the tablets some of our friends use, doesn't mean that I must have one too! But how to discourage him...
Yesterday I solved the dilemma of the unwanted computer tablet/Ipad. I wanted to check if JB Hi Fi had a certain DVD, so we trundled over to Greensborough after Ken's session at the Austin Hospital. JB didn't have the DVD, so Ken suggested looking at Ipads at the Telstra shop and Dick Smith. It all looks so innocent, these little screens flashing information at you with a price tag of anything between $150 to $950. But after intense questioning of staff at both shops, we discovered all is not as it seems. Even the cheapest tablet will cost hundreds of dollars more if you want it to be connected to the internet while you are out and about. Then there was all the stuff about wi fi and simcards. Way over my head. Bottom line is that the tablets that I have admired my friends using cost nearly $1000 if you have both wi fi and simcard which they tell me is the best way to go. I went all right - out the door and into the cafe for coffee to calm me down!
Ken was despondent. What about a new watch? My watches all come from opshops. I pay between $5 and $10 for one that works, and once the battery dies, I chuck out the watch and find another. Batteries cost about $17 - why buy a battery?? So we looked at watches in Bevilles and there were some nice Citizen ones that I fancied, between $150 and $200. Hmm...I'll think about it, I said. (Bevilles are one of the few shops that sell exquisite nativity scene ornaments - the real reason for the season, and yes, we have one at home on display). We were wandering past one of those shops that sell the latest in kitchen gadgets and I had a light bulb moment. Dragging Ken in I said "Kettle! I've been wanting a new electric kettle for months!" Our last electric kettle was a beautiful stainless steel Russell Hobbs which last for about 15 years. We were both very sad when it died. I picked up a plastic electric jug at Savers for $5 to tide us over until we found another kettle, but until now we hadn't seen anything we liked. Ken followed me around the shop until I found two or three varieties of electric kettle, and I fell in love with one immediately. The brand is Circulon, which I've never heard of, but at $150 it had better be a good one. It is a state of the art, space age looking kettle, and Ken wasn't really sure about it but I insisted - this is to be my Christmas present! So we brought it home, and I'm happy. One of my friends said she wouldn't like her husband to buy her kitchen things - she can buy those when they need replacing, not as gifts. She would rather jewellery or perfume. Well, I'm not a jewellery and perfume person, I don't need an Ipad when I've got this perfectly serviceable computer, and I can't justify hundreds of dollars on a watch when I can get them for a few dollars at the opshop! Am I crazy or not?
Ken will be a bit sad this year because it will be his first Christmas without his Mum. As he says, he was very lucky to have her in his life for 70 years, but he will still miss her presence this year. Just a bit. He asked me what I wanted and I hugged him and said "You". In his state of health, every birthday and Christmas is a bonus. He smiled and said "Thanks for that,but I want to buy you something that you will really like". So when we were out to lunch with a friend this week, we were looking in gift shops and I found a cute oven mitt with a rooster on it. I handed it to Ken and said "there you are - anything with a chook on it will be fine for me!" so he bought it, but now he's talking about buying me an I-pad. Just because I've admired the tablets some of our friends use, doesn't mean that I must have one too! But how to discourage him...
Yesterday I solved the dilemma of the unwanted computer tablet/Ipad. I wanted to check if JB Hi Fi had a certain DVD, so we trundled over to Greensborough after Ken's session at the Austin Hospital. JB didn't have the DVD, so Ken suggested looking at Ipads at the Telstra shop and Dick Smith. It all looks so innocent, these little screens flashing information at you with a price tag of anything between $150 to $950. But after intense questioning of staff at both shops, we discovered all is not as it seems. Even the cheapest tablet will cost hundreds of dollars more if you want it to be connected to the internet while you are out and about. Then there was all the stuff about wi fi and simcards. Way over my head. Bottom line is that the tablets that I have admired my friends using cost nearly $1000 if you have both wi fi and simcard which they tell me is the best way to go. I went all right - out the door and into the cafe for coffee to calm me down!
Ken was despondent. What about a new watch? My watches all come from opshops. I pay between $5 and $10 for one that works, and once the battery dies, I chuck out the watch and find another. Batteries cost about $17 - why buy a battery?? So we looked at watches in Bevilles and there were some nice Citizen ones that I fancied, between $150 and $200. Hmm...I'll think about it, I said. (Bevilles are one of the few shops that sell exquisite nativity scene ornaments - the real reason for the season, and yes, we have one at home on display). We were wandering past one of those shops that sell the latest in kitchen gadgets and I had a light bulb moment. Dragging Ken in I said "Kettle! I've been wanting a new electric kettle for months!" Our last electric kettle was a beautiful stainless steel Russell Hobbs which last for about 15 years. We were both very sad when it died. I picked up a plastic electric jug at Savers for $5 to tide us over until we found another kettle, but until now we hadn't seen anything we liked. Ken followed me around the shop until I found two or three varieties of electric kettle, and I fell in love with one immediately. The brand is Circulon, which I've never heard of, but at $150 it had better be a good one. It is a state of the art, space age looking kettle, and Ken wasn't really sure about it but I insisted - this is to be my Christmas present! So we brought it home, and I'm happy. One of my friends said she wouldn't like her husband to buy her kitchen things - she can buy those when they need replacing, not as gifts. She would rather jewellery or perfume. Well, I'm not a jewellery and perfume person, I don't need an Ipad when I've got this perfectly serviceable computer, and I can't justify hundreds of dollars on a watch when I can get them for a few dollars at the opshop! Am I crazy or not?
posted by Gina E. | 7:12 pm
4 Comments:
Well, you're very sensible but all the same, I wouldn't thank my husband for a kettle!
Thanks for the walking foot tip. It worked beautifully!
I can see the kettle being wrapped — around my head! Heh.
Gina, this post shows how similar we are in many ways. Very sensible to avoid unnecessary gadgets, and instead get a space age version of something that you need - the space age bit fulfills the criteria of a good present. In the new year I'll be inviting myself over for a cup of tea to check out this new kettle of yours! I trust you're enjoying your Christmas.
Love,
Val
Gina,
Thank You for sharing this. I need to show the hubby as we having been having this type of talk Lol
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