Well, I'm finished with my Christmas shopping. (Hey mom, you know that thing I asked you about on the phone? I found a PERFECT one online. Where else? Bronner's!) I'm going to start wrapping in just a minute, but I feel the need to procrasitnate. I'm such a baaaad wrapper, it's not even funny. My presents often look like a five year-old wrapped them. Oh well.
As for Bronner's, some of you know that it is Christmas Wonderland, but for those of you who don't know, let me just explain: Bronner's, it is Christmas Wonderland. My mom and I made a trip up there last fall, and I think we're going to go again next fall with my sister. For four years, we saw the signs advertising Bronner's (and Frankenmuth, which is MI, for those of you who don't know) on our way to and from the college I attended. We'd always sort of joked about going, but finally, we did it. Now, this place is the strangest, hugest Christmas store ever. Run by evangelical Christians. I'm not kidding, they put religious tracts in your bags as you check out. And the number of signs that said, "Jesus is the reason for the season".... I wanted to politely say, "Um, not in America, sillies! As your store shows us, spending money is the reason for the season."
Anyway, Bronner's is full of Christmas crap. Nativities, outdoor decorations, fake trees, garlands, ornaments, advent calendars, stockings, etc etc etc. The list could go on. There are ornaments from different countries, for different occupations, with names on them, made of glass, plastic, and any other material you can think of. Holy Christmas warehouse, is all I have to say. And they do a nice little online business, I'm sure. And Frankenmuth! It's like, the little Bavaria of Michigan. The little Bavaria of Michigan that specializes in all-you-can-eat chicken dinners. Oh, there's competing MASSSSSIVE chicken dinner palaces across the street from one another. My mom and I decided to eat one, just to see, and it was good, but it wasn't warranting a palace, let me tell you that. Still, Frankenmuth is interesting. Worth at least one pilgrimmage in your lifetime if you like chicken, Bavaria, or Christmas. Or Christians running Christmas stores.
Still, it was NOTHING compared to the Christmas store to end all Christmas stores in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany. That's right, Kathe Wohlfahrt. My mom was like a kid in a candy store in this place. Un-fucking-believable, this store. I think I'd go back to Germany just to see these stores again.
Oh, and to eat sausage.
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