ThelmaLou, I finally got back online to see you got my prezzies. I’m glad you love the scarf. I thought the colors were gorgeous together. I had the best time shopping for stuff and sending the cookbook on for new eyes. About the cookbook: it was my mother’s and her fave recipe out of it was the wild rice soup, rich and delicious. Try that instead of the lutefisk. You really don’t want to try the lutefisk; trust me on this. But have some hotdish too! We rely on it in winter.
I love this tradition. Hip hip hooray for Silvorange for organizing it!
I had a mutual Secret Santa one year - the gifts went to (and came from) Japan and was one of my favorites to put together. Mostly for the warm memories of The Other Shoe getting really involved for the first time - my giftee specifically wanted pickles & he had been playing around with making his own. The thought that someone, somewhere in the world, was without pickles was just too much!
I think this is the first year Vegemite AND Marmite both made an appearance, though.
The cup is actually bamboo, I’m impressed it made it intact if the package got squished.
I was intending to include a picture of the sheep, but the last few times I’ve been up there they’ve all been in another field or right up the top imitating white blobs. It’s a tiny place, run by someone I know through beekeeping; they only sell at the farm gate and one wool shop, so it’s very exclusive I buy eggs off 'em too sometimes, but I though better of posting those
You can post (via this thread or the mail ) a pic of the sheep any time, Filbert, so keep on looking for photo ops! And wow, a bamboo cup. I think the yarn being partly inside the cup probably saved it, as the package was definitely squished. No surprise, though, thinking of how far it traveled.
Thanks for running this show, Silvorange, and for doing such a fabulous job of matching. I loved shopping for Canada and receiving from UK. Like traveling without the stress.
I’m glad you were able to crack the secret code! yes, Vikings were known to be fierce with pencils ala john wick. the earrings are Jensen originals. the top is very fun, I had to hide it from koritza while I was packing every thing up. your cats may enjoy it.
I got an enticing package from purplehorseshoe (sorry for the lag in acknowledging!) which I shall open Christmas morning. My Santee’s gift will be sent today.
Hmm. Interesting. The mystery deepens. If it is glow-in-the-dark, it has not been sufficiently charged enough yet. That will be remedied by the weekend. If it is somehow the other way around… then ??? Rainbow or irridescent? Give me a few more days to figure this out. Being on 12 hours and second shift isn’t helping, tarnation!
“Both the December 25 Western Christianity Christmas Day and the January 7 Christmas Day of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Ukrainian Greek Catholic Churches following the Julian Calendar, are public holidays in Ukraine. With these two holiday dates the Ukrainian Christmas period lasts for an extended period,”
I like, I like!
Okay, package update… Tracking says, “Attempted Delivery - item being held, addressee being notified”. So if you haven’t gotten your present yet, you might want to look to see if you’ve gotten notice from your post office. (I confess I am paranoid about this package because the last time that I shipped internationally for the SD Secret Santa, it was never clear if the package arrived.)
Okay, on the lutefisk. I’m sure you’re right about that.
I adore the cookbook. (And my other prezzies–the ones I haven’t eaten.) And I especially like that the cookbook lists all the cookbooks that the recipes come from. I have a whole raft of these cookbooks (a subset of my 200+ cookbook collection), but they’re from around here. Instead of recipes for wild rice, hot dish, and lutefisk, there are innumerable variations on King Ranch chicken, pinto beans, and enchiladas.
I’d really like to hear from the Vegemite/Marmite newbies… have you tried it yet? Do tell.
Sorry, sorry, I was away for a few days and I just got back last night…
I briefly considered leaving it until Christmas day, but I’ll be away and besides, that would require self control
You’ll be pleased to know the box arrived in immaculate condition- apparently they only stomp on things going out of the country, not in.
I’ve got a [del]kitten[/del] gorgeous handmade purpley shawl/scarf, which must have taken ages to crochet. I’m thoroughly impressed; I’ve tried to learn to crochet twice and I’ve never managed anything bigger than a wobbly scarf for ants before getting frustrated and giving up.
I’ve never had a shawl before, why did no-one tell me how warm they are? I’m not taking it off until someone makes me.
That’s not all though! I’ve also got an art print of a brain covered in mushrooms and plants. Pleasingly weird, and a fairly accurate portrayal of what my mind feels like…
Thanks so much slightly askew! It feels like Christmas has suddenly arrived, I’ve been all bah humbug 'til now!
And thanks Silvorange for organising it all again!
Squeee!!! The mystery is solved! My Maneki Cat *turns ****purple ***in the sunlight! Handmade and color-changing, how awesome is that?!? Totally awesome, swampspruce, totally.
ThelmLou, love your imgur homage to Silvorange, and agree!
I had not despaired! It just arrived. The small dreamcatcher ornaments are already on my tree, the gorgeous large one will be hung up tonight, the lovely snow globe is snuggled cozily in with my other Xmas snow globes, and that itty bitty blind the heck out of a person flashlight is on my key ring.
Mayme thanks you greatly for the kitty treats. The postman made her hackles rise, but treats got her purring again.
Carnut, I opened the U Maple Me Berry jam tonight. I’m low-carbing, so slathering it on a ginormous slice of toast isn’t in the cards at the moment. Instead I put a big tablespoonful on a scoop of plain Fage yogurt and added some blueberries and raspberries. It’s a marriage made in heaven! The tanginess of the thick Greek yogurt and the sweetness of the jam–perfection.
I buy eggs off 'em too sometimes, but I though better of posting those 
) a pic of the sheep any time, Filbert, so keep on looking for photo ops! And wow, a bamboo cup. I think the yarn being partly inside the cup probably saved it, as the package was definitely squished. No surprise, though, thinking of how far it traveled.