The Goods

After several attempts, this appears to be my best scanning ability to show a taste, just a taste, of the riches Linda sent me for our scrap swap. Rick-rack wrapped riches (say THAT ten times fast!), and the most wonderful little Tasmanian Devil toy for Dean (who refuses to let me even attempt to scan it, lest Tazie be hurt or frightened by the process), and Tasmanian fudge, and a lovely set of picture postcards, and a beautiful notecard. As I've said to her, I just keep sitting with the fabric on my lap, touching it, smelling it, dreaming about what I'll do with it. Don't you just get an image of a person with a wonderful warm, sunny disposition when you see her collection of scraps? Fairies and Hello Kitties and hats and purses and flowers and all the great girly colors I love but never seem to buy for myself. Something special will come from this all -- something special that is beyond the already incredibly special experience of the exchange itself.

And then Helen's mom, if you can even believe it, sent me special mint cakes from Penrith at Helen's request as I'd mentioned how very much I love mint. Special cakes eaten particularly by the hikers and climbers attempting Scafell. For some reason I keep connecting the receipt of these cakes with the incredible quotation from Megan's blog: "It is ourselves we conquer, not the mountains." Sir Edmund Hillary. And that I just did some good hiking last week -- it just all feels connected and wonderful.

And then finally Susan, whom I'm not sure yet has a blog, was my partner in Helen's Swap-a-goat scheme and made a donation to Alternative Gifts International in my name and I'm delighted both by the gift and the chance to learn about this organization. It all conspires to making me feel just deeply and completely happy right now -- connected, energized, positive.