What do I want for Christmas?

So in some ways I think this is going to be a massively sucktastic Christmas, as, well, my life is in what I would call major transition right now. I haven't spent a Christmas without a loved one by my side in, oh, seems like decades. I should feel lucky, I'm sure, but, well, instead I feel lucky that some people I really like are willing to open their house to me for some Christmas cheer. Thank you so much noirem!

I also am finding myself doing almost no Christmas shopping because, well, I don't think I'm really GETTING any gifts, and don't much have people to exchange with. But I kind of have an imaginary Christmas list, of things that I want but don't feel like I deserve to get for myself. I'll probably get some of these things for myself eventually, but ... I don't know, I don't feel like I deserve so much of a treat a lot of the time. But this is my ideal list of presents, and the good news is: some people have given them to me! That makes me happy. I'm also happy because my Pilates teacher gave me a present, and that makes me feel kind of honored. Sick, isn't it, but I always kind of wind up idealizing my coaches, and she's always so kind and funny and it just makes me happy that she'd see me in the kind of light of someone that deserves a present.

So:

1. Tate membership. Concept: ideal present from my dad as it can be bought from afar; I can enjoy it all year long. SCORE! He has bought me this!
2. Box of home made Christmas cookies. Concept: deelish treat I never have time to make for myself, can't get in the UK as people don't really go in for cookie baking and too expensive to ship, reminds me of being at Grandmas. SCORE! This nice person on Twitter is going to mail me some anyway, I am now totally in her debt. Also <3 !
3. Someone who will go on vacation with me somewhere warm in January or February. I hate feeling stuck here because I can't find people who want to travel with me and travelling alone is frankly like an .
4. Books. There are titles by Connie Willis and Kage Baker I still don't have yet and this needs to be fixed! (Amazon wish list has most of them.)
5. Tea. Real tea! Good tea! Not flavored tea! Not herbal tea! Not that stuff that smells like pipe tobacco! Actually I got a catalogue from Mariages Freres today and it was TOTAL PORN for me, even though a lot of what they have is flavored tea. They have this whole series of new tea tins with the word for tea written on it in different languages (including Tibetan and Arabic) and I craved it in a very bad way. Best bets: black tea, unless you're ms_vermilion, in which case I know you will just pick something brilliant.
6. You. Real you! Good you! Not flavored you! Preferably you hanging out with me! This has got a lot better over the last few months but I'd still like to spend more time with people. Bonus if we can go see a movie, a play, or a classical music event, but I'll also do visits for meals and a natter. Have me, will travel. (Wait, I didn't mean it like that.)
7. A Persian kitten. I miss Boo, that's all there is to it. I want a new kitty, and I'd like the pleasure of watching on grow up. You only get to do this about every 10 or 15 years and I'd like to take advantage of being catless to get the full-on kitten joy experience. And I really liked my little lint production factory. But this is the gift I'm pretty sure I won't get. So, why not ask for ...
8. A pony! I've been really good and I promise I will love it forever. I'm sure it will fit in the yard, and mom already said okay, so can I have one now please please please?
9. Oh yeah, and I want a tea set by the guy who did this set of cups. His name is, I think, Judia Uviche, and he's one of the oldest and best ceramic artists in Caltagirone. However, I think that would run about 300 quid, so there's no way I'm getting one from anyone except from me, but, gosh, I really want to get one made for me before he dies.