• Mood: full
• Music: Queen of Hearts - Juice Newton

In the Cards

The image of my mug to the left isn’t just another copy of that same headshot you’ve seen a hundred times before. No, you’re looking at the back of an actual playing card. My wonderful big sister B sent me two whole 52-card decks of regulation Bicycle playing cards with this image on the back. The accompanying note wished me a “…happy belated Christmas/birthday/solstice/etc…”

To save you the trouble of craning your neck or rotating your monitor to read the text on the perimeter of the image, it is a quote from one of my heroes, Rod Serling: “Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull.”

Two people have already asked me where she had this done. The answer is this: I don’t know, but I hope to find out soon.

I am delighted on several levels. First of all, it’s nice to receive a gift that is so utterly personal and that took some genuine thought and creativity on the part of the giver. Second, my birthday is only 4 weeks after Christmas, so receiving a gift at this time of year is a nice surprise. Finally, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some euchre. I can probably talk CC into playing, but I still need two more. Who’s up for it?