Good Gifts

The greatest gift this Christmas season was the Christmas Spirit. It has been a few years since I've really looked forward to Christmas and I was afraid that I had outgrown the magic of the season. But I think it was hibernating through heartbreak of the past few years.

Second great gift is being back in Salt Lake and being surrounded by good friends whom I love. I was able to spend the day with Charles and Peter and their family.

The best tangible gift was the Christmas tree Holly and Shawn put into the apartment before I moved here.

Then I was thinking about some of the other fun gifts I've been given in recent years. I don't really get a lot of gifts. My opinion on gifts is give one if the item really speaks to you about that person. Otherwise just give treats or time instead.

But here is a collage of some of my favorite gifts in the past few years. (one special gift is missing from below. It's a wooden frog with a huge mouth. Melyn gave it to me the year I went to visit my step-day while he was ill. Don't worry Melyn, I still have it, but it's packed away with my frog things. I still need one more bookshelf to unpack everything. ) (yes. I have frog things.)



I think you can all recognize Grover. Kelly gave him to me when we were roommates on Dana St. Love him. He does live under the bed during most of the year, and then comes out during Christmas time.

The brown thing is, at best guess a Hippo. I've had him since 2000. Right before I moved to Boston. He was given to me at work during our Secret Santa exchange. Everyone at work had already been given there gifts and the days were ticking buy. I tried to be a mature adult, but I was really sad that my person had forgotten me. The Friday before vacation, the gift appeared. I stepped away from my desk and when I came back, the hippo was there! It's sooooo soft.

The little heart-shaped pillow is from Becky. Must have been about 5 or 6 years ago. It's so simple, but I like it. Anytime I move, it's one of the first things to get hung on a door knob.

The blanket is from Melyn. Maybe 2 years ago? (and it could have also been a b-day gift...but for the sake of this blog, we'll call it a Christmas gift. :) ) It's a simple fleece blanket that has music bars on it. It's well used. (not for playing music. but for snuggling up with a book.)

The three books and plastic grasshopper and snake are from Angie. The same year I got Grover from Kelly. She used the grasshopper and snake as bows and ribbons. I thought it was very clever and fitting for me. (there was a spider as well, but the cats decided it would make a great toy and they ripped all of it's legs off.)

And last, but not least, the whirly-pop. Best gift ever! Misty and Jessica gave this to me. Also the year I got the wooden frog, right before I left to visit Raymond in the hospital. I know that things like whirly-pops and hotchocolate mugs and soap baskets are given to people as gifts because other people can't think of what to give. But Jessica and Misty knew the whirly-pop was THE perfect gift for me. I have used it almost every day since I got it. I don't know many gifts that are as well used and appreciated as my whirly-pop!