HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Oliver household to yours!  May the beauty of
the season lace itself throughout the year - and beyond - for you and
your loved ones.

Happy birthday to our nephew, Marc, who's busy designing cars in
Detroit!  Happy 16th anniversary to my brother and his wife, Joel and
Alexis, and happy 8th anniversary to my sister and her husband, Beth
and Jay!
________________________________________________________
THE BIGGEST CRUSH


"I saw a star, I reached for it, I missed.  So I accepted the sky." --
Scott Fortini


It was the biggest crush of the century.

His name was Aubrey, and we shared the same homeroom in seventh
grade.  Long legs in jeans, green eyes, brilliant smile.  I held my
breath whenever he passed my desk.  I slipped anonymous declarations
of love in the slot of his locker.  Every time he happened to glance
my way, it was enough to make me float the rest of the day.  When he
said the slightest word to me, even if he was just clearing his
throat, my best friend and I examined from every angle the underlying
connotations of his throat-clearing during lunch.

I was in love.

But, alas, he loved another.  The cheerleader two rows down from me.

One day our teacher gave us an assignment.  Each of us had to think
of a product to "market" to the class, and then we would vote on the
product we would most likely buy.

Recalling the previous summer that my family had spent in California
with relatives, I decided on a product that my cousin had in his
possession.  Seemed like everything that was a fad hit California
first like a tidal wave, then trickled to El Paso where I lived. 
Fortunately for me, this particular product hadn't been marketed in
our area yet.

I found a shoebox, lined it with Sunday comics and a folded doll
blanket, then poked holes in the lid.  I used colored pencils to
write a little booklet, explaining the benefits of this merchandise. 
I found a long piece of twine, then scoured my desert-landscaped
front yard for the perfect rock.

I had little confidence, so I practiced in front of the mirror.  I
practiced in front of my parents.  In front of my dog, Hobbit, too.

Here it was, the big day, and it was my turn.

Step right up, folks, today is your lucky day.  For only $9.95, this
Pet Rock can be yours.  It can play dead.  It can roll over.  The
leash is custom-made.  Your Pet Rock needs no feeding.  Yes, if you
order now, you can have this Pet Rock for $9.95, and this special
booklet will be provided free of charge.  Yes, that's right.  A free
booklet with instructions on the care of your new pet.

My delivery was deadpan as I commanded my pet to heel, roll over, and
play dead.  The class erupted, howling with laughter.

And the best part was seeing Aubrey out of the corner of my eye,
doubled over, wiping tears from his eyes.

Yes, the love of my life was laughing!

I won that contest.

I never did win Aubrey's heart.  But winning his laughter for ten
minutes was like stumbling across gold.  It was enough to sustain me
through many a lunch hour with my best friend.

"Did Aubrey look straight at me?" I would ask breathlessly.  "Did he
say anything afterwards?  He said my name?!  He actually said my name
in the same sentence?!  How did he say it?"

Oh, you know how it goes.


Jennifer Oliver
[email protected]
Copyright © 2001 by Jennifer Oliver. All rights reserved.
_________________________________________________________
QUOTES FROM LESSER KNOWN PEOPLE

"I don't want lightning to blink at me!" - Matthew Oliver, age 3, as
a rainstorm enveloped our home.
_________________________________________________________
FROM OUR FRIENDLY E-MAIL CARRIER:

In regards to "Filling the Gap" --
(http://geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/121801.htm)

How sweet you are, Jennifer.  You are so full of love and it's
wonderful to be able to peek into the many ways you express it,
through your stories and your actions.  What you did for Mom was a
true love moment!  And now I've decided, NO MORE MASCARA ON
TUESDAY!  -- With love, your sister, 3rd of 9, Jackie

Just wanted you to know how your story "Filling in the Gap" touched
my heart and soul.  This is really uncanny and hard to believe but I,
too, had 9 children, having a miscarriage between the first four and
the last four.  I think often of someday seeing my child for the
first time and can understand your Mom's joy when you gave her the
emblem representing her child that seemed lost but was now replaced
in her rightful position - an equal member of her Mother's nine-
children family.  The gap needed to be filled and you did it with
such feeling that I'm sure she will never forget your
thoughtfulness.  May God Bless you for this and all the other great
stories you share with us, your readers.  They, too, fill a need we
all have at times in our lives.  Keep up the good work. - Sincerely,
Beulah Romere

Such a lovely story & tribute to your sister and a reassurance to
your mom.  Love spans hardships and seeks understanding.....you have
shown that in your story! - Betty

I just read you touching, moving story on STORIES FROM THE HEART and
was moved to write to you.  Do you know Richard Paul Evans?  Have you
read his books?  Let me know as soon as possible.  It is for such as
your mother that he wrote is first "inspired" book:  THE CHRISTMAS
BOX.  His latest, MIRACLE OF THE CHRISTMAS BOX, (or CHRISTMAS BOX
MIRACLE) is so wonderful;  I read it and gave it away as a gift to a
mother who lost her son. - Sincerely, Nancee

In regards to "Second Chance" --
(http://geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/121101.htm)

Dear Jennifer,
    I just read your story. It truly touches the heart and shows what
true love in the family is really all about. You have a special bond
with your brother that has never died. how fortunate you really are.
My younger brother and I had been close while growning up. But over
the years we grew apart. I had given up hope that we would ever
really have that close bond with one another again.
    When I was 27, I had a very bad marriage that was dying and my
life just seemed to have no hope in it. I gave up and tried to kill
myself by overdosing on my medications for epilepsy. I called for
help and was saved.
    But what meant the most to me, was a few days later, my younger
brother showed up, to check on his big sister. He was at the time a
driver and mechanic for a major tractor pulling team in the nation.
Having just finished his pull out in Ohio, he told his boss he was
loading up the rig and heading out to the next place that night. He
had to check on his sis in the state he was going to. I still
remember him showing up a day later. I have never forgotten it. He
drove all night long to get to New Hampshire. He returned a few times
while he was in the area, but what meant the most, was his smile and
his warm hug.
     We do our best to stay in touch, but it is never really as easy
as it used to be. Still the phone and the computer keep us close.
     Thank you again for your beautiful story of brotherly and
sisterly love, and for reminding me of my younger baby brother.  The
day he became a man.

Sincerely,
Mary Greeley
Wife of a USS COLE Survivor

Jennifer, Stop!  You're causing these tired eyes and tear ducts to
work way too hard.  What a wonderful story.  It's nice to know about
the love your husband has for his sister.  Sorry to hear about Karen
giving up on her painting and writing.  I did the same for several
years after my son Derek died.  It was too hard to work on things I
loved when one I loved was not there to share it with me.  But I
realized I needed to start again so I could heal, and it worked. 
I've since worked through most of the pain.  Thanks again for
reminding how important family is in our lives. - Dave Sims

What a magnificent story, and what a magnificent guy you married! -
Azriela Jaffe

Hello and Merry Christmas time!! I enjoyed all of your mini
stories....it's wonderful your hubby remembers so many of his
childhood days.  (I think we covered senior moments before in our
correspondence)! LOL!  Actually, someone was just saying...when we
get older some of our younger memories come more alive to us!  Funny,
but that's the way the Lord made things. Keep on writing!  -
Blessings, Diane

Hi, Jennifer!  Loved today's story.  I read most of my e-mails at
work, as you know, and as you also know, when you give in to a
tearjerker in your cubicle, it's gotta be pretty $*#&% good!  I have
a very distant and stiff relationship with my only brother and would
give anything to have retained our closeness growing up.  That's not
likely, so stories like yours make me wistful.
   On a happier note, I have been searching for the excerpt of "Wife
Seeking Wife" that you wrote about recently, and I couldn't find it. 
Do you have another link to it?  Can you tell me how to get it?
   Take care of yourself and everybody else, as you so handily do,
and know I'm thinking about all of you as I bake my buns off this
month! - Love, Mary Jo

Mary Jo, you may see the first chapter of "Wife Seeking Wife" at
http://geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001/wife.htm.  And keep baking
off those buns...I think I hear some pretty happy kids clamoring in
the background!