1. A squirrel-proof bird feeder. So this one becomes a gift for the birds, too, while greatly amusing us as we watch the furry tales in their frustration.
2. Electronics support, including an external speaker for my laptop and a smartphone.
3. Recordings and books. Even two exquisite journals from Venice! One year I got a big collection of CDs spanning the New York Philharmonic’s history, while another was CD copies of some of the earliest wax recordings. One gift was even Max Rudolf’s book, The Grammar of Conducting, along with a real baton.
4. Wool socks and other clothing. Yes, they are appreciated.
5. Lenses. My camera and fine binoculars. Plus a microscope, back when. Think it came from the Sears catalog.
6. Martini glasses. It’s a joke in our household. Oh, yes, the hand-carved olive skewer.
7. Indoor pool swim pass. Something I used almost daily.
8. Revels workshop, where I learned I could sing with the pros. Led me to become a charter member of the Revels Singers chorus in Boston.
9. Ceramic vase with a “frog” to hold a flower stem. It’s a great way to admire a single bloom close-up.
10. A mummy sleeping bag, still in use 45 years later. Yes, I know they make them lighter today, but this one has memories.

~*~

What gifts do you treasure?

1. Wake up and fill a mug with coffee.
2. Grab the paper from the front steps.
3. Do Spanish. (Not a bad way to wake up.)
4. Check emails, the blog, etc.
5. Clean the coffeemaker and refill for tomorrow.
6. Write, revise, whatever.
7. Household chores plus yardwork and errands.
8. Check the mail.
9. Try to get some exercise in. Laps in the pool, a hike up the hill, that sort of thing. Maybe followed by a nap.
10. Sit down together for a lovely dinner.

~*~

So much for the plans I’d set up for my retirement years. Extensive meditation, Bible study, copious reading?

What frames your days?