Making a list

I have a very short holiday gift list.

This is only partly because we don't celebrate Christmas. It's mostly because my family's tradition is that gifts at that time of year (Hanukkah gifts, which tend to be smaller, but the principle was the same) are given only by adults, to children and teens. Adults get birthday gifts, but not Hanukkah gifts. I suspect the idea beneath that was that children might be unhappy that their Christian (or culturally Christian) friends were getting Christmas presents and we weren't getting anything.

Calendars being what they are, we always combined the family Hanukkah party with a celebration of my Grandpa Sal's birthday. So along with the chocolate coins and other small gifts for us--or not so small, sometimes: my grandparents, in the last few years of their lives, sometimes stretched a point and presented us with such things as 19th century silver dollars or middle-sized checks as Hanukkah gelt--Grandpa was unwrapping and opening packages that might contain, say, a new sweater. (There really wasn't much he needed, but I seem to have come by my dislike of clothing shopping as a family trait, so he was quite pleased if one of his daughters would take care of that for him.)

Making a list

I have a very short holiday gift list.

This is only partly because we don't celebrate Christmas. It's mostly because my family's tradition is that gifts at that time of year (Hanukkah gifts, which tend to be smaller, but the principle was the same) are given only by adults, to children and teens. Adults get birthday gifts, but not Hanukkah gifts. I suspect the idea beneath that was that children might be unhappy that their Christian (or culturally Christian) friends were getting Christmas presents and we weren't getting anything.

Calendars being what they are, we always combined the family Hanukkah party with a celebration of my Grandpa Sal's birthday. So along with the chocolate coins and other small gifts for us--or not so small, sometimes: my grandparents, in the last few years of their lives, sometimes stretched a point and presented us with such things as 19th century silver dollars or middle-sized checks as Hanukkah gelt--Grandpa was unwrapping and opening packages that might contain, say, a new sweater. (There really wasn't much he needed, but I seem to have come by my dislike of clothing shopping as a family trait, so he was quite pleased if one of his daughters would take care of that for him.)

Memo to self

For further contemplation:

I may have unrealistic expectations for myself, as far as being an easy person to be around.

Memo to self

For further contemplation:

I may have unrealistic expectations for myself, as far as being an easy person to be around.

Election/political statement

I live in New York City, and nobody bothered exit polling us: they knew we'd vote against Bush. But, for the record: yes, the reason for my vote was my moral values. I voted against torture.

Election/political statement

I live in New York City, and nobody bothered exit polling us: they knew we'd vote against Bush. But, for the record: yes, the reason for my vote was my moral values. I voted against torture.

Loosely connected thoughts

It's not a vacation: it's more like short-term disability.
Would it be easier to learn to like cola, or to start keeping decent iced tea in the fridge?

Loosely connected thoughts

It's not a vacation: it's more like short-term disability.
Would it be easier to learn to like cola, or to start keeping decent iced tea in the fridge?

QOTD

Love takes attention and work and is the best thing in the world. — Al Franken

QOTD

Love takes attention and work and is the best thing in the world. — Al Franken

(no subject)

It is a fine thing living with someone whose response to "Beware of sphinxes" is "Or sphinges."

(no subject)

It is a fine thing living with someone whose response to "Beware of sphinxes" is "Or sphinges."