WE RECALL OUR MOST MEMORABLE GIFTS.A ring I've received a lot of great gifts in my life. I was a very lucky kid, and always had plenty of gifts under the tree. We've asked readers to send in stories about the best gift they ever received and I thought I'd share my story too. When I first started mulling mulling (mul´ing), n the final step of mixing dental amalgam; a kneading of the triturated mass to complete the amalgamation. over my best gift my mind initially jumped to childhood, when I got some great gifts. I'll never forget the Christmas when I got a kitten kitten newborn or young cat or ferret. kitten mortality complex a general term applied to a syndrome involving death of young kittens, particularly in breeding establishments. , a grey and white long-haired furball I cleverly named Fuzz. My parents put Fuzz in a box right before gift opening and I just about died with delight when he popped out. Other stand-out childhood gifts included a red scooter scooter: see motorcycle. and a Peaches 'n Cream Barbie Barbie in full Barbara Millicent Roberts A plastic doll, 11.5 in. (29 cm) tall, with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced in 1959 by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. . My best gift came on Christmas 2001. My boyfriend and I had recently moved to Colorado and I was spending the holidays away from my family and with his family for the first time. As a special gift and a chance for some couple time, he took me to a Tchaikovsky concert at the Colorado Symphony Orchestra The Colorado Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra, based in Denver, Colorado. The orchestra was established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony. Currently, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is the state’s only full-time professional orchestra. . Afterward, we walked a few blocks to a Catholic church downtown and attended mass to celebrate the Epiphany Epiphany (ĭpĭf`ənē) [Gr.,=showing], a prime Christian feast, celebrated Jan. 6, called also Twelfth Day or Little Christmas. Its eve is Twelfth Night. . During mass, as we walked down the aisle to receive communion, I reached my hands back to hold his hands like I always did. Right then, he slipped an engagement ring on my finger! What a tricky devil. I was so surprised and excited. We were married before the next Christmas came around. I wear the ring every day. Often, when I look at it, I remember the moment I got it and think, ``That was the best Christmas gift ever.'' Annie Hundley valleynews.com editor Not the first bike, but the second one Christmas has always been special to me because of the traditions involved. From the warm feeling I get walking into my mother's kitchen every Dec. 24 morning, to the evening family dinner with all my aunts, uncles and cousins, Christmas is always filled with good times. And who can forget opening gifts early Christmas morning? As a kid, this was definitely the most cherished of moments. If I had to decide which gift was the best, I'd have to say the bike my parents gave me. I must have been 7 or 8 years old. It wasn't my first. ... That bike had come about two years earlier from my godfather. But I had long-since wrecked it and was in dire need of a new one. My parents knew I was a two-wheel maniac ma·ni·ac n. An insane person. maniac one affected with mania. and my mother dreaded the day I would eventually get a dirtbike (I've been through a few by now). Nevertheless, they got me a new bike. This meant the world to me because I knew they were not happy about the way the old one had died (I had converted a piece of plywood plywood, manufactured board composed of an odd number of thin sheets of wood glued together under pressure with grains of the successive layers at right angles. Laminated wood differs from plywood in that the grains of its sheets are parallel. and a couple bricks stacked on top of each other into a ramp and the handlebars had snapped when I came crashing down on the concrete). Funny thing, I actually found out about my bike on Christmas Eve, which was out of the ordinary because I never saw gifts until Christmas morning. But that evening I had walked into my sisters' room and saw it behind one of the beds. I knew right away that it was to be mine. I doubt my parents would ever get my sisters a black bike and it was way too small for my older brothers ... that evening it was confirmed that I would be riding a new bike Christmas morning. Alejandro Guzman NE and NW San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. A baby My greatest gift will not get delivered in time for Christmas. And I'm fine with that. There is no gift-wrapping or shiny red bow required; my gift does not come from a department store. God willing, I will get to hold my gift by Feb. 10, 2007. But I don't yet know exactly how big or small the package will be. Just like with every other extra special gift, this one has been given to me by my best friend and husband Fernando Martinez. He has taught me that the greatest gift of all is something that cannot be bought. It is free. It is love. It is the gift of life. In my case, my gift is baby Frank Martinez. Eight months into my pregnancy I've dealt with the morning sickness morning sickness n. Nausea and vomiting upon rising in the morning, especially during early pregnancy. Also called nausea gravidarum. morning sickness , raging hormones, weight gain, swelling, and now, gestational diabetes Gestational Diabetes Definition Gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs during pregnancy. Like other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes involves a defect in the way the body processes and uses sugars (glucose) in the diet. . I've had my good days and bad days. I've laughed at the sight of seeing my baby move inside my belly like a hurricane. I cried when I first learned I had diabetes, thinking I was responsible for hurting my baby. But I'm blessed that I haven't been through this experience alone. At every doctor's visit, Fernando is there. When I attended the first diabetes class, he was there asking questions about my nutrition, learning how to prick my finger to monitor my blood sugars. Simply holding my hand. So as our family of five (I have three dogs: Cuddles Cuddles may be:
Angie Martinez Angela Martinez (born January 9, 1971 in The Bronx, New York, USA) is an American radio and television personality, hip-hop recording artist, actress, and model. She is of Puerto Rican descent. SW San Fernando Valley CAPTION(S): Photo: (1) The valleynews.com team poses around a Daily News' Christ mas tree. In the front row is editor Annie Hundley and community journalist Mark Kellam. In the back, from left, are community journalists Carol Rock, Alejandro Guzman, Jason Kandel and Angie Valencia. Newsroom decorations range from an inflatable in·flat·a·ble adj. Designed to be filled with air or gas before use: an inflatable mattress. n. An object or device that can be filled with air or gas, especially: a. tree to menorahs and a skeleton Santa in the sports department. Edna Trunnell-Simpson Daily News (2) Southwest community journalist Angie Valencia-Martinez poses with her husband, Fernando Martinez, on their wedding day. Angie and Fernando's biggest Christmas gift is arriving a bit late -- a baby boy is due in February. Photo courtesy Angie Valencia/valleynews.com |
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