Prepare to help me hobbit!

[mrissa]

Today is Sunday, and my birthday is Saturday. I have already read two books (one paper, one ebook) that were early birthday presents, because I am spoiled and because apparently the concept of delayed gratification is not a strong suit at the moment. Anyway, in making a dinner reservation for this evening, I got asked, is it anybody’s birthday? and usually I lie and tell them no, because I don’t want to make the waitstaff feel obliged to sing as well as their real jobs, and I worry that they will give me a nasty piece of white cake instead of letting me decide whether I want good dessert or no dessert. But this time I chirped, “Yes, it’s mine!” Because this year, honestly, with all the horrible and disappointing news the world has brought us in the last week, I kind of feel the need for all the birthday assistance I can get.

This post is a list of things you can think about getting for yourself–or just drooling over if you don’t have the spare cash–as presents for yourself for my birthday. Sadly, I can’t get them for all of you. I am not that much of a wealthy hobbit, to be able to buy all of you these lovely things as presents for my birthday. But I will at least show you the shinies that I would get you, if I could have a proper hobbit party and give you all the proper hobbit presents that I would like to give you. (Please note that this is the opposite of the usual wishlist: I am not asking you to get this stuff for ME but for YOURSELVES. Not that I wouldn’t like it also, but some of it–like the Kickstarter stuff–I already have, and mostly: the point is you, not me.)

1. Nerd coloring books. Specifically, Dinosaurs With Jobs. Mostly I would get this for my old college friend Scott, but the rest of you might want it too.

2. Chad Jerzak Raku ceramics. Saw these at the St. Kate Art Festival. Very cool.

3. Fresh Mud Pottery. Also at the St. Kate Art Festival. So many things in the gallery, be sure you look at the slide show.

4. Elise’s Current Shinies. Ooh. Shiny. So many shinies, so few body parts to hang them from.

5. Tim always has lovely things. Here are two of his newer ones (that first link was from the Pop Art Minneapolis series, the second the newest Reader photo).

6. Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky are doing a Kickstarter. For those of us who have been yearning for another Cry Cry Cry album, even two-thirds as good will almost certainly be good enough. (Did you miss out on Cry Cry Cry? Here they are singing Northern Cross. The third member is Dar Williams. Oh, fine, here’s another: By Way of Sorrow.)

7. Julie Dillon, who has done the gorgeous art for my Tor.com stories, is also doing a Kickstarter. Many ways to support her art; go look.

Any other loveliness you want to share with each other? There’s a whole week before it’s my birthday, and the comments section lies before you.

Originally published at Novel Gazing Redux

Comments

[harvey-rrit.livejournal.com]

When I encounter the word "hobbit" I always think of a nun with really hairy feet.

[timprov.livejournal.com]

Of course, it is not your birthday tonight, so perhaps you should have informed them of Amirah and/or Tony Oliva instead.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Amirah has already had her cake, and I have hopes of Tony O.

[carbonel]

Many of the things on your list are very fine -- but I just bought myself a new-to-me spinning wheel, and with luck it will have arrived from California by your birthday. It is a total splurge (except that it is a capital expenditure, I suppose), and I am really looking forward to it.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I hope it does arrive, then!

[rosefox]

An Alphabet of Embers!

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Wheee!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Wishing you a very happy birthday!

(And I owe you a letter, but have been waiting to get out of elder-care and relative mindspace)

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Letters can wait as long as need be. Letters are patient and a source of joy whenever they arrive, and I hope that elder-care goes well.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday! The upcoming Shindell/Kaplansky record is very high on my list of great gifts.

[finnyb.livejournal.com]

If I could get myself anything right now, in honour of your day of birth, I would get myself the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Derpy Hooves plushie made by Funrise. Because it is officially Hasbro-licenced, and Derpy Hooves is my favourite pony. Unfortunately I've yet to come across said plushie here in Canadaland.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

I am still looking for the pillow that will help me sleep in a more ergonomic and restful fashion, but I had a $12 impulse buy this morning and got a little tiny crock pot to go with my giant one that feeds more people than I have chairs to seat. (ok, or three or four and a couple meals for the freezer.) This is a thing I have been not getting around to for some time, so I think it counts.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Tiny crockpot = love. I make barley porridge in my tiny crockpot all the time. Well, okay, all the time in the winter. It is the greatest. I cannot believe they only cost $12. When our first big crockpot died, I sent timprov after another crockpot, and he came home with two, one big and one tiny, and I made the Face Of Reproach for his splurging, and then he showed me the bill, and it was $36. Could not believe. So happy. I can't think why I was thinking of them as appliances instead of, I don't know, utensils.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

It's the power cord, I think. Things that plug in feel like they ought to be Real Appliances. Maybe we're showing our age?

I hadn't gotten one before because I was going to do Research on what was a good idea and had what features and stuff, and then there they were for under my "well, I'll just get this and see" price threshold. So.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Lucy and Richard have been booked by Folkus for the spring season. We're very excited.

Happy Birthday today, mrissa and I hope all the magic that exists is visible to you always. But especially today.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Hurrah for spring season! And thanks!