13 Favorite Gifts

1. A couple of Christmases ago I got a custom made poster for my brother, showing the night sky over Chicago on the day he was born. This was special for him because his birthday is on September 11th. His reaction was priceless.
2. The Christmas before last was a very sad one for me. A good friend of mine sent me Kleenex.
3. The first Christmas with my college roommate I got her a Disney movie she said was her favorite. She laughed until she cried when she opened it because it was one of those things that she'd just never get for herself.
4. I love the dictionary my aunt got my for my 8th grade graduation. The inscription makes it even more special.
5. Along with that I love the thesaurus my brother got for me.
6. Another aunt got me a postal scale so I can mail manuscripts without having to go to the post office. More than just office equipment, she invested in and validated my efforts at writing.
7. Several years ago I gave 90% of my beanie baby collection away to my young second cousins. There were many children and many beanie babies; pretty much the kind of fun Christmas is all about.
8. My ipod. Just about the only big ticket item on the list. It really improves my quality of life to be able to have portable music.
9. The tooth fairy gave me a great teddy bear when I got my wisdom teeth out.
10. I looked for a long time for the perfect bear for my kitchen (I need at least one bear in every room). When I was on a random shopping trip with a friend we found a Smokey the Bear. He got it for me just because.
11. I've given a bear to each of my friends when they have a baby. That's fun.
12. An old friend lost her childhood toy in a fire. I went on a mission to find a replacement in antique stores. It was so worth it.
13. The ornaments my mom gets for my Christmas tree, because she supports the idea that only teddy bear ornaments are allowed on my tree.