Another December almost gone

This year is certainly coming to a speedy close. We weren't planning on anything this year for New Year's Eve due to my mother's health but my son called earlier and he's coming up for three nights. His friend Shani is going to come too and she will also bring my mother-in-law. It won't be the party to end all parties but we will at least be able to sit around and play a few games while we toast in the new year.

I'm sure many of us are down to our last few dimes with the end of Christmas. I made these money socks many years ago but plan on giving out a few more so friends can start to "sock" away a bit of money for next year's shopping. These can be hung on a door or on a hanger in the closet but I perfer to put them inside my "sock" drawer. That way I'm less tempted to borrow from it and I'm remined every day to put a bit of change in it.

There's a game my family and friends all enjoy at our house parties. You need about ten bargain shop gifts and two decks of cards.

• Lay all the gifts on the table in plain sight. Then deal the first deck of cards to each person until all the cards are dealt. Some people may end up with an extra card depending on the amount of players. Now the fun begins.


• The host or hostess takes the second deck and places it on the table in front of themselves. Now they pick up the top card and show it to the players.


• The player with the corresponding card from the other deck gets to pick a prize from the table. But he or she must hide the prize on themself so the other players can't see it. Continue in this manner until all ten prizes have been claimed and hidden.


• The next card turned up will not offer a prize but the person with the corresponding card can now claim a prize of their choice from one of the other players. The trick is that they must name the player they believe is holding the specific prize they want. ei: "Joe, I'll take that scrub brush you have hiding behind your back."


• If they don't get it right, they lose their turn and the next card is turned up. If they do get both the player and prize right, the said player has to relinquish the prize which will again be hidden on the person holding it.


• The game continues until all the cards have been turned up. It is funny how easily we can forget who's holding what.


• Play this only with people who are good sports. You don't want friends squabbling over a roll of duct tape, a box of mints or hair bands.