May 9, 2006
first of the Mohicans
5/9/06
It's harder and harder to pull off surprise parties as you get older, as the subtleties of your actions, even if they are the tiniest bit off, can resonate as profoundly odd. We did manage to surprise Tessa at Scottadito tonight; she always suspects I'm up to something in the 2nd week of May, but she's never sure quite what. Sometimes I surprise her with an ice skating adventure, sometimes I give her an iPod, and occasionally, I propose marriage.
This year I gave her something two entire years in the making: a book I wrote and illustrated called "The Almost Entirely True Story of Knob Hill Farm." Our place in Columbia County was once a "guest house" called Knob Hill Farm, built in 1818. I began the project as a 1st Wedding Anniversary present (you know, the "paper" anniversary) but instead, I went down the rabbit hole.
For months I scoured the upstate public libraries, pored through baptismal and birth certificates, leafed through countless ancient maps in Massachusetts, studied the local Indian tribes, and put the pieces together going back to the seventeenth century. Finding the original ledger for the farmhouse goods dated in 1823 sealed the deal, and we even uncovered a secret in the barn. I managed to whittle it down to 25 pages with photographs, and when I finally finished it - about eight minutes before her surprise dinner - the massive bête noire lifted.
There's a ton of cool stuff in there, but you know how I like picture re-creations. I'm a real sucker for 'em, I tellya.
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above: Bob Nelson Sr., 1959; below: me, 2004
I wish you were *my* husband.
What a wonderful gift!! Ian, you are too cool. I hope that Tessa had a magnificent birthday and loved the book. Post some more of the photo recreations - I'm a sucker for them, too!
I have a crush on you, Ian! And on Tessa! And on little Lucy, too! You three are the Darling Darlingtons.
So have you seen the series "Big Love" on HBO?
I'd like to propose myself as a candidate for second wife. Heck, if Oliver or Laurie have first dibs, I'm even willing to settle for third or fourth on the condition that they don't boss me around too much or make me wash the dishes all the time.
Sure I can't cook, hate to clean, err on the conservative side, and I already have a husband and child who would both still require my constant love and attention, but other than that I think I have a lot to offer. Umm, let me get back to you on that particular list...right now all I've got is "adore the Williams family...love Carolina/hate dook...can boil water in an emergency..."
Think about it and have your people get in touch with my people. Of course, "my people" aren't technically able to use the phone yet or even really communicate beyond "da da da," and "ba ba ba," so perhaps it's best if your people just e-mail me directly, okay? ;-)
(Seriously, what a lovely gift! Hope you had a wonderful day, Tessa!)
Hey! What happened to the shutters?
I second (or third or whatever) the motion to send more pics. And, duh! You can't just say "secret in the barn" and not give any more details!
Sheesh.
Awesome gift! I can't say I want to marry you, Ian, but I would like to be more like you.
What is the secret in the barn?
Servant's quarters? Iron chains for a mentally ill aunt? What?
yeah, husbands all over the country are hating you this morning.
what a gift! but give us a gift too - either the secret in the barn or news on your tv project! (the networks are about to announce their fall line ups - at least tell us what network to pay attention to!)
I am up for some kind of co-habitating family arrangement! Unfortunately, I have many neuroses, my husband does not like the Tar Heels, . . . but my daughter is certainly a Darlington, and our beagle is pretty cute! We have a certain kind of appeal!
Seriously, I am impressed by Ian's thoughtfulness in his gift-giving. I did not even bother with that level of thoughtfulness back when I was dating and trying to catch me a husband. (Ha!) Now that I have been married for 12 years, there is absolutely no creativity in my gift-giving.
Ian (and everyone else), if you have any free time, please send to me some ideas for my husband's 40th birthday this year. He is a great guy, and he deserves a wonderful birthday, but I am a very Burned-Out Working Mama, and all my creativity is spent at the Insurance Job and helping my daughter with school homework. There is nothing left at the end of the day.
down the rabbit hole indeed!
that gift is totally the bomb, i am into really amazing/interesting gifts and it takes a lot to impress me, but i give you megakudos on that one.
in fact, i would go so far as to proclaim extra deluxe megakudos for finishing something that took 2 years! damn!
Is Jimmy Hoffa in your barn? Elvis?
Great personal present, Ian. I love gifts like that but never can seem to get my act together to create them! I leave the homemade gifts to the kids now.
LFMD - my husband just turned 40 as well! I gave him a scooter (the Razor kind) so he could join our scooter obsessed 5 year old around the neighborhood. They are so cute now flying down the sidewalks to Cup a Joe together. I think it made him feel younger, which is always good at 40. Other good gift ideas in the past were a great tree or plant that blooms around his birthday or a great night away (with hotel room,etc. sans kid). Hope it goes well for you!
LFMD -- perhaps take him to one of the following places:
tokyo
the south of france
the greek islands
quebec
NYC (more specifically to avenue q on broadway, followed or preceded by dinner at any of the iron chef america's restaurants -- babbo/lupa/otto/morimoto/mesa grill/bolo/bar americain. OR, better yet, at the russian samovar on 52nd and 8th avenue.)http://www.russiansamovar.com/
there are several nice bed and breakfasts in chelsea if you spend the night, which seem cozier than say, the sheraton, and I think are fairly reasonable too.
or you could take him to the espn zone with all his friends/family and their respective spouses/children
or have a huge barbecue/house party with those same people (preferably not at your house)
any of those sound like they'd be a great birthday to me. that said, I'm neither an old guy nor married, so what the hell do I know? (but I guess my point is, if it makes sense, and you have both the means and the energy, make it memorable. I mean why not?)
Sigh. I remember the days when 40 used to signify "old guy" (or gal).
for my husband's next birthday i think i am going to pimp his ride. within $$ reason of course, i'm not planning on plasma screen dvd players and disco balls in there.
but after he comes back from his tour and i pick him up from the airport i think it would be super cool to drive up in our car with a tricked out stereo and whatnever else i dream up. the kids would love to do spinning rims but in my neighborhood they would get ripped off.
he is a huge shell toe adidas collector so my ultimate dream is to get the car painted to actually look like a pair of shell toe adidas...i have to figure out how much that would cost though.
so anyways, laurie there is always that car turned into shoe option.
For my mom's 40th birthday, my dad threw a BBQ in our backyard. He hung up a sheet on the side of the house and we grilled out and then watched a movie (that was projected on the sheet). I was only 5 at the time, so I don't remember it very clearly. From the pictures I've seen, I'd say it was a damn good time... a couple dozen people, a bunch of blankets, tasty food.
sorry, beth. what I meant to say instead of old guy was: "person approaching middle-age but still young in spirit and at heart, because what is age really but a number? and besides, 40 is the new 30, which would place me somewhere in my teens, which seems about right since all I really am is an overgrown teenager, while people in their 40's are in their prime, at the very peak of their lives."
or something to that effect.
I just checked back on this entry. . . Thanks to all for the great bday ideas for my man. You are all such a creative bunch of people!