Karina sent me all kinds of things, including, most interestingly, some perfume she made herself! With rosewood, cardamom, orange and sandalwood. Mmm.... Also Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas, which I've never read. I think I may read them tonight... Also bookplates and a cloisonne hair clip. Karina and I both believe in lots of small presents. :-)
My family secret Santa gave me videos from my wishlist -- Much Ado About Nothing, and three Star Trek videos! I'm now only missing one, Star Trek II. They would've included it, but it was apparently sold out. Ah well... Soon I'll have a complete set, I'm sure.
Tim and Heather sent me a copy of their chapbook, forestalling my attempt to buy it. :-) I read it this afternoon; the bookstore story is quite charming and apropos. Thanks, guys!
It was a good year for scarves, with a fuzzy wine-red one from Lisette (very stretchy and cool), and a forest green chenille one from Sharmi. She crotcheted it herself! She was inspired to learn by seeing me work on my afghan last year. I'm so proud. (And that's Mirna (my other sister) in the background, if you look carefully. :-)
Kirsten sent me a dragon, to be assembled out of tiny pieces of balsa wood. A bit intimidating, but very cool.
And there were lovely gifts from reader Tim in Hawaii (a little ornament, some Hawaiian chocolates), and a collection of poetry from journal-reader Chris! :-) Isn't that fabulous? Also some beautiful jewelry from Jim. I'm always a bit stunned and grateful to think that you guys, who only know me in bits and bytes, would actually take the time to find a gift for me. How cool is that?
I think there were more, but my brain is fizzling. Lots of computer, lots of phone calls; I spent the last two days reading (Bernard Cooper's Truth Serum, Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion, Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs, Francesca Lia Block's I Was a Teenage Fairy, and Gish Jen's Typical American), and I think I'm just in data overload, of one kind or another. Maybe a bath. Or maybe just bed. G'night, munchkins. (Umm...if I didn't say it earlier, Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! :-)