December 26, 2001

      Itchy scratchy throat this morning. i'm definitely coming down with something - it's just taking it's sweet time to get here. It will be the second time this year already though and i'm not too impressed with that.  Besides the fact that i look a wreck and we are supposed to be going to His brother's house.

     i was thoroughly spoiled with brand new clothes yesterday.  A new suit - jacket and long skirt - in a kind of cranberry/wine colour (i had to ask Himself what colour it was).  i admit if i'd been choosing for me, i would not have gone near the colour - i'd have headed for my usual black or grey or maybe gone wild with navy blue (heh).  i also admit, that i love this colour and once i had it on, i loved it even more.  And the jacket is mandarin styled, which is perfect!  

     Along with the suit was a glitzy type top for underneath, and a turtleneck sweater for a more casual look.  Himself also gave me another set - a spaghetti strapped top in bright red, with a long sleeved top to go over it.  Also something i would not have been brave enough to get for myself and i'm now having fun with.  And nestled in amongst all these clothes was a bottle of Palo Cortado, which turned out to be a really yummy sherry.  i felt a little gauche admitting i hadn't realized i was sipping on something quite so fine - even though my tongue was blissfully happy.

     i think the big guy likes to dress me up :)

     The kids thoroughly spoiled us in their usual kid-like way.  Himself's daughter gave me a truly funky candle holder (and signed the tag 'vern' which is my pet name for her), my daughter gave me a lovely vase which i found necessary to fill at the first available moment - putting in pink carnations and yellow daisies (yellow is her favourite colour and pink carnations were my mother's favourite and as they shared the same birth date, it seemed fitting.)  My son gave me an initial-engraved pen with keychain included, and personalized writing paper, envelopes and notepads (says from the desk of ... ), all made from linen paper.  

     The Chair didn't make it.  But it isn't very far away either, just at His friend's house and if the friend can't fit it in his vehicle when he visits this week, we'll go get it.  i did print out a picture and put it under the tree though.  And gave Himself a funky kind of statuette - black cast iron really skinny woman that He has now decided He wants to use as a door stopper in the summer - the front door so that everyone will see her.  Too funny!

     i think the biggest shocker of the day however, was my son's gift to Himself.  He bought Him a small sony stereo system - the kind that the cd loads in from the top and we can actually watch it spin.  And on the attached tag he wrote (not verbatim):  love and appreciation for all that you are for me ..... 

     Not the exact words, but you get the idea.  Himself was more than a little bit touched.  my son looks up to Him in a lot of ways, and i don't think Himself ever expected to be the mentor of a 21 year old male child.  

     Himself looked pretty funny with His chair pulled right in front of it - remote control in hand.  As the first few delicious tones of music played, He turned and said "I'm liking this!"  His eyes were big and wide just like a little kid's would be at first sight of a favourite toy.  And all those cd's He has did sound a lot better!

     So the day was full of really positive moments - a nice day and i think a good step in the right direction for our own kind of holiday.   We had one glitch - between Him and i - and we'll need to straighten that out - but all in all, i think the oppressiveness of past christmas' gone wrong (at least formy part anyway) was put behind, where it belongs.  And we looked only forward.

     And that's a good, good thing.     

     Note:  i spoke with all three of my siblings and that was particularly great - especially with my younger brother who just got married on the weekend.  He even asked for my email address and may be considering getting icq.  It would be great to chat with him more!

     Maybe i'm getting my family back after all.  

                

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