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So this year, my mom and dad are finally doing well financially for the first time in a very long time. My dad's certified as 100% disabled by the VA (Veterans Administration for any who might not ping to it immediately), which means that he gets a decent monthly stipend. It probably wouldn't cover the bills in Seattle, but here it lets him have the primary income for the family. Throw in my mom's job on top of it, and they've dug out from all their debt and have money for things like, I dunno, Christmas.
For more years than I care to imagine, it had been a tacit agreement that the grownups wouldn't get each other presents. Only the kiddos would get the presents. We all broke this rule, of course, but only in very minor ways -- new shirts or houseshoes or some such thing. My dad and mom might get something for one another, but usually not. This left me with a certain... I dunno. Feeling of vague disappointment, I guess. On the one hand, it's not about the stuff, and seeing my kiddos be excited was still fun. On the other hand... it's really fun to open presents and get stuff. Perhaps it's childish, but there you go. At one point David and I used to give each other presents which sort of made up for it, but that's been falling by the wayside for a while now. I think this year will see its demise, which is probably as it should be -- he has a girlfriend and isn't rich; I'm probably not the one he needs to be buying presents for.
This year, though, that old "Christmas is for Children" rule? Totally blown out of the water. Just... damn. I wasn't expecting to have a single box to open under the tree, as Mom and I went shopping for clothes for me a couple of days ago. I was told that'd be it, and I was fine with that (got a couple of winter shirts, a new pair of jeans, and a damn fine suit). Lo and behold, though, I had three packages to open.
1) My brother got me a 4 gig iPod nano! Holy smokes! It is green, and I love it with an unholy purity of emotion that dwarfs all... ah... well, it's really neat. :)
2) My dad got me a gold necklace with a flat serpentine chain and small diamonds set in the pendant. I'm floored, frankly. It's not really my style or what I'd necessarily choose for myself, but it is pretty. I haven't had a necklace that was actually worth anything in... well, ever, really. My ex bought me an amythyst necklace that had a small diamond in the setting, but that was long ago and far away, and while I adored it, it wasn't desperately valuable. That, a pinkie ring my dad gave me when I graduated high school, and my wedding rings were the only pieces of real jewelry I ever owned. It makes me feel sorta grownup and very mundane, all at the same time. Odd.
3) My mom and dad had a portrait done after all these years, and they had it framed and gave a copy to both my brother and I. I'm very pleased with it. I haven't had a recent picture of them together since I was in high school. It was even on one of my dad's good days, so he looks pretty handsome. It's a good thing. I'll have to find a place to put it.
Also.... so much of my grandmother's stuff is here. My grandmother passed away before the boys were born. She was an artist in addition to being a stay-at-home-mom of 4 kids, and boy howdy, did she make a lot of stuff. From oil to acrylics to sewing to china painting, she did it. Apparently my dad's siblings didn't want most of it, so a great deal of it ended up with my parents. I'm bringing some of it home with me... it's all gorgeous, frankly, and I can use some new art on my walls. Again, possibly not the sort of thing I'd pick if I had the world to choose from, but it's mine by birthright -- I do not have her talent, but I can hang her work where it can be enjoyed. There's a couple of her still lifes that actually will go pretty well in my living room, as it happens. They weren't my favorites, but I'm happy to have the chance to do something with them.
So, yeah! Good stuff. The kids were all cute, my boys dressed up of their own volition, my mom made her traditional turkey feast, and now I won't have to eat for another year. :) All is well. I hope your Christmases were as merry as mine.
For more years than I care to imagine, it had been a tacit agreement that the grownups wouldn't get each other presents. Only the kiddos would get the presents. We all broke this rule, of course, but only in very minor ways -- new shirts or houseshoes or some such thing. My dad and mom might get something for one another, but usually not. This left me with a certain... I dunno. Feeling of vague disappointment, I guess. On the one hand, it's not about the stuff, and seeing my kiddos be excited was still fun. On the other hand... it's really fun to open presents and get stuff. Perhaps it's childish, but there you go. At one point David and I used to give each other presents which sort of made up for it, but that's been falling by the wayside for a while now. I think this year will see its demise, which is probably as it should be -- he has a girlfriend and isn't rich; I'm probably not the one he needs to be buying presents for.
This year, though, that old "Christmas is for Children" rule? Totally blown out of the water. Just... damn. I wasn't expecting to have a single box to open under the tree, as Mom and I went shopping for clothes for me a couple of days ago. I was told that'd be it, and I was fine with that (got a couple of winter shirts, a new pair of jeans, and a damn fine suit). Lo and behold, though, I had three packages to open.
1) My brother got me a 4 gig iPod nano! Holy smokes! It is green, and I love it with an unholy purity of emotion that dwarfs all... ah... well, it's really neat. :)
2) My dad got me a gold necklace with a flat serpentine chain and small diamonds set in the pendant. I'm floored, frankly. It's not really my style or what I'd necessarily choose for myself, but it is pretty. I haven't had a necklace that was actually worth anything in... well, ever, really. My ex bought me an amythyst necklace that had a small diamond in the setting, but that was long ago and far away, and while I adored it, it wasn't desperately valuable. That, a pinkie ring my dad gave me when I graduated high school, and my wedding rings were the only pieces of real jewelry I ever owned. It makes me feel sorta grownup and very mundane, all at the same time. Odd.
3) My mom and dad had a portrait done after all these years, and they had it framed and gave a copy to both my brother and I. I'm very pleased with it. I haven't had a recent picture of them together since I was in high school. It was even on one of my dad's good days, so he looks pretty handsome. It's a good thing. I'll have to find a place to put it.
Also.... so much of my grandmother's stuff is here. My grandmother passed away before the boys were born. She was an artist in addition to being a stay-at-home-mom of 4 kids, and boy howdy, did she make a lot of stuff. From oil to acrylics to sewing to china painting, she did it. Apparently my dad's siblings didn't want most of it, so a great deal of it ended up with my parents. I'm bringing some of it home with me... it's all gorgeous, frankly, and I can use some new art on my walls. Again, possibly not the sort of thing I'd pick if I had the world to choose from, but it's mine by birthright -- I do not have her talent, but I can hang her work where it can be enjoyed. There's a couple of her still lifes that actually will go pretty well in my living room, as it happens. They weren't my favorites, but I'm happy to have the chance to do something with them.
So, yeah! Good stuff. The kids were all cute, my boys dressed up of their own volition, my mom made her traditional turkey feast, and now I won't have to eat for another year. :) All is well. I hope your Christmases were as merry as mine.
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Date: 2006-12-26 07:30 am (UTC)From:Happy to do our part. :)
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Date: 2006-12-26 05:00 pm (UTC)From: