Early this week, I suddenly realized that Christmas is just around the corner and I am not ready this year at all. Normally by this time, I am completely organized and just sitting back and waiting for all my kids to arrive. But not this year; spending nine days out of state has thrown me off my schedule. I wouldnt trade those nine days for anything. We spent three days with my older brother and his wife in Trout Lake, Wash., in their guest house. It was fantastic. Then Dani and I traveled down the coast to Coos Bay, Ore., where we toured the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute. Dani plans to attend this school next year, majoring in baking and pastry arts. After that, we traveled back north to finish off our time in Vancouver, Wash., visiting my son Tom, his wife Melissa, and my new grandson Cooper Roy. It was a wonderful visit, just holding that baby all the time, but very hard to leave and come back home. Now reality sets in, and I am in a panic. But on Tuesday I decided it was time to explore my local shopping options and minimize my traveling time. We have some great options here. I think we just forget that and travel to neighboring larger towns. So on my lunch hour, I did some Christmas shopping and was extremely pleased with my endeavors. My first stop was the Battlement Mesa Golf Course. My daughter is on the high school golf team, and asked for a new putter. Since I know absolutely nothing about golf, except driving the beverage cart, I put my trust in Jason Frank. And I came out with a great putter at a great price. Jason has the Pro Shop open most weekdays, just give him a call before you head up to the course. I then headed down the hill into Parachute, where I made a stop at Radio Shack. Stephanie and Shelly set me up with a great gift for one of my sons and with a $50 rebate. Then I headed over to Old Mountain Gifts for a gift for my younger brother and his wife. Their home is western dcor, so my choices were plentiful and they have something for every price range. I stopped in at A Vintage Rose and was impressed with the large assortment of gifts. I made a purchase here for a stocking stuffer. I made a quick stop at True Value, and picked up a small appliance for a daughter-in-law. As I was heading back up to Battlement Mesa, I made a quick stop at Family Dollar for wrapping paper and tape. I needed a gift for a co-worker, so I stopped in at The Flower Shop and came away with a bag full of ornaments. I also ordered my flower arrangement for my Christmas table at the same time. Then I ran down to City Market and placed an order for prime rib. Tomorrow I plan to hit a few of the local restaurants, such as Hongs Garden, VJs Outlaw Ribs, White Buffalo, Grand Valley Pub & Grille, and Easy Cuisine for gift certificates. The shopping opportunities in our communities are really exceptional, and I am pleased with the purchases I made and all the time I saved.Mary Moores column, Grand Valley News, appears every other Thursday. To contact Mary with a news tip, e-mail her at beatlesfan_309@comcast.net (underscore between n and 3).