Though this article will be published on the day after Christmas, it is being typed on the day before Christmas Eve. All is well in the Bootheel of Missouri, as there is a sense of excitement and joy of the upcoming holiday. Many people are concluding, or are nearly finished with their late Christmas shopping.

The stores are experiencing influxes of people, all searching for the right gift for their friends, family, spouses, and co-workers. It's a time for merriment and cheer, as in less than two days Christmas would be upon the globe. However, many people are still in the process of buying up supplies for Christmas, including toys, food, and other miscellaneous items.

Luckily for myself, I managed to complete my Christmas shopping early. I purchased a variety of trivial items for my mother, brother, step-father, cousin, friends, and other family members. For my mother, who is an avid fan of Game of Thrones I managed to buy a poster of all of the Houses in the show. In addition I purchased several eyeglass care utensils. For my brother I purchased a poster of his favorite video game and a small figure of a character from the game. For my step-father I managed to find some very festive and funny socks to wear.

Lastly, for my girlfriend I got her three gifts. The first was a drawing of her two favorite anime characters Natsu and Lucy from Fairy Tale as a couple. The second gift was a figure of Jacob Kowalski, her favorite character from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Finally, for the last gift I made her several bits of paper that contained several heartwarming bits of information related to my love for her.

For the rest of my presents I simply purchased the gifts. However , I did create a few more gifts using my own skills in the field of ceramics. A month ago, around Thanksgiving I created two sculptures from some red clay I had lying around. The two sculptures resembled creatures from a popular video game called Pokemon.

The first one I made was a Bulbasaur, a creature that is a plant/animal hybrid. To make it a bit more special, I made the sculpture into a planter, complete with drainage holes and a sturdy area for plants to be placed and grown. The second sculpture I created resembled a Charmander, a small lizard with a flame tipped tail. Sadly I couldn't place a planter on the fiery lizard, but it looked perfect with it's white claws.

Both of these creations were for my nieces in Kentucky, both of which I have yet to meet in person. I made the Bulbasaur for the younger one, so that she may be able to toy with the idea of gardening. As for the Charmander, I made it for the oldest one, so that way she may have a nice piece of art for her room. I figured that both of them would be ecstatic that their uncle would take the time to make something for them. In all honesty, it was a fun time making those small figures, so much so that I believe I'll make some more, but of different creatures.

Like everyone else in this unique world we live in, I have my wishes for Christmas gifts. Some are material goods, the majority of my wishes supersede my material desires. These include the usual wishes, one of which is for a sense of peace in the ever changing world we all call home. Though that may sound a bit far-fetched to be wishing for peace in these turbulent times, it can be achieved so long as you take small steps. I know it's wishful thinking, but maybe things can change for the future.