Santa was very good to me this year. I was given many amazing things, and some I have to say are Wondrous.
Take this snowglobe from Stevil. I was happy just to get a snowglobe because I lost some in the move after the flood. But when the snow and glitter settled down, to my surprise and delight there were pictures of Greg and me from April in the center. Stevil made it. And that's not all Stevil did, he got dvds for me too including "Brave" (which I watched immediately and fell in love with), and vids of Lucy's first season and "White Christmas" - and a copy of the other book I helped with last year, Embattled Brattleboro by Dave Eisenstadter. Even the pic of me in that isn't too awful! And a bunch of other silly and useful things. Stevil spoils me.
Princess Cheesemonger gave me books, my favorite present! One of them is fast-becoming the most hilarious cookbook I ever had. It's called Good Swedish Food. If you see it, get it. It's handy too, things are in there that I haven't seen since childhood! Cam also gave me useful things. Balsam fir incense, music, a day planner and sweet Russian doll napkins. Special K gave me a range of things. Some chocolates, some makeup, a Wolfgang Puck baking tarts sort of thing, a hi-hat ornament for my tree, a scarf. Lise knitted a pair of mitts- merino and silk! Black! Nice! Paul gave me homemade truffles and blueberry jam (both ridiculously yummy) and a fantasy series in one volume- 1258 pages- by Roger Zelazny. I'm about 40 pages in. CarrieBoo and family sent me two Joanne Harris books and a pound of Sculpey! Can't wait to get my fingers in that. Maybe this weekend.... Beest wasn't forgotten. Stevil got her a windup mouse that she can't quite figure out, a laser light that she's scared of, and Lise made her a catnip mouse that she spent two days tearing at, biting and kicking it. One of those days she didn't even eat- she just laid on the floor with the mouse nearby, like an addict in an opium den.
There are Christmases yet to come. I can't take the tree down until the Christmases are over. I generally leave it up thru most of January anyway. As long as it's down by Bridey's Day (Feb 2) it's all good. I'm really quite tired this week, dragging my butt. And so off I go to a lovely warm bed with my new flannel sheets and duvet cover (Gal Friday) to hang a lovely calendar from England (Gary) and have a couple of lovely truffles (Paul) before getting some badly-needed beauty sleep.
Santa is good. Whatever happens, we gotta keep him.
MYSTERIOUS GARDEN
11 months ago
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14 comments:
What delightful gifts, Austan. You are very fortunate in your friends. And that's coming from a man who got Wm. Shatner's book, Shatner Rules, and socks with Einstein's face all over them. Definitely, Santa's a keeper.
I am so glad that you were suitably appreciated.
I also received books. Many, many books. Joy and bliss.
No wonder you're so tired after being sick over the holidays. A lovely long lie in surrounded by your new treasures is just what you need. Good old Santa.
Darling, after all my years in film distribution and collecting and so on and so forth, please forgive me, but I just feel obligated to point out that I didn't get you a DVD of "White Christmas" - it's a DVD of the 1942 "Holiday Inn". The song "White Christmas" was written for it, and a chain of hotels named for it. It's one of those old studio concoctions that bears no resemblance to any reality anyone has ever experienced outside of a Hollywood movie. Bing Crosby sings and Fred Astaire dances, etc. It's kind of a cinematic truffle. The 1954 movie "White Christmas" was intended to be a sort of remake, but Astaire dropped out. He was eventually replaced by Danny Kaye - who got a small percentage of the picture as part of his deal. I was director of distribution of the company which made the first new prints of it since it was released - and negotiating the rights was a miserable deal as ownership was divided between Crosby, Irving Berlin, and Danny Kaye.
Now you've gone and made me feel guilty for just getting you the NOOK! :( I love "White Christmas". Now I'm going to have to watch "Holiday Inn"! "Brave" is a great movie. One of the last two movies I saw with the youngling before she headed out for soggy Victoria. It was a bit awkward with the whole mother letting go of the daughter thing, but it's a treasured memory and movie.
Geo.- Wow! Einstein socks! Shatner's anything! Nice!
Yeah, he's a keeper. :)
EC- I was overindulged. Books really are the best, aren't they?
Lawless- I think I could sleep for a week if it didn't kill my back!
Stevil- Yes, I know. ;) Did you think that wasn't on purpose?
Lisa- Now I know what you meant when you said it was a bit awkward. For a kid's movie, it's a really touching one, and to see it when you did... Well, I cried. If I was in your shoes I would've been sobbing in the theatre.
Wow, what a perfect collection of thoughtful presents. Sounds like your friends and family not only love you, but they know exactly what to give you. That snow globe sounds awesome.
I love the movie "Holiday Inn", but I associate it with something rather peculiar. Before my hubby and I were married, (you know... back in the dark ages) he took me to visit some friends of his that I'd never met before. They were a nice couple, and we were having a pleasant evening together, chit chatting, sipping on drinks, with the movie "Holiday Inn' playing on TV. I was never much of a drinker, and was nursing the same drink for ages when my helpful Smarticus offered to "freshen it up" for me. To me, that meant replace the long-since melted ice cubes. To HIM and his pal, it meant put it in a bigger glass, fill it with vodka, and THEN add a few cubes. Let's just say that, for the first time in my life, I got schnockered. There I was, trying to make a good first impression on his friends, and I kept giggling. For no apparent reason, I suddenly thought EVERYTHING was freaking hilarious. (Crap, I do enough of that without the booze!)
I echo Susan's sentiment - your family must know you very well to get such apropos gifts for you!
Susan- Yeah, and I hope what I gave them meant something. I know I hit the target a couple of times so far.
Well, jeez! A whole glass of vodka on ice! If we did that now, we wouldn't be giggling- we'd be knocked out!
OE- that's the point of gifts, isn't it? To know what would please someone, apart from your own tastes? And to show that you really know the person you're gifting. A wind-up monkey means nothing to me, but it means a big something to a friend. That's what it's all about.
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