One by one.
Day by day.
Week by week.
Until Christmas says, "Whoa."
If not, would they reach the sky?
Now, now, not really. But that pile of Christmas catalogs on my counter ends in a tall tower.
Are you aware that they are reminding you if you want to shop early, that the time is now?
Christmas is less than two months away and those last few weeks before come up with an annual trick of passing twice as fast as usual.
So on to the catalogs where clothes, novelties, toys, books, games, holiday food delicacies and decorations as well as seasonal flowers are yours for the buying.
They range in class from pages of medium-priced items to expensive and glamorous from such high end catalogs as those from Gumps of San Francisco to that from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
Many times I turn the pages of those two. Printed on nice shiny paper, with attractive models to showcase their wares and, often, with unusual items not found elsewhere.
Such items, however, and that bugaboo, shipping, soon put a dent in most Christmas budgets.
An old favorite, the catalog of L.L. Bean, likewise offers many pricey items, but money-saving shipping offers often are included.
Another fairly high end, but unusual and attractive, comes from Monticello. Jefferson's love of music and books appears in reminders on various items. But did anyone ever wear the man's necktie that is pictured with American flags - ad infinitum - from the past to the present?
If jokes and fun are your style for holiday buying, there are catalog pages of tee shirts, proclaiming just about every imaginable description.
All the above plus pages devoted to imaginative puzzles, games and toys.
So home shoppers, get busy. A supermarket of fun, attractive gifts is filling up as each catalog arrives in the mail.
