Christmas Shopping. Eeek!

So, here it is December 20 and I still have tons of Christmas presents to buy. Usually, I have everything in hand and most of it wrapped by now. But this time around was different. My day job (stinkin’ work) has been unusually busy the last few months; I waaaay overcommitted my spare time for music gigs and directing a play for a local theater company; a lung infection slowed me down for two months; and the Folk School, where I do some work and am on their Board of Directors, has been in the process of moving to a new space with all of the attendant lunacy and headaches. Not that I’m complaining or making excuses!! Most of the stuff I’ve been involved in (well, except for the lung thing and stinkin’ work) has been a lot of fun. And it has had some terrific side effects and benefits. But it has gotten in the way of my taking part in the crazy seasonal consumerism. Which, now that I look at it, may actually be another one of the benefits.

Now time is short and I’m stumped. Presents for wife Amy and daughter China are pretty easy to decide on. I know their likes and needs pretty well. My brothers and sister and I don’t much exchange gifts anymore. We just get together to celebrate the day – Mom’s birthday is also December 25 – so there’s a lot to celebrate.

But then there’s the stumper: What to get for my musician friends? A new fiddle or guitar is a little out of my price range. Flat picks, even the hand carved specialty numbers, seem like they’d be too chintzy. Instructional books or DVDs might send the wrong message. I don’t know what CDs they already have on their shelves.

So I guess a trip to my local music shop is in order. Maybe I can even sneak over there on my lunch hour today. I just hope I don’t come home with more goodies for me than presents for others!