the ninety seven cent gift

Each year I rack my brain to come up with the perfect gift for Mike's birthday. This year we agreed not to purchase extravagant gifts, what with the new kitchen and all. So I got him a book, and Charlie got him a DVD (both are Alton Brown, Feasting On Asphalt). Which he was happy about. Or at least he pretended he was. But I think he was.

I wanted to add an element of childhood birthday parties to his 47th birthday, and while at Target picking up candles and napkins, I thought, I should just get a car to put on his cake. Or maybe a motorcycle. So I pawed through the Matchbox cars, seeing some likely candidates. On the last peg, at the very back of the row, I caught a gleam of red. Hey, I think I recognize that car! It was a red '68 Cougar. The car Mike drove in high school. The car he brought me home in on our first date. So I was proud of finding it, but little did I know the reaction it would get.

You would have thought I had actually bought him the real car. He was just tickled! And he took detailed pictures of it, from every angle. And told his dad. And emailed pictures to his brothers. Who knew spending .97 would bring him the very best gift of all?

And here he is, getting a little help blowing out his candles, from his lovely assistant Esther.

So it was a good day.

WARNING: the rest of this post will concern the weather. So if you are just too weary of it, stop reading right now, and go do something else. If you would like some handy tips on how to survive the next 48 hours, read on....

The forecast has the S word in it, for tonight and tomorrow morning. Gosh, I am pretty sure it's May, right? They tell me that 6 of the last 7 Fridays have been raining or snowing. So here's the plan.

1. Go through your fridge, and cupboards, and throw a bunch of stuff in a big pot, and make some nice soup. Or a hot batch of chili. Maybe some nice warm bread to go along with it. And a cobbler for dessert.

2. Snuggle in with a movie. Tonight's offerings include "The Incredibles", "Jurassic Park", or "The Firm". All popcorn-worthy, in their own way.

3. Grab that book you have been meaning to read, throw on your sweats and some nice warm socks, and immerse yourself in a different reality.

4. Try on your summer clothes! See what still works, and what needs to make a little trip to Goodwill. Fold those fun summer T's and put them in your drawers.

5. Shop for a new swimsuit. I just discovered www.athleta.com. Totally cute stuff.

6. Plan a summer picnic. Go through your cookbooks and find a new beverage recipe that you can put ice and an umbrella in.

7. Think about your garden. If you haven't already done so, plan some window boxes or pots of blooms. The garden centers are all open and stocked, so you can do lots of dreaming, just don't plant it yet. If you find something you absolutely have to have, just bring it home and keep it in the garage until it warms up.

8. Realize that we really are on the tail end of this..I checked the extended forecast, and there is nothing less than 60 degrees every day next week. So if we can just make it through the next 48 hours, we will be good!