Post-Wishlist

Since I never got around to posting my Christmas wishlist (sorry bettie!), I thought I'd do a list of what I did get!

From Dad:
- a pretty sweater
- socks
- stripy mittens
- a CD/DVD combo that I already have, so I'm giving it to a friend who doesn't have it and wants it badly
- a datebook
- my yearly angel (I've been getting an angel from my parents every year since I was born. Since they split up, I now get one from each of them. And other people have gotten in on the act. I'm probably the only pagan with a collection of angels.)
- lots of chocolate


From Fred:
- Hipeponymous
- a Buddha board
- a Gamecube with Mario Party 7 and Piglet's Big Game Adventure (I'm just getting into the whole video game thing, and kid's games are just about all I can handle right now.)
- a beautiful candle holder
- an orange mobile with a cat on it
- a Bad Cat 365-day calendar
- the South Beach Diet companion book
- 2 Christopher Moore books Practical Demonkeeping and Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

From Amanda and Dave:
- the anniversary edition of A Nightmare Before Christmas
- a couple of nifty angels
- 2 wall calendars (one calico cats and the other monthly beading projects)
- a dance card from a witches' gathering in New Jersey from the early 1900's

From Mom and Frank:
- a teddy bear that is also a heating/cooling pad
- a Robin Hood Flour cookbook
- my yearly angel
- 4 sunflower drawer knobs
- a perpetual calendar for keeping track of birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
- Fred got a beautiful dart board, the kind that comes mounted in a cabinet and has the chalk boards attached

From Fred's family:
- a crocheted afghan
- a beautiful purple and blue mohair coat
- a 6.5 litre slow-cooker
- a 4-slice toaster
- a photo of Fred and I from his sister's wedding
- home-make Bailey's

From various friends:
- a jar of cookie mix
- home made jam
- the 10 3/4 anniversary edition of the Pressed Fairy Book
- gift certificates for a restaurant and a movie theatre
- home made hair sticks with orange skulls and purple bats on them
- kitty cat tree ornaments

Yes, I am very, very spoiled. Even with all of that, there are 2 things that I wanted very, very badly and did not get. I asked for the Stitch 'n Bitch books, but I will be able to get the first one at least for my self in January with my sale thingy from Chapters.

Mostly, I wanted Fred to propose. I would have been over the moon if he had given me nothing else but that. Since I can't buy that at Chapters, I just have to keep waiting.

A new toy, and the long and the short of it

Item 1: New toy! It lights up and makes noise and vibrates and makes me smile!







That's right, I got a new cell phone. [grin]
Fred and I decided that since he had no cell phone and mine was worn out and we both drive relatively long distances for work that it would be a good investment to make. We have matching Sanyo 3700 phones that use the 10-4 system, so they double as walkie-talkies. This means that I can be in Toronto and Fred can be in Arthur and we can talk to each other without long distance charges. Yay! Plus, pretty screens and ringtones. I'm working on getting some Buffy hooked up.

Item 2: The long and the short of it.
Today is the first day of winter. It is also the day with the least amount of daylight, which means that from now on the days will start to get longer. It's often called the Winter Solstice, or Yule and it marks the return of light to the world and a time to look forward to spring. Some pagans will tell you that Christmas is just a co-opting of pre-Christian traditions, but I figure, like so many other things you find when comparing religions, it's simply a good time to celebrate life, and love and the good things we have, regardless of what may or may not have gone on thousands of years ago.

So be you Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Athiest, Agnostic or anything else I may have missed, I wish you the best of this time of year: love, family, friends, wonder and awe, remembrance and beauty. Feel free to tell me what your "best" is.

Blessed be!

The stockings were hung by the entertainment centre with care...

A week away from Christmas I have finally mailed the cards to people who live in the same country as me! Also done: all shopping for friends and family, with the exception of four of Fred's relatives that I have never met, and one of my friends who already received the gift I bought for her from someone else, but hey, I get a new yoga mat out of the deal. I have finished all the shopping for Fred's gifts except for a couple of stocking stuffers. Almost all of the already-bought presents are wrapped. All cards are written, except for the fancy ones for my parents and Fred. I get you could say that my Christmas preparations are exceptional. *ducks thrown fruit*

So my ramping-up-to-Christmas schedule is as follows:
- stop at the mall on the way home tonight for replacement gift for friend and stuff that room mate/co-worker needs to pick up
- after dinner, hide in room and finish wrapping what I have already bought
- go to friend's house tomorrow night for our Yule ritual and chocolate making
- do solitary Yule celebration at home on Wednesday, also take bath and paint nails, call my mom 'cause it's her birthday
- I think I actually get Thursday night free! I may do laundry.
- Friday (after I get paid) pick up last few things for Fred's stocking and wrap them, do grocery shopping so that I have something to feed my father for lunch on Christmas eve, and a gift for the kitties on Christmas

Whee! *jingles bells*


In related news, I am vying for the title of Best Girlfriend Ever (TM). The only thing Fred and I have a serious difference of opinion on is the amount of time he spends playing WoW (World of Warcraft, for those of you lucky enough to have missed this phenomenon). So there's this thing he pointed out called a ZBoard that is designed specifially, along with the various accessories, to make video game play that much better. He's been wanting this for months. In trying to come up with a gift for him I looked at a lot of different things, but decided that I should get him something he will truly enjoy and use on a daily basis. He's gonna be suprised for sure, and hopefully very pleased. I can't wait!

'Tis the season to run around like a crazy person...

I tried to write my Christmas cards last night. I managed to get through a whopping nine out of over 30. At least the people in the UK and US might get their cards before 2006.

Instead of sitting down with a nice cup of tea and my cards, and enjoying the Christmas episode of Corner Gas, Frosty the Snowman and The Worst Christmas Jobs in History I talked to:

- my mother, to arrange when we are seeing her at Christmas
- my father, to arrange when we are seeing him at Christmas
- my uncle, to arrange when we are seeing them at Christmas
- my father (again), to re-arrange when we are seeing him at Christmas
- my boyfriend's sister, to ask more questions about what to get for her kids

In theory, none of that should have taken very long. In reality, I saw about 20 minutes of television total and wound up with very cold tea.

However, this means that my Christmas Visiting Schedule (TM) is now set and I can get to planning the rest of my life. This coming weekend I have to:
- bake bread for a Christmas Tea on Sunday
- take a friend shopping for a sensitive item (whee!)
- finish the shopping for friends and family
- have dinner with friends on Saturday evening
- get all the gifts for my boyfriend
- go to the Christmas Tea on Sunday
- regular stuff like grocery shopping and laundry

Then I work for five days and wrap gifts at night after dinner.

Starting on Christmas Eve morning I have four straight days of running around the provice to visit family. Then I work for three days. Then I cram a lunch visit with more family in on New Year's Eve day before going off to a party at night.

I'm going to need a vacation from my Christmas vacation.

*hums "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"*