Ahhhh....November.
A most useless month if there ever was one- unless it's a birthday or anniversary month for you.
Yet, it is a pre-curser to Christmas in Canada and these days once the pumpkins are thrown on the compost heap, jingle bells are in the air.
I use the latter part of the month to set up my Christmas Trees and decorate this and that around the house- both inside and outside.
This year though- we have no house!!!
At least- not yet.
However, by the end of the month we should be moving in to Stonewood Village here on The Island.
I don't expect to pull holiday décor out of boxes until the end of the first week in December. Our belongings are being delivered on December 2nd. I'll be one "mad elf" trying to accomplish the normal tree decorating that I usually do over a week in late November.
Never mind though.
It will get done.
Just know- The Holidays are Coming"!
A couple of weeks back I was thumbing through December's House and Home Magazine and saw some neat little tree decorations in a Canadian Tire ad.
I have been into the local Cowichan Canadian Tire 2 or 3 times over the past couple of weeks and the Christmas stuff was just being put on display- albeit slowly.
Even these first few days into November, Island stores seems slower than Ontario stores in getting the holiday merchandise out on display.
I remember Orillia's Wal*Mart every year it was all Christmas- holiday tunes piping through the sound system and all, the morning of November first! As I said a bit slower here. Hallowe'en costumes and tons of candy still lined the "seasonal shelves" at our Wal*Mart's exit doors.
I had better luck looking for Christmas Tree decorations today at Canadian Tire. The items I saw in the Canadian House & Home Magazine were finally on display and I picked up three or four blown glass ornaments- including a pink 1950's era car with a Christmas Tree tied on top as well as a glass ornament resembling a "Canadian Passport".
Neat!
To accessorise the passport ornament, there was a glass blown "suitcase" with travel stickers on the side from London, Paris, New York and Hawaii.
Well, Tom and I have been to all those exotic places so I had to pick one up. Always room on the tree for one more!
With those ornaments in hand, we headed to the automotive department to find grey-coloured floor mats for the Grand Caravan.
Hint: Do NOT buy a vehicle with black interior carpeting. It shows every little bit of dirt and crapolla. These new floor mats will hopefully disguise some of the "dirt" carried in to the van and onto the carpet by dirty and puppy paws.
Now, lastly, I have a question for Mr. or Mrs. Canadian Tire.
We headed for the checkouts with our mats and ornaments and there on a shelf- just before the check outs, were BBQ lighters.
You may have a picture in your mind.
Red in colour.
Comfortable handle. Long nose to stick into the BBQ, kindling pile in your wood-burning fireplace or the wick of a candle.
Flick the switch and a small flame lights.
Easy-peasy but not so at Canadian Tire.
Although there were some "ordinary-looking" lighters there were others in the shape of guns.
 |
| A Gun....the gift that keeps on killing. |
My question. Were these lighters supposed to be cute?
They were not!
It was frightening and WRONG.
It looked out of place.
One lighter was an AK-47. It said so right on the box.
Another looked like a rifle and the third maybe an uzi. I dunno. I don't know my guns.
All were packaged in nice little gun boxes maybe simulating gun racks.
I forget exactly but they were small replicas of firearms.
Both the Mister and I were taken aback by these images of BBQ lighters- replicas of guns that kill.
All the stuff going on in this world of ours today and Canadian Tire feels this is the right product to place on a shelf near the checkouts.
Tiny guns?
I think not and hey, while I am at it, toys guns on toy shelves are wrong too.
So, enjoy your weekend.
Have a peek at Canadian Tire.
Buy an ornament for yourself or a "gun lighter" for the hunter in your family.
Then, remember to re-set your clocks.
Yeah!
More darkness in this dreary November.
