Msbelle, thank you so much for the iTunes gift card! I'll have loads of fun choosing music.

Bonny, oh, Bonny! I picked up your package today and before I finished reading the card I was in tears. Thank you for sharing such a precious gift with me. For those of you who haven't seen them yet, I posted a picture on Facebook [link] of the beautiful armwarmers and headband Bonny made with buttons from her grandfather's Navy uniform from WWII. I'm still tearing up just thinking about them. I am so honored you would share those with me. Thank you.

But not just that! I received Captain America playing cards in a collectible tin, a tea sampler, a hypertrochoid art set (basically a Spyrograph set for grown-ups, which I can't wait to try) and a number of single-shot comics from various fandoms, which will go to the top of my reading pile.

Thank you so much for such a thoughtfully chosen set of secret santa gifts, Bonny, they rock my world.

And, I also have to thank ms_belle for the iTunes card! I'm looking forward to adding new music to my collection!

Oh Sail, I am so pleased that you are pleased.

You have always spoken with such pride about your service. As soon as I drew your name, I knew I wanted to honor that somehow.

Both my grandfather and great-grandfather loved the Navy. My grandfather earned 'distinction for bringing honor to his ship through theater wide track field events.'

Who knew such a thing was possible?

He was shipped from fleet to fleet, competing (and apparently wiping up the deck with) his peers. The rest of the time, he was a ship's electrician.

Those buttons have such gravity and great meaning to me. I'm glad you have them now.

I have some more teas I need to send you. I apologize. I wanted so much to get your package to the post in time for pre-xmas delivery that I left them out.

I hope the books are interesting. The only one I recognized was the Captain America one, thus the playing card tie-in. I figured obscure would be more fun.

Please let me know if the hypertrochoid is fun. I was mad-crazy for Spirograph when I was younger so that just called to me!

Enjoy! And blessings for a lovely new year.

Folks, I have been coveting a salt lamp for years.

Strix, my secret santa fixed me up well and good with an absolutely gorgeous lamp that is bigger and brighter than I could ever hope for.

It has a dimmer!

I tried so hard to capture the incredible glow...it's transfixing, yo...but it can't be contained by photographic technology.

Thank you Strix! And for the coloring book and note pad, mirror and wee flag.

I cannot even get over this gorgeous lamp. Rocks are my weakness, salt is what I live for and this beautiful colored light is so, so warming.

Darlings, when you give one another so much love, you also grant me such a gift of joy.

Oh, yay, bonny, I am SO pleased you are...so pleased!!

:)

Bonny had asked which sonic screwdriver I got. It's the trans-temporal version. No idea where it falls in the episodes ... I got it because it's kind of steampunk-y ... and it was on sale.

Oh, yay, bonny, I am SO pleased you are...so pleased!!

My pleasure is undiminished today!

It's grey and rainy out and when I came home from a loooong day of work and errands (Macy's after xmas sale...whoa), turning on the salt lamp was my first priority.

Then, I had an unexpected client appointment. The lamp offers such a warm focal point for thinking/ruminating. Just lovely.

Todd, I love your screwdriver.

I just watched a youtube video where a lovely Irish gentleman waxed rhapsodic about it for TEN minutes. I just wanted to hear the sound effects (one is, "the wood setting", heh) but stayed for the detail.

This version is not associated with a Doctor and did not appear in the show. It is from a 'make your own sonic screwdriver' range.

I would choose this one over all the others, myself! I love the steampunk vibe.

As I'm unable to sleep and we are in the early hours of New Year's Eve, I'll see what I can do to recap my year.

Too many people left the earth this year. Our two gaping holes, a couple of work colleagues and, most recently, an amazing woman I've known my whole life. Her obituary in the SF papers was about a half page of newsprint including comments from Nancy Pelosi. I'm still trying to process that both Patty and her husband are gone (he died just over a year ago).

On the other side of the coin, there has been a lot of joy this year too. I decided to look into purchasing a home rather than reupping my old lease. I didn't think I'd have the credit or resources to make it happen, but it all came together and I love my home. MY home. It still terrifies me as it is going to take a while to rebuild some cash resources for any house needs (you know there is always something) so that is going to be a goal for 2016. I have two projects on the near horizon - a new back fence and 3 new windows to match the others I replaced in 2015.

My kids have had good years with both graduating. K-Bug got licensed as a Physical Therapist Assistant and has found a good job doing just what she wanted to do. She got through her probation with flying colors and will be moved to full time in January (she has technically been full time, but now she will get added benefits). CJ graduated high school by the skin of his teeth and got to wear a cord at graduation for all his volunteer service hours (had he turned the hours in on time he could have lettered too). He has started college, majoring in Fire Science. It is been a rough transition and he has learned a few hard lessons along the way. He starts the Fire Academy next semester.

My other joy has been my involvement with The Right Step - a therapeutic horse riding program. With CJ graduating out of his search and rescue team, I also "graduated" out of the parent group. I had been volunteering at The Right Step since January but once the Volunteer Coordinator learned I had more "free time", she asked if I was willing to take on more responsibility and become her assistant. So, since August I have been handling all the volunteer paperwork, presenting part of the training manual to the new volunteers, and then working with the horses and clients as I can. I'm loving what I'm doing.

Work is work. In May I will hit my 25th anniversary there. My project managers and I work together well. They keep me busy and are happy with my work. I've been on a bit of automatic pilot the last few months, so a goal for the 1st quarter is to kick myself out of that mode and really dig in.

Finally, I'm so very thankful to be a part of this community. You are all so amazing and I often don't feel worthy. When that happens, I try to think of all the wonderful things we have done for eachother. Random gifts of joy, lurkers who actually do provide support in e-mail, communal grieving, mini-F2F meet ups, and oh, so much more.

So, that is it. I'm on my night meds and pain meds, so hopefully this makes some sort of sense.