Early Holiday Shopping Lists

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Time to think about holiday shopping - we had a "Y2K Christmas" last year and gave down comforters, wind-up radios, backpacks, food dehydrators, pressure canners, stockpots, etc.

This year we won't have that kind of money available - and would like to get Y2K related items for bug out bags.

What would you like to see in your stocking on 12/25?

(gold coins are not an option! :-)

-- Mom (mom@mom.com), October 11, 1999

Answers

MMM,

Silver 1 oz. rounds, either Eagles or Engelhard's please, ammo, any high quality boxer primed please, 1/10 or 1/4 oz. gold eagles please, quality CD and tapes: 100 Classic favorites, James Earl Jones rendition of the New Testament Bible, Motown Greatest hits, Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA", "How to Shoot using a Scope", just kidding, rolls of circulated US coins please, good books to read, and if you really care, any item that I might need in the next year or two that you won't/can't be able to get, because of Y2K, that if you "really knew me" you'd know what that stuff is.

OK,OK, you don't have time for games, here's the list: Hummer Wagon, camo/tan or black is fine, Gen 3 Nite Vision stuff, anything from Litton or ITT is OK, candy, chocolate, cigarettes, booze, any size, NO NO, not for me, I will be tradin' that stuff off for Rolex's and Caddy's, Spanish/Chinese/Russian dictionary/Language tapes. I can't think of any thing else at the moment, it's early. However, I will update list at my earliest convenience. Thanks for asking this year, I really hated the corporate yellow tie and the Brooks Bros. stuff you got me last year!! P.S. Buy early and often, there could be postal and UPS delays near year's end. Just tryin' to help......

-- rob (rgt350X@aol.com), October 11, 1999.


To most relatives we will, as usual, give money. I just ordered nine 2000 gallon capacity water filters (advertised on Y2K Women online newsletter) to give as gifts. We also bought everyone a one-ounce silver coin with Millennium 2000 on it, as a keepsake that might be valuable in desperate times. I make clothes for my 3 1/2 year old grand nephew, and this Christmas I'm making him a robe, flannel pajamas, matching slippers, a long-sleeved shirt, and a quilt. We have already decided to take our gifts to my brother's house (three hours away) in November and let him store them until Christmas in case we can't make it back there. I'd hate to make all of these clothes and then not be able to get them to the little boy. I've put together a ziplock bag containing all ingredients needed for the fluid replacement recipe (lite salt, baking soda, and sugar), and included a printout of the recipe. I'll leave that at the house where the little boy lives. I'm thinking of giving my mother a flashlight and batteries (among other things) for her November birthday. We can't seem to convince our relatives that Y2K is serious, so maybe if we give them obvious Y2K gifts, they will start to believe us.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), October 11, 1999.

My daughter is a GIBI (gets it but ignorant). She is getting her two year old a TV/vcr and Barbie computer for Christmas. She is willing to prepare and help me with the food supplies, but she just doesn't see the foolishness of those gifts this year.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 11, 1999.

I told the family they are getting dehyrated food. All are GI and are excited wanting to know how much and what kind. Also getting maple syrup and blackberry wine that I made. My kids and husband are getting books and clothes. My latest prep was to get air mattresses for any who may be staying with us. Today ordered extra pair of glasses for 3 of us. Unfortunately I'll be having a biopsy on the 25th to see if calcium deposits are an indication of breast cancer. I am praying not, I don't want to deal with that now.

-- palavia (mom@hom.com), October 11, 1999.

Palavia,

Here's hoping that everything is AOK! Remember, don't sweat the big stuff. It'll all work out. Positive attitude works wonders!!!!!

-- (cannot-say@this.time), October 11, 1999.



Cyalume lite sticks

(you know, the break it and shake it lights)

and

Astronaut Ice Cream (yum!)

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), October 11, 1999.


Regarding the Cyalume light sticks--I think there was a thread here that recommended waiting until the day after Halloween to get these. Lots of kids carry them when they go trick or treating, so some stores that sell them put them on sale right after Halloween.

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), October 11, 1999.

Palavia, you will be in my prayers. Please email me if you want to vent or just need extra support.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 11, 1999.

Some good gifts might include seeds, packets of good used books, puzzles, knitting, embroidery and other such projects, for a little girl how about the wooden pop out furniture for an old-fashioned doll house? I have found that when life is much centered around the work of cooking, chopping wood, canning, etc, that it is good to have some project that is purely for beauty and relaxation... something that will last past the next meal you fix that gets eaten, or the wood you chop that gets burned.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), October 11, 1999.

Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl all year. I have one big material thingie on my wish list this year. Please Santa, may I have a spinning wheel? You know that I have always wanted one to go with my loom. It really would be lovely, *sigh*, and it would keep these hands busy and this spirit serene, humming to its wonderful rythms. Thank you...

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), October 12, 1999.


It would be good to remember while prepping to add some regular gifts to go along with your preps. If Y2K does turn out to be more than the proverbial "bump in the road", it would be good for the mental health of your family to have some "fun things" included.

For the Family:

Decks of Cards A couple of NEW board games Puzzles Popsicle molds and sticks Cocoa mix for fudge Caramel Apple mix Chocolate, Marshmallows, and Graham Crackers, Books to read (fun reading) Popcorn Chocolate Candle making kit with/supplies Sea Monkeys Goldfish Crystal gardens growing kit Almost any non-electric science project Fishing gear Craft materials ( glue, thread, needles, pens pencils, construction paper, fabric scraps, etc)

For your Children:

Games Puzzles Tonka Toys Hot Wheels Cars and track Dolls Doll House and furniture (mentioned above) Plastic figurines (Cowboys and indians, army men, dinosaurs, etc) Legos, duplos Coloring Books and Crayons Books to read

Remember, in a time of stress it is important that the whole family relaxes - stress will build in everyone, so joint fun projects or activities will be extremely important for you and your family's mental health

-- ExCop (Yinadral@juno.com), October 12, 1999.


Pavlavia, good luck! Got them fingers crossed!

Like your gift plan, too. How'd you make your wine? I have quarts & quarts of blackberry & raspberry juice in the freezer, waiting for me to get an idea for them. Our maple syrup batch didn't last long enough to make it to Christmas (Gotta plant more trees! Someday our grandchildren will thank us!)

-- Arewyn (isitthatlate@lready.com), October 12, 1999.


Blackberry wine: 3 pounds of crushed berries Pour one gallon of boiling water over this. Put in a covered container. Stir the first 3 days then leave to sit for 7 more days. Strain this, add 3 pounds of sugar, and leave in covered container for 10 more days. Then put in bottles ( I used canning jars) I have not tighted the jars down yet, when it stops bubbling then can tighten down. It is ready to drink 6 months after being put in bottles. One batch smelled all the time of wine. The other of vinegar. I threw that one out. It may have been ok to keep, I don't know. This is the first time I had made this, there were so many wild berries this year. My friend, who told me how to do this, also makes peach wine. Thanks for your prayers. My desire is to glorify my Lord and Savior in how I go through the tests for cancer. I'll let you know how it turns out. I get on the forum daily. I feel a kinship to all here. It is an amazing thing to feel close to people you have never meet. But our bond is that which we have in common. I am fortunate that most of my friends and family are believers in the Lord and also see the need to prepare for an uncertain future. The spring of '98 a friend showed me her room of preparations. It was her lifestyle to do this. It came over me that I needed to prepare. I started preparing and at the same time trying to find out why I was to do this. 3 months later I heard of the Y2k problem and I understood. I have a 2 year programming degree. But never worked in the field. I am rambling, but we all have stories, and that is mine. My husband understood the domino effect of world economics and has done his part also. Love in Christ Audrey (palavia) ps. Palavia was the name of a Polish friend of mine. I took it as my internet name. Pretty isn't it? Her last name was Socolovitch.

-- palavia (mom@home.com), October 12, 1999.

Expensive, but what about a 12v solar panel, say 60 or 80 Watts? If you can afford it get four or more and an inverter to change the 12v DC up to 110v (or 240v) AC? You can run an old fashioned twin-tub washing machine with a 600W inverter. Then grab a few deep cycle or tractor batteries, 12v auto light bulbs or 12v quartz halogen lights. Just use heavy-grade wiring, and keep the lengths short. (You lose too much energy through wire resistance, and it turns to useless lost heat.)

-- Davo (hehee@huh.wot.com), October 13, 1999.

Palavia, I forget the stats but I believe it may be as high as 9 out of 10 breast lumps are benign. But I do know how worrying it is, even when you know the stats. Fingers crossed.

Mom, hit the yard sales! Especially look for those associated with a church fall bazaar/festival, whatever they want to call it. I picked up new and look-new books at the local church sale last Saturday--there was very good costume jewelry, household items, brass fireplace accessories, throws, tons of good books, thermos jugs, toys, all sorts of stuff.

The Hungarian and I find the best church sales are Catholic and Episcopalian, LOL! The Methodist and Baptist sales aren't so hot! But they might be in your town.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), October 13, 1999.



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