A Special Gift For My Hubby

I don't believe I mentioned it here on the blog but over the past several months Bob has known that his job of 13 years was pretty much done. I have to say that the company Bob worked for was very good to it's employees and it's a bit sad that Bob will have to leave.

That said, Bob will continue to work for the next few months as a 'contract employee' to help wind the business down or to help it gear back up if there is a buyer.

I'm very proud of my husband (as I'm sure most wives are) and I know that he will get a job fairly fast if that is what he wants. He has already thought of a few things he would like to do once this job winds down.

I'm surprised and happy for him that he doesn't seem depressed or overly upset about this. I had told him many times before we got the final news that he had done everything in his power to keep the company going. There is no shame in what has happened - at least not on Bob's head. Now, I think there should be a few executives who should be hanging their heads in shame but then, these are people looking out for their best interests instead of looking at the economy and the need for people to make a living.

Bob's whole philosophy was about saving the business (about 180 jobs). He knew it could be done but it's hard to run a business when the 'parent' companies show no interest in it and you have a board overseeing the project that can't really work together.

Anyways, it's happened and there is nothing to be done.

So Bob's Christmas gift this year will be more along the lines of silly but you know what, these are the type of gifts Bob always remembers.

I have decided to write up something for him about how we're in this together and that he has a partner that will follow where ever he leads. I found a scrapbook frame and will use scrapbook papers to make a nice piece of 'manly' art. (Seriously, scrapbooking needs to take men into account.) And it will probably be the least expensive gift I give him this year. But I have a feeling it will mean the most and it's during the rough times, even though I say it every day, to let the ones you love know what they mean to you.

If you need an idea because of cut backs with money but aren't sure a scrapbooked art piece will work for someone, then I have other ideas that are fairly cheap and say 'I know you'.

Eg. I had a friend who was an actress (still is) and I knew her favourite soliloquy from Shakespeare. I found a frame (at like Home Sense (very inexpensive but great quality) and printed out the soliloquy on pretty paper and framed it for her.

My cousin is also really good with gifts. The year her mother was to retire she took some plain journals and got letter stickers and made up a journal for finance, a journal for adventure and another one I can't remember - it was all in a pretty cardboard suitcase (again, cheap at Homesense) and I thought it was a fabulous idea.

The only caution I can make is know your audience. My mother would clock me with a gift like that - or of course, make it a running joke that we all have a great time laughing about. No seriously, there was this gift I did and it was horrendous and we laughed and laughed and laughed. So even though it was funny, it wasn't exactly a gift my mother loved because hey, she likes particular things and my arts and crafts stuff just ain't it.

So good luck with your shopping (I'm almost done - I need to buy Bob a few more 'real' gifts) and if you decide to do something a little more crafty I would love to hear about it.

As it is, I may be missing for a few days as I struggle to come up with something 'perfect' to write for the man I love.