It's clear to me that the shopping season is upon us. Tonight I took the girls out for some bedroom makeover purchases--nothing really to do with Christmas--and we felt like it was the week before Christmas! You know, the days when rush hour starts at 4 and doesn't end until 9 or 10...even the radio station we were listening to is already 24 hour Christmas music (or, more acurately, holiday music...much of it is barely recognizable as connected with the Christian celebration).

This isn't a complaint. I am not going to harp on how early the season begins when I'm one of those who starts shopping in September or earlier. It's just an observation, one which requires the adjustment of expectations when driving, shopping, even getting through the Jack-in-the-Box drive-through line. Frustrations and fatigue can be constant companions if I don't plan ahead and allow for the changes.

'Course, I have been for several years a die-hard online shopper. I've decided that having "them" drive to me is much preferable to me fighting the traffic, finding a parking spot, walking the mall (yuck!) and lugging packages home. And of course, with amazon prime.... ;-) But sometimes getting out in the crowds is unavoidable, and I'll admit that as much as I hate malls, there's sometimes a "rush" that comes from being in the last-minute crowds, pushing the calendar and the clock to find that last perfect present. Something about "point and click" doesn't quite have the same feel. Still, I'm sure I'll never again be the one who walks around with big bags of stuff and fills the trunk with boxes. For me, life has forever changed. And for the most part, I like the changes.