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Thu 26 Aug, 2004 06:25 am
Anything but politics!!!!
I was thinking about great presents - and trying to recall the best ones I have received, or given.
A recent one is up there, for me. A dear friend - who had heard me mutter about wanting to turn my constant doodling into better things - gave me a huge box of fabulous, chalky, pastels. The colours are utterly sensual and glorious - some of them make you sigh or gasp when they go on the paper. They inspired me to get some good pencils, brushes, crayon pastels, and water colours - and I have been busy experimenting and playing, and working hard. My fingers, clothes, tables and so on are full of multi-coloured dust - and the room is full of the smell of them - and the nasty smell of fixative, sometimes.
I adore washing them with watery brushes, and seeing them meld and flow - or smudging and mixing with my fingers....
As a small recompense, I followed him around shops, until I saw his wee eyes light up and fix on a GADGET! A sort of steel transformer thing - in the form of a key-ring - with arms and legs - which swivels and flows, and discloses small, but doughty, pliers and screw drivers and suchlike. It is a delight to him - he being the sort of fella who NEEDS Lilliputian tools - and joys in things that open and close and pack up tight, into cunning little boxes and bags and steel fairies....
I recall, from years ago, when I was 7 or so, the birthday arrival of the dreamed of, but not expected, little microscope - it was a superior toy, but an inferior microscope - but was enough for weelowan to bury herself in reference tomes - such as the How and Why Wonder Book of the Microscope - (and weightier ones) canada balsam, stains, wee glass slide covers, stagnant water from ponds and streams, the catching of insects - the partial denuding of various bits and pieces from patient animals - (leading to earnest slides with things like "cross-section of middle left cat's whisker" - "mouse fur" - "Uncle Brick's Blood" - "wing scales from (dead) cabbage white butterfly" - "Candy's flea" - and so on.
But - imagine the joy when I visited where my best friend's big brother was doing agrucultural science, and discovered the wonderd of the REAL microscope - and - oh joy - the ELECTRON microscope!!!!
A dissected BLOWFLY!!!!! With the innards LABELLED!!!! Scans of the mouthpieces of fleas - oh brave new world!!!!
So come on, give!
I gave my mother her first computer about 10 years ago. She was already 65 and was afraid of it. She slowly got used toi it so I bought her another one 2 years later. Today at 75 she buys her own computer, uses it every day and cannot imagine life without it.
NickFun wrote:I gave my mother her first computer about 10 years ago. She was already 65 and was afraid of it. She slowly got used toi it so I bought her another one 2 years later. Today at 75 she buys her own computer, uses it every day and cannot imagine life without it.
nice story.
well, either I can't remember or the gathering count. :-)
I was at Art College & madly in love with my special painter friend. He introduced me to Olga's Day (according to some obscure calendar) ... Anyway, on my best Olga's Day I received a beautiful copy E E Cummings poems, went out for the day & had some of the (romantic) poems read to me in various parks, later enjoyed wonderful food which he cooked for me & was pampered for the whole day, in every possible way .... <sigh>
The best gift I ever received? I've gotten a few doozies. I was having a great deal of difficulty emptying my mother's apartment. For Christmas last year my friend, her husband, and their two grown kids offered to help me clear out the apartment, move the stuff I wanted to my apartment, clean out my apartment to make room for the new stuff, and generally get everything in order. They did it all. Paid for the moving expenses. Picked me up and dropped me off after each visit to my mother's apartment. It was a dream come true.
The best gift I ever gave? Was to these people. I bought a big wicker basket. Then I went around to supermarkets, specialty stores, whatever, and found exotic, unusual, and luxurious food items. I wrapped each item individually and placed them in the basket. The gift was greatly appreciated. And it was fun to do the shopping. I got to eat some of the things I bought the next time I went to their place for dinner. Raspberry mustard went great with roast ham.
Another wonderful gift I received. I'm short on funds. When my TV exploded (and I mean that literally), I bought a tiny, postage stamp size set. It served the purpose, but it was small. Very small. I couldn't read anything on the screen. A friend of mine had gone through an acquisitive stage. She bought a huge tv set and never took it out of the box. She arranged to have it delivered to me a few weeks ago, just in time for the Olympics. I'm dazzled.
I've gotten and given lots of good stuff. The best gifts are those that take into account what the giftee will want and appreciate.
The best present I have received is my first guitar that my dad bought for me. (after years of making me play the clarinet....horrible...lol) I will never sell it or get rid of it, it holds a very fond memory of me and my dad.
RECEIVED
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A Jerome Bettis (American Football Player) Jersey from my kid brother.
A paper shredder from my Aunt(among other stuff).
About $300 worth of clothes from my Aunt's friend.
A camera from my Aunt.
My late Grandfather's Bible.
GIVEN:
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A bunch of calendars I made on my computer.
(Though the anthology of my poetry may top this:) )
Some great gifts!!!!
Computers are fascinating to see folk begin with, aren't they? Though - how one's fingers itch to do stuff PROPERLY for them (just as I see other friend's fingers itch to do things PROPERLY for me!).
Boida - your friends love you - and properly so.
Olgo - so romantic!
Doglover - a NEW CAR!!!! (Love gets given more often, I believe.)
I am remembering animal gifts this morning: my first mice at christmas when I was 6 - I hadn't dared believe they would come - and how I wanted a boy and a girl.
They came in an old bird-cage - the smell of the fresh, sweet, sawdust on the cage bottom - but - NO MICE! - then they ventured sleepily out of their little wooden shelter - stretched their dainty little paws - put their faces up to see what was happening - in that lovely little whiskery, thrusting, slightly short-sighted way mice have. I was in love!
Then my first Siamese - who I bought for myself for my nineteenth birthday. I had always lusted after a Siamese cat, ever since first reading about them as a tiny girl. Then, friends of my parents had one - a delightful seal point - cross-eyed, kinky tailed, demanding, vociferous - so special and delightful.
My little girl was a chocolate point - a delightfully intense and eccentric kitten - she began a life-long addiction.
Then, there is the Burmese kitten I bought for a friend - an impossibly glossy, imperious, beautiful kitten - who grew into a spectacular cat, and lived a long, indulged life.
Sometimes, I think animal gifts are the best...
NeoGuin wrote:RECEIVED
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A Jerome Bettis (American Football Player) Jersey from my kid brother.
A paper shredder from my Aunt(among other stuff).
About $300 worth of clothes from my Aunt's friend.
A camera from my Aunt.
My late Grandfather's Bible.
GIVEN:
-----------
A bunch of calendars I made on my computer.
(Though the anthology of my poetry may top this:) )
Sometimes, practical gifts are the best!
I hope the anthology DOES top them!
my cubs are the best gift I've ever received....
The best gift I received has been my family. I know that sounds cornball, but really I have great parents and brothers and sisters. Then, I married into another stellar family....
I have also received a few neat things from my husband...when we were dating, he bought me a beautiful brown silk pantsuit from Ann Taylor. It's lined with hot pink silk...so nice to slip into!
My kids like to give art work...they are always really sweet to get. I always frame and hang them. They are actually quite good. Seriously.
When my big sister, whom I adore, got married and moved to Germany...I bought her a small heart shaped garnet surrounded in gold on a gold chain. It was $145. at James Avery when I really only had about that much money for the rest of the month. She really appreciated it. ohhh nice memories.
Answer is similar to PamO's
besides my engagement ring?
Well, this Christmas I got to spend it with the FI's family, and they treated me like I had been their sister/daughter forever. They let me be a part of their traditions, made me AND my doggie our own stocking (our name on it), and bought me some of the most amazing things.
Then again, forgiveness is a gift my mom has given me more times than I deserve. I love her so much.
I've told the story before on A2K and even on Abuzz about my brothers, Monday Night Football and my tv for Xmas. I won't tell it again unless someone says okay, tell it. But it was indeed, the best present ever.
Okeydokey
Picture it...Fall 1970. My brothers had total and complete control over the television on the weekends, and it was sports, sports and more sports. I accepted that. From the day I was born. But then they started Monday Night Football and I went nuts! It cut right into my Little House on the Prairie/Rhoda/Bill Cosby Show lineup. The fight was on and my brothers and I brawled in that house every Monday night. It was so unfair.
That Christmas, to get me out of their faces once and for all, those mean ol' brothers of mine pooled their resources together and bought me a little 9" b/w Panasonic tv for my bedroom.
I still have my little tv.
Given: Tickets to see the Green Bay Packers!
Received: Tickets to see the Green Bay Packers!
(More later; I just wanted to bookmark. Great idea Dlowan! I love the feel-good threads.)
Lovely thread D...going to think a little.
Great question and many wonderful treasures....many hand made presents and cards.
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