Wishlist, 2007 Edition

I maintain a wishlist at Amazon, but there are a few other things I'm wishing for:

Gorillapod Tripod (black) Eddie Bauer $22.50

Hematite Infinity Necklace Signals.com $29.95

Whad'Ya Know? The Party Game $22.99

I'd also love a small 1/2 qt or 3/4 qt sauce pan.

Gift Giving Guide

I admit that I am hard to please when it comes to gifts. I approach giving gifts as a puzzle, trying to think of something I want to give that the person will also like, even if they might not realize it themselves. Since not everyone has this way of choosing gifts, I wrote this up as an attempt to lay out my likes and dislikes that can perhaps generate some ideas if you do enjoy being creative in selecting gifts. If not, just check out my latest wish list.

I like gifts that are things that I will use regularly. I have a pair of leather gloves I got years ago that always make me think of the person who gave them to me. I have an umbrella, a couple scarfs, sweaters, jewelry, household gadgets, towels, sheets, etc... that do the same. I like having these reminders of the people around me in the objects I live with.

General Knowledge
I like shiny silver things. I like greens, blues, violets, grays, and pinks. I read mysteries. I love brain puzzles (I'm not good spatially so I don't really like the physical puzzles and I can not do the 3D eye puzzles) and the New York Times crossword (I'm an utter crossword snob in that respect). I like games. I have degrees in anthropology and information science. I love water and its creatures. I enjoy going to the theater and to movies. I enjoy a wide range of music (although I tend not to like most rap and country).

Adornment
I don't wear a lot of jewelry but do like pins, bracelets, and screw-on earrings (I don't have pierced ears and clasp ones are painful). I'm getting more into necklaces. I love older jewelry, especially things with rhinestones. Nothing too big or flashy, and, if metal is involved, silver really is the only choice. I use barrettes but they need to be pretty sturdy as I have very thick hair. I wear nailpolish.

Clothing
I wear almost all natural fibers -- cotton, silk, wool, linen, leather. I do not like to wear clothing with words on them or t-shirts with big pictures. I'm a size 10.

Toiletries
I'm not much into scented bath things as I find most perfumed things overwhelming (I prefer clean, non-floral scents, although I do like lilac. Satsuma/tangerine is a favorite) and I've often gotten rashes from bubble bath type stuff. I do like salt scrubs, especially the ones made with essential oils. I've also taken to wearing perfume, Burberry Brit Eau de Parfum.

Other Thoughts
Journals
I've kept a journal now for over 25 years, and so go through several a year. The only criteria here are UNLINED blank books that aren't much bigger than a folded sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper.

'Tis the Season

It appears that I'm going to skip thoughts on Thanksgiving and, in belated honor of Black Friday, I'm going to republish my gift giving guide and then my wish list for the holiday/birthday season (I gave up my own Web site earlier this year, since I was more interested in periodic blogging than maintaining such a site).

Are you who you want to be?

One of my pet peeves about American culture these days is the idea that we have no time for anything. While I can't deny that Americans tend to be overextended, the absurdity of advertisers' claims that we don't have time to brush our teeth or take a weekly pill make me angry. Part of the anger is that absurdity, but the rest lies in the fact that how busy people are is a choice, which too many of us make without accepting responsibility for our decisions or for the consequences they bring.

We all have limited resources--time, energy, money--yet we live in a world where there are countless ways and people on which to allocate them. That's reality.

How we spend our time, regardless of how busy we are, should reflect our priorities in life, but I'm wondering right now if mine do. We tend to get into ruts in terms of what we focus on, and it can be hard with all the choices that exist and all the stimulation we get from the Internet, television, radio, movies, and games to remember the things that really are important to us and to take care of ourselves so that we can make those things our priorities. We can get too tired to even notice all the things we've let slide from lack of focus or lack of energy or bandwidth.

I used to be pretty good about staying in touch with people. I'd write letters, send postcards on vacation, make phone calls, put effort into getting together with people. Over the years I find myself doing less and less of this. I recently mailed a letter I started almost a year ago, which was three months after I 'd received the letter I was replying to. I have e-mails in my inbox that languish because I'm bad about looking at my e-mail when I'm not at work, but don't want to reply while I am at work. I haven't talked to my brother, Pete, in months. And then I have friends I used to do things with that I haven't in far too long.

I blame my Germanic genes in part for this change. I can't seem to help believing that things should be a certain way. In this case that means I shouldn't be the one making so much more effort. It seems that the people I really like tend to be bad about making the effort I'd like to see in relationships. This used to bother me a lot, but over the past five or so years, I've grown much more compassionate and gained more perspective. I've also developed my own bad habits about making effort.

All of that means that, for the most part, I know is them and not me when this disparity occurs. But sometimes I do wonder, since people think they are being "nice" by lying rather than just politely declining. (I at least would rather know that there just isn't room for me in someone's life than put energy into something the other person isn't able to.)

Over the years, my energy has gotten eroded; undoubtedly spurred on my some bad investments on my part. And thus the unanswered e-mails, letters, and phone calls, as well as the unmade phone calls, unwritten e-mails, and lack of effort in getting together. But today, I'm reminding myself that it is my decision, my choice. I am looking at what is Important to me and that what is, is worth it. At least for me. I guess I may also need to be brave and ask for clarity if it comes to that.