When I was a little girl I had a Christmas Savings Account that each week I would go to the bank and give them 10 cents and they would stamp my book and tear out the page. Then about December 15th I would get a check in the mail for $5, that was my shopping money. I lived in the country but we went to town every Friday and that is when I shopped. In those days I would go to stores all by myself, it was quite safe in Mount Joy, and off I would go to the few stores that were there. I got gifts for my parents, brothers and most of all my dolls (they were very real to me). The $5 covered that, looking back it seems unreal, but there was a five and dime in town and it really was a place to buy things for a nickle and dime, so the money stretched.

Now I shop online and only go to the mall if I must. The shoppes in Mount Joy have changed completely but we do have some that offer nice gifts that aren’t costly. A few years ago I bought most of my gifts in town at those neat shoppes. This year I made something for everyone so the shopping is minimal. I can’t tell what it is just in case my kids or grands actually read this .