When I signed up for Sewchet’s annual Secret Santa playground last November I was thinking only about the fun I would have making up a package for my recipient.  I had no clue who I might be assigned as I had never seen anyone from this part of the world on Sheila’s blog comments.  As it was I received a charming lady in Auckland who is a blogger, but not on WordPress and who was completely unknown to me.  I stalked her blog for several days hunting for clues and found enough to put together a few items I thought she might enjoy.   For some reason I felt an urgency, a need to commit to which items I would send quickly and to get the parcel organised well ahead of time and as it turned out my intuition was well tuned up.  I became unwell, which slowed me down.  I recovered, finished making and gathering and sent the parcel off the same day my daughter ended up in hospital with her smashed up leg…..   Once that incident occurred time evaporated and had the parcel not been completed and sent the fun and excitement of being a Secret Santa might have become a nightmare.

In all of that time I never once thought about the fact that I too would be a recipient of someone else’s fun at being a Secret Santa.   So imagine the excitement when my delivery man turned up with a package from South Africa!

At first I tried to give it back to him, I don’t know anyone in South Africa, it couldn’t have been for me.  He frowned and shook his head “No,” he said “it’s definitely for you.”  We are on first name basis, he knows who I am, I do a fair amount of on-line shopping…….  I checked the address label – there was my name.   I felt a little shock of recognition “Oh!”  I said.  “I think it’s my Secret Santa.”  I beamed at him.  Bless him, he beamed back.  “Merry Christmas!” he said.

Suddenly Christmas day was going to be fun.  We were on a no presents year this Christmas, saving instead for a special event in late February.  I had a few sneaky things put aside for YD and a special chew for Siddy and some catnip for Orlando and now there was a Secret Santa package for me.  Just three days to wait!

Then, first thing Christmas morning my computer died.  Dead as a dodo!!  My world as I knew it gone…..  I knew it was coming – Windows 10 has been a complete pain for months and now it seems it has made its final grand gesture.  Kaput!!   There’s a dear tech man who is determined to try and resurrect it – he can be seen heartily banging away on the various parts of it, adding or subtracting things, muttering under his breath and looking for clues on the internet – he grows paler and more fraught with the passing days but he says to not lose all hope just yet……

I’m writing this on my daughter’s laptop.  It took me three days to be able to break into my WordPress account from another computer.  It may still not let me post this – we’ll see  🙂   But if you have missed seeing me since Christmas, this is why.

Anyway, I got to open my gift from Joey at Little Black Dog SA .   I was delighted with the first package  – who doesn’t need their very own Christmas Gnomes?

That’s enough of me grinning like an idiot – but you can imagine that was how opening the rest went…….  lots of smiles and oohs and aahs…..

There’s teas and chocolates and pot holders and crochet coasters and washi tape………. and somewhere in there is a beautiful blue covered notebook and a book of different patterned and sized post-it notes.

Look at this gorgeous South African yarn and beneath it is a bamboo paintbrush holder especially made for my paintbrushes – who wouldn’t smile!

I felt so spoiled – Joey you did good and made the day really special!  Thank you  🙂

And to finish, here’s a very unglamorous picture of me and Siddy.  He’s waiting for his gift reveal – a large rawhide bone wrapped about with shards of chicken jerky – a most opulent Christmas chew that has given many hours of gnawing pleasure

Thank you Sheila for initiating so much fun – I’ll be in again next Christmas, won’t you come and join us too?

Thanks for coming by today, I’m so happy that you did.  I’ll be visiting you too, though maybe not chatting so much until the computer woes are over.