Counting My Blessings

I knew I'd taken some pictures of my birthday presents, and I'd meant to write a post to thank Greenwithenv and Moocow for them. On my birthday, in the morning, right before I set out to drive down to NYC, I finally unwrapped the presents that my friend Neetu had left me before going back to Grenada for medical school, and the presents Moocow, Greenwithenv and my father had mailed me, and which I had been saving up. Phenomenal self-control, no?

I took the pictures without my memory card in the camera, however. (My camera has a couple of megs of memory built into it.) When I got back from my trip to the city, with my memory card in the camera, I didn't know where those pictures had gone, because I couldn't find them on the card.

Well, today I was taking pictures without the card again and, lo and behold, there they were. So here, very belatedly, I give thanks for the wonderful presents I received this year. Greenwithenv sent me an absolutely beautiful card (as she always does) and a very thoughtful journal that is sooooo pretty!

And Moocow, well, you can probably tell which birthday card she sent me. The cow itself is the bearer of the card; the little, tiny folded square in its mouth. Isn't that adorable? And, GASP! A giftcard from JoAnn's!! Fuel for my addictions, and many happy hours ahead.
My friend Neetu, knowing my interest in linguistics, gifted me with this handsomely bound volume...
...and this very pretty glass candle lamp.
And my father, ever practical, sent me a nice camera case for my SLR-like digital camera. A camera like this obviously should be kept in a case. I'd been carrying it around in a cloth pouch for over a year now, but somehow had never gotten around to buying a case. Mercifully, it hasn't sustained any damage, but I do think I was tempting fate. Thanks, dad!

These, added to all the birthday wishes from elementary and secondary school friends I'd been out of touch with for years (and have recently gotten back in touch with, thanks to Facebook) and the happy fondue party, made for a wonderful birthday. (Even though the one person I did spend my birthday with this year - my little brother - forgot that it was my big day!)