Look it Up

I know that computers have played a large role in paring down our homes of things like paper and encyclopedias. However, I do think there are a few things that should not become a distant memory. The dictionary is an item that every home should have. How many times were you told to, "look it up" when you didn't know how to spell something? I know....I know....look it up can be done on the computer, but there is something about holding all those words in your hands and flipping through the pages until you find the word you are looking for. I think a dictionary makes a great gift in many situations, but I'm going to highlight two of them.

When we got married, a cousin gave us a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. (Big book lovers here) Since it was a decent amount of money for the bookstore, we really wanted to get something that we would always have. We decided on a dictionary. We knew we would use it and someday our children would use it. Give it as a wedding gift and put on the tag, "You two are the definition of the happy couple." When the crystal candlesticks have been broken, the dictionary will still be on the shelf.

I also think a dictionary would make a clever gift for the graduate who is headed off to college. Put something clever on the tag, too..."Why isn't phonic spelled phonetically?"