Dazzling December Stories
Catalog CrazyI have fallen in love with catalogs. That's fortunate considering I get dozens of them in the mail every week. At some point in time I ordered an item from some catalog which put me on the mailing list for a host of others, some wonderfully imaginative and others fascinating for their utter lack of taste. Between them, there is something to appeal to everyone on my shopping list, from my dignified mother to my brother-in-law, Bob, who's been known to stick wine corks in his ear at restaurants. Every catalog now comes with a convenient website address to make catalog shopping easier than ever. With the holidays upon us, I thought I'd share some of the more unique items I've run across in my catalogs this year. Perhaps I can assist you in your holiday shopping.
If you are a member of my family or circle of friends, STOP READING RIGHT HERE! While I won't mention anything I ordered for any of you, I don't want you sneaking around any of these websites like a bunch of kids shaking packages under the tree. BEHAVE YOURSELVES!
For the Bobs or Bob-like relatives on your list, you might consider the “lunch lady action figure” complete with hairnet, serving station and food tray; the Walter the Farting Dog plush doll and storybooks; or the Monte Python lounge pants (www.whatonearthcatalog.com). Or you might go with the “Bubba Claus” doll that sings The Twelve Days of Redneck Christmas, the wine glass that holds an entire 750ml bottle (www.lighterside.com), the Pop-Up Book of Phobias, or the Fred-O-Matic kitchen timer that plays an assortment of 70's game show themes (www.signals.com).
In the imaginative, suitable for anyone category, here are some of my picks: the personalized night sky poster that shows what stars were in the sky on the day you were born or any other special occasion in your life (we actually bought this for Bob and he loved it, too); silver cuff bracelets engraved with sayings such as Be Still And Know That I Am from Psalms and Michelangelo's Ancora Imparo (I am still learning); and the record album frame (www.signals.com). For the females on your list, I recommend checking out www.femailcreations.com. And for the kids, catalogs offer toys to engage their minds, bodies and spirits. I'm partial to the wooden Legendary Dragon Kit and the Talking Globe from www.mindwareonline.com, and the Whodunit Forensic Science Lab and Night Vision Goggles with Dart Launcher from www.discoverystore.com. So cool.
As several of our contributors remind us in this issue, gifts from the heart are better than gifts from a store or catalog any day of the year. And I believe that our experiences, our stories, are among the best gifts we can ever share. But I've enjoyed my catalog shopping excursion just the same. It has felt like a treasure hunt on behalf of the people I love.
As you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwansa or Christmas, know that we at Shoe Woman wish you great joy and love this season and throughout the New Year.
Charlotte Rogers Brown
Family
Feature Story: Fondue and Kisses, by Holland Schrank
Paw Prints: The Miracle, by Diana Sieberns
Acorns: My Sixth-Grade Year, by Carol Knarr
Feature Story: The Gifts of Sisterhood, by Patricia L. Brooks
Sole Mates:Ties That Bind, by Jane Norde
Dear Friend: Christmas Daydreams, by Janet LaPlante
Feature Story: The Career I Found Along the Spiritual Path,
by Sandra Allison
Childhood
Dreams:Global Spirit, by Judy Schwiebert
Feature Story: Cinque Terre, by Judy Schwiebert
Memorable Journeys: Moving to the Middle of Nowhere, by
Ramona Sallee
Traditions & Ties: True Gifts, by Janet LaPlante
Ego Trips: Exterminate This!, by Charlotte Rogers Brown
Amazing Feets: Kim, by Charlotte Rogers Brown
Freudian Slippers: You Have Crossed Into the Twilight Zone,
by Ramona Sallee
Wabi-Sabi: Holiday Withdrawal, by Holland Schrank
Charlotte's Story: Catalog Crazy,by Charlotte
Rogers Brown
Charlotte's
Choice: The “Santa Claus Cookie Lady”,
by Eleanor Rogers
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