Countdown to Christmas

OK, I seem to be in an introspective, sentimental mood during these pre-holiday days, which is sort of normal for me. I have been so wrapped up with eBay stuff this last year that I don't even have time to think about anything else.

Then, it occured to me that part of the excitement in my Life has been right there all the while -- with eBay! And since I don't really get out that much, it has sort of become one of my main human points of contact for sooooo many months already - as tenuous and anonymous as it might appear, sometimes!

* A former astronaut won one of my space memorabilia catalogs -*- a close relative of a recent presidential candidate won a couple of my limited edition candidate PROMO bears -*- the wife of a football Hall of Famer got one of my older sport trading cards -*- a woman who got one of my Euro porcelain references was able to identify an old piece she inherited from her grandmother (and it was worth a mint!) -*- the winner of a wrestling book told me he also went to the same, now missing, Convention Hall in Wildwood to see the same wrestling matches I did as a teen, and mentioned in my item description -*- one of the times I put my jogging outfit up, I even had a gal email me to say she was in love with me! I wrote her back asking her was it the HUNG part that got her juices flowing!

* a cousin of the mentioned Operatic Director of the Metropolitan Opera at the turn of the century won a libretto from that period -*- friend of a comic strip artist, whose original work I have sold, worked with the Argentine artist and told me stories about him -*- yet another is an authority on comic strips, their condition, etc. and sent me his book -*- a photographer won a book with a cover pic of Nick Jager, of the Rolling Stones, which HE TOOK -*- another man wrote a UK book on Cadbury Coco Cubs (issued in the tins in the 30s-40s), and has the catalogue I sold actually autographed by the owner of Britains Toy Company, their makers -*- a lady who had known Arthur Miller won one of his signed first editions

* a vintage sporting gun collector explained the parts of different types of guns, and how to tell the difference among them -*- a winner of a decoy reference was interested in which other I might have because her grandfather was a well-known duck carver -*- some others actually took the time to read some of my web pages and comment on the cats they have (with pics!), how helpful my online buying/selling info pages have been, and even ask for tips on making their own web pages -- and in some cases have spent literally hours Instant Messaging questions and observations back and forth!

* I had NO idea who Sondra Locke was until the winner of a book emailed me about why he had an interest in the particular one I sold to him on furniture styles . Locke was the wife of Clint Eastwood, and the winner is the one Locke dedicated her autobiograhy to (The Good the Bad and the Very Ugly)! You should read the Amazon.com reviews of the book! It must be an interestng read in its entirety! -*- And I had the winner of Napoleon's favorite Egyptian esoteric oracles, The Book of Fate, email me that he got it for a friend, CHER, who is a big Napoleon fan!

* It's sort of curious that I may not have the apartment all tidy and nice, ready to decorate for the holidays, and I really don't have the energy to put up anything anyway -- BUT I sort of tried to make my eBay item pages reflect the spirit of the season, as if the viewer was a holiday guest at my place.

* And somehow it occured to me a couple weeks ago to try to make the eBay experience even more personally festive by including a little surprise something extra in each winner's package, all nicely gift-wrapped and with a gift card I made by scanning the impression of a rubber stamp I won on eBay some months ago, making some colored-in (via the computer), and the rest in simple black and white.

It now takes me about three times longer to prepare a single package than it normally would, but I am actually enjoying it -- maybe it is the kid in me? One guy even called me on the phone saying there was a kewl extra book in his package, and should it have been sent to somebody else -- I asked him if it was gift wrapped and have a little card attached with his name on it -- YES -- well, that's for you, Bud -- he was amazed!

* So tonight I have been sitting back a little, thinking about the year that is almost at an end, and reflecting about some of the really kewl things which I have personally experienced over these 12 months (MANY more than those remembered above). Of course things have been VERY difficult a lot too, in many ways, but somehow the positive always seems to outweight the not so positive.

* I almost have my holiday greeting list updated, have the cards made, and hopefully within a day or two hope to get them sent out -- after a two-year lapse when I didn't send a single one, for some reason or other . Some very traditional friends may only receive one of the cards in my many-year stash of store-bought greetings, but many will get the ones I made. This online cyber thing seems to add new friends to my list each year, and a lot of them almost seem like family sometimes -- and even communicate a LOT more than the real thing!

* Sometimes Life seems to wrap US up in a lot of stuff -- maybe it's when we begin to UNwrap and share at least parts of IT in our own little personal communal package is it all worth while in some way?

So, just in case you don't hear from me as frequently as usual, it is simply because I am VERY busy getting goodies ready to send out - and what a pile it is!

Some Links to Kewl Holiday Stuff

I found these sites in my web surfing, and they are really fun -- and have loads of Holiday-related goodies for your enjoyment to help you get into the spirit.

Donna's Christmas Carol Lyrics

Christine O'Keeffe's Christmas Site

Christine O'Keeffe's New Year's Site

Kewl Page of Holiday Animations and Christmas Music

Attics + Beans Holiday Surprise Gift Exchange

My Personal Christmas and New Year's Stuff

Daily  Trivia Contests

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