CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON LINE.

Since I became disabled I have done more of my shopping on line as each year passes. In the beginning I hated it, I found it a tedious chore,not any more. Now I wonder what on earth I should do without the likes of Amazon and Ebay, now my choices are limitless.

Traipsing around crowded shops in December never was my idea of fun,truth to tell I have never really enjoyed shopping, no, not even for clothes. Crowded changing rooms, screaming toddlers, purse snatchers and traffic jams added little to my pleasure, now for me all that is a thing of the past.

During the weekend we have all been busy choosing gifts for each other,for friends and family. We ordered our Christmas chocolates, wines,spirits, and even meat in the form of a huge whole gammon( our turkey we,shall source locally this year). A hamper for my mother with masses of hand picked goodies,and all achieved without the drudgery of humping great bags of shopping around town.

On Saturday afternoon we sat around the table and using my lap top we chose an amazing selection of chocolates, some for ourselves,some as gifts

The chocolates arrived this morning and are now stored away in the monks bench awaiting the festivities to come.

Without wishing to sound ostentatious I have to say that they are a wonderful collection, each box weighing almost a kilo and the brands are some of the best there is.

None of these boxes cost as much as a decent box of chocs from a supermarket,a 400g box of Lindt say would cost at least as much if not more. Not only are they cheaper, there are twice as many and let me put it this way, if they are good enough for the Danish Royal Family they are good enough for us.

None of us has money to throw away these days and I am rather proud of having saved so much while improving the quality of our purchases.

On line I can order customised mugs,T shirts or stationary at very reasonable prices....I love it.

Now as far as the youngsters are concerned I expect I am preaching to the converted,but for disabled people like myself or the elderly who have neither the money or the ability to fight their way around the shops ,this is the answer.

The trouble is that many, as I did myself for ages, resist all attempts to make them computer literate and it does seem a shame. Earlier this year I sent my mother, who will be Ninety in a few weeks a neat little net book in the hope that we could send each other pictures and emails. I also hoped that she would do her shopping on line to save my brother the need to take her to the supermarket.

She tells me that she cannot get on with it but I happen to know that she has not even tried. I have offered to talk her through it and other family members have pleaded and cajoled but all to no avail. She still insists upon trailing my poor brother round the shops although she has trouble walking,it’s a bit of a worry.

All that to one side, I am glad that I embraced the concept of on line shopping with my feet up on a cushion and a mug of hot coffee at my side, that's what I call progress.