On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 10:06:56 -0800, Ranee Mueller
wrote:

"Anny Middon" wrote:

For the past several years I've made homemade goodies to give at
Christmas. (This is in addition to the gifts I buy.) Last year it
was salsas, the year before mini-loaves of sweet bread and jars of
Christmas Conserve. Some years it's homemade candy or biscotti or
muffins.

How come more people don't do this? I love getting homemade gifts.

I don't have an answer for you, but I agree. My husband and I make
most of the gifts we give at Christmas. He is very artistic, and I cook
or knit pretty well, so we pair our gifts and put together little
baskets and such. I've given up on knitting gifts for everyone, because
it gets so stressful, and I'm not going to do another up till 5:00 am
finishing and driving down to the ILs at 8:00 am again. So, I bake,
make preserves, knit for immediate family, and Rich does wood carvings,
paints ornaments (last year's were amazing with the inside of glass
globes painted with a woodland scene), etc. People seem to really like
them. I adore getting handmade presents, especially consumables, soaps,
food items, etc.

I think the answer to "how come" is a combination of time available,
skill and experience, and in some cases, lack of appreciation. It's a
lot of work (and time) to bake, can, knit, embroider, carve, and wrap.
Much easier to dial an 800# and send a catalogue item winging on its
way. As some can't afford a great deal of money for presents, others
genuinely can't afford the time. However, a hand-made gift is surely
the most valuable one you can give or receive.