So, . . What did you get for Christmas?

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    I HAVE RECEIVED A SPECIAL GIFT THIS YEAR for a few hours the four children their mother and I will share a new kind of celebration. Besides that which comes from Santa -- ( stocking items per se ) we are doing a no gift Cristmas and they pooled $ to send to somewhere in Africa to buy a goat some hens a rooster & medical supplies They also continued to fund a students education costs. They even slept in to 9 another first ( in over two decades. I had no issue joining them. Stop whining about what you did not get lol and be glad us seniors wake to see another day.

    Greetings from North of the 49th

    Quote from Stumpy

    My stocking had 3 lumps of coal in it.


    I didn't know that tradition happened in Texas as well as South Wales and the mining towns in central and northern England.

    When I was small in the little Welsh village I grew up in it was coal (1), apple (1), orange (1), bag of sweets (1), small toy (1), bag of nuts. The other things were under the tree, mostly books and clothes and games.

    This year my 3 grandchildren had such things as laptops, Nintendo DS's and X Box's.

    How times have changed, and in only a 'few' years. Well OK, about 50-ish years.

    Soon they will want a car for Christmas so I have booked a trip to the moon with Virgin, and taking my cheque book and card with me.

    (newyr)

    Bob

    Back in the mid 1930s I think I was about 5 Years Old my Stepfather gave me my first Brand New Bicycle for Christmas, and my Mother told me later that He Had To Pay $15.50 for my new Toy !
    :fear:
    Boy Have Things Changed !!!
    :))):
    Chilibill

    Quote from firstrebel

    I didn't know that tradition happened in Texas as well as South Wales and the mining towns in central and northern England.

    When I was small in the little Welsh village I grew up in it was coal



    In my case, that was a figure of speech, Bob. To the best of my knowledge, there are no deposits of coal anywhere near where I live.

    No, I was referring to my only daughter and her two children. She made some extremely poor choices when she was about 18 and old Dad and Mom are still paying for her mistakes.

    Of course, I place much of the blame for her situation on myself as I spoiled her rotten, never gave her any responsibilities (unlike her two brothers) and so she grew up with the attitude that Dad and Mom were supposed to take care of her for the rest of her life.

    I've about reached the end of my tether with her. She's gone through one husband and one boyfriend (both bums, IMO), had two children who were raised with the belief that the world owed them a living and when her second relationship recently imploded, she moved home (with the two kids) for Dad and Mom to support.

    We've had a rocky relationship all of her life and this morning it got rockier. I told her to leave as soon as the roads permitted and that I didn't want her to ever darken my doorway again. Her mother, who's a much more lenient person than I am, naturally didn't like my throwing them out and so it hasn't been a very pleasant Christmas. Unfortunately......

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    My wife and I don't exchange gifts anymore. We've already got everything we need and if there's something we do need or want we'll get it anytime. We don't exchange with our sons either. Told them to take the money and spend on their spouses and kids. We do buy for the grandkids as we figure Christmas is more for them, though they get everything throughout the year. But, my brother is under no such inclination and he bought my wife and I a SONY Blue Ray DVD player. I was speechless and told him I couldn't thank him enough. He said, no big deal, just enjoy it. And then he said, " and don't go out an buy me anything like you're obligated. If I need it I'll get it". But, I did see something I want to get for him. The Blue Ray DVD of Lonesome Dove. He would really like that.

    And Stumpy, I'm really sorry for all of what you're going through. Hopefully, your daughter will get the message to stand on her own two feet and live the life she's supposed to. Good Luck with all of that.

    Quote from WaynamoJim

    Stumpy, I'm really sorry for all of what you're going through. Hopefully, your daughter will get the message to stand on her own two feet and live the life she's supposed to. Good Luck with all of that.



    Thanks for your good wishes, Jim.

    I have a love-hate relationship with my daughter. Because she's the baby (though 38 years old) and our only daughter, I love her to pieces. At the same time, I hate what she has become, which is a parasitic leech.

    I'm torn by all this as I know much of it is my own fault because I spoiled her so much when she was young. What's really the worse part is that she has two beautiful children who had a very unhappy childhood because my daughter and the louse she married fought all the time when the kids were young. My 15-year-old granddaughter (who's extremely bright - she's won numerous academic recognitions, even from the state governor) will never achieve her potential because she grew up in relative poverty and with parents who were at each other's throats all the time. Her 13-year-old brother, not nearly as bright but exceptionally handsome (he has older girls trying to put the make on 'im all the time) is, I'm afraid, gonna end up in jail because his personality has been so warped by such an unhappy childhood. It's just a very bad situation and I've dealt with it so long that I'm sick of it. I'm ready to chuck the whole mess.

    Another Jim

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    I received a VHS/DVD recorder, so I can record my VHS copies of John Wayne movies that have not been released on DVD (I have several movies that have not been released on DVD and may never be). I also received a couple of books (non Duke releated), and clothes. It was nice to be with family. It was a good day.

    Cheers :cool: Hondo



    Quote

    "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it"

    - John Wayne quote

    Usually my Wife and I do not exchange gifts. This year she got a iPhone, I have not decided. It has been years without any presents and I can't make up my mind.:stunned:
    With having the two hand operations we have had to avoid get togethers so I did not get sick to cause me to miss the second operation. Now they are done, I can not wait to see my Brother and his family. I missed Thanksgiving and so this will be both together.

    i got a new alarm clock, a book, a new mouse for my computer and of course a Wii fit plus yet to have a go on it. the lad did well he got a ds lite, a radio for the shower :))):not that we can take long showers, a game for his ds lite, season 4,5 & 6 of are you being served, a couple of dvd's we had a good christmas all round, stuffed silly with food and a few drinks.

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

    Quote from chester7777

    A signed photo of John Wayne. Wow, unbelievable gift. More to follow. :omg:


    OK, now that the hub bub of the holiday has died down a little, I can tell you the story behind the above mentioned gift.


    A couple of weeks ago, I was with a friend (my grandson's other grandfather) and we were doing some shopping around in a few coin stores, as he was in search of a particular gift. Now coin stores can be very interesting places, with many more things available in addition to coins, and one in particular had a most amazing collection of signed movie star photos. I casually asked if he had any of John Wayne, and Sal (the shop owner) answered, "Yes, I have one back here." He went into the back room and came out with a photo of Duke, signed To Chris, Good Luck! John Wayne. Along with the photo, he had a notarized letter from the Chris to whom the note was addressed. The letter told the story of how he came to have the autograph, with his brother receiving one as well. It was around the time of the shooting of Rooster Cogburn, up in Oregon. So now I had four things to really like about this particular picture - (1) John Wayne, (2) Rooster Cogburn (one of my favorite movies of Duke's), (3) the Oregon connection (near my property there), and (4) Chris (just happens to be my son's name, who truly has also been a big John Wayne fan).


    I asked him how much he wanted for it, and it was more than I could come up with right now, so I asked him if he would be willing to hold it for me, and he said he would.


    Now my buddy Mike (who has always had an interest in surprising people) was already churning in his brain!! I looked at him and said, "Now, Mike, don't even think about buying this for me." I knew he wasn't in any more of a financial position to do so than I was.


    In any case, I called someone who I knew had more knowledge of such things than I, to give me some pointers. He said to take a picture or two and send it to him, which I did. He got back to me and said it was about 99% chance that it was an authentic signature. That was enough for me. I called the guy back and said I was DEFINITELY interested.


    Meanwhile . . . my buddy Mike, having heard from me that it was a deal to go for, rummaged around in his safety deposit box for an old railroad pocket watch he knew he had, which hadn't seen the light of day for over 20 years, and to which he had no sentimental attachment, and took it to his watch guy to have it appraised and then cleaned. He took it to Sal, letting him know it was his intention to trade in exchange for the signed photo as a gift for me. Sal was of course a little concerned, since he had told me he'd hold it for me. So he and Mike came up with a story for him to tell me, on the off chance I was able to come up with the cash before Christmas, that the person who had it on consignment with him picked it up to show someone else (who had ready cash). As it turns out, I called him two days before Christmas to see if he would trade for an antique rifle (which I had, which had no sentimental meaning to me), and he said he was very busy, and could I call him after Christmas. Of course he knew there would be no need for that :wink_smile: !


    In addition, I received three Duke movies on DVD (Rio Bravo, Donovan's Reef, and North to Alaska, which I only had on VHS) and two John Wayne 2010 calendars).


    JW_Christmas_2009 002.jpg

    I've never expected nor wanted anyone in my family to give me anything for Christmas but conversely, I've always felt an obligation to give them gifts. 7 or 8 years ago, the adults in my immediate family (me, wife and 3 kids) made a pact not to buy each other gifts but to ensure that all the grandkids had a nice Christmas. It has worked pretty well except I still buy my wife a nice piece of jewelry each year and then buy myself something I want that she can't afford. :laugh: This year I bought her an emerald ring she's been wanting and myself a new desktop PC.

    As for the grandkids, I decided a few years ago just to give them money and let them buy whatever they wanted. After all, they know better than I do what they want. Also, I don't have to fight the crowds in the malls, etc.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    i wish i could walk round in my dressing-gown wearing a big hat Chester,thats so cool

    " I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man " True Grit