Recs and ReadsBy Anne McKay GarrisDid you know you could go Christmas shopping at the Beach Library and Recreation Center? Yes, I know it's early, but, these days, I have to say it while I think it, or it's gone forever. Anyway! At the Beach Library and Recreation Center you can find gifts for your friends who have everything. And for those who don't! Start with tennis lessons, the gift that keeps on giving. I always favored tennis, for myself and my children, not to mention their friends. Other sports you learn as a teenager require gathering up a whole team in order to play. Tennis, you just need one good buddy. Or, if you have three good buddies, you can still have a good game. We usually had four to play and one to chase balls. Now that's the way to play the game. Like the pros. For your more sedate, or physically serious-minded friends, you give them a year of the services of a personal trainer. That's also available at the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center, along with a room with a view full of state of the art exercise equipment. Then, for the nostalgic, or romantically inclined, you could buy them a year's ballroom (they call it "swing" now) dance lessons with a charming instructor who is grace in motion. And, over on the library side, you can check out the latest in good books to read and good movies to watch to decide if they might interest your friend. Also, if your budget is limited, you might find gently used books to buy for $1.00 that read just as good as if you had paid $20 or more for them. This, of course, is a treasure hunt, but I have found some real neat books there. Most of the time, I buy them, take them home to read, then take them back when I have finished. And while we're talking about the book nook, donating your gently used books to the Library is a neat way of contributing. I have friends who have finished their Christmas shopping by August, and I still like them. I try to get mine done as I find gifts here and there along the way. But I always leave a few until the last minute. I tell myself, it's because I like that sense of cheerful panic I get as I rush around frantically looking for the perfect gift at the last minute. I don't recommend it.
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