What did you get for christmas

[gisli]

I bought myself Billie´s Bones audiophile (what ever that is:o ) here on Janis Holiday sale, it will arrive someday next year. Then I got the DVD, X-Men 3, a cd with songs Gummi put together, very nice choice of songs, homemade picture from my youngest, a pillow embroid with the sentence "Best Grandpa", box of chocolates and a book called Best Dad, bookmarks........and all I wanted for x-mas was a Jaguar.

[Jan de Vries]

Gisli, I sent you an e-mail wishing you Merry Christmas, but your box is full.
So it hasn't reached you. Best wishes!

Jan and Conny de Vries, Holland.

[ponytail]

Janis CDs from Dave: Uncle Wonderful, Night Rains, Miracle Row, Unreleased 2 and 3. The Burl Ives Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer DVD (I love Herbie the gay dentist elf, and The Island of Misfit Toys). A clip on book light. And all kinds of candy from folks at church, including two boxes of homemade fudge.

I also bought myself one thing: the complete works of Saki. I saw it for cheap at Barnes & Noble, and couldn't resist. The only stories of his I've ever gotten to read before are "The Open Window" and "Gabriel-Ernest," and I hope at least some of the others are that good.

[gisli]

Gisli, I sent you an e-mail wishing you Merry Christmas, but your box is full.
So it hasn't reached you. Best wishes!

Jan and Conny de Vries, Holland.

Thank you Jan and Conny and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you both too. Looking forward to see you and Conny in the near future......:D

Ps the mail box has had some x-mas cleaning.

[marjan]

It is with great pleasure that I can announce I've won one of Janis' guitars YIPPIIEE :D :D Bouncing around my room .... Jumping, dancing, singing laladiladila :D :D

[Chet]

I haven't received mine yet, but you can be sure when I do, I will share them with you.

[Dee]

What did you get for christmas

Indigestion, for one thing. :p

[Eva]

Marjan, congratulations with being the new proud owner of a Janis original guitar. That must be a dream come through! I am very happy for you. :cool:

I mostly got the company of family and friends. Wich is kind of important to me. On December the 24th I had my nameday. It was also christmas eve and I spent the evening with my parents. Today I spent at a good friends house. Tomorrown I will spend it at two other friends house. Other people will be there too, just like today. I like them all so that's nice.

I got presents yes... a little money and santa claus refrigerator magnet. Also I got a pretty scarf and a box of Belgian chocolates. I am very happy with my presents. But even happier with the people I am celebrating with.

Eva

[Mimi]

This has been a wonderful Christmas!
I've been able to complete my Janis collection with the Society's Child CD set and Present Company, my family added some more music... Shawn Colvin, Dar Williams, Kathy Mattea, a Joni Mitchell DVD set... but most of all: I'll be aunt again, my third niece or nephew is on it's way! My youngest sister and my brother in law came out with this news tonight! - while we were listening to Janis' music... (So it'll be a Rudie ;) ) I'm very very lucky!

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MARJAN!!!

Mimi

P.S: Last but not least... a Pirate Queen sent me some of the legendary stroop wafels...

[Darlene]

I posted this at another thread but I just want to share!
My Granddaughter has gone and most of the paper has been picked up, well at my house at least. Their are lots of people to thank for all the wonderful Christmas presents and a memorable Christmas. My sister "Aunt Charlene" who hosts the event. All my family at Char's, especially my sister char and (my niece Amy just happens to be a professional photographer) who conspired with my son and daughter-in-law to spend an afternoon taking pictures of my granddaughter "Haley" age 3 1/2 (who happens to be beautiful and very photogenic) (I know everyone thinks their grandchildren are beautiful) but mine really is. Anyway I got 72 4x6 prints, a CD, and the copyrights, pretty good huh. Uncle Steve (on her mom's side) got Haley a great big Dora Doll House, and Haley has been playing until she drops playing until she drops. Right now she is at Uncle Ronnie's and who knows what she will get. This a child from a poor family, but she is not poor this Christmas and neither is her Grandmother (me). I also got a few Janis CDs, an old photograph when my twins were about three and their biological doner looks really mad and I have always loved that picture (but my ex-husband) I didn't want him in the picture so my daughter had a friend just make him disappear it was great we are all smiling and we look happy just the three of us.
My friends who blessed us by stepping in to help buy Haley some of her practical gifts. Way too many blessings to mention! Thank You the Great I Am!
__________________

[DaveM]

I HOPED it would be Marjan! Ya-HOO!

[Amy in Vermont]

Congrats Marjan!

We decided this year to wait until after the holidays to purchase our one big gift: I am getting a large (37") flat panel TV for the living room. I figure prices will come down after the first of the year.

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

What did we get for Christmas.... Well I'll let Betty answer for herself... Several nice gifts.... nothing extravagent... many unexpected.... But most importantly and the most treasured gift was having so many dear, kind and wonderful people that I consider to be friends.... Christmas for us was wonderful... Something that made this even a better year for us was chasing Janis and Philip around the mid-western United states for a couple days... and meeting so many of you on our excursions both close and farther from home... Yes I think the best thing we got for Christmas was that it was part of such a wonderful year... So many of you rudies have weaseled your way into our hearts... And that friendship has a great value to us....

The unexpected came mostly from Janis (with our order) and Gisli in the form of a truly touching and heartfelt note, Clark bars (A nearly extinct candy bar) from my brother... Our best gifts this year came in some unusual forms... Concerts, and being surrounded by the friendship of so many from all over this rapidly shrinking world....

In closing Christmas brought us happiness that we are blessed with from so many of you... Thank you.... And Yes I do blame REDJACK!

May 2007 be even better for you all....

Randy from Pennsylvania...

PS... Marjan I can think of no person on the face of this earth that would offer the guitar a better home then you...

[KarenSews2]

The best gift is my aunt being a bit better. I hadn't written about it, but on Friday, it was looking like we'd be planning a funeral today. On Friday around noon, I was there and she was completely unresponsive, and they thought her kidneys might have been shutting down. When I left there to go to work, I was distraught. I thought I had heard her speak to me for the last time. Ned and Bailey met me there after work, and she was the same.

Saturday she was better, but I didn't make it to the hospital. Yesterday evening she was talking some, but not making a lot of sense. I even got her to drink some water and some medicine they wanted her to have. Today she was tired when Bailey and I got there, but she had been in a chair earlier in the day, and she was complaining of being cold. She doesn't know us, but she's still "sewing." She said, "I almost got that little suit done." I asked who it was for, and she said she didn't know. That's OK. I can still hear her voice a while longer.

As far as other gifts, I got an electronic Sudoku game, a DVD of The Tick and a darling little snowman ornament from Allison. Bailey's gift is still being made, so I don't know what that is. Ned got me a new red plaid flannel nightgown. He's given me several over the years, and I love 'em! His other gift will be picked up in a day or so. I'm getting a new SEWING MACHINE!!! This one will do almost anything except make dinner and do the laundry! Can't wait to play with it! I agonized for a long time about spending that kind of $$, but Mixty talked me into it! ;)

Merry Christmas to all!

Congrats, Marjan!!

[DaveM]

Well Karen, now that you have a new machine perhaps you could get to work on the sails for the pirate ship.

[Rickster]

Marjan, Fantastic! I knew you would get it!

[GodSistah]

PonyTail: I love Herbie the gay dentist elfYou are too funny P.T. :D

Congratulations Marjan! I'm sooo happy for you! What a cool thing to have! I have an electric guitar that is signed by George Clinton of P-Funk and it is one of my prized possessions! :)

This year for Chrismas I got lots of cool stuff from family and friends. The two things that stand out the most are a book from my 12 year old nephew, Cory, called "The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics". And from my friend, Chris, I got an Elvis calendar that is in the shape of a record. Too cool!

;)

~Andrea~

[Denise]

I guess for me, it's not what I got, but what my PARENTS got....
You see, after living a middle-income semi-comfortable life, they are now elderly & retired and on a VERY limited income. Their only fault was being overly generous over the years to their children & grandchildren....and not saving what they should have. Now they are suffering for it and have pretty much nothing left after paying the bills. (And how I wish I had a load of money to hand to them....)
SOOO, my sister, brother and I, and all of our kids, decided this year we would all chip in and get them gift cards up the wazooo.... My mom cried as she opened each card.... probably about a dozen or more of them.... to Wal-Mart, the local grocery store, the local pharmacy, the donut shop up the road where my Dad LOVES the blueberry muffins, and so on.... We all felt like we were able to finally give a little back after all the years of umpteen million toys, clothes, etc for all of us each Christmas. It was very emotional. Who says Gift Cards are "cold" "easy" gifts? In our case, it was perfect. We did, though, give them a couple of token "real" wrapped gifts... winter scarfs and a couple of warm new blankets.
After the New Year, our next step is to get them affordable housing so that they will have more money after the bills each month......

[Cardiffgal]

Denise that is a sweet story about your parents. Mine did about the same thing. The only difference is they own their home and it is fully paid for. I paid the last balance on it for them about 8 years ago. The best money I ever spent.

NOW I am having trouble convincing them to do a reverse mortgage. I keep asking them what are the saving the money for? Their living standard could be so improved.

But you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Happy Holidays

[SongDragon]

A lot of people got Amazon gift cards, from us. Before I even went to Christmas I got a new computer (and just in time, apparently, I wasn't thinking a new computer mattered much because my old one is in such good shape, and this morning the screen did something funny so that now I can't read it). I got lots of socks, my favorites being dark green, hand-made, with a dragon-scale pattern. I got clothes. I got "Present Company" and "Working Without a Net" both supposedly from household animals... sure, they have great taste. I got to see my kitty! Haven't seen him since I went off to college. We spent all night cuddling... He's kind of picky, he doesn't want you to fall asleep petting him, so I was tired by the end of Christmas. Pets.

But it was wonderful, seeing everyone. I also got lots of lotion, which I asked for, and chapstick. Still, I think it's funny how many socks I end up with every year, all fuzzy and bright. Some hand-made pottery. Etc...

Wonderful year. Very interesting. I still need to see friends and family, though, but I'm so tired right now it's ridiculous. I don't think I'm being comprehensible, even.

~Song

[Judy]

The gift that most made me think of this board was that I got a book called "The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection From the Living Dead" by Max Brooks...thought of regifting that one to the Ian/Snyder household when I finish.
(And also found yet another stray kitten scurrying across the deck - that makes four this year...our names must be posted on the kitty underground railroad.)

[mixtymotions]

ponytail, The Open Window made such an impression on me when I read it as a child. Thank you for reminding me of it - I'll have to give it a good re-read, hankie at the ready.

Karen, a new Bernina AND a new flannel nightie? My, my, oh my, you must have been a very good girl this year!

For Christmas I got Janis goodies and a fly tying kit. Living in the Rockies, I must admit I'm not much of a skiier any more, but a trout stream is the closest anyone can get to heaven! Now if I can learn to tie a decent fly...

[gisli]

It is with great pleasure that I can announce I've won one of Janis' guitars YIPPIIEE :D :D Bouncing around my room .... Jumping, dancing, singing laladiladila :D :D

Marjan so (envy) happy for you. Hope you didn´t knock away some of the other very few Janis Ian items you have stacked in your house. Can I say that you are my raw model....but everytime I think I am on the same track as you, you go on doing something like this.

Ps when does your tour of 2007 begin...

Pps. Denise and Cardiffgal my hats off for you.

[hoops]

marjan!!! congratulations!!! i couldn't be happier for you!
me, well, hmmm,i had an interesting christmas as far as gifts goes. My dad, who is, shall we say A FANATIC CATHOLIC ahem... gave everyone 1) Pope benedicts latest enciclical "God Is Love" 2) a flask of holy water "to remember your baptism 3) salvation thru a series of prayers said over the next 3 years and 4) a tiny bottle of chanel #5( i really love this one, he used to get it for mom every year) so, i'm heaven bound and smellin good!
my wonderful girlfriend got me the large Janis mug and the Janis clock! it MUST be love!
I got to give more gifts than i have in many years due to the fact that i am working again and i must say it was fun, tho i didn't go overboard i bought just enough Janis stuff to give to my friends i gave diane some special stuff she asked for and forgot she had (i'm saving her Janis stuff for her birthday on jan 28th shhhhh don't tell.
i hope you all had a very merry christmas!
peace
hoops

[Eva]

Hoops, careful with that holy water! What if it starts sizzling if by accident you confuse it with the Chanel 5??? :eek:

Eva

[DaveM]

At some point, presumably, there will be more Janis-related items in Marjan's home than non Janis-related items.

Won't comment on Kathleen Brogan, as I suspect that in her case, that ship has long since sailed.

[Denise]

Cardiffgal... that was another unfortunate incident in their lives... after years of owning a home on a lake, about 12 yrs ago they were forced to sell coz they were going in the hole every month trying to pay their mortgage which kept increasing due to a couple of 100% reevaluations from the town. Their waterfront property went sky high and the taxes forced them to move. AND it was sold for $165,000 and, had they been able to keep it, would now sell for at least $600,000!! If we could only look into the future..... breaks my heart really... Now they are paying $850/month rent on a small home.... WAY too much for them.
I WISH they still lived there and could do a reverse mortgage! How great that would've been! Kudos to you for doing what you did for your parents!

P.S. Marjan - Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Oak Kitten]

Marjan, that is TOTALLY awesome! Congratulations! I hope you don't have to pay the equivalent in shipping and customs fees!

Denise, that is a great story about what you did for your parents.

As I mentioned in another thread, John treated both of us to new musical instruments - a piano for me and an electric guitar for him. My family is so large that we draw names for Christmas - otherwise we would go bankrupt buying gifts for each other. But the best part was traveling up to New England and getting to see everyone, including the new additions to the family - John's nephew and my great-niece. We had a progressive Christmas - kind of like a progressive dinner - where we made stops along the eastern seaboard where people fed us and gave us presents. We had about 5 minutes of snow on Christmas night, when the sleet switched over.
It was a lot of fun.

Oak

[aabram]

A new microwave, news my Nephew in New Zealand will be over in July complete with young family, and news I'll see Matthew (another Nephew) in February :) What more could a great auntie ask for????? :D

[hoops]

eva, then i'll know it's fake!! a trick my dad is playing to try to scare me str8 lolol
peace
hoops

[Mimi]

hoops,

that could have been a trick of my grandmas or mom as well... both of them most strictly catholic... but so far it hasn't worked out... neither your nor my girlfriend have to be scared... ;) :p :D

Mimi

[AceOn6]

As usual, I got way too much stuff. Also as usual, my favorite things are the smaller ones... an FM transmitter for my iPod, some flavored coffees, and way too much good, red wine. This was a strange Christmas as I received only one clothing item, a sweater from my niece. Everything else was either electronic or edible!

[SongDragon]

...and "Stars" on vinyl. Another record! Had to have Dad show me how to play it, I'll admit. Heh. Not that it worked... something was wrong with the amplifier attached to the record player. We'll fiddle with it again when we have more time. I now have two records of Janis' (and more CDs of course).

However the best part about that record was I got it from a very good friend I finally got to see. It's hard with her going to Tennessee while I'm in Nevada... I can't keep an eye on her and she can't keep an ear out for me to keep each other out of trouble. The two Jens... always seemed we were inseparable. Learned quickly how wrong that impression could be after a semester of college appart, but we haven't changed--still saying we're going to get together for that cup of coffee, but end up adding a movie and lunch to the deal.

~Song