nikki

“Never look for birds of this year in the nests of last year.” Cervantes

I’m reading His Dark Materials, the trilogy by Philip Pullman, and even though I don’t like fantasy books (I just couldn’t get into Harry Potter), I am hooked on this series. While the issues of original sin, free will, destiny and repressive social institutions fascinate me, the fictional universe of witches, talking polar bears and daemons that he creates is what keeps me reading into the wee hours every night. At the same time, I’m trying to read slower so I won’t finish.

More things I’d love to give or receive:

The Starbucks card you can personalize with someone’s name or regular order.  You can order it online or pick one up at Starbucks--it’s packaged in a little gift box.

Aileen Gural’s Gratitude Necklace. A great way to say “thank you,” this can be customized, too.

Bruce Mau’s “An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth” inspires me and gives me something new to ponder every time I read it. Written in 1998, the Incomplete Manifesto is completely here and now. I’ve included a few of my favorites. Read the whole list here:

Right about now I start to panic about Christmas gifts, because I don’t think I’m very good at anticipating what other people might like, only what I might like. I love lists in magazines, like “50 Best Gifts of 2007” and scour them for ideas. So I decided I’d start my own this year. Here’s the first installment.