i got veganomican too! it's the coolest book ever. i'm so excited to make all the eggplant recipes.

i also got:
-purple luggage for my europe trip this spring
-a yoga mat bag from india with a willow tree on it
-a tote bag from india with a peacock on it
-purple and torquoise beads for my jewelry making
-a 2010 charm for my bracelet
-a paris calendar

and a lot of other cute make up things and girly stuff.
my mom picks the best stuff out.  :)>>>

i hope everyone else got everything they wished for!

We had a very pleasant lunch yesterday with my hubby's sister and family. No one felt they "had" to "have fun" so there was no noisy fake-laughter etc. It was nice.

Today was our day. DH pushed the boat out a bit on the presents, giving me some lovely illustrated books and the 3rd season of MASH on DVD. He says he had to special-order it. (MASH doesn't translate into Spanish worth a darn, aside from the cultural humour and plays on words that can't be translated, the Civil (!) war is too recent in Spanish history to be the basis of comedy.)

Quietness...such bliss.

I got a water bottle that filters water as you drink it, a thermos, a lunch box set with little boxes and an ice pack inside  :)>>> I am so set up for my insane working schedule next year! I can take any food and drink I need in style :D
Basically everything got was cooking related, I love my family to bits... and then my parents completely knocked me out of the water and gave me a bright blue new ipod nano :o I'm very excited, never had one, never even asked for one, wasn't on my list of hoped for presents so it was a complete surprise and I'm thrilled! Have loaded it up for my 8 hour trip to see more family today...

Happy Boxing Day Alll!

This is my first Christmas away from my family--this year's been crazy and I wasn't up for trekking home this year.

That said, it's been really great. My hubby and I bought each other a new computer to replace our dying one. Hooray! We also had under-the-tree stuff to open for each other--he got me clothes (much appreciated and desparately needed), yummy-smelling bath stuff, and beautiful earrings. I did a lot of stuff with a bunch of pictures he took from a road trip with a friend last year--blew some up and framed them, got a book for the others, etc. Only now he wants to travel again, like, NOW...  ;)b We've also been taking advantage of all the sales to buy cheap DVD seasons of Big Love and Flight of the Conchords

But the best part was our dinner-for-two last night. I had a nearly-vegan (save for honey mustard dressing) dinner of field roast celebration roast (OMG! so good!), green bean casserole, sweet potatoes cooked with peaches, and salad. I also made my first pie--the tofu pumpkin pie from this site. The hubby knew it was vegan and tried a whole piece, and loved it and now keeps asking for more. I don't know... for some reason I was really touched by that  :)>>> it means a lot to me. (And he's not one to pretend he likes something... so this is real).

I'm currently listening to the Hanukkah station on Sirius/XM. (I can do Christmas music on Christmas Eve only--it was on last night but that's IT). Today we're having Chinese food and trying to agree on a movie to watch.

where are you heading?

I wish it was an 8 hour flight! I live in such a tiny country that any flight over 3 hours would take me to a different country altogether which would be exciting. But sadly it's an 8 hour car trip to the middle of nowhere in the nether regions of NZ - there will be cows, and sheep. And paddocks. The odd tree. I might even see a person :P So I'm very jealous that you are heading off on a big exciting sounding adventure! Have fun!

And everyone's presents sound really cool, yay for Christmas!

I got Bones season 3 on DVD. I'm soooo happy about that one. I also got a book of sushi instructions. On the other hand, I didn't get any of that "radical" stuff I asked for: veg cookbooks, yoga stuff, etc. I got a Coach purse.  ???

If I buy you some cookbooks and yoga stuff, wanna trade?

No, I was happy about the purse. I didn't ask for it, which suprised me because I asked for a bunch of other things that were less expensive, and I guess my head doesn't understand. That, and I think there's some leather on it.  :-\

It's the only gift that threw me off. I'm not upset about it, or willing to trade it.