Booty! (As in pirates, not rap videos)

For the past two years, the McLean family has done a Secret Santa gift draw so that we don't have to get something for everyone. Instead, you get to focus on one person and get them their entire wishlist if you can. I like this much better because I love getting people gifts, but, as I've expounded many times in the past, I hate the stress of the holidays mostly due to the extreme consumerist mindset and making a list of numerous people for whom to get something. This year, I got my mom and she got me! And due to her tiny wishlist, I was easily able to get her everything (3 CDs, an inexpensive watch - she loved the one I picked out for her, and a donation to an organization that is helping to eliminate child abuse). And with Mom as my Secret Santa, I got a lot of my hypocritically long wishlist, including 30 Rock: Season One, Steve Martin's autobiography, warm winter clothes and pj's, and this beauty:



That's right. Momma's got herself a proper winter coat. Minnesota winter - you are not going to take the stranglehold of last year on me in 2009. Oh hell no. I am going to be outside and feeling as warm as if it were Fringe Festival Season. I sent my family my wishlist with all the underwear I would need for a comfortable winter when I was like, "Wait jest a dern minute here... what I really need is a new coat." And viola. I'm super grateful my family can afford to get me such items instrumental to survival in this climate since I can't afford it for myself.

But my favorite gift by far was something I didn't even ask for.



When I received my gifts in the mail, I got "permission" to open all the soft presents, ie, the warm items of clothing, right away (about a week before Christmas) because I would need them immediately. But this was a hard gift that I waited until Christmas Eve to open and I was floored. My mother compiled recipes from her mother's and my dad's mother's culinary repertoires as well as her own concoctions and created this amazing cookbook which she also gave to my brother and Sam and our cousins!!
Check out this amazingness!! A full index and dividers!!! (I also love that the cover image is a world being recycled. Nice metaphor, Mom!)



And Mom also wrote this beautiful forward (not shown) and dedicated the book to my grandmothers:



Wow. One of my favorite gifts ever - it totally made me feel this connectedness to my family all over the world through the past few generations of food we've enjoyed together.


Honorable Mention are gifts from my friends: Phillip got me a book a pros pros to our conversations/collaboration. Trevor got me a new spatula. The Jacksons sent an "anonymous" gift (there was no gift card, but I know who it's from, you tricky dicks) - a fondue pot and cookbook!! I got cookies from Marne and Jen and lots of love with my Christmas dinner at the Abbeys'. The Abbeys also got me a Blue Sky Guide for 2009 , some notebooks, an awesome water bottle (from Anna, Ross' sister), and these rad and nerdy pj pants:



Yeah, when I'm wearing these, don't stand too close because I'm prolly swinging my Wii-mote wildly. And I don't wear the wrist strap.

I'm really grateful to be showered with such gifts and luxuries.

Oh, and I also cut my bangs which has inspired a Princess Leia-esque hairdo:



Peace!!!