Gifts, Prizes, and Hand-me-downs

 GIFTS, PRIZES, AND HAND-ME-DOWNS

Supposedly a llama will only poop where there is already llama poop. So you can take them into a hospital and they won’t poop on the floor. I haven’t fact-checked this and can’t remember why a hospital was given as an example. They could go to church or the mall. I think the same principle applies to receiving gifts. I have become a recipient, and the more gifts I get, the more I get.

Christmas was always a big deal. My parents were very generous. We got everything on our lists and also delightful surprises. One year every kid in my grade (2nd or 3rd) asked for a boombox. I got one that was black and my friend got a pink one. I was sure that mine was higher quality. A black boombox must sound better than a pink one. 

At the elementary festival the kindergarten classroom was used for a musical chairs cake walk. A long table of whole cakes were awarded one by one to the winner of musical chairs. Each game started with at least twenty people and took a long time, so you couldn’t afford to play more than once, or you’d miss too much of the festival. The idea of winning an entire cake - of OWNING a whole cake that I legally wouldn’t have to share was stunning. I’m actually feeling nervous right now thinking about it. I buy and bake cakes often and for no occasion. Cake is just a food we often have around, like ice cream and cereal. The idea of cake brings up an embarrassing longing that can never be fulfilled. There have been too many birthday parties and weddings where I was served the smallest piece of cake, without even a portion of a frosting flower. And I never won the cake walk.

My sister, Kate has always been a thoughtful and generous gift-giver. She gave me a crystal ball on a pewter stand when I was in high school and my first record when I was three. My brother Lee gave me a library book one year for Christmas. He would often go “shopping” in his room on Christmas Eve. I don’t talk or write about my brother Jim nearly as much and people are often surprised that I have two brothers. Everyone always joked that Jim was the favorite in the family. He always tolerated affection from me more than anybody else. He’s the least obnoxious one of us, which means he doesn’t generate much gossip. He got a computer for Christmas in the early 80s, and I didn’t see him again until I was an adult.

Scott and I are about to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. I’ve now been married half of my life. A lot of our wedding presents are still in good shape. We got two beach towels that are practically perfect. Textiles wear out within five years now. We typically celebrate anniversaries by going out to dinner and making each other cards. This year I made a present for Scott and ordered a bottle of perfume for myself. I’ve gotten into the habit of ordering presents for myself on a regular basis. Every morning I browse online. I order beauty products, tennis shoes, clothes, craft supplies, and things for the house. I recently got a laminator, a sticker printer, colored pencils, a set of glasses, and the “Rocker” that went with my Barbie from the re-released “Barbie and the Rockers.” I was talking about the barbies with my friend Beck and she said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I said, “This is the first time I’ve known about a band that you don’t” In the 80s Barbie and the Rockers included Barbie, three friends (bandmates), and Rocker Ken who had actual hair - an ash blonde mullet with curly bangs. Why didn’t they bring HIM back? He wore a onesie with pleated silver pants on the bottom.

I love hand-me-downs, often even more than presents. They are presents that people are grateful to me for taking and appreciating. Several people have given me fabric and other craft supplies. Sharon has given me enough yarn for two blankets and several scarves. Finn gives me her old clothes now. She texts pictures of herself in dressing rooms asking if she can buy whatever she’s trying on. She says, “you can borrow it.” And I often think about whether I’ll want to own it a year from now.. I’m sad that we don’t wear the same size shoes.

My mom made both of these cakes. She wasn’t happy with the first one, so she went back to the store for more ingredients and made the second one.