The Bloggess recently shared the best and worst Christmas presents she had ever received, and encouraged her commenters to join in. I think this is a splendid idea and am certainly not too proud to steal from her. What are the best and worst gifts you’ve ever received (for Christmas or any other occasion)? Here are mine:

Best: My own copy of a particular Andre Norton book that I had checked out from the library about a zillion times. I was around 10, and instead of playing with toys I spent the afternoon re-re-reading my book.

Worst: Two are tied for this, both from my quasi-ex-mother-in-law: One was a toilet brush, which I am not convinced was unused. The other was a bizarre stuffed Shih Tzu that appeared to be less “toy” than “taxidermy.” I thought, “Huh,” stuck it in a box in a storage shed, and forgot all about it. A couple of years later I was in the process of moving out; I was alone, and by the time I got to the shed it was nearly dark. Nervously hurrying to finish and leave, I opened a mysterious musty box and discovered what I initially mistook to be a long hank of human hair, attached to something lumpy which was about the size of a human head. I nearly pissed myself thinking that I’d stumbled upon the remains of a murder. Then I realized it was that goddamn toy dog.

Now it’s your turn! Share your best/worst gifts in the comments.