And one, of course, must be prepared, so I dragged myself from bed at 7 a.m., had breakfast, and was out the door by eight. I didn't know what time anything opened, as the stores I wanted to go to were not the ones which had advertised in yesterday's paper. I was so surprised that neither JoAnn nor Michaels were having the usual after-Christmas sales!

Well, I knew one place that would definitely be open and items discounted: Hallmark. I headed to the Town Center store via Walgreens, where I bought enough tinsel to replace what I used on the tree and some new Christmas hooks. I would like to replace all the silver hooks on the tree with the stronger green ones, especially those newer, cheap thin silver wire ones that collapse at the merest squeeze. At Hallmark I bought a Wile E. Coyote for James, a Merida, the two turtledoves, and the miniature Chessie system steam train. Also found some gift ornaments, and some Christmas cards. Then went  next door to Publix, which was advertising storage containers as a twofer. Wow, and good storage containers, too, the 66 quart clear Sterlite ones. I bought two as well as two twofer Hallmark cards. Also stopped at Barnes & Noble to check out their clearance items. Not much there, though; many Hallowe'en leftovers.

I did go to Garden Ridge briefly to see if they had any more strings of blue lights. One of the new strings on our bushes is already half out! But, alas, they were pretty well stripped, and, as I shuddered, they were already putting out spring garlands. Ugh!

From there I went to Michaels to see if they still had plain single-color wrapping paper. Success! I bought three rolls, red, green and blue, plus three frosted picks for winter decorations. They had no bows, and neither did JoAnn, which I left without buying anything. I did get some bows, tissue paper, and shred at Hobby Lobby.

On the way home I stopped at the Publix at Barrett Parkway and Old Highway 41 to buy two more storage boxes, plus the twofer greeting cards, and then at the Walgreens at Dallas Highway for more tinsel—who knows when it might become extinct, just like the Woolworths I used to buy it in? and how could I have a Christmas tree with no tinsel—and more hooks, and a few half-priced candies, including sugarless for James. The Publix at Dallas Highway didn't seem to have any containers, but they did have cards. I'm stocking up for birthdays right now, but at least one Publix was stocking Valentine cards when I went in. By the weekend I should be able to get some Valentines, too.

As I emerged from Publix #3, James called. They'd let him out early again and he was at Kroger picking up something for his supper. Did I want something? Sure did: when I left the house it had been 51 degrees, and when I left JoAnn it had already fallen to 43. It was getting colder and windier by the minute. So I told him to get me a loaded baked potato soup.

Oh, and it was very good, too. I ended up having half of it for lunch. He also came home with more Christmas lights and a cute little snowman lamp and a York peppermint patty cake for desserts.

Tidied up some during the afternoon, read Facebook, finished another book, and finally went on to the news. Now watching factual Christmas specials: Gavin Weightman's Christmas Past about Christmas in Great Britain, Christmas: Behind the Traditions, and I think I'll go on to the best of the Andy Williams Christmas specials.

Labels: books, Christmas, food, shopping

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:34:00 PM

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