Greetings to my Sister from Manila!! :o) You got my attention on that one, Sweetie! You are quite the little sneak!! Anyway, I do apologize for not posting this sooner. I actually got your wonderful pkg. yesterday but didn't get around to opening it right away. Again, I did not want to rush through it but wanted to thoroughly enjoy the wonderful treasures I knew would be tucked inside! And treasures I surely did find!! You just spoil me, Sister!! I love it! Don't you ever believe it when any of these gals say they have the best SS. YOU, my dear, are the BESTEST!! I'd give just about anything to be able to wrap you in a HUGE {{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}}}}}}} right now this second!!!!!!
So where do I begin? Hmm! Well, I guess I'll start with the orange sticks!! I think you'd be proud of me as I made the box you sent last month last. I just finished the last delicious morsel earlier this past week and wondered if perhaps you'd send more! I was thrilled to see you did just as you said you would. That really was the first thing I went looking for. I wanted to see if you sent dark chocolate this time or the milk chocolate again! Wouldn't have mattered as they are BOTH so awesome!! Yummmmmmmmm!! Let's see if I can make this box last a whole month!! lol Thanks, Sweetie!! :O)
On the very top of my box of goodies I found a Jumbo Quilted Roll & Bread Blanket. Truth be told, when I removed the layer of paper, I really didn't pay a whole lot of attention to that item because I was hunting for those orange sticks!! roflol Anyway, once I discovered those, I then when back to investigate the blanket. You can bet your bottom dollar, this little gem is going to get used a LOT! I always have such a hard time keeping my dinner rolls really nice and warm. This will definitely do the trick. (I'm gonna make cllw a little jealous here because I have to share that this Bread Blanket is made out of the cutest Gingerbread fabric, complete with a Gingerbread cookie recipe!! I love it!! And so would cllw. Remind me to hide this should she ever come for a visit! I'm sure it would disappear!! Sorry Linda! This one's mine!! :o) Now I would like to know if you made this yourself? Or did you find it in some quaint little kitchen store? I think something like this would be rather simple to make and I'm seriously thinking it would make a wonderful gift along with a nice bread basket and who know what other little goodies tucked inside the basket just for fun! Hmm! Christmas is coming soon!! :O) Thanks for the idea!!
I also found some very summery plastic-coated paper plates - dinner plates and dessert plates - and matching napkins. Those will definitely get used! My dad always refers to paper plates as the 'fine china' of summer!!! lol
I also found some really nice, heavy duty corn holders for sweet corn. Another gem that will get used often once the sweet corn season gets underway. Sweet Corn is definitely DH's favorite veg. and already he has me looking for it when I go grocery shopping. It's going to be a loooooooooooooong growing season! lololol There was a pickle pincher tucked inside the box, too! Love those. I got one of those a few years ago and always wished I had another. That way I could have one for the dill pickle jar and another for the sweet pickles!! Woo hoo!!
Then I found '101 Things to do with a BBQ' cookbook AND a Better Homes & Gardens Grilling Recipe booklet. I've not had a chance to really look through them yet. But on first glance, there were already a few things that caught my attention. So I'm going to be giving them some undivided attention soon!
I do not know where you always find these really unique little things you seem to come up with for each pkg. you send. But I do truly love them. This time my Sister found this little ceramic cross that has a pewter inset in the crossbar that says Kindness. There was a card that came with it that has one of my favorite scripture verses from the book of Hebrews. This is Hebrews 13:2 - "Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it." The cross came with a tiny leather draw-string pouch to carry the cross in. I'm undecided if I want to attach this to my purse to carry with me or if I'll attach it to the bathroom mirror as a daily reminder to be vigilant!! I love it!
AND.......
I also got a Heavenly Hidden Pocket Prayer - My Guiding Cross. It's hard to describe this little gem, but I'll try. It's actually two small embossed pewter crosses sandwiched together on a jumper ring with a pale pink faceted bead and another little cross charm. When you seperate the two crosses, there is a message embossed on the inside of the back cross. It says, "God's gentle hand will guide my way as I go along each and every day. I carry this cross because I know I'm in God's safekeeping wherever I go." Wow! I'm going to attach this to my purse so it goes everywhere, literally, that I do. For the time being it's going to be attached to the inside zipper of one of the pockets as I'm so afraid I might lose it if I try to attach it to an outside zipper. As soon as I can find a more secure jewelry finding, I'll be attaching it to the outside so the 'message' isn't hidden! I love this little gem!! As I said, you do manage to find the most unique little gems. With all the different Christian and Catholic gift shoppes I've come across, NONE of them has anything truly different and unique!! Thank you so much, Sweetie! I feel so blessed by your generosity and all the wonderful things you find and share with me!! I honestly do believe you are the BESTEST Sister of them all!!
Finally, and I do believe I saved the best for last, my Sister made me a BBQ cookbook with some of her favorite summer recipes. She found a bright, sunny yellow plastic folder and on the outside she glued 'Summer Barbecue'. There are 12 recipes inside and I can't wait to try the out! There's a recipe for Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips that sounds sooooo yummy, there are a few salad recipes and several Entrée recipes and each one of them looks scrumptious! I soooooo appreciate the time and effort you put into this little cookbook, Sister!! You just have NO idea how much!!!!
Thank you so much, Sweetie! You really spoil me and make me feel so pampered!! I absolutely love it and YOU!!
Thanks too, for the wonderful note you included. You've noticed I've not been posting much. I have been so busy of late! Between running different family members to various Dr. appts., trying to do some job hunting, not to mention all the other little jobs that seem to keep cropping up, there are days I really am not sure if I'm coming or going. And the month is far from over. We've graduations, a wedding celebration, a first communion and a couple of birthday celebrations before the end of the month. And I've 3 nieces coming home for a visit - 1 I've not seen for 2 years, 1 I've not seen for 3 years and 1 I've not seen for almost 5. Busy, busy, busy!! And so much that yet needs to be done! Well, I'll get done what I can. I feel I've sorely neglected the Sisters and the Tea Angels! Most nights by the time I can sit down to catch my breath, I don't have the energy to do much of anything else. Hopefully things slow down in June!! HOPEFULLY!! lol Today I had so many plans to get some outside work done. But the winds have been howling and making any outside work next to impossible. So I decided to try and get caught up on emails and a few other things here on the boards!! Anyway, thanks for your care and concern!! Know that each and everyday I send prayers in YOUR direction and hope that life is treating you well. I can't believe either that we start revealing in a few short weeks. Where has the last 6 months gone, anyway? :o)
OK! Here ends another very lengthy Thank you post to my Sister! Sorry if I've bored some of you to tears. But I do want to make sure my Sister knows just how much she is loved and appreciated by one very, very grateful Sister - ME!!!!! Thanks, Sweetie!! :O):O):O)