Thank the powers that be for the internet. Because of it, I'm essentially done with Christmas shopping and do not have to fight the crowds at the mall. And almost everything we've ordered is being directly shipped to Illinois and Texas (where we'll be celebrating the holidays with D's parents and my parents, respectively). Less to schlep, less to lose, less to have broken by those oh-so-gentle baggage handling machines when we fly out on the 17th. Yes.
Because we weren't under any crushing pressure to buy gifts, D and I actually did venture to the mall on Saturday. No, we're not crazy. We just have a little holiday tradition of our own, to preserve something meaningful for us in all the insanity: our annual ornament safari.
Each year, we pick out one special item to add to our small collection. For 2008, it was this fish (or one nearly identical to it in green instead of blue -- the one pictured was a gift to D's parents). We're hoping that someday, when we have little Troubadours to share these with, we can tell them a story about the ornaments, where each came from, why we chose each one.
This year's pick is the blown-glass bauble in the center of the bowl we keep on the coffee table (see above). Our tree is so small (six feet tall, not quite a yard at its widest) that there isn't room on it for everything we have, so we put the extras here. It spreads the sparkle around without much effort. We're all about no-fuss decorating.
In other news, my advisor wrote back to me, and all is well on that front. She is totally on board with my ideas about the direction of the manuscript and why that direction has had to shift. She's also excited about my initial structural suggestions (I'd put out a few in response to hers). So it sounds like I can finish this semester without quite as much worry about the next stages of the writing process.
My last submission deadline before winter break is this Friday, so I'm off to get busy on that. But before I go, I just want to say thank you to everyone who's been stopping by and saying hi here. You guys have been terrifically supportive, and it makes a huge difference. And your blogs rock.
6 comments:
Glad your advisor is on board!
I love you and your hubby's little tradition...it's those small things that make the holiday memorable.
Is that fish a prosperity fish? We gave one to each of the kids a couple of years ago. Couldn't tell you where they are now . . .
I love your thoughtfulness about the decorations, and that blown glass ornament is just beautiful. But might I suggest that, when the little troubadours come along, that you keep that one safely stowed away for a few years to avoid major breakage.
;)
Awws, TKW. Thanks. It's nice having something that's just our own in the bigger picture. It's very no-pressure, unlike a lot of the "needs to be perfect" gatherings, events, and other stuff that make the holiday a nightmare for me sometimes.
No worries, GEW! We'll be kid-proofing our decorations when there are little ones.
As for the fish, it is quite likely a prosperity fish. It was among many Chinese New Year themed ornaments -- a dragon stands out in my mind, in particular. We liked the segmented body on the fish because it can actually move its tail side to side.
What a great tradition. Such a little thing every year, and so much meaning attached. Love it.
Thanks, Goldfish! It makes the decorating special and not a chore to fit in when it feels like there's so little time as it is. We get to say "Oh, do you remember when we found this?" while we're getting everything out. I'm sure that will change once we have children, though! I don't know how you, TKW, and GEW do it :).
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