I didn’t have to wait long! Doorbell just rang and I had to sign for a package from Switzerland! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!
I opened the box and there are a bunch of little elegantly wrapped packages! I am on my way to teach a class and I can’t open them and savor the experience right now, but I’ll report back later. I don’t even know who it’s from yet, but thank you thank you thank you!
That…is just brilliant. You ask, and ye shall receive. I’m so glad you got your package, finally! That gives me hope that the other overseas people may also be getting theirs any day now.
Here’s hopin’ … maybe a gifty will still show up. If not … well, hey. :eek:
There wasn’t a card inside the box, so I don’t know who to thank, but it was definitely worth the wait! Inside were several little wrapped packages with lotsa mice! There are 8 little mice sleeping in walnut shells, a mouse angel made out of a cork, another mouse angel that’s a little stuffed toy with wings, and a tiny little German puzzle with 3 pieces that are 2 mice and a piece of cheese. Plus 2 big bars of Swiss chocolate - a pistachio bar, a creme brulee bar (that’s what the picture looks like), and a hot chili bar!
Thank you Santa!
So I came home to a Canadian Care Package today! 
Thank you, Jools!!
I got a Montreal mug, a “smashed” Montreal shot glass, maple candies, blueberry syrup, and Wild Moose Droppings (chocolate almonds). Awesome! Thank you so much!!
I would love to see the mice~! 
So, jools gave a gift to hocow and also to Lancia?
Can we find out who was the SS for Hockey Monkey? (Actually it’s SSS: the Swiss Secret Santa!)
Update: added jools –> hocow (note two entries for jools, gifting to Lancia and to hocow)
Gift Chain, SDMB Christmas Exchange 2012 (32 in the chain - still)
? –> Silvorange –> Filbert –> echo7tango –> Reepicheep –> jools –> Lancia –> Surly Chick –> Rhiannon8404 –> freckafree –> FloatyGimpy –> ~Olive~ –> rocking chair –> Anaglyph –> ?
jools –> hocow –> purplehorseshoe –> Anaamika –> Edward The Head –> twickster –> Nefarious Chipmunk –> aceplace57 –> BioTop –> ?
? –> Atomic Mama –> Phouka –> Septima –> ChickaPicosa –> Biggirl –> ?
? –> Hockey Monkey –> aruvqan –> minionkat –> ?
? –> Sir T-Cups –> Grrlbrarian –> Avarie537 –> ?
Hi everybody!
** Jools ** most graciously volunteered to give two gifts.
Atomic Mama’s gift is definitely coming from overseas. Your Secret Santa sent another one, as of 1-11-2013; this time trackable. I’ll ask him to track it.
I see hocow got her gift now.
JoseB’s is coming from overseas as well - from Canada. It was shipped.
Hockey Monkey’s I believe came from Anaglyph, which was overseas. So my previous list, in which I said she had not posted she shipped, is moot.
So let me make sure I have this right: the people who still have not received gifts are
Atomic Mama
JoseB
So that only leaves one flake, whom I will not name, but that is who Jools stepped in for. Atomic Mama’s gift has been resent, as I said. I may line an alternate up for JoseB!
Update: connected Hockey Monkey to Anaglyph
Gift Chain, SDMB Christmas Exchange 2012 (32 in the chain)
? --> Silvorange --> Filbert --> echo7tango --> Reepicheep --> jools --> Lancia --> Surly Chick --> Rhiannon8404 --> freckafree --> FloatyGimpy --> ~Olive~ --> rocking chair --> Anaglyph --> Hockey Monkey --> aruvqan --> minionkat --> ?
[jools] (see the first chain, above) --> hocow --> purplehorseshoe --> Anaamika --> Edward The Head --> twickster --> Nefarious Chipmunk --> aceplace57 --> BioTop --> ?
? --> Atomic Mama --> Phouka --> Septima --> ChickaPicosa --> Biggirl --> ?
? --> Sir T-Cups --> Grrlbrarian --> Avarie537 --> ?
I’d like to add the missing info:
[ul]
[li]Who is Silvorange’s SS?[/li][li]Who is minionkat’s giftee?[/li][li]Who is Biotop’s giftee?[/li][li]Who is Atomic Mama’s SS?[/li][li]Who is Biggirl’s giftee?[/li][li]Who is Sir T-Cups’ SS?[/li][li]Who is Avarie537’s giftee?[/li][/ul]
Check your PMs, please, echo7tango.
Hocow, I do hope you enjoy the goodies. I just loved the name of “Moose droppings” I had to add them to the package.
I give my name right away for next year
Thank you all for a great experience
Replied.
My question is to the group without including Anaamika, who of course has all the info and is bound to secrecy - it’s called Secret Santa for a reason!
So, **Silvorange, minionkat, Biotop, Atomic Mama, Biggirl, Sir T-Cups, **and Avarie537, now that Christmas is over and most have their gifts or they’re still on the way, would you care to share your answers with the group? I think it would be cool to complete the gift chain as much as possible.
Thanks!
You’re welcome - sorry my gift came so late. I had hoped to find some mouse ornament at the local christmas market, but could not find any. Therefore I made some myself, but of course I did not have time to do so before christmas. Years ago i picked up the stuffed toy mouse from a vendor of mouse monoclonal antibodies at a conference - I just had to fashion and attach the wings - however, the glue took forever to dry. A champagne cork from our lab christmas party was converted into a mouse angel with some felt, feathers and lace. I got the idea for the “mouse babies in a nutshell” from this website and tried to reproduce them - however, mine just refused to look sleepy! I left it open to you whether you want to attach the little cloth pins to pin them to the branches of your tree, or the ribbon to hang them from a branch.
I knew the ones in walnut beds were handmade, but they are all even more special knowing that you made them for me. I will cherish them.
Hopefully this link will work for thepicture! It’s posted to my Facebook profile, and this picture is set to public, so you don’t have to friend me to see it.
My favorite one is the one reaching up for a hug!
The picture link worked. Nice!
I’d say I’m jealous of the chocolate, but I’m not because I got some great chocolate from Filbert! No pictures, though. It’s all gone. 
I sent a gift to JoseB, but discovered only after I sent it surface that the timelines are ridiculously long (4-6 weeks!) and don’t have tracking numbers. If it hasn’t arrived by the beginning of next week (Monday, January 21), I am going to airmail an alternate.
Those are phenomenal!
Understood. I also heard from Sir T-Cups.
Update: added Zabali_Clawbane –> Sir T-Cups; added minionkat –> JoseB; added “(all 34 participants now included)”
Gift Chain, SDMB Christmas Exchange 2012
(all 34 participants now included)
? –> Silvorange –> Filbert –> echo7tango –> Reepicheep –> jools –> Lancia –> Surly Chick –> Rhiannon8404 –> freckafree –> FloatyGimpy –> ~Olive~ –> rocking chair –> Anaglyph –> Hockey Monkey –> aruvqan –> minionkat –> JoseB –> ?
[jools] (see first chain above) –> hocow –> purplehorseshoe –> Anaamika –> Edward The Head –> twickster –> Nefarious Chipmunk –> aceplace57 –> BioTop –> ?
? –> Atomic Mama –> Phouka –> Septima –> ChickaPicosa –> Biggirl –> ?
Zabali_Clawbane –> Sir T-Cups –> Grrlbrarian –> Avarie537 –> ?
I’m sure it was waiting there for me for a little while, but I finally stirred my butt and got out to my mailbox (it’s a big apartment complex).
Each thing that came out was more delightful than the last!
A farmer’s almanac? Cool.
BLUEBERRIES (sound Homer Simpson makes when he thinks of something delicious)
Soldier bean? Soldier . . . beans. SOLDIER beans. I’ve never even HEARD of soldier beans, but hey, they have their own pork and molasses, so I like them already.
White Lightning mustard. Oh, man, I think there’s a cookout with this baby’s name on it - brats, cheese, beer . . .
Clam chowder AND Lobster Bisque? I am IN HEAVEN.
And it’s all local Maine food producers. Very impressive.
I’ve begun plotting. Will I share it with friends? Or eat it in front of my brother and taunt him?
I absolutely love all of it, Amy. THANK YOU!