teleen_fiction (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
teleen_fiction) wrote2010-12-10 04:34 pm
teleen_fiction) wrote2010-12-10 04:34 pm
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Holiday Wish List Meme.
Ganked from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rm, though I deleted one sentence, paraphrased another and added one more, :).
So there's an LJ meme about your holiday wishlist.
The wishes can be anything from small and with no obvious monetary value to unlikely and/or extravagant. The idea is that I post mine and you post yours, and if people are inclined some of those wishes may just come true. For example, if you have a leather jacket you don’t want or a gift certificate you’re never going to use, that might just be the thing that could make someone else's holiday.
Anyway this is an entirely guilt/obligation-free/why-not sort of thing. Just a bit of whimsy, and I do not expect nor require anyone to participate, :).
If you have already or do post one of these in the future, please comment with a link so that everyone can spread the word around. Remember: one person's trash is another person's treasure, :).
1) The courage, conviction and drive to get off my ass and actually volunteer at Safe Space or other similar organization.
2) Safe Space's local (to me) chapter is Huckleberry House. (Which I just remembered I have vague memories of hearing about when I was in foster care from the teenagers in the foster home with me - they called it "Applebum". And hey, wow, didn't realize it was a trigger until I was writing about it.) In any case, they have the option of signing up your Kroger card to be counted in their favor every time you swipe it, so if you shop at Kroger and don't already have a worthy charity signed up to support in this way, please consider signing up Huckleberry House. Sadly, I feel it's only fair to warn you that if you aren't already signed up with Kroger's website, it may be a hassle to do so. In my case, my account was old and had weird information attached to it. It took me almost two hours before I finally got everything straightened out, but now every time I swipe my Kroger card, Huckleberry House will get credit for it, :). It may not be something that's easily done, but I still think it's worth doing, :).
3) Speaking of charities, a lot of you have sent me virtual gifts (THANK YOU!), something that always makes me incredibly pleased and happy when I see them. However, thoughtful as it is, unless you're taking advantage of the times when LJ is giving them away for free, I'd actually rather see the money going to a worthy cause. The Fight AIDS banner on LJ is a bit expensive (and I have no idea how much of that money actually goes to fighting AIDS), so if you just wanted to donate the dollar that would otherwise be spent on an LJ gift to one of the organizations found here (or another pro-GLBTQP rights/anti-teen suicide/homelessness organization), that would be awesome. It doesn't need to be in my name or anything like that - I'd just rather the money went to someone who needs it more. Please note: I'm trying to tell anyone how to spend their money, but as wonderful as getting those gifts always makes me feel, seeing the money go to a worthy cause would keep me from feeling guilty about feeling so good about it, :). Again, I really appreciate all the ones you all have sent me so far, but the pragmatist in me says that someone else needs the dollar going towards that festive penguin, :). Thank you for thinking of me, :).
4) Banners and/or icons for "The Perfect Storm" and/or![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
trauma_rec_fic. If I'm lucky enough to get a banner, directions for how to display it properly as well, please :).
5) Shot glass display cabinets (wall mounted).
6) Curio display cabinets (wall-mounted).
7) Health insurance. It's been signed up for, but no deductions have happened as yet, so we'll see. The coverage we've signed up for is crappy (through Aetna), but at least it's expensive, sigh.
8) A decent primary care physician in the network that won't balk at giving us the medicines that we feel work best for us.
9) RIII's Crohn's and other health issues to be managed, but especially his Crohn's.
10) My anxiety, depression, insomnia and hormone issues to be managed.
11) ETA 12/12/10Good news from the IRS. No news from the IRS. When I wrote this, we had a certified letter waiting to be picked up at the post office that I assumed was from the IRS. It wasn't. Now, I just don't want to hear from them at all.
12) Get organized and get rid of absolutely everything I don't need and/or love.
13) A resolution on our housing issue. If we have to move in April, I'm really hoping we can get back into our old, far better neighborhood, but our credit is so terrible I'm not sure we'd be able to get into the place where we want to be, :(. We have a four-and-a-half year excellent previous rental history with them, but I'm not sure it'll be enough for them to let us come back. Then there's the fact that we've been so lax on paying our rent with my dad that I'm not sure if he'd even give us a good reference. I wouldn't put it past him to be honest about our history (which he's well within his rights to do, but it would still be shitty) in retaliation for us not taking this house off of his hands. Then again, as much as renting from family is a negative in some ways, it also gives us a good reason if he chooses to give us a bad reference.
14) The repeal of DADT.
15) Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards everyone.
I realize this list is more like a New Year's Resolution/list of intangibles, but I honestly couldn't think of much in the way of things that I wanted for myself. I have things coming out of my ears (hence my requests for wall-mounted cabinets) and while downsizing of space isn't really an option with five cats, I've been wondering what I should do with the stuff I don't use or enjoy, (mostly knick-knacks that were gifts from the aunt I no longer really speak to) and clothes I don't wear. The clothes are obvious - give them to Goodwill, something I've been doing for years, but I never get rid of ANYTHING until I'm absolutely certain that I won't use, wear or enjoy it again. The knick-knacks that she gave me that I don't like (a couple of extraordinarily ugly teacups, for two) I'm beginning to think I should send back to her. Not to be mean, but because I honestly think that she'd enjoy them more than I do. As full as our house is, I've actually spent a lot of time here and there trying to go through and make sure that everything I still own is something I need and/or want to own. Yes, I know it's the thought that counts, but as much crap as we have in this house, I'm getting more and more unwilling to keep things just for the sake of being polite, especially to be polite to someone who sees my identity as an affront to her own.
If it doesn't have sentimental value (like a skirt that my maternal grandmother made for me, which sadly would have been perfect for Bee, :(), I really need to get rid of it. So again, please link your wish lists so that I can look them over and see if maybe my trash might be your treasure, :).
As for what the holidays mean to me as someone who doesn't believe in god, full stop, I see this time of year as a time to share with and appreciate friends and family and to help someone just for the sake of helping them. I realize that it may seem odd to you that such a devout atheist has a holiday wish list, but I do believe in the idea of having a certain 'spirit' this time of year. Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards every human being is a nice concept without any other connotations attached to it. It would be even better if we could feel this way year-round, but at least this is a start. It's the same philosophy I have about Thanksgiving. Yes, the Pilgrims were asshats, but to me Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday because in my heart, it's only about food, fellowship and appreciating our good fortune, whatever form that good fortune takes. I remember and appreciate the history, but I also feel that it's something that can evolve if we allow it to. We could change the date if where it is now causes pain, but the idea of a holiday where we all take the time to appreciate our lives and families has great appeal to me and that's the way in which I celebrate it.
I don't get caught up in the shopping aspect of December (much), but the spirit of giving of myself always bites me this time of year. I buy presents for only a select few. The rest of the time I prefer to make my gifts (such as the ficlets I'm still willing to write for anyone who prompts me) if I can, or donate my time to cooking a meal or hanging out or calling people to catch up. In my dad's family, it was customary to ask the other person what they wanted and if they didn't tell you, to give cash. In my mom's, it was to buy them things that you thought they'd like (hence the hideous teacups) without any input from them. RIII's family is much the same and I KNOW it's the thought that counts, but to me it's thinking of someone to either pay attention when they say they like something specific (I've occasionally taken notes when speaking with friends long before a birthday or holiday) or to ask them what they'd enjoy.
Just generally buying something that I think they'd like causes me a great deal of anxiety, honestly. I'd rather give someone something that they actually want rather than angst over whether or not it's the 'perfect gift' for them. Again, it's the thought that counts, I know that, I really do, but I guess I'm just too pragmatic to want to just buy things blindly and hope that the people I'm buying for enjoy them. I don't expect any of you to share my philosophy, but I did want everyone to know where I was coming from, :).
I hope that everyone is safe and happy for this season and beyond and wish you all Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Everyone, :).
Thank you all for being my friends, :)!
rm, though I deleted one sentence, paraphrased another and added one more, :).So there's an LJ meme about your holiday wishlist.
The wishes can be anything from small and with no obvious monetary value to unlikely and/or extravagant. The idea is that I post mine and you post yours, and if people are inclined some of those wishes may just come true. For example, if you have a leather jacket you don’t want or a gift certificate you’re never going to use, that might just be the thing that could make someone else's holiday.
Anyway this is an entirely guilt/obligation-free/why-not sort of thing. Just a bit of whimsy, and I do not expect nor require anyone to participate, :).
If you have already or do post one of these in the future, please comment with a link so that everyone can spread the word around. Remember: one person's trash is another person's treasure, :).
1) The courage, conviction and drive to get off my ass and actually volunteer at Safe Space or other similar organization.
2) Safe Space's local (to me) chapter is Huckleberry House. (Which I just remembered I have vague memories of hearing about when I was in foster care from the teenagers in the foster home with me - they called it "Applebum". And hey, wow, didn't realize it was a trigger until I was writing about it.) In any case, they have the option of signing up your Kroger card to be counted in their favor every time you swipe it, so if you shop at Kroger and don't already have a worthy charity signed up to support in this way, please consider signing up Huckleberry House. Sadly, I feel it's only fair to warn you that if you aren't already signed up with Kroger's website, it may be a hassle to do so. In my case, my account was old and had weird information attached to it. It took me almost two hours before I finally got everything straightened out, but now every time I swipe my Kroger card, Huckleberry House will get credit for it, :). It may not be something that's easily done, but I still think it's worth doing, :).
3) Speaking of charities, a lot of you have sent me virtual gifts (THANK YOU!), something that always makes me incredibly pleased and happy when I see them. However, thoughtful as it is, unless you're taking advantage of the times when LJ is giving them away for free, I'd actually rather see the money going to a worthy cause. The Fight AIDS banner on LJ is a bit expensive (and I have no idea how much of that money actually goes to fighting AIDS), so if you just wanted to donate the dollar that would otherwise be spent on an LJ gift to one of the organizations found here (or another pro-GLBTQP rights/anti-teen suicide/homelessness organization), that would be awesome. It doesn't need to be in my name or anything like that - I'd just rather the money went to someone who needs it more. Please note: I'm trying to tell anyone how to spend their money, but as wonderful as getting those gifts always makes me feel, seeing the money go to a worthy cause would keep me from feeling guilty about feeling so good about it, :). Again, I really appreciate all the ones you all have sent me so far, but the pragmatist in me says that someone else needs the dollar going towards that festive penguin, :). Thank you for thinking of me, :).
4) Banners and/or icons for "The Perfect Storm" and/or
trauma_rec_fic. If I'm lucky enough to get a banner, directions for how to display it properly as well, please :). 5) Shot glass display cabinets (wall mounted).
6) Curio display cabinets (wall-mounted).
7) Health insurance. It's been signed up for, but no deductions have happened as yet, so we'll see. The coverage we've signed up for is crappy (through Aetna), but at least it's expensive, sigh.
8) A decent primary care physician in the network that won't balk at giving us the medicines that we feel work best for us.
9) RIII's Crohn's and other health issues to be managed, but especially his Crohn's.
10) My anxiety, depression, insomnia and hormone issues to be managed.
11) ETA 12/12/10
12) Get organized and get rid of absolutely everything I don't need and/or love.
13) A resolution on our housing issue. If we have to move in April, I'm really hoping we can get back into our old, far better neighborhood, but our credit is so terrible I'm not sure we'd be able to get into the place where we want to be, :(. We have a four-and-a-half year excellent previous rental history with them, but I'm not sure it'll be enough for them to let us come back. Then there's the fact that we've been so lax on paying our rent with my dad that I'm not sure if he'd even give us a good reference. I wouldn't put it past him to be honest about our history (which he's well within his rights to do, but it would still be shitty) in retaliation for us not taking this house off of his hands. Then again, as much as renting from family is a negative in some ways, it also gives us a good reason if he chooses to give us a bad reference.
14) The repeal of DADT.
15) Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards everyone.
I realize this list is more like a New Year's Resolution/list of intangibles, but I honestly couldn't think of much in the way of things that I wanted for myself. I have things coming out of my ears (hence my requests for wall-mounted cabinets) and while downsizing of space isn't really an option with five cats, I've been wondering what I should do with the stuff I don't use or enjoy, (mostly knick-knacks that were gifts from the aunt I no longer really speak to) and clothes I don't wear. The clothes are obvious - give them to Goodwill, something I've been doing for years, but I never get rid of ANYTHING until I'm absolutely certain that I won't use, wear or enjoy it again. The knick-knacks that she gave me that I don't like (a couple of extraordinarily ugly teacups, for two) I'm beginning to think I should send back to her. Not to be mean, but because I honestly think that she'd enjoy them more than I do. As full as our house is, I've actually spent a lot of time here and there trying to go through and make sure that everything I still own is something I need and/or want to own. Yes, I know it's the thought that counts, but as much crap as we have in this house, I'm getting more and more unwilling to keep things just for the sake of being polite, especially to be polite to someone who sees my identity as an affront to her own.
If it doesn't have sentimental value (like a skirt that my maternal grandmother made for me, which sadly would have been perfect for Bee, :(), I really need to get rid of it. So again, please link your wish lists so that I can look them over and see if maybe my trash might be your treasure, :).
As for what the holidays mean to me as someone who doesn't believe in god, full stop, I see this time of year as a time to share with and appreciate friends and family and to help someone just for the sake of helping them. I realize that it may seem odd to you that such a devout atheist has a holiday wish list, but I do believe in the idea of having a certain 'spirit' this time of year. Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards every human being is a nice concept without any other connotations attached to it. It would be even better if we could feel this way year-round, but at least this is a start. It's the same philosophy I have about Thanksgiving. Yes, the Pilgrims were asshats, but to me Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday because in my heart, it's only about food, fellowship and appreciating our good fortune, whatever form that good fortune takes. I remember and appreciate the history, but I also feel that it's something that can evolve if we allow it to. We could change the date if where it is now causes pain, but the idea of a holiday where we all take the time to appreciate our lives and families has great appeal to me and that's the way in which I celebrate it.
I don't get caught up in the shopping aspect of December (much), but the spirit of giving of myself always bites me this time of year. I buy presents for only a select few. The rest of the time I prefer to make my gifts (such as the ficlets I'm still willing to write for anyone who prompts me) if I can, or donate my time to cooking a meal or hanging out or calling people to catch up. In my dad's family, it was customary to ask the other person what they wanted and if they didn't tell you, to give cash. In my mom's, it was to buy them things that you thought they'd like (hence the hideous teacups) without any input from them. RIII's family is much the same and I KNOW it's the thought that counts, but to me it's thinking of someone to either pay attention when they say they like something specific (I've occasionally taken notes when speaking with friends long before a birthday or holiday) or to ask them what they'd enjoy.
Just generally buying something that I think they'd like causes me a great deal of anxiety, honestly. I'd rather give someone something that they actually want rather than angst over whether or not it's the 'perfect gift' for them. Again, it's the thought that counts, I know that, I really do, but I guess I'm just too pragmatic to want to just buy things blindly and hope that the people I'm buying for enjoy them. I don't expect any of you to share my philosophy, but I did want everyone to know where I was coming from, :).
I hope that everyone is safe and happy for this season and beyond and wish you all Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards Everyone, :).
Thank you all for being my friends, :)!