Holiday Serendipity

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m the oldest of four sisters. Sister #3 is enlisted in the Navy, and stationed on an aircraft carrier. After the new year, her ship takes off for the Gulf, where she will be stationed for an unknown period of time.

Everyone in our family is desperately trying to figure out what to get her for Christmas that will be useful/fun on her trip, but not take up too much room.

She already has a laptop and an iPod. Mom bought her a digital camera.

I have been wracking my brain for MONTHS on this issue, and have come up blank.

Today, I went to one of my favorite stores to shop for Christmas–the Iowa Artisans Gallery in Iowa City. (The name is kind of self-explanatory.) As I was browsing with my best friend, a light suddenly came on above my head when I saw some blank journals. They had one-of-a-kind, hand-tooled leather covers.

Travel journal!

My best friend pipes up, “You know, I don’t ever keep a diary, or even like to write, but when I was in Australia (semester abroad), I journalled like crazy.”

I pick out a very pretty one with a dragonfly pattern on the cover, and a silver dragonfly clasp.

I got home tonight and was thrilled to tell Sister #4 what I finally decided to get for Sister #3. After all, Sis #4 knows what a hard time I’ve been having over #3’s gift. She’s sitting up in bed, reading.

“I finally got the most perfect present for Libby!” I exclaimed.

“Is it a travel journal?” Mary asks.

I’m dumbfounded. “How did you know?” I wondered, genuinely confused.

Mary burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. She started rolling around in bed, crying. I could tell her face hurt from laughing.

Finally, after my mother AND Libby came in to yell at us about the noise, Mary explained.

Both Mary’s roommate AND Sister #2 had already bought Libby travel journals for Christmas. Mary had just found out about the overlap shortly before I came home to tell her about my shopping success.

She said she could just tell I’d bought a travel journal by how excited I was about it. Apparently, the other two girls were similarly thrilled with their own cleverness.

I think Mary is still massaging the cramps out of her cheeks.

2

P.S.–anyone have any gift ideas for my sister? I’m back to square one.

3

A nice pen to go with it, like one of those ‘astronaut’ pens that will write on greasy paper as well as upside-down? (Helps me when I am lying down and don’t feel like turning over to do my crossword puzzles.)

A nice carved box to stow it away in?

Or a nice satchel (both of which to keep the journal from prying eyes)?

Heck, everyone should still give the journals - never know when she might run out of paper or (heaven forfend) one journal might get damaged, lost or stolen.

4

Hmm. What about some software for the laptop? Even if she isn’t much into games, she might like something like Hoyle’s Card Games or Hoyle’s Board Games . I haven’t played the newest versions, but older versions were pretty good. The card games included hearts, spades, poker, gin rummy, etc., and the board games included pacheesi, backgammon, chess, checkers, etc.

Or, if she’s got an ipod, what about a gift certificate to the itunes store so she can get new music?

5

Money’s sorta tacky, but what if got her some local currency to save her the hassle of exchanging? Will she get much shore leave? They always get some, right?

Bah, I guess I don’t understand how it all works, so nevermind.

Good luck with that! :smack:

6

If she has a printer dock for her camera, get a photo album so she can chronical her travels. Also maybe a stock of photo mailers so she can sent special pictures to friends and family.
Somehow, real, paper, letters mean more than e-mail, so what about a letter writing kit? Stationary, stamps, nice pen(s) address book with family and friends already written in.

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Thanks for the ideas! I’m off to shop, and you’ve probably rescued me from holiday hell.

:slight_smile: Q.