Wednesday, November 24, 2010

There was a bite in the air yesterday as I forced myself from bed in the darkness. It was quite an ordinary morning; I could smell the aroma of coffee from my American and programable coffee maker - a luxury I only recently afforded myself in an attempt to live the Folger's commercial vicariously. ;)

The children stirred and argued in the bathroom, and I padded around as usual in a semi-groggy state ... until I looked outside! The first snowfall of the winter was here!



And as if that weren't enough, it was the day a friend and I would be decorating for Christmas. We've had our ritual for fifteen years, and we always make it gay and bright with coffee and cake... this year I made the cranberry pecan cake featured at From Beyond my Kitchen Window, and it turned out to be just the thing for such a festive day.

The children sang Christmas songs in the car on the way to school, which of course ran through my head all day long and into the night like a broken record (!).





Then, to top off all that happiness, I opened my mailbox at noon only to discover a manilla envelope with my name on it - all the way from Wisconsin. Tell me, have you ever won a giveaway? I haven't. The only thing I've ever been awarded is a can of Ovoltine and that was over ten years ago. It was very good Ovoltine, but this was even better! Judy over at Daily Yarns 'n More had reached into her stash of homemade love and sent out a gift of friendship - a homemade hug - and yesterday that hug came to me here, in Switzerland.

In the package was a hand-sewn apron (the most beautiful colors, too) and a selection of yarns that had surely spent a good amount of time in her own home. I could feel her tight squeeze as I tied on the apron for my family, and smiled and whirled as they admired it.

Thank you, Judy, for daring to share a bit of yourself with a near stranger!

And as for the single skein of woolen yarn ... it's already being made into a pair of fingerless mitts for somebody else; your little bit of love will be passed on yet again, and who knows when it will stop. :)


8 comments:

Judy said...

You are most welcome my friend. I can't wait to see how the fingerless gloves turn out.

Nancy said...

Judy is such a love and I'm so glad those items arrived safely.

Will be waiting impatiently to see what you create with the yarn she sent you. :)

TexWisGirl said...

I love this little community of friends I have found on the web! You are all so wonderful and I just love sharing each day with you and seeing how you share with each other. :)

What a wonderful day you had!

Out on the prairie said...

What a nice share.I forget when decorating that I have to take it back down and have went a bit overboard a few years.I have a huge blue spruce in my front yard that can take a ton of lights and huge oversize ornaments, but when it is time to dismantle it usualy is really cold.

Meg said...

How exciting! It's just awesome winning things, and getting *yarn* is even better!

Oh I'm jealous you're decorating for Christmas! But our Thanksgiving hasn't passed yet, so hubby and I are trying to hold off! ;)

Dawn said...

Oh Happy day!
Snow and mail in one day....cannot get better:))
Hope the rest of your decorating went well....I seem to never finish:)
hugs from our snowy land to ours!
(Will yours stay now throughout the winter...or does it make you crazy and melt...only to reappear again....?)

Allison said...

Sadly it will melt only to reappear again! Arg! You know, you move all the way to Switzerland ... and I'm sorry... you just expect a lot of snow!

Like you, decorating will go on as I garner the courage to brave the attic box after box (I'm too lazy to bring them all down at one time!)

penny said...

Allison, I am a bit envious of the snowy scene out of your window.
I miss seeing and playing in it but my arthritis can't endure cold weather.
How nice that you and your friend have such a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas together every year.
I can't wait to start decoration for Christmas.

Be well, be happy.