Christmas Haul
Jan. 4th, 2023 08:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee34I have been extremely remiss in acknowledging all the wonderful gifts I received for Christmas.
I got cards fromsallymn (with a pocket-sized calendar that I have put up at the office so I can look up at scenic Australia when I get bored with grading), goss (gorgeous watercolor, I think, of a fairy inspired by the hobbits from Rings of Power), king_touchy, china_shop, lyr, misbegotten, isabellerecs, oracne, decynthus, aurumcalendula, and Louise (who I think used to be 02104isme, but DW says that username doesn't exist, so maybe I've got the user name wrong, or it's actually someone else; there was no return address).
amejisuto sent me a stitch bound pocket notebook by Black and Red so I have something small with nice paper to slip in purse, a Margaret Atwood book, and a beautiful bookmark.
misbegotten sent me a purple cardigan (I'm trying to up my school colors game) and a disposable camera that takes black and white photos.
musesfool sent me a package stuffed with homemade lotions and lip balms--seriously luxe and gorgeously scented. It's all fantastic, but the lip balms are the best I've ever used. If she wants to open an Etsy shop, I will be a lifelong, loyal customer.
executrix sent me another of her thoughtfully curated packages with books relevant to my interests (poetry and Victorian literature), a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen (it writes so smoothly; love it), a set of Salvador Dali perfumes in bottles that are works of art, and other assorted goodies.
On the real life front, gifts of note include stationery from my in-laws (it has my name across the top, and is seriously luxe; they gave me this same stationery last year, but my name was in blue; when my MIL asked me about it for this year, I asked her if I could get my name in purple so I could use it for work correspondence; I sent lots of thank you notes for work) and my SIL gave me a padfolio I had on my Amazon wish list. I bought a leather padfolio several years ago when I started doing a bunch of committee work, but I chose unwisely. It's too small, and it only accommodates the slimmest of notebooks. I have been very unsatisfied with it. This one is much, much larger; it can accommodate a larger notebook (from the side or the top), and is large enough that the notebook can be spiral bound. It is also large enough that it has a section for a laptop; I won't use it for that, but I can put a second notebook, actual book, or folders and papers in there. And the whole thing zips up. I am so happy. When I take over the university as Supreme Ruler, I must be sufficiently accessorized.
The most important gift comes from my parents, though, and I am full of gratitude and humbled by their generosity. They gave me, Josh, my brother, and my SIL each the maximum amount of money you can give someone before they have to declare it on income taxes. Mom said that they would rather give us our inheritance in pieces while they're alive and can see us enjoy it than when they're dead and presumably we're more financially stable and less in need of it.
And, boy, are we in need of it. Because we, my friends, are dumbasses. I genuinely don't know what we were thinking all these years. I naively assumed that because Emma is really smart she'd just get all of her college paid for the way I did, and until 15 years ago when we got these jobs, Josh and I were living paycheck to paycheck and barely breaking even and racking up tons of credit card debt, so saving for anything wasn't even on our radar. And then when we did get these jobs, paying off that debt and glorying in buying whatever we wanted at the grocery store without painstakingly sticking to a budget took precedence over saving for anything. So when it came time for Emma to go to college, we had saved nothing. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. She's got all her tuition paid for, but nothing else, and there is so much else. LOL My parents paid for the rest of the expenses of the first year and a smidge of the fall semester of the second with one of those 529 things they took out when she was a baby (and I think some of that money was from my MeeMaw). But we've been shouldering the rest. And we are so privileged to be able to do this financially; I am very aware of that. At first it was fine, but then it was less fine, especially since we don't get a regular paycheck in the summer, and our pay is determined by enrollment in our summer classes. And I didn't teach one of those summers, so no paycheck. Also, I can't teach overloads while I have a course release for being Senate Chair, and Josh elected not to teach one this fall because he's been so burnt out (and I don't blame him) and that has been a regular source of additional income for us in the past. So, we started to have to put things on the credit card again. At first we could pay it off at the end of the month, but pretty quickly, we started building up debt again. This money from my parents has allowed us to pay off the credit cards and pay for Emma's spring semester with enough left over to pay for almost all of her remaining two semesters. The relief I feel is like a tangible object I could pick up and carry around. I am so grateful.
I am pleased with the cards and the gifts but more so with the sentiments behind them, the love and friendship and the care everyone took to bring some joy to my life.
*hugs*
I got cards from
sallymn (with a pocket-sized calendar that I have put up at the office so I can look up at scenic Australia when I get bored with grading), goss (gorgeous watercolor, I think, of a fairy inspired by the hobbits from Rings of Power), king_touchy, china_shop, lyr, misbegotten, isabellerecs, oracne, decynthus, aurumcalendula, and Louise (who I think used to be 02104isme, but DW says that username doesn't exist, so maybe I've got the user name wrong, or it's actually someone else; there was no return address).amejisuto sent me a stitch bound pocket notebook by Black and Red so I have something small with nice paper to slip in purse, a Margaret Atwood book, and a beautiful bookmark.misbegotten sent me a purple cardigan (I'm trying to up my school colors game) and a disposable camera that takes black and white photos.musesfool sent me a package stuffed with homemade lotions and lip balms--seriously luxe and gorgeously scented. It's all fantastic, but the lip balms are the best I've ever used. If she wants to open an Etsy shop, I will be a lifelong, loyal customer. executrix sent me another of her thoughtfully curated packages with books relevant to my interests (poetry and Victorian literature), a Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen (it writes so smoothly; love it), a set of Salvador Dali perfumes in bottles that are works of art, and other assorted goodies.On the real life front, gifts of note include stationery from my in-laws (it has my name across the top, and is seriously luxe; they gave me this same stationery last year, but my name was in blue; when my MIL asked me about it for this year, I asked her if I could get my name in purple so I could use it for work correspondence; I sent lots of thank you notes for work) and my SIL gave me a padfolio I had on my Amazon wish list. I bought a leather padfolio several years ago when I started doing a bunch of committee work, but I chose unwisely. It's too small, and it only accommodates the slimmest of notebooks. I have been very unsatisfied with it. This one is much, much larger; it can accommodate a larger notebook (from the side or the top), and is large enough that the notebook can be spiral bound. It is also large enough that it has a section for a laptop; I won't use it for that, but I can put a second notebook, actual book, or folders and papers in there. And the whole thing zips up. I am so happy. When I take over the university as Supreme Ruler, I must be sufficiently accessorized.
The most important gift comes from my parents, though, and I am full of gratitude and humbled by their generosity. They gave me, Josh, my brother, and my SIL each the maximum amount of money you can give someone before they have to declare it on income taxes. Mom said that they would rather give us our inheritance in pieces while they're alive and can see us enjoy it than when they're dead and presumably we're more financially stable and less in need of it.
And, boy, are we in need of it. Because we, my friends, are dumbasses. I genuinely don't know what we were thinking all these years. I naively assumed that because Emma is really smart she'd just get all of her college paid for the way I did, and until 15 years ago when we got these jobs, Josh and I were living paycheck to paycheck and barely breaking even and racking up tons of credit card debt, so saving for anything wasn't even on our radar. And then when we did get these jobs, paying off that debt and glorying in buying whatever we wanted at the grocery store without painstakingly sticking to a budget took precedence over saving for anything. So when it came time for Emma to go to college, we had saved nothing. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. She's got all her tuition paid for, but nothing else, and there is so much else. LOL My parents paid for the rest of the expenses of the first year and a smidge of the fall semester of the second with one of those 529 things they took out when she was a baby (and I think some of that money was from my MeeMaw). But we've been shouldering the rest. And we are so privileged to be able to do this financially; I am very aware of that. At first it was fine, but then it was less fine, especially since we don't get a regular paycheck in the summer, and our pay is determined by enrollment in our summer classes. And I didn't teach one of those summers, so no paycheck. Also, I can't teach overloads while I have a course release for being Senate Chair, and Josh elected not to teach one this fall because he's been so burnt out (and I don't blame him) and that has been a regular source of additional income for us in the past. So, we started to have to put things on the credit card again. At first we could pay it off at the end of the month, but pretty quickly, we started building up debt again. This money from my parents has allowed us to pay off the credit cards and pay for Emma's spring semester with enough left over to pay for almost all of her remaining two semesters. The relief I feel is like a tangible object I could pick up and carry around. I am so grateful.
I am pleased with the cards and the gifts but more so with the sentiments behind them, the love and friendship and the care everyone took to bring some joy to my life.
*hugs*
