A Brief Descent Into Christmas Hell.

I needed to return some library books this morning, and as I also had to get some new batteries for my shiny new camera I thought I'd just 'quickly pop into the shopping centre' next door.
Hah!
For 'quickly pop in', read 'be almost smothered to death by freakishly aggressive Christmassyness'.
Good. Grief.
Now, I do get a kick out of Christmas. There's nothing in the world like having your most loved thing almost taken from you to make you appreciate a celebration- any celebration!
I can dig it, is what I'm saying. The lights, the pretty decorations, the food, the presents- none of these are bad things in and of themselves.
But I am FED UP with having Christmas forcibly rammed down my throat! Its not even December yet, and the caroles are deafening, the tinsel is blinding, and everywhere you look there are Christmas sales and suggestions and, my least favourite phrase- stocking stuffers! I suppose you could always give these cheap, instant gratification, usually plastic items another name- how about 'landfill'?
Anyhoo, I have decided to spare myself further aggravation. As I lurched out of the sliding doors and clung, panting, to a lamp post, I vowed that this is the first and last visit I make to a shopping centre until after New Year. Luckily I don't have to 'do' Christmas this year (someone else's turn), so there's not an awful lot I have to get. I am making the vast majority of gifts (and I will post pics once I figure out how), and the rest I shall buy at a wonderful Sunday market not far from here. And I think my stock of decorations will do for another year.

So- problem solved. Except I'm not really sure how I'm going to manage to knit the video camera The Kid wants.