Families join Grinch to steal back Christmas

Where is the Grinch when we need him?

Dr. Seuss's mischievous character in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" knew a big, bad thing when he saw it. Gather up all the miscellaneous madness of Christmas and dump it off a cliff.

"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason."

We, of course, all know the reason, and here's my take on it.

It's the wrappings, the trimmings, the fuss, and the muss,

It's all the darn shopping that's driving us nuts!

We're caught in a rat race for holiday bliss,

All must be perfect, start making your list!

Yet! Quietly and stealthily like a Grinch on patrol,

Families are starting to take back control.

Happily, there's a grassroots alternative on the move that seeks to eliminate the spending, the waste, and the commercialism of the Christmas season. And it is catching on faster than Santa's reindeer on Christmas Eve.

It's called Make, Bake, Sew, Grow, or Do (or any variation thereof.)

Several years ago, a friend introduced it to my brother, and our family has been practicing it ever since. We're having a blast.

Here's how it works.

First of all, start early by drawing names within your circle of family or friends. In one fell swoop, you have eliminated a ton of aimless shopping, cut down on costs, reduced stress levels, and brought some thought back into gift giving.

Away go meaningless orders from catalogs, gift cards that get lost or go unused, and the endless gift returns that negate all those hours of parking lot pounding in the first place. With only one person to focus on, you can really think about that person's interests and needs.

Now comes the fun part.

Using your imagination, creativity, skills, talents, and any other tricks in your stocking, you either make, bake, sew, grow, or do for the person whose name you've drawn. Some examples might include: making a birdhouse for a bird lover; baking cookies once a month for a busy mom; sewing up a bunch of placemats for someone who loves to entertain; growing bulbs in a pot for an older person; or doing something together in the form of an activity.

The first year we tried it, I drew my brother-in-law's name and chose to "make" his gift. He loves horses, so I knit him a scarf to keep him warm when winter horseback riding, and then took pictures of horses to make into a calendar for his office.

Sitting in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and knitting away was the easy part. The second part took a little more action. After all, where to find a horse? And so, I went out in search of one.

Driving around the countryside, I stopped whenever I spotted a horse in a field, climbed the fence, and hollered,

"Here, horsy, horsy horsy!"

(This is not necessarily becoming for a middle aged woman, but I did it anyway.) And by golly, don't you know, the horses came a-running!

Not only did I get some great photos, but I had a fun filled adventure in the process.

My sister drew my husband and "sewed" up a fleece afghan for chilly days on our porch. The following year she drew my name, recycled a picture frame from her basement, and "made" a beautiful collage of snapshots of the two of us growing up together from toddlers to teens. No present could have warmed my heart more.

A few years ago, my husband drew my mother's name and did a "grow" by planting a white pine tree in her honor at our family's north woods cabin. When summer came, he picked out the tree and held a tree planting ceremony with her present. We will all enjoy her tree for years to come.

My daughter-in-law gave a "do" by arranging a trip to the opera for my other daughter-in-law and me. Her gift provided a wonderful girls outing together as well as some great music.

Of course, there are a thousand variations on this theme, one of the best being to "do" for those in need by donating to a cause, charity, or organization in honor of the person whose name you drew. From local homeless shelters and food pantries to world wide organizations such as the Heifer Project International your gift can "make" a difference.

Some cousins of mine bought enough meals to feed 100 persons at a homeless shelter in honor of their dad. My son and daughter-in-law gave me the gift of 58 trees to be planted through the American Forests Global Relief effort.

You get the idea.

And if all else fails, you can always "make, bake, or fake" as my 88-year-old mother says. At this age and not being able to see very well, she drew her son-in-law's name, ordered up various cheeses, pears, sausages, and crackers, and sent them on their way for him to "make" a winter picnic, one of his favorite activities.

As the Grinch discovered and we all know,

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store,

"Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!"

So join the rebellion. Close the door to hawkers of "holiday madness" and open your hearts to the simplicity, love, and light that is truly Christmas. Fellowship with family, togetherness with friends, and actions for a better world will be your rewards.

Best of all, you'll have the time to hold a loved one's hand, step out into a silent, holy night and look up at the glory of the stars. And if you listen closely, you might even hear the angels sing,

"Peace on Earth, Good will to men….."

marnie@mamminga.com