Speaking of gifts...

Looking back one year, to Christmas 2007, I can tell you that two of the gifts that I received were used literally every day: My iPod Touch, used for its calendar, Web access to e-mail, podcasts and music, and to haul around photos for the purpose of bragging; and the espresso machine that Toni bought, which at the time I thought was too much money to spend on such a thing but has paid for itself over and over. I estimate that we have made 700 double-tall lattes this year! We had spent $950 at Starbucks in 2007 (as tracked by debit card and credit card transactions. No accounting for cash expenditures of which there surely were some). But our 2008 tally for Starbucks as recorded in our banking register is merely $250 and most of that is for espresso beans. 

Two great gifts, greatly used and appreciated.