# Secret Santa 2023 - sorry for the delay, let's hustle! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2023, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131 "2023-11-14T16:23:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/81 "2023-12-26T00:37:57Z")
I finally unboxed mine. A teddy bear, holding a PEZ dispenser, a pair of beeeyuuutiful earrings (guess what imma wear to work?) and … … y’all, I cried … … An owl. The symbol of wisdom, and death. (I’m smart. Over educated. And always the bearer of bad news.) Cloaked in **purple** feathers. You have no idea how meaningful this little fucker is to me. All wrapped up in the prettiest cloth. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2023, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/82 "2023-12-26T03:35:31Z")
I saved your box for last because you had mentioned making fruit preserves which I love…and your box felt heavy enough for a bottle. I was so thrilled to find TWO bottles of homemade preserves, they are soooo good! Hubs has claimed the bubbles, he’ll have the gormless one climbing the catio walls in the morning. Very Bad Cat has already absconded with the cute hand crocheted (knitted?) bit…I hope you aren’t offended to know that I will let her drag it around and yell at it until it starts getting frayed. She doesn’t ask for much and when she does, I like to give it to her. Both of the small bowls are delightful, I’m pretty sure the pressed flower in the wood bowl is real, the petals are too delicate to not be. The larger bowl makes me feel like I’m holding the ocean in my hand, sand surrounding turbulent blue, so precious. Thank you so very much! BTW, I am really sorry about the lack of cards. Our feline overlords were helping and the cards got left out of the sealed boxes. Hubs just read my post and told me that I was rude because I didn’t say anything about the artwork chocolates. He has never seen anything like them before and thought that you had sent me some pretty rocks. We shared two and will enjoy the other two when we are able to relax tomorrow. Thank you 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nayna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ebca7d/32.png) [@Nayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nayna)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/83 "2023-12-28T03:58:46Z")
I think that’s a wrap (ha!), everyone! This has been so much fun, and I hope to see you again next year! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/84 "2023-12-28T16:44:52Z")
Jane, I opened your box on Christmas night when I got home from work. Cookies galore! They made me so happy! Especially the spritz! Yum. I already ate some of the cookies and the bit of prickly pear candy (which I love). I can’t wait to try the prickly pear marmalade and the honey. The kitchen towel is cute and on display. The soap, alas, must go to someone else as my skin doesn’t do scented soaps but it smells nice. The truffles come from from a now world-renown chocolatier who has won awards at many competitions. You can look her shop up online. Yes, the pressed flower is real. The crocheted bit that Very Bad Cat made off with is a dishcloth. I’m glad it is going to someone who loves it. I hope she gets a lot of exercise chasing bubbles, too. Merry Christmas! ---
**Author:** ![Kitten\_Mitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b782af/32.png) [@Kitten\_Mitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitten_Mitten)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/85 "2023-12-28T21:13:25Z")
Just got back to this thread and am so touched. Thank you very much @JaneDoe42, @Baker and @Nayna for your offer of making some cookies for my family! 😗 That was incredibly sweet and selfless! Hubs & I were able to make 4 kinds the weekend before I had to take him to the ER: thumbprints, M&M’s, Almond Butter Cookies and PB Choc Blossoms. I also made some Chocolate Mint Blossoms. Then when our daughter came last weekend, she & I made _Gluten-Free_ _Orange Cardamom Almond Flour Cookies_, Anise Cut-out Cookies and Neisenpfeffers. Although we only made 1/4 recipe of most of them, 1/2 recipe of some and 3/4 recipe of the thumbprints because those are our daughter and my favorites. Also the Chocolate Mint Blossoms and Gluten-Free cookies were given to friends. I greatly enjoyed reading the descriptions of the gifts delivered. Gives me ideas for next year. 🙂 🍪 🎄 ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/86 "2023-12-28T22:23:54Z")
Thank you for organizing Secret Santa this year, @Nayna. I’ll try to get myself in earlier next year. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/87 "2023-12-28T22:32:12Z")
Almond Butter Cookies sound good, as almond is my prefered flavor for cookie baking. Vanilla is good though, espcially if you have Mexican vanilla. I’d love the recipe for Chocolate Mint blossoms, it’s a wonderful flavor combo. Maybe we should have a recipe exchange sometime, or another recipe thtead. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/88 "2023-12-29T04:27:23Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > I hope she gets a lot of exercise chasing bubbles, too. Neither of those deadbeats showed any interest in the bubbles although GG did want to sniff the bottle. Cats is weird. The dishcloth has become VBC’s 4th toy. She is very picky about her toys and when she picks one, she keeps it always. I am so happy you liked the spritz cookies, you had mentioned wanting some in the MMP, but I had problems with the borrowed cookie press because the stoopid arthritis makes my hands too weak to use one. Thank you again, and thanks to @Nayna for organizing this. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/89 "2023-12-29T04:42:45Z")
Speaking of toys I had to rescue one of my gifts from my dog Atilla. It was a baby Godzilla, about the size of his chew toys. Just the very tip of his tail got nibbled, and now it’s sitting up where Mauser can’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/90 "2023-12-29T17:30:49Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > The dishcloth has become VBC’s 4th toy. She is very picky about her toys and when she picks one, she keeps it always. That just makes me squeee. So glad it is beloved. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/91 "2023-12-29T21:15:16Z")
I named the dog twice in my previous post, it’s the dog who is Mauser but the cat is Atilla. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/92 "2023-12-29T23:08:29Z")
I knew those wee dogs were fierce. Taking on Godzilla is a whole ‘nother level. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/93 "2023-12-30T03:32:44Z")
Remember the Taco Bell Godzilla commercial? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/94 "2023-12-30T20:35:54Z")
I am so happy you loved everything and the bowl got the safely. My sister did send me a picture of the bowl, but these are much clearer. I will let her know how much you like it. I am flying into Tucson tomorrow, but will be heading south to Sierra Vista to stay with my sister for a couple of weeks. I probably won’t make it north this time, but I will keep in mind for later this year when I come back. Maybe she and I can take a road trip. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2023, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/95 "2023-12-31T00:03:32Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > That just makes me squeee. So glad it is beloved. Thank you, I kinda figured you would be OK with it, some people wouldn’t. She has four toys that she drags around during the day and brings into the bedroom at night. Your pretty washcloth is getting dragged around and yelled at a couple of times a day. I’m so glad it is sturdy! > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I am flying into Tucson tomorrow, but will be heading south to Sierra Vista to stay with my sister for a couple of weeks. Sierra Vista is lovely and has many birds there as well! Be sure to visit the Breadsmith before leaving Tucson, it is worth the stop. Have a safe trip!!! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131/96 "2024-01-10T18:47:17Z")
purplehorseshoe! the cherry chocolates were amazing! soooooo very good! i did share with a michigan co worker that was very excited by them. thank you!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secret-santa-2023-sorry-for-the-delay-lets-hustle/993131.md?page=4)