Sunday, January 23, 2011

What do you mean Christmas is over?!

I'm convinced it's still Christmas: all the kids are in their peejays and it's well past noon, the air is nippy, a new Starbucks planner is open on my desk, a balikbayan box's contents are strewn all over the living room floor, and my skin is as dry as a piece of cheap ham left overnight on the dining table.


(the oval puncher!)


I received three new punchers: a 1/8-inch hole puncher, a 1/16-inch one that punches a hole 2 inches from the edge of the paper (How cool is that! Thanks, P!), and an easy-grip Fiskars oval puncher. I riddled a sheet of 220-gsm paper with holes, admiring the sharpness of the punchers and mentally thanking the genius behind them for making these tools easier to use than their cousins which remind one of medieval instruments of torture.


I also got a book, Artful Cards: 60 Fresh and Fabulous Designs (Are they ever! Thanks, G!), that has my brain churning out even more variations of its sixty. As I nurse a mug of strong coffee and a cold (sniff, sniff), I'm writing down the details of Artful Cards in my new black Moleskine (Gasp! Thanks, J!) journal so that I can keep track of how many books I've read so far this year (ahem... 22). I'm keeping the next few pages blank because I anticipate a list that will grow to a hundred titles, and keeping my fingers crossed that I have as much time as I have books.


2010 was an awesome year. I made new friends and re-connected with old ones. My belief that the world is filled with good people was affirmed many times, through friends, family and total strangers. I learned that it is during the tough times-- and last year proved very difficult-- that people, oddly enough, are most generous.


(the galleys!)


So don't try to convince me that it isn't Christmas anymore. I received so many gifts-- books, clothes, arts and crafts supplies, shoes, make-up (uh-huh), household items-- that I'm having trouble finding room for them in the house. But there are galleys of children's books still on their way to me as I write, Christmas presents from a friend (Thanks, C!) who's lucky enough to live where she can see the planet's coolest library when she stands two steps away from her front door. 


I also received so much more-- friendship, loyalty, time to read and draw, life lessons from my children, kindness, sympathy, love, support, a gazillion hugs both real and virtual, happiness, blessings where I often forget to look-- and they're still being delivered to me in a steady, reassuring stream. They don't occupy physical space, but my heart is full to bursting.

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4 comments:

Sana said...

Love your article Ajie... you are truly gifted =)

mental wayfarer said...

Thank you, Sana!

GatheringBooks said...

This is a nice post. =) Presents are always lovely - whether they come from huge boxes, shipped from overseas, or those that are intangible and felt with the heart. =) It's good to know you. Thanks for joining in our Reading Challenge. Always great to connect with other Filipino book bloggers. =)

mental wayfarer said...

Myra: I'm touched that you took the time to read a post other than my announcement for the challenge. Says a lot about you, and i'm smiling beatifically ("beatific" looks silly on me though) as i write. Thank you, thank you.:)