Yesterday was my birthday, in case you didn’t know (I turned 21) so today I’m planning a brief list of the gifts I opened/received/bought for myself.
Featuring Miss Minerva Peaches desperately trying to beat the heat. It’s a losing battle.
- The Invitation, by Oriah Mountain Dreamer: So I finished this already, it’s only about 140 pages but it doesn’t need to be any longer. It’s a wise exhortation to live life more openly and with a more complete sense of awareness and consciousness. I think a greater willingness to embrace what life throws my way is something I 9and perhaps many others?) would really benefit from.
- The Gardener’s Bed-Book, by Richardson Wright: I haven’t read any of this yet, so I may be completely off on this tidbit of a summary. The book is a compendium of writings geared toward gardeners and garden-enthusiasts as they tuck themselves in at the end of the day. There are a lot of gardening books that I love (The Modern Library Gardening Series, also including The Gardener’s Year and My Summer in a Garden), but my library doesn’t carry this one. I almost only buy books when BPL or Yale don’t carry them.
- Love, Style, Life, by Garance Dore: Okay, I love Garance Dore and have been reading her style blog on and off for… about a third of my life now. I also have a weak spot for fashion and lifestyle books. Plus her illustrations are gorgeous. So I have to read this. Garance’s voice is entertaining, witty, and familiar. It’s one of the reasons I am very sad her blog is mostly made up of submissions by other contributors now.
- Bookmark: The beautiful diamond-petal red bookmark I mentioned in yesterday’s post is working out very well. And it makes me happy.
- Floral Trowel: Somehow my household lost our two trowels at some point. I tried very hard to find floral trowel because I got it into my head that I wanted a floral trowel. But unfortunately my quest failed. But mom found one for me! So now I have a floral trowel. Just have to wait until the heat is less unbearable.
- Valium Prescription: I spent a few hours yesterday in the local emergency room. Since last Wednesday I’ve been having sharp and enduring pain through the right side of my neck and chest, and through my right shoulder. I’ve been trying to live with it for a while, but the night before last (birthday eve) I was for the first time unable to sleep in spite of advil. And then it got worse throughout the day yesterday, necessitating an ER visit. After a chest x-ray (and a ruling out of dislocation) they figured it was likely muscle strain and gave me a valium prescription. I slept well last night.
- Aussie Moist Conditioner: My friends and family tell me that run of the mill toiletries don’t count a birthday presents. And they have this tendency to get annoyed when I ask for more Pepsodent toothpaste or Neutrogena Foaming Cleanser for birthdays and Christmas. But it makes sense, especially with face and hair care. Because I already have one or two cleansers and conditioners, but my hair and skin belong to that type that ideally is kept on its toes. Have to switch up the routine every now and then so it doesn’t get too comfortable and start questioning your authority (more than it already does), and so toiletry gifts make sense.
- Lupine Seeds: I love Lupine. I’m going to seed it in this fall and hopefully it will come up next year. Lupine is gorgeous, up there with delphinium (which is the flower of July, by the way).
- Scooby-Doo, the Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons: I’m a huge fan of the classic Scooby Doos, have been since forever. Well, early elementary, anyway. And I frequently get a hankering for the old and simple times, which is best satisfied by throwing on Which Witch is Which? or Go Away Ghost Ship! And now I can finally do so without dealing with youtube’s sporadically enforced copyright regulations.
- Dangling Gold Bar Necklace: Pretty self-explanatory, honestly. Except that I saw a necklace like this years and years ago and regretted not getting it ever since. And now I have finally found something that heals my soul.
List Mimsy 