Monday, July 26, 2010

Presents and such

Today is my birthday and I got to thinking about presents and how I am the world's worst present giver. I think I'm afraid that it has to be this amazing gift that they'll treasure forever, I don't know. It's a lot of pressure, but I can't imagine it away. I even feel that pressure picking out Barbies for my daughter's friends. Will she love this Malibu Barbie FOREVER?

Art from nataliedee.com.
Cute, but there are some cruddy words on there, so now you're warned.

Has everybody on the planet read 'The Five Love Languages' yet? Good book. The theory is that different people express love and sense it in different ways: gift-giving, quality time, acts of service, physical touch and words of affirmation.

I am a quality timer, followed by words of affirmation. There have been very few presents that actually meant something to me, one exception from our first anniversary, my hubby put a jewelry box with little diamond earrings inside of a cake (chocolate on choclate, of course). I was digging in with the knife, trying to cut a piece and actually pierced the box. Nathan had to clue me in that it wasn't a really tough piece of cake, but that perhaps there was something hidden, you know, inside the cake. I teared up when I opened the box, but I think that's the only time I have.

Those earrings were eventually lost on the way back from my cousin's wedding and I have this suspicion that the baggage handlers helped lighten my suitcase. The point is, I lose jewelry. Books seem like a safe present to give me, but I rarely find a book that I love enough to want to buy it (although lots of books are worth reading, I am EXTREMELY picky about which ones I buy. Limited budget and shelf space are the main reasons.)

I was given a Barnes and Noble gift card for Christmas, and couldn't bear to spend it until I read the Hunger Games, but then I had no problem using it. I'd found a book worth the price. Thinking about it that way, I can understand why agents are so picky about what they represent. And I desperately hope that this kind of stinginess will not turn into book sales karma. 

The best present I have been given is to have the love and support of my family, especially my husband. My 9 year old has pretty much stopped asking me if I'm EVER going to be done with my book and my husband has changed from tolerating all the hours that I spend cozied up to my computer to encouraging me to write more. It is a special gift to have people believe in you, and I have been truly blessed. I apologize for the rambles. I tried to edit out them out, but then there would have been nothing left! But hey, it's my birthday!

6 comments:

  1. Happiest of birthdays, Kelly! Hunger Games is a great choice. I am going to order the trilogy here pretty soon because I don't want to wait for the library to get a copy of Mockingjay and since I enjoyed the first two books so much, I'm sure I'll like the third. I usually only buy books I've read, to make sure they're keepers. :) I've had some bad experiences where I bought a book on good faith and *hated* it, and then I've felt like I just wasted my money, you know?

    And I lose jewelery, too. We have so much in common!

    Have a great birthday!
    Amy

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  2. Thanks Amy. It's been a great day, although the hour before dinner is always a bit rough. The kids get sooo hungry and tired and I just want to send them to bed some afternoons.

    So it's not just me that won't buy a book I haven't read? Nathan and I went to B&N tonight, and I picked out a book by Brandon Sanderson because I liked Elantris so much, but I couldn't do it. I'll request it from the library and see.

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  3. Happy birthday, Kelly!

    I'm not a present person either. I'm all for quality time.

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  4. Happy Birthday and you'll like this earring birthday story:

    When my daughter was about 9 or 10 years old, she gave me my birthday present and when I opened it, there were two beautiful "diamond" studs inside. My daughter immediately burst into tears and apologized because they were just CZs and not real diamonds. She'd wanted to buy me real diamonds, but didn't have enough money.

    I've cherished those earrings over every piece of fine jewelry I've ever owned. We still laugh over that. ;-D

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  5. Awww. That's so sweet. Isaac tried to gift me one of his favorite books yesterday and I hugged him and told him I loved it, and he could keep it. Maybe I should have just accepted it? He knew I appreciated it, so I'm not sure if I messed up or what.

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  6. Happy birthday (yesterday), Kelly! I'm with you on the book thing - I only buy it if I'm certain I'm going to love it (which usually means I don't buy books I haven't read before).

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