Another Christmas done and another year almost over. I loved seeing family and the little grandsons. The smallest was just a few hours more than three days. How special is that?

Looking forward, I was semi-planning my craft projects and an unnatural thought came to me. I am going to have to buy online from here in out. This is not a choice I want to make, because I would much rather support the ma and pa stores, but they are no more in my neck of the woods. There used to be four craft stores in the next town up the road until WalMart moved in. They are all gone now and with that demise, Walmart has stopped stocking the goods those stores sold. The same can be said for our capital city, Edmonton. There was a chain of craft stores of various types and we also had a Craft Canada. Then WalMart and Michaels moved in and hey, what is left? Yep, you guessed it. What is more, either those things I purchased previously are no longer offered, are of vastly inferior quality, or are outrageously priced. If I spend the gas money to get to the city I have no guarantee I will get what I want, added to that, I have the hassle of a wasted journey. Even Fabricland has gone so far downmarket that it is just hanging to the lid of the toilet before sliding down the hole.

What are the results of buying online? I expect I will buy a whole lot less as it is so easy to make a mistake if not there in person. This is going to cut out any impulse buying. My sites will turn inward, to my stash, which I intend to whittle right down this year. I will forgo the joy of shopping, touching the craft/fabric/whatever. Those times have gone and will never return.

That said, I feel so sorry for the upcoming generations. Does the future hold nothing but xboxes that may or may not work on xmas day if some mean toad decides to hack? Or Frozen dolls/paraphernalia based so loosely on a traditional fairytale Disney have mutilated that I actually haven’t a clue which one it is supposed to resemble? I think back to all the craft and board games formerly available that were a precursor to lifelong hobbies or choice of career. I guess there has been a shift from a creative society into an entitled society and that is sad. If the power ever went down for good there is no hope for humanity now.