it's that time of year again.  Time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. 

Yes, I know that it's mid-August.  Yes, I realize that Christmas is 4 months away.  No, I'm not insane.

My family lives in England, and if I want their box of goodies to get there in time for December 25th (which isn't actually Christs Birthday btw, but actually a pagan holiday that the Christians just commandeered) I have to start thinking about what to get them now because I'll have to mail it off in October.  One year I left mailing until Thanksgiving and their parcel arrived just after New Year's day.  (The British Postal Service isn't well known for their precision and punctuality.)

I'm at a total loss as to what to get my folks this year.  Last year I hand-made a couple of their gifts and they really liked that...so I think that this year I'll do the same thing.  I think that my mom would get a kick out of the fox scarf that I just learned how to knit, and I'm thinking that an Aran cabled hat would be great for my dad...but apart from that I have not a freakin' clue as to what to buy.  I'm pretty limited...can't get anything that's too heavy or the shipping costs will be more than the gifts were!  Can't get anything too fragile because, as I said, the Royal Mail tends to be heavy handed.  Can't send certain food stuffs  because of the customs regulations. 

Last year, in addition to the hand made items, I sent my mom a cross stitch kit (they're scarce and expensive in the UK) and my dad a couple of books about the history of the American West.  I'm thinking that this year I might stick with that formula.  I think too that I'm going to have the kids create a gift basket of coffee for them, with a bunch of those Millstone one-pot packs in assorted flavors, a couple of big packs of colombian and some flavored creamers.  That shouldn't add too much to the overall weight...

*sigh* I like Christmas shopping for my folks, but....it's a bit depressing to be thinking about it when it's still 90 degrees out!