until Christmas - slightly OT continued

I mentioned Taria's comment about the warranty while dh was getting ready for work this morning. He laughed and said "dammit". I've flooded his inbox at work with all the other comments (at least the ones that agree with my opinion) just for fun. A couple facts that make this even more funny - 1st - I bought the machine for myself at the Chicago quilt show. So I know, absolutely, what's in the box.

2nd - I'm not going to risk my or any of my friends' hands by opening it early (so Butterfly can relax). It is 'cruel and unusual" punishment, but, sigh, I'm used to it after 26 yrs of marriage and will wait, but I guarantee there'll be no big Christmas dinner - probly leftovers. (:

Musicmaker

Reply to
Musicmaker
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I've been a bit surprised at such strong opinions that have been expressed. I think he's just having a little fun and wants the joy of seeing you get to open something you want on Christmas. At our ages, it seems pretty rare that we actually get something we truly desire on Christmas. We get those sorts of things (for the most part) when the opportunity comes rather than waiting for a special day. So you both are getting some fun out of the anticipation of opening your new baby. I speak from experience. I had my new Bernina under the tree for a week or so before Christmas. It was fun to watch my DH see me open it....I knew what it would look like.....he didn't. It will be here soon. Enjoy.

Reply to
KJ

Now, now.... where's the Christmas spirit with which you both went into this? Let him have his fun, it's Christmas! Give him a big feast, it's Christmas! Then open your lovely new toy and play, play, play - it's Christmas!!

Karen, Queen of Squishies _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ music is all around us, all you have to do is listen

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

That's a better answer than mine! But it's what I meant!

Reply to
KJ

I'm not surprised by the strong opinions. In my experience, presents at Christmas, birthdays, and other holidays is one of the the most contentious issues in families. People learn that the way it was done in their family is The Way It Is Done.

In my home, there was never a big deal made over holiday and birthday gifts. This wasn't from poverty or lack of generousity. We just never made a big deal over these things. For a birthday, my parents might hand me a toy or paperback book they thought I'd like. They might do that on any other day too. Gifts weren't likely to be wrapped. They were handed over. Big things like new clothes, bicycles and typewriters were given with the participation of the child. It would be determined that I needed something, and I'd be taken shopping. We looked at selection and prices together and talked about features and value. There was no surprise, and there was never a big deal over a particular day. Are flights easier or less expensive a week before or after the holiday? The celebrate then!

I still think that's a good way to do it. We'll all be spending money our whole lives so it makes sense to get lessons as often as possible about what level of quality is worth what amount of money. That's not to say that my parents were cheap people who saved money at every opportunity. Sometimes if you love something enough, it makes sense to spend the extra. But do think about what you're getting for the extra money.

My best friend in elementary school's family did everything differently. In her family, Christmas and birthdays were the day of the big haul. The kids got everything they might need for the year on those 2 days. (There was also back-to-school shopping.) The kids got no input, though they were generally pleased. I thought it was a stupid way to do it back when I was 10, and I think so now, but I'm pretty sure the kids in her family wouldn't agree with me. They probably felt sorry for me because I never had anything to look forward to. They probably looked at the used book I got in December, compared it to their shiny new bikes and tape recorders, and thought my parents were mean. I thought their happy anticipation on the one hand was offset by never getting exactly what they wanted on the other. If my parents seemed cheap to them, their parents seemed cheap to me. The kids were always in a state of wanting but not being allowed to have.

To this day, Jim and I don't buy each other gifts. We were in a bookstore together last week and decided that a new, hardcover cookbook might be just the thing since we both like to cook. We're calling that our contribution to the economy. (It's a Claudia Rodin one on cuisine from Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon, lots of fun.) (Oh, and it was 40% off.)

Now skip a generation. My brother has 2 children and 2 stepchildren. I think my mother has been generous with all of them, but she treats the gifts the way she did when my brother and I were little. Sometimes she'll take a grandchild or step-grandchild shopping. But my sister-in-law doesn't seem to count the gifts that don't come wrapped and on time for a birthday or holiday. This baffles my mother. It baffles me too. I've sent presents, nice new presents, that aren't wrapped or that don't arrive "on time," and gotten no acknowledgement. I've wondered if I wasn't doing something right.

I won't say this has caused an all out war between in-laws, but it's making us all uncomfortable. From my sister-in-law's point of view, she may think favoritism is being shown to the natural grandchildren as opposed to the stepgrandchildren, but I really don't think my mother would do that. I know I've been careful to include all the kids equally. (In my case, being so much better with older children than younger ones, the so-called favoritism is because I can think of things that the teenagers would like when I'm baffled by kids in early elementary school. If goes for spending time with them too.)

I think it's another example of The Way It Is Done.

--Lia

Reply to
Julia Altshuler

I am no shrink, but I hear an undercurrent of something that has nothing to do with Christmas presents or waiting or this sewing machine. I hear it from Musicmaker and I hear it in a lot of the other angry answers too.

If marriage is filled with anger and rage and the feeling of constantly being held back and denied pleasure, maybe it's time to see a marriage counselor. i know that helped my husband and myself save our marriage a number of years ago. We might still be married without that counseling, but we wouldn't be enjoying it.

If I am wrong, please forgive me. I have overstepped the bounds of polite friendship.

Otherwise, anticipation is a lovely part of the Christmas tradition.

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

I didn't hear any of that ... my and hubby's marriage/dichotomy might be different than "average" but it seemed to me that they have a similar relationship to ours.

I will ( and hubby will, too) go to great lengths almost to "tweak" each other's tails, but its all in good fun ... in our house, our motto is "no retaliation in kind" meanin', if I tweak hubby's tail doin' "A", then he's got to come up with a bit more imagination and not just do the same thing to me.

But then, we're a family of practical jokers (but never at inappropriate times!!And NEVER, EVER, hurtful or dangerous!!!) ... we may not be the smartest, best lookin' or what have you, but we durn nigh have the monopoly on sense of humor! :)

I could honestly "see" Music and hubby exchangin' e-mails on the SW subject, gigglin' like newlyweds!! Or naughty children! Same with her description of "he laughed and said "Dammit." ... I could visualize'em both gigglin' and maybe chasin' each other 'round the house laughin' like two foolish kids!!

Anyway, just my two cents ... and I *did* already admit that I'm weird in another post! :)

Hugs!! Connie :)

Reply to
SewVeryCreative

Oh dear, I didn't think you were taking me that seriously :)

DH FINDS his Christmas present every year with ONE exception--I hid it in my stash --stash was in containers as we had just moved and I hadn't unpacked them yet.

It's so hard to surprise him...even tried having the neighbors keep it one year....yuppers, he saw it and KNEW it was for him. So far this year...he hasn't seen any of them that I know of.

Butterfly (no wonder it's driving you nutzo seeing as how you have had it that long already. Puts a diff perspective on it)

Reply to
Butterflywings

Well, I am willing to risk my left hand if you can find another good friend willing to risk their left hand too, after all, I really need to keep my right one -- its the one I use to feed me, and brush my teeth and hold my needle and do a number of other very important things, giggle. I know you are gonna love your new machine whenever you get to open it. I got a new computer for a birthday/anniversary/Christmas present and I will probably be shutting this computer down sometime this week and setting my new one up, so I could have my hubby talk to your hubby and thereby save my hand and the hand of one other of your good friends?

Miss you and everyone else over there --

Love in Stitches,

Coleen (the quiet one)

Reply to
Stitchin Granna

Whew, I agree with Karen -- it's Christmas, that way we both get to keep our hands, you get your new sewing machine and DH gets his nice Christmas meal. Oh by the way, did we mention, it's Christmas. You both have a wonderful Christmas.

Love in Stitches,

Coleen

Reply to
Stitchin Granna

COLEEN! Where have you been?? We miss you. Whatchya been up to?

Karen, Queen of Squishies _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ music is all around us, all you have to do is listen

Reply to
Karen, Queen of Squishies

What a lovely surprise to 'see' you Coleen. It's been ages. Don't leave it so long next time.

In message , Stitchin Granna writes

Reply to
Patti

Karen --

Well, let's just say it's been one h*ll of a summer. On the Saturday before Mother's Day, I got a call from my son who was crying and he said "Mommie, can you come get me?" Well when he called me "Mommie" instead of Mom, I knew it was bad. Seems that while driving to a birthday party for his niece on his wife's side, his wife calmly announced that she had filed for divorce and he needed to be moved out of the house by the following day (she appartantly had forgotten most of the vows she had taken on their wedding day). So he drove to his sister's house, got out of the car (his wife and daughter went on to the party) and called for help. So we all rallied around and had him all moved out before his wife got back home from the birthday party and the divorce is now final. And of course I have spent the time from May until now in a major fibro flare so haven't been able to do much but support him and watch the two other grandbabies that I watch during the day and his daughter when we have her. So not much quilting has been done. I do look in RCTQ a bit from time to time but really don't have time or energy to post much most days can't even compose a coherent sentence and miss chatting with you all terribly much.

Love in Stitches,

Coleen

Reply to
Stitchin Granna

Patti --

Lol, thank you, I'll try.

Love in Stitches,

Coleen

Reply to
Stitchin Granna

So sorry to hear what you've been going through, Coleen. There's only the 'up' way left - so, hopefully next year will be better. . In message , Stitchin Granna writes

Reply to
Patti

Quite understand now, having read your reply to Karen; but each person has a special quality of their own which is why we miss one another when someone is missing. If just reading here helps, then do that until you're feeling a bit better and in less pain. I hope you got back in time to read the traditional Christmas jokes - and a couple of new ones. They are such fun to read - not side-splitting perhaps, but I love them (as do many others more sophisticated than I >gg

Reply to
Patti

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