peppermint in jars

Sunday marked my last day at the university.

I submitted my formal critique and as of this writing I'm waiting for my professors to post my final grades. I'm hoping for 3 A's and a B (this class, apparently, caused havoc in everybody's lives, as of this writing I'm still in the top of the class).

I threw away my course schedules, and other notes weeks ago in a general burst of feng shui-induced cleaning energy. In a few weeks, this year is over, and I didn't want to be left with old baggage from this year. One final baggage remains, the house that is yet to be formally turned over to its new owner. I'm hoping by Friday, the transaction is finished--I've spent so much time, money, emotional energy taking care of this house, I just want it written off of my palms.

As I sit eating my tasteless dinner in a chain restaurant, I remembered something about me that I'm always trying to forget. I fill my empty, spaces in my soul with movement, food, shopping, reading, and writing. The worst is when I look at retail items at different shops, and when I stuff myself with food like a goose meant for the Christmas table.

When I was younger I almost drowned in debt. I spent, literally, everyday of my life, either eating too much, or shopping too much. I didn't realize what I was doing until I started receiving credit card statements that didn't seem to end. I had a few thousand dollars of consumer debt within a few months.

Of course, nobody ever talked to me about money. Money was always this mysterious entity that made or broke people. When I was growing up, despite our massive house, our cars, our private schools--there was never enough money, not enough to buy any of us any happiness.

So I paid $7 for dinner I didn't even like, I threw away half of it, and I drove around the park to look at the Christmas lights. This is the first time in years, I really felt like Christmas. I spent quite a bit of time staring at pastries at the patisserie in downtown, stuffing my brain with gift ideas. I'm not much of a gift-giver during holidays, I prefer random gifts during the year.

Books, are always on my list. I have two Christmas parties to attend this year and the hosts are in my shopping list. So is my boss, who gave me the gift of two promotions and a Christmas bonus.

My friend's store closed in September, and normally, that's where I go for gifts. She usually had the best gifts in the land.  So I went to the next woman-owned retail shop in town, and I found a jar of mint candies. My boss has quite the sweet tooth, and I have a strange affinity for gifts inside jars. The gift shop wraps up the gifts wonderfully for a dollar.

I've always liked the idea of food as gifts. With retail items, you never know if it will disappoint, but with food--food always brings people together.