OT - What do you get the woman who has everything?

We don't dare get my 80-year-old mother cut flowers any more--her cat eats
them. In fact, one of my sisters sent her a Valentine last year with an
impossibly fat cat on the front, and the message: Roses are red, violets
are blue; If you get any more flowers, I'll eat those too!

However, I decided this year I would get her the same spendy shampoo and
conditioner I use. She would never spend eight dollars on a bottle of
shampoo or conditioner for herself (never mind that they last ten times as
long as the stuff she buys, and her shampoo makes her hair dry and hard to
manage). She used some of the conditioner last week and loved it, she said
it made her hair feel so nice! So maybe a really good salon shampoo and
conditioner would be good for your grandmother. I prefer Aveda, but there
are lots of other really good ones.

--
Carolyn in The Old Pueblo
take out nospam to reply

If it ain't broke, you're not trying. --Red Green
If it ain't broke, it ain't mine. --Carolyn McCarty

If at first you don't succeed, switch to power tools. --Red Green
If at first you don't succeed, get a bigger hammer. --Carolyn McCarty

"Julia in MN" wrote in message
...
My husband's aunt is one of those. For several years, we've been sending
her an arrangement of cut flowers. She can enjoy them during the holidays
and throw them out when they go bad. If I get a gift plant, I always feel
like I should try to keep it alive and looking nice. I know there is no
way to keep cut flowers forever and don't feel guilty throwing them out
when they start looking bad.

Julia in MN
--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

Probably one who is overweight and smokes?
Taria

teleflora wrote:

What kind of doctor tells a 92 year old woman she can't have a glass of wine
or a piece of chocolate. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

rant mode over - I'll read the rest of the story now
Cindy

I agre. I'd love to give her the wine and the chocolate anyway, but I
don't want her mad at me! Heck, I'm tempted to give her a couple of
cigars, but then my MUM would be mad at me. Gram sneaks out with my
husband for a smoke while visiting mum for a holiday dinner. Mum is
still convinced Gram stopped smoking 3 years ago.

I think if she really wanted her wine and chocolate, she'd still be
having them, like she does her cigarettes.

-georg

KJ wrote:

Actually I told my DH about the suggestion to get a new doctor and then give
her the wine and chocolate. He thought that was a pretty good idea....and
he's a geriatrician!!!! He used to get on DMIL when she was in her 90's
and someone tried to restrict her diet. He told her to eat what tasted
good! She was a little bird of a woman. She needed the satisfaction and
calories of anything she wanted to eat!


"teleflora" wrote in message
news:PF9od.88074$%x.55238@okepread04...

What kind of doctor tells a 92 year old woman she can't have a glass of

wine

or a piece of chocolate. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

rant mode over - I'll read the rest of the story now
Cindy
"georg" wrote in message
...

I'd love a few suggestions for what to get Gram for kissmoose. She's 92,
and will tell anyone that she doesn't want anything. I used to get her
pink catawba wine (because she would have half a glass with dinner).

When

the doc made her stop, I bought her good chocolates. The Doc made her

stop

that too, but I think she still needs fattening up. She doesn't like the
"fancy coffees" and rarely bothers making them for herself any more
(although she used to love them). She doesn't do much crafty any more at
all. Last year, she kindly gave mum assignments to pass out to the
grandkids, which we were VERY happy about. I had to give her 4 Get Well
Soon, 4 sympathy, 4 happy birthday cards. She did not want more than

that.

And a crossword dictionary. My sis had to get her a new tablecloth,

since

Mum was permitted to get her a new kitchen table. If I make anything for
her, she gets mad at me for "bothering." She's also given back to us

most

of the pictures of us all that we have given her over the years, in an
effort to simplify everything.

I love my gram. But she hates having a fuss made over her, and I do
understand her perspective- that's why I have tried to give her
comestibles in the past. But there aren't a lot of times where I can do
anything for her, and kissmoose is one of those times.

What do you do for your mum or gram who is like that? And on behalf of
grandkids everywhere if you are like that- we do like the list idea or a
few hints Of course, if you were on this list and my gram, I'd know
what to send you- fabric- regardless of your SABLE status. Too bad Gram
doesn't want to sew any more.

-georg

No, I know her doctor. He's skinny and doesn't listen as well as he
should. When he was my doc too, he put me on Flonase, to which I had an
allergic reaction. I was describing the psychedelic reaction I get - of
the lights coming down to lick my nose and worse- and he was telling me
that I should keep using it because it was good for me. I didn't feel
safe *driving* on the medication, and took myself off of it.
Unfortunately, my HMO didn't let me change docs easily, so I had to put
up with him for another year before changing jobs.

He seems to be doing ok in general with Gram- she is after all, still
pretty active for 92.

-georg

taria wrote:

Probably one who is overweight and smokes?
Taria

teleflora wrote:

What kind of doctor tells a 92 year old woman she can't have a glass
of wine or a piece of chocolate. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

rant mode over - I'll read the rest of the story now
Cindy

I love your Gram. Buy her a bottle of wine, box of chocolates and a
cigar.... and say they are from some crazy lady in Oregon. ROTFL

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948
"georg" wrote in message
...
I agre. I'd love to give her the wine and the chocolate anyway, but I
don't want her mad at me! Heck, I'm tempted to give her a couple of
cigars, but then my MUM would be mad at me. Gram sneaks out with my
husband for a smoke while visiting mum for a holiday dinner. Mum is
still convinced Gram stopped smoking 3 years ago.

I think if she really wanted her wine and chocolate, she'd still be
having them, like she does her cigarettes.

-georg

KJ wrote:

Actually I told my DH about the suggestion to get a new doctor and then
give
her the wine and chocolate. He thought that was a pretty good
idea....and
he's a geriatrician!!!! He used to get on DMIL when she was in her
90's
and someone tried to restrict her diet. He told her to eat what tasted
good! She was a little bird of a woman. She needed the satisfaction
and
calories of anything she wanted to eat!


"teleflora" wrote in message
news:PF9od.88074$%x.55238@okepread04...

What kind of doctor tells a 92 year old woman she can't have a glass of

wine

or a piece of chocolate. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

rant mode over - I'll read the rest of the story now
Cindy
"georg" wrote in message
...

I'd love a few suggestions for what to get Gram for kissmoose. She's
92,
and will tell anyone that she doesn't want anything. I used to get her
pink catawba wine (because she would have half a glass with dinner).

When

the doc made her stop, I bought her good chocolates. The Doc made her

stop

that too, but I think she still needs fattening up. She doesn't like
the
"fancy coffees" and rarely bothers making them for herself any more
(although she used to love them). She doesn't do much crafty any more
at
all. Last year, she kindly gave mum assignments to pass out to the
grandkids, which we were VERY happy about. I had to give her 4 Get Well
Soon, 4 sympathy, 4 happy birthday cards. She did not want more than

that.

And a crossword dictionary. My sis had to get her a new tablecloth,

since

Mum was permitted to get her a new kitchen table. If I make anything
for
her, she gets mad at me for "bothering." She's also given back to us

most

of the pictures of us all that we have given her over the years, in an
effort to simplify everything.

I love my gram. But she hates having a fuss made over her, and I do
understand her perspective- that's why I have tried to give her
comestibles in the past. But there aren't a lot of times where I can do
anything for her, and kissmoose is one of those times.

What do you do for your mum or gram who is like that? And on behalf of
grandkids everywhere if you are like that- we do like the list idea or
a
few hints Of course, if you were on this list and my gram, I'd know
what to send you- fabric- regardless of your SABLE status. Too bad Gram
doesn't want to sew any more.

-georg

how about a new telephone....one that has large, blocked numbers
that are not only easy to read but to punch.....and all ready
programmed to call you!

Donna

Patti wrote:

My MIL 'doesn't want anything' for Christmas (or birthdays come to
that). It is a nightmare. Last year we gave a Cat Rescue near us a good
sum of money to sponsor a little old cat (who couldn't be re-homed for
various reasons) in my MIL's name. This year I have given the task
(always done by me before now!) to my DH. I would like to do something
like buying a goat for Oxfam ...
One year we gave her a hamper full of goodies. It has become a
requirement that whatever we give her does not hang around and need to
be dusted and got rid of when she dies. So, consumables are an easy way
to go. Does she like home-baked things? a basket of fruit? that sort
of thing?

I knew there would be someone else who would empathize with this thread.
Read the other suggestions too, and maybe you can think of something.

My mother-in-law is worse. But I've told my sweetie she's HIS problem.
Since he only has to buy gifts for 3 people, his mum, his sis, and me,
I'll play him a fiddle about it. Usually we just get her a Sears Gift
Cert card and she seems to be content. It's her favorite store and she
doesn't have to fuss with returning it (which is what she would do if I
bought it for her- I have accepted this long ago and it won't bother me
any more). Given that his side has long-lived females too, I'll get to
deal with her for at least another 30 years. So getting her trained on
gift certificates early was a blessing for us. Now she's convinced I'm
the best thing that has happened to my sweetie.

The Sears card won't work for Gram. If you can't buy it in a garage
sale, she'll tell you she probably doesn't need it anyway. The
restaurant certificate, however- that'll do.

If I bought Ginny a goat for Oxfam, she'd be offended by the fact it's a
goat. For years after, I'd get sweaters from her with goats on them, or
little stuffed goats. Or she'd find a way serve me roast goat for dinner
the next time I visited, or goats' milk cheese. It's safer to stay on
her good side.

-georg

bckwrds wrote:

how about a new telephone....one that has large, blocked numbers
that are not only easy to read but to punch.....and all ready
programmed to call you!

Donna



Mum and Da get her a new and improved phone every 5 years. It's on a
rotation with a new clock (with really big numbers) and a couple of
other things for home improvement. As a grandkid, I'm not allowed to buy
her anything "that expensive." She still thinks of me as saving my milk
money sometimes. Mum claims the expensive stuff as her perogative. Good
idea though. She has the coolest phone that can be heard to ring
anywhere on the property and get wireless service through the whole yard
(BIG yard- which she still mows by herself).

-georg

Could you do some photo transfers to fabric and make some pillows or a small
lap quilt? Family pictures from long ago or even recent holidays would be
fun to look over and talk about. If you don't want to make a quilt, perhaps
a pillow case. I have made some as gifts that have been very well received.
Perhaps you could buy her a goat or cow via the Heifer Project. Google that
and see if you can make a donation in her name to buy an animal. That might
be a favorite topic of conversation!!!!


"georg" wrote in message
...
Patti wrote:

My MIL 'doesn't want anything' for Christmas (or birthdays come to
that). It is a nightmare. Last year we gave a Cat Rescue near us a good
sum of money to sponsor a little old cat (who couldn't be re-homed for
various reasons) in my MIL's name. This year I have given the task
(always done by me before now!) to my DH. I would like to do something
like buying a goat for Oxfam ...
One year we gave her a hamper full of goodies. It has become a
requirement that whatever we give her does not hang around and need to
be dusted and got rid of when she dies. So, consumables are an easy way
to go. Does she like home-baked things? a basket of fruit? that sort
of thing?

I knew there would be someone else who would empathize with this thread.
Read the other suggestions too, and maybe you can think of something.

My mother-in-law is worse. But I've told my sweetie she's HIS problem.
Since he only has to buy gifts for 3 people, his mum, his sis, and me,
I'll play him a fiddle about it. Usually we just get her a Sears Gift
Cert card and she seems to be content. It's her favorite store and she
doesn't have to fuss with returning it (which is what she would do if I
bought it for her- I have accepted this long ago and it won't bother me
any more). Given that his side has long-lived females too, I'll get to
deal with her for at least another 30 years. So getting her trained on
gift certificates early was a blessing for us. Now she's convinced I'm
the best thing that has happened to my sweetie.

The Sears card won't work for Gram. If you can't buy it in a garage
sale, she'll tell you she probably doesn't need it anyway. The
restaurant certificate, however- that'll do.

If I bought Ginny a goat for Oxfam, she'd be offended by the fact it's a
goat. For years after, I'd get sweaters from her with goats on them, or
little stuffed goats. Or she'd find a way serve me roast goat for dinner
the next time I visited, or goats' milk cheese. It's safer to stay on
her good side.

-georg

Let me answer before I read everyone else's answers. My standard gift
for someone in your grandmother's stage of life is a big box those
beautiful art cards that are sold in museum gift shops. I put stamps on
the envelopes but otherwise leave them as is. If she wants to write
letters and mail them off, fine. If she wants to look at the pretty
pictures for herself, that's up to her.


--Lia