Last Sunday was one of the happiest days of my life. Today is a sad one.
1. Joyce Carol Oates' story in the New Yorker about the last week of her long marriage. It made me think: there's simply no way you can avoid the last week of a relationship with somebody you love. One or the other of you will get sick. One or the other of you will die. And chances are you won't realize the last week is going by until the week is over.
2. The Walmart ad on the back of today's Parade magazine. It reads "Gifting made easy" and shows 5 quality gifts you can buy for $10 and under. There's a Gillette Gift Set, an Oil of Olay Indulgence Pack, and an Old Spice gift pack. Some day when I'm really old someone will probably give me the Oil of Olay Indulgence Pack and I'll be delighted to receive it.
3. Cindy sent me this flashmob event. It made everyone else happy, but me teary.
This just in from Jamie:
from Berlin: Linda I'm back in Berlin for the holidays. And I just read your message on your blog about the Walmart ad. And Old Spice, etc. So rather than joining in with the other contributors on your site (and risking a prolonged back-and-forth debate) I wanted to tell you that I in fact love Old Spice! And just before I finished my last job at Seventeen (did you know that? special, so-called "Prom" issue?) I stole an entire gift basket off the giveaway table of-- you guessed it-- Old Spice. I love love love the "Fiji" scented body spray. I spray it eveywhere, liberally. Daily. Sometimes thrice daily, or even more! Linda I've had amazing results from these smells! And do you know why I think that is? Because it's been marketed since the year 2000 or so as ( yes I know previously it had a grandfather-ish appeal) the smell of youth.
Hugs from here.
Jamie
