bright and shining star

[melannen]

So apparently my school e-mail is not doing *anything*. I ended up going unexpectedly home tonight for what turned out to be Christmas with my aunt and uncle and cousins. It's-- different, this year, with two people not there. But there are also two new people. Sammy and Grace have been just a complete joy. (well, for everyone but their parents.) As a new generation starts to take over family gatherings, there are now TOYS TO PLAY WITH. Yay for fisher-price fire engines and interlocking bead toys and board books that go *squeek* and stuffed cucumbers. Sammy and his parents are flying to Nashville tomorrow, so this was also a farewell party of sorts.

So, my contribution to the gift exchange was three tins of UMCP cookies. Luckily, the adult cousins are alumni, so I get to tget away with that. My acquisitions were some turtlenecks, and a $30 barnes and noble gift certificate which shall be spent soonest, and a loffly fluffy blanket. You can never have too many blankets, regardless of Mom's whinging. And this one is wizard-blue with silver starry snowflakes embroidered on it, and it's just the right width and length to tie as a cape. Now all's I need is a matching hat.

Dad's brother's family actually shops at department stores and wears designer clothing and brand-name knick-knacks. Christmas there I always feel like the poor, uncouth relations.Oh, they're very nice, and admire Mom's dollar-store gifts and homemade nativity playsets, but they still give each other gourmet chocolate and $50 dog toys. Then we go to Mom's relatives and I feel like rich sophisticated city folk, so it all comes out even in the end.

I need to start my Christmas shopping. I'm really leaning toward a Random Bag o' Fun this year. Oh yeah, only two days till QM day!

Comments

[stellar-dust.livejournal.com]

Goodness! *looks at completed Christmas shopping all wrapped under pitiful small tree*

Random bag o' fun, eh? Hmm. I'm beginning to have this feeling that I bought too many presents for people. Eh. Oh well. I don't think anyone will complain.

I admit. I peeked at the spoiler. No surprises there, actually. Again, oh well.

I dunno. Aunt Nancy always seems to enjoy talking about dollar stores. And Uncle Ken *was* the one who was inordinately proud to have found "cheap book day" at Goodwill .. and I think you're exaggerating with the $50 dog toys. (;

[zodiaccat.livejournal.com]

Concerning the Random Bag of Fun, is it acceptable to prepare that for December 24th? I generally don't see anyone outside my family on the 25th, and Gav's post didn't make the date seem hard-and-fast, so...

[aelkiss.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you want me to take a look (at your mail problems) - are you still reading mail through glue? You might want to give mail@umd a try - it's been working better than glue ever did for me, at least in terms of not randomly eating mail. And yes, you can still use pine.

[reclusivewaffle.livejournal.com]

Hm. I usually feel like rich, uncouth suburbanite, no matter where I go.

--C