Improvised Life [ November 30th, 2011 ] Posted in » Words and Then Some... by Anne
Thanks Grenville Station
Know When to Hold’Em, Know When to Fold’em…
Hold’em Poker has gone from an unpopular game played only by professional gamblers to one of the most popular casino ‘games’ available. The attraction of the game is the amateur’s ability to outwit a professional. Bluffing is universal. In sports, you generally can’t fake your way to the big leagues. You have to hit homers, or thrown touchdowns or serve aces. There are no amateurs winning superbowls or world series or grand slams. But in Hold’Em Poker’s ‘World Series of Poker’, there are rarely repeat winners and the final table is usually filled with no-name players. The top ‘recognized’ pros are usually absent from the final table, often knocked out in earlier rounds.
That’s the allure of Hold’Em Poker. For the amateur with a dream to make it to the final table and announce, with a grin, that he or she is ALL-IN! Help Dad enjoy his weekly poker game with our Royal Flush gift basket, enough snacks for even the biggest of appetites. If Poker isn’t “Dad’s thing”, check out our other gifts for men.
National Teacher’s Day – Part 2
Other than close family members, teachers are often the most influential people in a person’s life. Surely their time, energy and efforts deserve some recognition! So how will you recognize the teachers who had such an impact on your life or on the life of your child(ren)? It doesn’t take much time, money or effort to give a “World’s Greatest Teacher” or “Teachers Have Class” coffee mug but unless the teacher is fresh out of college or fairly new to the profession I would suggest that you skip these type of gifts (most teachers have more than they know what to do with) and put a little more thought into how you express your appreciation.
A thoughtful card or handwritten letter would surely bring a warm feeling to a teacher’s heart, as would a small token, but personal, gift. As a former teacher myself, I can honestly say that a gift need not cost a lot of money to be appreciated. Most teachers that I know talk a lot and they need to stay hydrated throughout the day! Skip the mugs mentioned above but consider what the teacher may enjoy drinking instead. Gourmet coffee or herbal teas make a fine choice, as would reusable water bottles or lidded travel mugs. Another suggestion would be some fine chocolate, cookies or other sweets for days when their flagging energy could really use a sugar boost! A small gift basket may be ideal.
Non-food items could include a stash of stickers or rubber stamps for primary grade teachers; books for classroom libraries; or gift certificates to local book stores, teaching supply, craft or office supply stores. You would be surprised how much money an elementary school teacher spends out-of-pocket on motivational and educational items for their classroom to supplement what the school boards provide. Any gift that enhances what they do in the classroom will be sure to be appreciated!
If you happen to be lucky enough to know some of the teacher’s personal interests (such as gardening, crafting, involvement in a particular sport) then by all means tailor your gift along those lines! As long as a gift is well thought out and useful or personal in nature you’re sure to receive an A+ for your efforts!
Laurie
Birthday Blues…
We all have at least one – you know, the person who is hard to buy for… Personally, I have two of those people in my life and today just happens to be the 35th birthday of one of those individuals – my husband (and Grenville Station Inc. co-owner), James. Why is James so difficult to buy for? Well, for starters he doesn’t have any hobbies, participate in any clubs or play sports. Not to say that he’s a couch potato by any means, he simply doesn’t have time for these activities. We are the proud parents of a beautiful six year old girl and we own and operate our own business. When you’re a small business owner and father of a young child you tend to wear a lot of hats and this keeps him quite busy.
“So, what about his interests?”, you might be thinking. Well, his main interests involve technical IT kind of stuff that I know nothing about, and improving and growing our business. So he’s constantly educating himself by reading, researching, networking and “tinkering” on the computer. Buying him anything electronic or related to technology of any kind is out of the question – I simply wouldn’t know where to begin! Music is out – he listens to talk radio in the van and seminars, lectures or other educational type of things on his ipod while exercising. Books or other resource media are out too for obvious reasons.
So what does that leave me with? You would think that someone whose business is ”gifting” wouldn’t have a problem coming up with a gift for their own spouse, but I do. I certainly can’t give him a gift basket after being in the basket business together for eight years! I have access to a wide range of gourmet & specialty foods and giftware but it just doesn’t feel like a genuine gift when you handle these products on a daily basis. He’s not a plant or flower type of guy and gift cards seem impersonal to me. I could make him a nice meal but let’s face it, I’m not much of a cook! What is a girl to do?
James, if you’re reading this, our daughter and I will have a lovely store bought cake and a heartfelt birthday card or two waiting for you when you get home. The rest of it will be a surprise because I obviously haven’t a clue what to give you for a present!
