The thing I really struggle with is why we shouldn't give gifts for b-day (and I include mother's day too). I don't care how frosty the spouse is, this is the b-day of someone I care about and so I feel a gift is appropriate. I believe that even if poorly received at first that it has to stick with them somewhere. I might have shied away from clothes as a choice, but you know your wife and I don't. Clothes, jewelry, that sort of thing are something that will have some connotation when worn (ie..the clothes, jewelry, etc from my H) and also might be remarked upon (ie nice clothes UD's wife...where did you get them?). Some things are just functional. I chose a i-pod mini for my wife this year whereas my typical gift would have been jewelry or perhaps clothes. It's not her b-day yet, but when I went over she made a point of showing me that she had opened it already. She said "you told me I could" and I said "no, I just asked if you did" and then she playfully flipped me off. She was really stoked about it. She asked for some help in trying to remove some songs and she mentioned the i-pod several times yesterday.
I wasn't busting your chops about the gift. I completely approve of giving gifts for special occasions...it shows thoughtfulness (Michelle I don't care what you say...I read your book to mean no gifts out of the blue for no reason). Just my thoughts on perhaps why the gift didn't sound well received (or am I reading into that?) I'm glad you got to spend that time with your W. Hope you have a great 4th.
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln
It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. Theodore Roosevelt
