Skip to main content

Stocking Stuffers



I’ve been pondering a post on what constitutes a suitable Christmas stocking present when Twitter did it for me. It begins here :


why do bloggers think that a diptyque candle is a stocking filler? you’ll get a tube of minstrels if you’re lucky babe

A word of explanation: this thread originates in the U.K. This is a Diptyque candle. These are Minstrels. Despite the differing cultural references, this thread hits on exactly what I had in mind. Just because something is small enough to fit in a Christmas stocking doesn’t mean it is a “stocking present”.

For example, at our house Christmas stockings could be expected to hold:

Toothbrush
Scotch tape
Panty hose or cute socks
Chocolate orange
Inexpensive toys
Post it notes
Hair ties
Guitar picks
Squishy toys

They are not going to contain:

Pearl earrings
Keys to a new car
Diamond tennis bracelet
Expensive perfume
A small gaming device
iPhones
Copic or Prismacolor markers
100 dollar gift cards

You get the picture. Stocking presents aren’t supposed to be the Main Present. Moneywise, that is. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule and no one is going to come to your house to ensure compliance. Don’t forget that, in the U.K., the old school tradition is a pillowcase hung over the bedpost, so I would think you’d need to be even more frugal. Pillowcases are a lot bigger than most American Christmas stockings!

Lest you think there’s no local connection to this post, I give you a Christmas wish with a very local flavor. I saw it online this weekend.* It won’t fit in a stocking or a pillowcase, but I hope Santa is listening to this one:

 My Christmas wish list as a Columbia resident: 

1) A dedicated pathway from Little Patuxent Parkway to the Chrysalis, and signage to accompany said pathway.

2) A playground in Symphony Woods (which I know is in the works...just voicing my support of this much-needed amenity).

3) Better crosswalks and speed control measures on Little Patuxent in front of Merriweather and the Chrysalis.  

Pretty please and thank you, Santa.



*No, I didn’t write it. But I do like it.










Celebration in the Woods Advent Calendar: 

https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=11dfaa56f70578e204b73fee207a6441










Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

  One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right.  Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events?  Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....