a simple yarn

‘Did You Know?’ Factoid Ahead: Close physical proximity in friendship does not automatically increase the knowledge of what makes a good gift.

Received a package in the post today. From across the Atlantic. Post-Christmas-holiday-cheer-in-a-box. Took all of the family’s collective willpower to wait until after school for the opening thereof. Simple and thoughtful gifts flowed out. Simple, in that they weren’t obscenely extravagant. Thoughtful, in that they showed our friends know each of us in spite of long distances and infrequent visits.

Warning, potential cultural diversion ahead…
In Ireland, this is a common tool to sharpen a pencil. It’s called a parer. It does a perfectly adequate job. However, the prospect of paring more than one pencil at a time is indeed a daunting one!

Friends-Pat-And-Cindy remembered a small remark I had made in times past about wanting a ‘proper’ pencil sharpener and so this handy-dandy tool popped out of the Christmas box! Yippee! And look, orange…one of my newer favourite colours!

How kind and thoughtful and simple! A gift that certainly will not be shifted to a back cupboard, but regularly used quite thankfully.

Next up…gloves. Ones that reflect who we are. Camo for the Seven-Year-Old-Rough-And-Tumble-Boy. Fluffy red ones sporting bows for the Ten-Year-Old-High-Class-Act-In-Miniature-Girl. Practical ones for Cyclist-Husband-Will into which you can blow warm air for instant hand warmth. And for me, extra long cuffs with rubbery palms cuz being able to grip the steering wheel for school runs is a good thing and who likes having an updraft around the wrist?

Also nestled amongst the goodies…books. Couldn’t be bothered to see what the others got because this caught my eye…

What can I say? They know me.