  Dtowncitylover Member Username: Dtowncitylover Post Number: 424 Registered: 02-2008 |
I am surprised to see no one has started this thread yet. (Of course I am blind as a bat and my not see it!) A simple question if you celebrate Chritstmas...what did you for Christmas? For me, the coolest Detroit thing is the new Images of America book entitled "20th Century Retailing in Downtown Detroit". An incredible book full of information about Hudson's, Kern's, and Kresge's, Downtown Detroit Days, and other stuff, including a photo and caption about SEMTA's commuter train from Pontiac to Detroit that used to give shoppers coupons on board the train for shopping. I also got a navy issue peacoat. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 1145 Registered: 05-2008 |
Books, books, and more books! I'm in heaven over here! ;-) | ||
9936sussex Member Username: 9936sussex Post Number: 203 Registered: 10-2007 |
I also received the Arcadia book regarding Downtown Detroit retailing. It's really neat, and a great companion book for the Hudson's book I received a few years ago. I also received some other books (interior design) and a DVD of "Sweeney Todd". It was a great Christmas in our house! | ||
Eriedearie Member Username: Eriedearie Post Number: 4318 Registered: 08-2007 |
This is probably not something you are expecting to read from anyone here. But...what I received from my family and friends was nothing; they did no shopping for me, and I had no shopping that I had to do for them. I have wanted to do this for the past several years and everyone balked at the idea, so we continued to exchange gifts of doo dads, money, gift certificates, slippers, etc. All the usual. We finally had a gift free Christmas for the adults. We only focused on the children in the family. I realized yesterday I didn't have to make room for anything else in the house. I didn't have to put away something I truly like so that I can display some knick knack I really don't care for, because the next time so and so visits - they will wonder why I don't have that thing displayed! We sat around the living/dining area and visited, told stories from our past holiday experiences, ate, and just really enjoyed being together. It all was really quite liberating. An unusual Christmas at our house that I hope continues. | ||
Mashugruskie Member Username: Mashugruskie Post Number: 379 Registered: 09-2006 |
I got a rock. Kidding. | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 2994 Registered: 11-2007 |
I bought myself a 5.8 Ghz Uniden cordless phone using the Meijer coupons mentioned on another thread. It ended up costing me $14.99 + tax. My other cordless crapped out two years ago, and I was using an old Princess style phone out of my junk drawer. Nice to be back in the 21st century again. | ||
Alley Member Username: Alley Post Number: 992 Registered: 02-2008 |
We got a Wii for the family, it's pretty fun! Our kids got TOOOOO much, it looks like Toys R Us threw up on our house! | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 2776 Registered: 08-2007 |
We don't do adult gifts either, for the most part. My son got me some really cool things for my boots, they are rubber over-thingies that have spikes in the bottom for walking on ice. Tried them out yesterday and they work great! Ginger the dog got a stuffed animal, she has been wanting one for months. Hubby got a computer device to convert slides and negatives to computer files. He got me a cast iron duck for the garden. Really cool stuff that we can use! Son got a nice special design shirt for business casual. | ||
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936 Post Number: 3738 Registered: 01-2005 |
I'm still trying to figure out how a Wii is pronounced "Wee". I'd pronounce it "Why", myself, but what do I know? | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 2891 Registered: 01-2004 |
"We don't do adult gifts either, for the most part." You mean like Lovers Lane ? Those commercials are creepy. | ||
Mayor_sekou Member Username: Mayor_sekou Post Number: 2622 Registered: 09-2006 |
A threesome. No actually I'm kidding Ill ask for that next year. | ||
Gazhekwe Member Username: Gazhekwe Post Number: 2777 Registered: 08-2007 |
LOL, Lovers Lane. That would make Christmas morning interesting. What I meant was, we mostly buy gifts for the kids. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 1150 Registered: 05-2008 |
The books are great, but as schmaltzy as it may sound, I'm perfectly happy (and thankful) I have my betterhalf. That's enough of a gift. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 2176 Registered: 03-2008 |
^Yes, yes! My fiancee is herself, what more could I ask for? This was a tough Christmas, but we ended up with some real miracles this year that I won't get into. Likewise for the hard times for friends and relatives. I got some gifts from family, towels, a clock, picture frames... ...but the real treat was that I got to meet my new nephew for the very first time this Christmas (It's his first Christmas). Unfortunately, they (My Sister's Family) had to transfer out of state for work. My brother has a similar story, along with several other family members. This is also the first real Christmas that my fiance's Grand Parents were not around for (rest their souls). I am planning to do some more visits over the upcoming New Year's Week as well. Given the extreme situations, this was a great Christmas. I don't think I could have asked for anything more. I can't wait to see what 2009 will bring! | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 3183 Registered: 10-2003 |
It was a nice Christmas...we did spend less, as several family members are affected by the current Big 3 situation, including my in-laws who are dependent on GM retiree benefits. Among the adults (which now includes our 21+ children), we draw names, thus focussing on Grandma (my Mom, who received lots of gift cards and gifts), the under-21 children, and our soon-to-be first of the next generation. I am blessed with a terrific family and very special friends. They know what I love and am passionate about, and certainly fed those passions. Among my gifts were a few Detroit items...the 1941 Hudson's Jubilee booklet (a compilation of articles describing six decades in the growth and development of Detroit and its environs 1881-1941), "Moving pictures: A look at Detroit from high atop the People Mover" by Manny Crisostomo (1987), an Essex Motors emblem (possibly from a 1919 Roadster), a Detroit map totebag and button (City Bird!), and a new I Heart Detroit coffee mug. We've also been blessed to spend time celebrating the holidays with family and friends during this past month and through the first weekend of January. Cheers!! | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 3767 Registered: 09-2007 |
I received a big fat lump of coal labeled Economy. | ||
Classicyesfan Member Username: Classicyesfan Post Number: 371 Registered: 04-2008 |
My extended family decided to no longer exchange gifts. Instead of spending time shopping, wrapping, and in general schlepping around, we spend it together, relaxed and stress-free. We actually look forward to get-togethers now. I truly like not having to think of gifts for people who have everything or I hardly know. My significant one and I decided to cut back drastically on holiday gifts and instead put the money into our fund to buy the whole-house generator with automatic switchover. Power outages seem more frequent and longer lasting, and we have a difficult time protecting our assorted animals from the extremes. We are almost there. So, that will be much more rewarding to me than any gift. I do enjoy the "Msd Men season one DVD collection though, since I missed the entire first year. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 9074 Registered: 10-2003 |
I got this and laughed my ass off. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.co m/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU =16066281 | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 1174 Registered: 05-2008 |
John, I've collected PEZ since the Sixties. Betterhalf doesn't understand it. To be honest, I can't explain it. When I see one, I'll pick it up. I have them all in a big box in the basement. The nieces and nephews love to play with them when they're over. Enjoy your PEZ, John. ;-) | ||
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56 Post Number: 684 Registered: 05-2007 |
My parents took me to Ludwik's to get a much needed new suit. Received some cash, a few gift certificates (including one to Opus One in Greektown), South Park DVD's, and one of those liquor bottle carousel things. Made the girlfriend's holiday by giving her one of those expandable clothes drying racks and an engagement ring. | ||
Det313grrl Member Username: Det313grrl Post Number: 331 Registered: 01-2005 |
 I had to puy it out there. | ||
Flanders_field Member Username: Flanders_field Post Number: 1461 Registered: 01-2008 |
^^^ My wife's Christmas "gift" was from her employer, being told that her hours were being cut at her part time, minimum wage "job" from around 20-22 hrs a week to 10, so now she has to work a month to earn the equivalent of a week of full time. I said to my wife that she is about as close to being unemployed without being unemployed as someone could possibly get!! She has been looking for a better job, but has not been offered any interviews since September. If the employment prospects here stay the same or continue to get worse, we will be forced to move out and leave MI. We also discussed quitting her job because 10 hrs a week is close to ridiculous, but I remembered that the same thing happened to me at my first job, in the early 70s, working full time at minimum wage at a high end national retailer, the store manager cut my hours in half, in a department that was selling fur coats to old-money Detroiter bluebloods for their mistresses @ $10,000 and up. I suppose a little money is better than none, but if the job was more than a couple of miles away, and gas prices were still $4.00+, it might not be worth it. My gift was my Medicare card that finally came in the mail, I was happy until I looked at the effective date on the front of the card: April Fools Day..uh-oh...it was supposed to go into effect December 1st...WTF!! (Message edited by Flanders_field on December 31, 2008) |
