Gifted

I've been feeling very loved this week.

First presents arrived from my parents on Tuesday (thus dashing all previously-held thoughts than my procrastinating tendencies may come from them...). Such pretty sparkly paper! I was particularily flattered by the green tree paper. My mother, like her mother before her, is a great re-user of pretty paper. I recognize this one from a while back, so I'm flattered that we seemed like the right people to send it to next. It looks so pretty on the table (Since there's no tree to put presents under, I've been putting them by the Christmas wreath, where they look quite festive).




Then, we got a present from Japan! Kevin's friend Jim got transfered to Tokyo about a year ago, and he and his girlfriend Jess sent us what we quickly concluded was a beautiful sake set, along with a bottle to break it in with. There was also a lovely card of little santa-like elves under a bridge and cherry trees -- they reminded me of the elves in Babar.


The label didn't have a character that we recognized other than the 60% which we both thought was neat:


I'm amazed, as always, by their ability to cast themselves into a completely foreign culture. Merry Christmas, Jim and Jess!

Then, in a return to culture that we're more familiar with, my grandparents sent us a beautiful handpainted ornament of Fenway. I'm not such a "sports on the tree" person, but this is just so pretty, and such a fun reminder of home, that it is a category unto itself. I love it. It, and the adorable puppy on the note that came with it, are sitting next to the advent wreath now as well.



It's so fun to have all these reminders of people that we love at hand. :-)