sj, thanks for the card. It's so different from anything I ever see(There's a lighthouse on it.)

There's a lighthouse on it.

A little bit of New England winter for you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Anyone that ended up on my postcard list for the UK trip, has now ended up on my holiday card list.

I arrived at my parents house to find a package waiting for me!! I squeed, then squinted curiously at the address (DC), and opened to find that my Secret Santa is the incredibly generous and loving bonny fides.

As you can imagine, there were a lot of tears as I opened the card (signed by bonny and bartleby) and the super thoughtful gifts; a lovely embroidered purse holding salt scrub for my poor weathered skin, shiny silver earrings for me, a doggy angel medallion for Frankie (my mom started crying, too, at that), a book on changing one's attitudes towards money, a doggie toy for Frankie, a photo album holding a picture of bonny and bartleby (more tears), and my favorite - a handpainted tile of leaves and vines growing out of a heart, and in Italian around the border al cuor non si comanda (the heart takes no commands, or the heart knows what it wants).

It took me about ten minutes to open the whole package, what with crying and telling my mom and brother stories and just appreciating what was in it and the thought behind each item. I don't feel I have the words to communicate the depth of my gratitude and how touched I am at bonny's generosity in such a difficult time, so forgive me if I resort to a facile intensifer.

Buffistas are the fucking BEST.

Oh, smonster. Oh, bonny.

smonster that sounds like wonderful gifts.

Bonny you are continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. I got my secret santa present!

My secret santa present is going to go out on Monday. I'm working to finish one more thing and I don't think i'll have time to go to the post office tomorrow.

The handwriting is in purple and there's purple tissue and wrapping. I haven't opened the card or anything yet.

Should I open it or wait until Christmas?

Open it!

Mine will go out Monday or Tuesday -- umm, depending on my plans which are completely up in the air.

quester is the best!!!

Dean and Penny are currently attacking catnip bags with gusto. Dean just flipped his up in the air and caught it. And Penny decided to ambush Dean for his.

I also have 2 awesome cookbooks - A Taste of Terrace Hill and Marica Adam's Heirloom Recipes.

There's also a Disappearing TARDIS Mug - just put in hot coffee (or tea/cocoa in my case) and watch it disappear.

A book of Catmus Carols = (Christmas carols redone in cat theme).

Some chocolates that look wonderful and 2 jellies. Pear Raspberry and Strawberry Rhubarb.

A beautiful purple and black velvety purse. A cat bookmark, an wooden sign saying Smile (which I could use), Awesome bandaids with comic book words on them - Ouch! BAM! etc . Alice in Wonderland peppermints.

Lavender soap, a lavender sachet, and essential oil.

And a pair of awesome, iridescent earrings that are black, blue and purple in vary degrees.

This is some quality catnip. They've had catnip treats before but I've never seen Dean act like this. I was walking toward Dean, he picked up the toy and ran with it to protect it.

Wow, we must grow some potent stuff here in Iowa!

I'm glad you liked it! I tried really hard to only shop at craft sales and local stores, though some of the stuff is obviously not from here.

It was fun to shop for you, askye. My only problem was having to stop! there were a lot more things I could have picked up...if I had unlimited funds!

I guess I should open my gift now, too.

My Secret Santa has been waiting patiently, especially since he/she started by sending a wonderfully mysterious card in November.

I'm glad I was fun to shop for! I've been having fun for my secret santa.

Dean and Penny are totally sacked out right now.

I'm totally loving the Heirloom Recipes, there are some really tasty sounding ones and some oddball stuff like Sauerkraut Cream Pie. Which I think I'm going to be crazy enough to try.

Actually, sauerkraut cream pie sounds pretty damn awesome. Post it once you try it!