It Seemed a Good Idea at the Time

A couple of weeks ago I went to St Albans for a spot of early Christmas shopping, and popped into my fave shop, which is a weirdy beardy hippy shop full of crystals, tarots, healing books and the like. Wandering around, I spied a box full of big lumps of amethyst, and on enquiry, they were selling the whole lot off for £45.

Well, this seemed like Christmas was a job done. My friends and I rather like crystals and, well, weirdy beardy hippy things, so it was with a smug but happy heart that I handed over the cash. All my friends Christmas presents were in the bag; I’d buy nice gift boxes, a yard or two of purple silky stuff and sew little cushion type things on which to sit my marvellous amethyst. I had, in fact, saved money as anyone I missed at Christmas could get amethyst birthday presents in 2008. Hooray for being original and on a budget!

Except…

The more I look at the amethyst, the more I see large lumps of rock. I have, in effect, bought my lovely friends heavy stones for their presents. Okay, pretty crystal stones, granted, but not the prettiest they could be, after all, amethyst is usually quite expensive, and the people that run that shop know what they are selling. I am now wondering if this is such a good idea.

I can’t even sew.

Well, I can, but I am not going to win Miss Neat Sewing 2007. I’d win Miss 'Bugger I’ve Dropped another Stitch Where Oh Where Has the End of the Thread Gone' 2007. That award has had my name on it every year.

So lumps of rock on badly stitched silky material stuffed with cotton wool, disguised in a pretty box. I hope my friends still love me. And that they each open their presents in different houses.