It’s hard to believe it’s October, waning October at that. Trick-or-treaters will be ringing the doorbell in a couple of weeks. In my brain it feels like it should still be March or April, but those months are long gone. October means it’s time for Christmas shopping. I can start lying awake at night wondering what I can possible buy for my friends and family who just go out and buy whatever it is they want. There is no chance of finding a gift that will provide genuine delight.
Some people just give up and buy gift cards, but that still seems cold to me. It was funny when my brother and I, who share a birthday, used to send each other Amazon gift cards every year. We finally decided to forget about exchanging gifts.
When traveling abroad, I plan to pick up small gifts for friends and fellow writers–things they would never find at home. Only I haven’t done any foreign travel this year. So what could I buy that would be thoughtful but inexpensive? I could bake…cookies? Does anyone my age really want cookies? I had to tell my distant relatives to stop sending me sweets. The holidays are good for an extra five pounds from liquor and appetizers alone, so forget the fudge, please!
This is all my lead up to suggesting you buy books as gifts. Doing some research on what is new in areas of interest to your besties could produce a perfect and much-appreciated gift. Not everyone reads, but there are audiobooks for the folks who have long commutes and are too tired to read at bedtime.
Of course, I am going to suggest that you buy my books. A friend just left my house with fifteen copies of Laugh and Live, Advice for Aging Boomers, which she is going to give to every boomer on her list. If your boomer friends have a sense of humor, they will chuckle to read about such topics as “Waitresses Call You Sweetie,” and “Your Doctors are Children.” If you have dog lovers on your list, take a look at My Leash on Life, Foxy’s View of the World from a Foot Off the Ground. It has humor and pathos and is easy reading, down to age 10. And if you know a poetry lover, there is my collection called Leavings, which includes humor and poems on nature, distant lands, and loss. Nothing too complicated. I’ve been told people like it.
All of my books are on Amazon, and two of them are available as ebooks. In Napa you can find them at Copperfield’s, Jessel Gallery, and Bookmine. In Marin County they’re at Book Passage. If you want to order multiple copies, contact me and I’ll give you a special price. Happy shopping!
lenorehirsch.com 