Gifts

Okay, look—I know Christmas isn’t all about the presents; well, not if you’re older than about third grade. And frankly, I’ve found it kind of hard recently to get excited too much about them—even though I’ve received some lovely ones.

This year, though—I’ve so far opened two, and, well: Santa been berry-berry good to me.

First of all, I have this lovely collection of Oregon pears. Even if these particular pears hadn’t been sent by my friends in Palm Springs, I’d think of them. Because I’ll always associate luscious, dripping-with-perfection pears with the picnic my sister and I had with them four years ago.

I’m making a pear salad tonight with one of them, candied nuts and crumbled chevre. (Had a bit of a to-do when I went to Whole Foods earlier this week, because the recipe actually calls for bleu cheese, and I’d rather dive face-first into a pool of vomit than eat bleu cheese. In fact, it’s pretty much all the same thing to me. Anyhow, when I said I needed a substitute for the bleu cheese, which I don’t care for, the cheesemonger said, “Maybe you should make a different salad.” Fortunately, his colleague suggested the chevre, so I’m happy.)

And I’m enjoying my second gift already, even though I’ve not officially used it. I was at Neiman-Marcus last week to have lunch with a friend, and was killing some time in the fragrance department. I went back on Friday and got serious, with the help of one of the staff, and came up with a couple of suggestions for a friend of mine to give me.

I’ve not had a new fragrance for more than ten years when I went on a binge in Caen, buying stuff by Dalì (yes—there was a line of scents with really great bottles). So I thought it might be time. 

This is Orangers en Fleurs (yeah, sorry, but I don't get that many Neiman-Marcus boxes, so I had to include it in the shot), and it’s filling my living room with orange, jasmine and some other things even though I’ve not opened the bottle yet. I’m so looking forward to wearing it—having a really good fragrance is kind of like knowing you have the good lingerie on. It just makes you feel more with-it.

And I believe I’m ready for with-it in the new year.

So I hope you’re as happy with your gifts as I am with mine (and the friendships they represent). And that you had as good a time as I did in the lead-up to it.