“A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.” ~Thomas á Kempis
I’m currently writing this from my couch covered by blankets and a cat keeping the crisp Upstate autumn air from freezing my toes off. There’s a reason for why I’m listening to the Iron & Wine station in the middle of the day from my house but that story will come in time. I have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment, things that shockingly enough have nothing to do with me or why I’m being so melancholy or how someone managed to lose $1500 of my dollars or how I’m praying that my rent check goes through while I wait for ING to give me the money from my savings account. None of those very ‘Ahh, Life, you fucking bitch’ type things.
I come to you because you all are far better at this than I am. Here goes:
Problem the first: I have a close family friend on bed rest until the end of her pregnancy which isn’t until February. Which is a long-ass time. I’m already contemplating a Netflix account for her as she and her husband don’t share one but what else should I give? This is a huge deal – as it should be – and she’s stuck on her couch for the health of her baby. Which is heartbreaking to say the least. I want to do a nice but grand gesture to say, Hey, I’m here and thinking of you. Thoughts?
Problem the second: I forgot to send a newborn gift to a friend and now her kid is like 15 months old. Ok, not quite but like 4 months old. What should I give the baby? I was thinking something from Little Alouette? This teether/block set makes me want a baby of my own. But see the aforementioned bedrest and now you’ll know why I’m not into that quite that soon. Or maybe a little something from Jen Haley? No clue.
Problem the third: A two year old and a five year old “family members” need birthday presents. I usually give books. Is that still ok? Or am I their lame “auntie”?
Problem the fourth: A person who is like a sister to me, someone I love exactly as I would family. You know how when you go to a city and forget to call your aunt because you just forget? That’s how she is to me. See? Family. She’s going through a rough patch. What do I get her that is blow her mind awesome. I’ve done flowers before but is there something else I’m missing?
I’m asking for all of this advice because as I go through my own severely troubled times, I want to give to others because that has always made me happy. The post receipt calls and/or emails that thank me for thinking of them; that always does my heart good. And right now my heart could use some good.
Forever and Ever
“Home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserve; it is life’s undress rehearsal, its backroom, its dressing room.” ~Harriet Beecher Stowe
A few weeks ago I found myself going back and forth with my friend Allison as to how wonderful life in Salt Lake City would be for me. The only caveat she said is that she was unsure of the (strict) drinking laws in the city and perhaps I should find a non-Mormon to assist in that regard. So I added Salt Lake to the list of “Hey…I could live here”.
Most people daydream about a relaxing vacation, I daydream of a place in this vast country of ours where I could put down some roots. It’s a list that grows each day depending on my mood. My therapist recently noted how wistfully I speak of DC and that she doesn’t hear that same tone when it comes to Albany and I had to remind her that a) This is Albany for Christ’s sake and b) I wouldn’t live in DC unless of course I won the lottery or made it big as a Democratic Consultant. I will get into the Albany v. DC thing at a later date but the point is that as of right now DC is not on that list. Several friends of mine and perspective job sites just collectively sobbed. I love DC with a fierceness but my gut tells me that it most likely isn’t in the cards.
Denver is there. Along with Boulder. I regularly contemplate Austin but recently reneged on that possibility because I don’t hate snow. That statement will come back to bite me in the ass some day – probably on a very frigid day in January where I find my nipples permanently erect and frostbite on my toes – but no, it doesn’t bother me in the way it should and could.
I see myself in a capital city since the only thing I’m really qualified to do is work in politics. Though some might say that I’m barely qualified for that. I could live on Martha’s Vineyard full time. That creeps in when I find myself alone walking up Circuit Avenue without the July and August hustle and bustle. But then I find myself stumped worrying that I haven’t been to enough places, seen enough, absorbed enough to make a “Forever” decision.
Perhaps I’ll marry someone who enjoys a life on the road. I’ll telecommute and home-school and spend summers in Montana. Who knows. The good thing is that the older I get the easier I find that I am able to go with it…absorb the ‘whatever happens, happens’ mentality. I just want to be near water, mountains, I want a yard.
Or perhaps I’ll just spin the globe and wherever my finger lands that is where I, too, shall land. Yes. That will work just fine.
This same topic was discussed on Curvy Girls Guide today and I wanted to bring it over here. Where do you live? Do you see yourself living there forever? If money were no object where would you call home?