It’s that time of year, when our families start to stress, and if you’re like me, you’re getting calls like this:“Hi Lynn!”
“Oh, hi, So. N. So.” (name changed to protect the many innocent)
Random small chat until we reach the true purpose of the call.
“You know, Christmas is coming. And, well, it’s just so hard to know what to get you.” (This is after asking what my husband and kids want.)
I hem and haw and sputter. I can never think of anything on the spot.
And. If you’re like me, as soon as they hang up you can think of a zillion things you’d like to have but don’t actually need. So, you feel good about saying you don’t need anything and that donation to Heifer project or Mennonite Central Committee or Partners with Haiti is just fine.
But secretly, there’s a part of you hoping that Santa (because frankly, I don’t think Jesus would really push these on anyone) might convey your secret wishes to your various givers, and that come Christmas morning- you might find something good.
A big wink and nod at Hoosier Ink poster Karla Akins for her list which inspired mine.
Lynn’s That’d-Be-A-Cool-Gift List (in no particular order)
1. Kindle or Nook
2. AquaNotes (found this is in my Writer’s Digest magazine)
3. Vera Bradley Laptop Skin
4. Cover Story Postcards
5. Gift Card to your locally-owned (fair trade brewed here) java house, like Goshen’s Electric Brew No fair trade coffee house where you are? Then try Equal Exchange (they have choclolate, too!)
6. Gift Card to Better World Books
7. Gift Card to Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, Half.com, Audible, etc.
8. Babysitter (or yourself) to watch writer’s children so the writer can go shopping or browsing or sipping or writing.
9. I can’t imagine wearing these in public, but- handerpants. Or the more publicly-acceptable- half-finger gloves. (suggestion borrowed from Hoosier Ink) Slippers also great, but I’m picky about mine. Maybe a wearable blanket (I need something around my back when I type- snuggie won’t cut it).
10. i-tunes gift card (I think my husband is sorry we ever learned about i-tunes. I have playlists for every major writing project.) (i-pod or mp3 player if your writer doesn’t have one already.)
11. Harry & David Truffles (My favorite, though it’s rumored that Trader Joe’s are just as good or better, but my commitment to ol’ H & D is solid.) A bag of Dove Chocolate Dark pieces works just as nicely (they’re my bread & butter of the chocolate world).
12. If you really have your writerly-gift spotters on- you might find something like this,
as gifted to me from my thoughtful in-laws (they picked it up for me in Puerto Rico).
13. If you’re feeling particularly extravagant- a laptop can be drool-worthy (though that could be a problem- maybe hold the laptop away until the drooling has stopped).
14. Certificate for a retreat, massage, or writer’s conference. (links to my local fave's, well, FaithWriters is sort of local.)
15. Subscription to writing magazines (or literary magazines). Some of my favorites: Writer’s Digest, the Writer, and The Sun.
I know I’m supposed to want moleskin journals, cool pens, stationery, or a writer’s market guide- but I don’t. All the fun stuff like the journals and pens- I like to pick out myself. And the writer’s market guide is like buying me a toaster. Functional? Yes. Gifty? Not really.
And I’ll just quote Ms. Akins for this last part.
7. Gift Card to Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon, Half.com, Audible, etc.
8. Babysitter (or yourself) to watch writer’s children so the writer can go shopping or browsing or sipping or writing.
9. I can’t imagine wearing these in public, but- handerpants. Or the more publicly-acceptable- half-finger gloves. (suggestion borrowed from Hoosier Ink) Slippers also great, but I’m picky about mine. Maybe a wearable blanket (I need something around my back when I type- snuggie won’t cut it).
10. i-tunes gift card (I think my husband is sorry we ever learned about i-tunes. I have playlists for every major writing project.) (i-pod or mp3 player if your writer doesn’t have one already.)
11. Harry & David Truffles (My favorite, though it’s rumored that Trader Joe’s are just as good or better, but my commitment to ol’ H & D is solid.) A bag of Dove Chocolate Dark pieces works just as nicely (they’re my bread & butter of the chocolate world).
12. If you really have your writerly-gift spotters on- you might find something like this,
as gifted to me from my thoughtful in-laws (they picked it up for me in Puerto Rico).13. If you’re feeling particularly extravagant- a laptop can be drool-worthy (though that could be a problem- maybe hold the laptop away until the drooling has stopped).
14. Certificate for a retreat, massage, or writer’s conference. (links to my local fave's, well, FaithWriters is sort of local.)
15. Subscription to writing magazines (or literary magazines). Some of my favorites: Writer’s Digest, the Writer, and The Sun.
I know I’m supposed to want moleskin journals, cool pens, stationery, or a writer’s market guide- but I don’t. All the fun stuff like the journals and pens- I like to pick out myself. And the writer’s market guide is like buying me a toaster. Functional? Yes. Gifty? Not really.
And I’ll just quote Ms. Akins for this last part.
“I am acquainted with a lot of writers, and I think I know what they would likeWell said, Karla, well said.
the most of all this Christmas. Most of all they'd like your love and support.
They'd like time with their families. They'd like to know that you "get" what
they're doing, and believe that what they are doing is leaving a legacy because
words are forever.
Okay, fine. What they really want -- are contracts.
Lots and lots of contracts. And chocolate.”
2 comments:
Ack....this is so true. What were you doing snooping in my head? It's really crowded and chaotic in there you know...LOL. Loved this list, I do hope you get more than several of them for Christmas. ^_^ Now I'm thinking of what I "want" and you're right, I like picking out my "writerly" gifts myself. I'll just take the contracts. And the chocolate. Lots of chocolate. :P
YYYESSS! Love all your ideas (except the coffee gift card. Not my thing) - and I REALLY want an mp3 player (LOL so I can do that shuffle thing for the tag deal on FB, among other reasons). And aren't those aquanotes cool looking? SO neat.
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