Today's highlights from the catalogs in the mail:
9 ft. Light-up Nativity Scene with built-in electric air blower for quick and easy inflation
Plastic "Snowflakes are angel kisses" bubble bottle necklaces
Felt "Jesus loves you snow much!" sucker covers. Oh, and "Jesus loves you snow much" playing cards.
"He's got the whole world in His hands" frisbees
All I have to say is, WWJD if He were on this mailing list? Hm. I think I'm going to move to China.
Today marked the beginning of the Christmas shopping season for me when the tacky catalogs arrived in the mail. Here are some choice descriptions of products. I will leave you to conjure the images in your own heads, since I am too lazy to fire up the scanner. Really, they speak for themselves anyway:
New! Lipstick Lamp has true stay-all-day (or night) color!
Haunted Lighted Face: Transform an ordinary tree into an enchanted tree. Happily haunt the neighborhood with this 4-pc polyresin haunted face with lighted eyes and give your neighbors the "woodland willies".
Santa Commode Set: Dress up the bath with this 3-pc commode set.
Fiber Optic Doves of Peace
America's Pride: Display your treasures and pleasures with this three-dimensional American bald eagle wall shelf. Sculpted in polyresin, this spread-winged eagle captures all the detail and character.
Go ahead, pull something from Louie's nose!
Joking aside, I am actually planning to buy something from one of these catalogs as a gift for one lucky person this Christmas. Tremble in fear, friends and family!
I went shopping today, and it finally occurred to me what really annoys me about "fashion". It's not really that I'm cheap (although I certainly am, at least by LA standards. I got yelled at Thursday for keeping the same plastic water bottle for two years. It's not like it's disposable or something. It's still in great shape. Why on earth would I get another one? Geesh. I've also been scolded for buying a car that's less than "glamorous". Please take note that this picture is not of my car. Mine is much sexier, with a disco ball hanging from the rearview mirror.) I just hate the thought of buying something I like and then not being able to wear it six months later because I'll look dumb. Maybe I just get too attached to my clothes. Or maybe I'm just making excuses because I couldn't be fashionable if I tried. :)
My baby brother, who is three years my junior (that makes him 23, folks, so you can guess how old I am), has had his mind boggled by the number of people he knows who have gotten married recently. Then there's the other side of the coin. I am beginning to hear many people my age bemoaning the number of people they know who are getting divorced. Now, all of those people had to have gotten married fairly young to be getting divorced while they are still so young. I hope, for my own sake, that it has nothing to do with how young these poor couples were when they married. But I just can't imagine, beyond abuse or infidelity, what would drive someone to get a divorce after such a short amount of time. Josh and I have been married just over three years, and I feel like we're just now starting to really understand how to live harmoniously. Of course I say that every few months or so. When we've been married fifty years, I'll probably still be saying, "Aha! We've finally hit our stride!" It's not that we get along badly. There are just so many little epiphanies, so many of those "Aha!" moments, when you realize something about yourself, the other person, or marriage in general that will help you get along that much better.
I hope never to be in the position, but I can at least sort of understand giving up on a marriage after years and years of not getting along. I don't understand giving up after only two or three. How could you possibly know everything it takes to get along with the person after such a short amount of time? Can you even honestly say that you've given it a good try?
It snowed in the mountains here over the weekend. I was hoping to beat all of you East Coast friends and family, but it turns out it snowed in Uncle Lynn's neck of the woods over the weekend, too. Oh well. I guess you can't expect too much living in Southern California.
I'm just excited that the snow is here already because I found out about another cross country ski trail nearby. Near Palm Springs, of all places. Go figure. Desert. Hot springs. Palm trees. And skiing. This place is stange.
You know you spend way too much time on the road when you can tell what type of car is behind you at night by the shape of the headlights. I will admit, though, that luxury cars are easier to spot. Mercedes, Porsches, and Lexi seem to have the most easily distinguised headlights. I wonder if I could design a junker, give it unusual headlight and body shapes, and sell it for a lot more money than it's worth. Oh wait. I forgot about the Scion.
