I’ve always liked the 14th century Middle Englishadjective ‘ghastly’ because it sounds GHASLTY! 

From gast or ghost ghastly once meantto terrify to death or worse but it has come to have a meaning less dire thanits origins. The more lurid of ghastly’s original meanings such as ‘filled byfear’ and ‘like a ghost’ have now passed into obscurity orobsolescence.  Nowadays its informal meaning is more jocular oftensuggesting grossness rather than gruesomeness as in ‘our ghastly weather’ or‘your ghastly shirt’.

Have you ever tired to find a GHASTLY gift forsome-one?  I have…..and today I found the web site for this….theyhave everything from Sheep Poo and Chamber Pots to Chocolate Ants and Salt andVinegar Crickets – honestly!  The Sheep Poo products are possibly thenicest products on this site.  Made from discretely collected Welshsheep-poo, these note cards and air fresheners are ideal for putting a smile onsomeone’s face.  For the person you want to make think – try theKangaroo Scrotum purse: ideal for keeping small change and other itemstogether. They are complete with a leather drawstring and a quick tug onthis is sure to make the real men wince.

I was a bit upset by some of the stuffed creaturesthey feature – like the Roadkill Plushies said to offer an instantroadside anatomy lesson. If maybe junior has wondered what was inside Mr Bunnyor perhaps not-so-junior would like some decoration for her/his college dormroom that his/her buddies wouldn’t laugh at.  There’s also a mouldy  chocolate log to buy – which made mewonder who would buy it?

There’s greetings to horrify and even paper and cardsthat have ghastly sides; like the Elephant Dung Gift Box.  This paper-basedbox is made from exactly what is says! Elephant Dung products are cleaned andsteamed so that all the bacteria are killed, then putting the pulp into ashallow mould. The coarseness of the gift box is dependent entirely on thedeparting elephant’s diet. Similarly the Poo paper wrapping set: gift-wrappackage includes two sheets each of red, green, and natural wrapping paper, tworolls each of red, green and natural paper ribbon, three logo gift tags, andthree holiday bows! All made from genuine zoo-based animalpoo  (oh poo!).

Try the site – it’s a Ghastly Great Gift venue