I'm going to talk a bit about food. I'm about to head out for lunch with D - MIL has the baby - and I love some of the offerings at this place. They have some sandwiches that are permanent; others are seasonal. One of the seasonal ones is called "Thanksgiving leftovers" (even though Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet). It consists of Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, cranberry sauce, and Tofurkey on bread. I never had Tofurkey before, but it's actually better than turkey. And I love Brussels sprouts. I know, that might be unusual. And this place also has excellent cupcakes. So I'm looking forward to that.

I'm reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I thought it might be bleak and depressing, but I'm enjoying it. It's about a dystopian world, but he's not dwelling too heavily on that aspect. I like how he writes about seemingly small things and finds meaning in them.

And finally...I really hate gift-giving occasions, like the holidays. That is, I like other things about the holidays, like seeing your family, and food. But I'm not big on gifts. I get stressed out picking them. It's really hard to figure out what someone else will like, and chances are they have it already. Every once in a while something jumps out at me and makes me think of a particular person. That's when I have the most success buying a present. But you can't count on it happening, and sometimes it happens at the wrong time. I found the perfect present for D about a week after his birthday. Fortunately, I waited for it, and got it then.

Which leads me to...I know there's a book out there about the 5 languages of love. I read about it on a blog and then I skimmed it online. The basic idea is that every person needs one of these things in order to feel loved: gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time or physical touch. I'm "acts of service" with maybe a dash of "words of affirmation." It puzzles me when people are "gifts." A friend of ours, his girlfriend is like that...so he bought her diamond earrings. He said you could really tell that she liked them and they were meaningful to her. I don't know, diamond earrings would be pretty meaningless to me. It's more meaningful to me when someone is there for me, when I know I can rely on them.

Comments

hey, Ishiguro's book is a movie now... My oldest has read every book of his.. I may just start reading him as well. I read a few pages of the one u have and he reads pretty easy.
As far as turkey, ugh.. my girls want it so I will have to get two turkey breasts since I will not tackle that huge bird!.
Anonymous said…
I think I would be a "quality time" person with maybe an "acts of service" thrown in. I don't understand a gifts person either, but aren't these all gifts in some manner of speaking? I think maybe Rich is a "words of affirmation" person, which leads to some conflict in our house because he's all about talk and I'm all about action.
Anonymous said…
P.S. My brother and his wife give everyone in her family (because they always do a family-wide gift exchange) edible gifts (unique BBQ sauce, for example) or gifts that just about anybody could find a use for, such as reusable shopping bags.
Bearette said…
KBF - that's impressive - that she read them all. One of his, The Unconsoled, is 1000 pages long. Couldn't get through that one :)

DK - True...they are all gifts. And interesting that Rich is "words of affirmation".
This Suzy said…
I've heard of the 5 languages book and I think I've heard from at least a couple people that they really liked it. I'm not completely sure which kind of person I am. Maybe a mix of all of them. lol
Bearette said…
A smorgasbord :)
blackcrag said…
Some 'acts of service' are 'gifts'. I cook for people.

I'd like someone in my life who was 'quality time' and 'physical touch'. Lots of physical touvh ;()
SK said…
It is a book worth reading, in my opinion. I'm definitely "words of affirmation" with a little "acts of service". I don't the gifts one either and you're right, the gift of knowing that someone will never leave your side is the best of all.

I dislike gift giving holidays also unless I already know in advance what that person really wants. On the last trip back to the States I bought things for people in the US and then bought things to bring back to Germany and it gave me such anxiety! This year for Christmas I suggested we do a Secret Santa type thing and draw names with a 15 Euro limit on gifts. I think it will be fun and much easier.
Bearette said…
BC - cooking is definitely a gift.

SK - I agree, in my experience Secret Santa is always fun.
BabelBabe said…
I think I just read it, or something by the same author called Things I Wish I'd Known before I Got Married. it made SO much sense.
G said…
Remember when we did a secret santa and you got me Sweet Sloops? Yum.
Bearette said…
Yum! I also remember the black-and-white cookies we liked.
Perplexio said…
One of the guys in my writer's group mentioned that he and his wife buy each other "classes" as gifts. He said they both feel they have plenty of "stuff" so rather than add to their stuff. They pay for classes for one another-- cooking, photography, etc. that are offered by local civic groups, libraries and etc.
G said…
The Yin-Yangs!!!!!

ps - Word verification: jumpo
(hee hee)

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