Family Christmas shopping boycott update.

[loudnclear]

The Palmer, Smith, Billings,Moss family from the east coast to the west coast is DOING IT!!! I received a check from the west coast treasurer for the family account today. $7,560!!! This brings our total to
$11,400 for the joint family account. Even with this amount of money in the joint account a few families put half of their savings into their own personal accounts (we have a few west coasters who are fairly well off...they buy cars, rugs, diamonds etc. for gifts...but this year they were willing to join in...afterall, they really have everything they ever wanted).

In case you are not aware, our extended families decided to boycott Christmas shopping and pool our shopping monies to help out a few family members who had lost their jobs or who are too ill to work. Everyone was to write down the gifts they had planned to buy and contribute cash equal to the costs of the gifts to a family account. We were able to get even most of the Repugs in the family to go along (two told us to shove it). Right now we have a total of 79 (including some children) individuals and 18 families participating. We have even asked some neighbors to take on their own families and so far three have done so.

Boy, do we feel good about it!! A lot of family members have struck up e-mail and phone communications with family members even with some who were estranged. It seems that Bush has at least united us in this effort to fight back.

Happy Holidays to all!!!

[xchrom]

1. the gift of the magi

congratulations -- what an excellent thing to do.
talk about getting the point of it all.

[KCDem]

2. that's wonderful!

I really hate feeling obligated to buy gifts for people. I don't mean to be a Scrooge or a Grinch, but I wish that I could buy people (and have them buy me) gifts that come from the HEART, not out of a sense of obligation.

Let us know how this all goes over! Sounds great. How are the kids dealing with the whole "no gifts" notion?

[loudnclear]

3. How the kids are dealing

The ones that are really too young to understand infant-2 are just going to be give old toys and the same things they play with daily. (I really can't vouch for everyone --- some may cheat a little). The older kids are excited. "The cousins" (there are a lot of them ages 7-27) have begun communicating using e-mail...many of them met at the family reunion in 2001. Several have said that are starting trivia games for Christmas Day..I don't know exactly how it will be carried out. It was really amazing to find out how good and decent our children are--even the ones we thought had serious behavior problems. It seems that this idea gave them some self-esteem and control over theirselves. We will be having another family reuinion in 2005--maybe we can give some nice recognitions for sacrifices. Who knows, this may be the end of Christmas shopping for many of us. We'll just so nice things for our children and each other at other time.

One thing that I have found out for myself is that I can do without a lot of things that I thought were important. Anger is truly a gift..thanks Will. I've asked the folks who will be joining us for dinner to bring a "gag" gift (something found around the house) for the family member whose name they received in the mail. I usually have about 15 for dinner on Christmas Day. Some stuff will be by-the-seat-of-the-pants. I hopw all goes well and that there are not too many disappontments. I really don't expect any because those participating were in total agreement. Those who were having a fairly tough time of it lately were actually relieved.

Best wishes for a safe, healthy, happy, prosperous New Year.

[Valerie5555]

4. As inspired by the keepers of certain dogs that were HAR accident victims

or hit and run accident victims where the poor pooches were run over by cars, I wondered if the "pet owned" ought to forego Christmas presents and save the money from Christmas shopping in case of any emergency that was of a veterinary nature should arise.


On edit I no doubt would do that for my new "maurauding meower" if I could, especially if the vet said there was a GOOD to EXCELLENT chance of a Christmas miracle sort of like in the case of his boil infected leg sore.

[johnnie]

5. This...

Has to be one of the coolest things I have read about in a long time. That is such a great idea and it is great that your family all feels the same. I just gained a bit of Christmas spirit after reading this.