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Wednesday 12 December 2007

Bonus Time

It is bonus time in the City again, and I don't mean at the Clinique counter in Peter Jones! I wonder if I shall have something nice in my stocking this Christmas - if James is generous he might even get something nice in stockings too!

Yesterday I received a lovely sincere email from a dear man requiring gift ideas and suggestions for his "good lady." What a lovely husband! I must admit that it brought a tear to my eye.

"I want something special," he wrote, "I want her to feel pampered and loved. Our life is so busy, our boys are so exuberant."

I immediately thought...buy her something tasteful from Bootles, an Ultimate Spa Therapy Gift Voucher for the Elemis Day spa in Mayfair and send the boys to Winchester (but you must be quick, I believe that the assessments are taking place right now), and then I remembered a gift I once received that made me feel so very special indeed...

I tumbled in the door after an overnight flight from New York to find my pyjamas warming on a radiator, a breakfast tray of muesli and fresh orange juice prepared in the fridge, luxurious oils and fresh towels by the bath, and rose petals and a love note on the bed... my darling man had left the house for work (sigh). It wasn't even my birthday.

The most thoughtful gifts don't cost any money at all. I felt pampered, special, secure... noticed.

This morning I received a further eleven emails from men asking for gift ideas for their wives;

"What should I give her Dulwichmum? She has everything already!"

I don't pretend to know their wives' taste in perfume, or size in underwear. Is there even a branch of Tiffany in North Korea? Why ask me? Oh boys! Why don't you ask your secretary for help? I told James' secretary what I wanted at the end of November - she never lets me down!

Would you like a slice of lemon in that?

10 comments:

Nunhead Mum of One said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nunhead Mum of One said...

Darling, David isn't going to email you, he's going to beg for your help while we're at the Nativity (as he's hopeless with discretion, please tip me the wink when he starts asking you questions and I'll shoot off somewhere else for the duration).

And please, steer him away from household appliances. He asked me this evening if I fancied one of those coffee machines. you know the one, the Sugababes song drives you mad every time it comes on.

the answer to that is obviously no. Unless he fancies retrieving his own Christmas present from the council tip.

I'd quite like a Tiffany bean.....

Rosie said...

Mmmm... the whole work secretary relationship is an interesting one. At least my mother always said that. She would buy my father's secretary very expensive presents knowing that the secretary would be buying hers! And the two of them had never met! The work secretary has a very powerful role. However my father has now retired and is now out on his own trying to find suitable presents for his dearest (his wife of course.) Dulwich Mum I fear he may be emailing you if he has not done so already. Please tell him Mum does NOT like Eternity by Calvin Klein, he buys it every year. Bless these poor men and the women who have everything!

dulwichmum said...

Lovely Nunhead mum of one,

There is nothing wrong with a coffee machine for Christmas - shhh I have bought one for James! You throw the beans in one end and it coughs out the coffee at the other!

Indeed dear Ingenious Rose,

I am sure I had an email from your father earlier today. I told him to contact his old secretary!

debio said...

Hubby doesn't have a secretary which I sometimes think is a disadvantage; having asked for a full, in-your-face, sparkling rock for Christmas (told him he could combine with Birthday if he preferred) he responded that he wasn't into jewellery and, anyway, I already had enough!

I thought the point was to give me what I wanted - I've obviously been sooo wrong all these years...

dulwichmum said...

Darling Debio!

This is a tragedy. You and I dear heart - we are both clearly tortured by our men...

lady macleod said...

I'm having Paris for Christmas, and all that entails... Since I have no husband... I suppose I shall have to take what Paris offers.. I must say the city has never let me down in the past.. Yes indeed, I think unwrapping a nice, hunky, Parisian could do just fine... Pass the Cristal...

Tunbridge Wells Dad said...

Daddy's back!

ALF said...

I give lots of present ideas but usually my husband tries to come up with something on his own which is sweet but...well, I like my list of ideas best.

dulwichmum said...

Perfect Lady MacLeod,

Indeed you are the Queen of Chique, I am in awe. However, Paris is choc full of doglets on strings, I always manage to trip over one and cause a death on the street! Could you not be persuaded to jump on the Eurostar and visit me in Dulwich? (OHMYGOD, I will be in Wales - can I join you in Paris?).

Sweet Dulwich Dad,

Thank God for that! Where have you been?

Lovely Alf,

I feel the same way. My list is always better, I so wish he didn't try to deviate!