Online Shopping Deliveries With A Twist - A Lovely Twist

Due to my arthritis, this year I have done pretty much all my Christmas shopping online at JBs, Borders, Dymocks, as well as some clothes shopping for me at MySize and some moisturiser from Strawberry Net and some FootKiss products from OKme. Plus quite a few online Australia Toy Stores (but not too much about that in case a certain little grand-daughter finds out).

It has been such fun getting parcels, although the queuing at the Post Office, not so much fun for my hubby.

Anyway, cutting to the chase, on Tuesday night I got home from work, tired and cranky and just looked at the pile of items, but didn't check them. I was just not in the mood.

So imagine my utter delight when last night I opened a box that I thought was the FootKiss products

to find lots of those polystyrene thingys

and hidden beneath them was not my FootKiss products but this!!!

A Grosvenor Fine Bone China set - and believe me,

these photos do not do this justice.

Isn't it beautiful - tears swelled in my eyes as I knew even before reading the note, who this was from - the beautiful Tanya at MadMother.

Earlier this year I posted about getting me some pretty. Tanya had recently lost her Mum and she generously offered to send me something of her Mums (Wise Woman). I had all but forgotten the offer with every else going on in my life, but not MM. She has struggled with Wise Woman's death and it is only now she is finding the strength to return to her Mother's house and start to pack up all the memories. Something I know that I too will struggle with when my Mum leaves this earth. And yet, she remembered me and her promise, even with all she is dealing with ...

So Tanya, from the bottom of my heart I thank you, not only for sharing part of Wise Woman with me by sending me this generous gift but for these words as well ....

I chose this set because it reminded me of you, bright and beautiful, fragile and yet strong.

Much love to you, Big Boy, Boy 1 and Boy 2 and may you have a Christmas and New Year filled with all things wonderful xxxx

p.s. I think I used a box of tissues writing this post, that is how much my heart is touched by your beautiful spirit.

Photo A Day - February Challenge - Day 19

Here we are 15 years on from the Photo A Day - Day 16 shot. Both of us a little older and just as I thought, it was like we had seen each other yesterday rather than 12 years or so ago.

Oh and please excuse the fact we are both squinting, it was awfully glarey out today.

It was so wonderful to see each other again and to catch up on each other's news. Now I am only working .8 I will make sure we stay in touch after all it is only 1hr 45 mins drive down to Bunbury.

Photo A Day - February Challenge - Day 16

Have you ever met someone whose generosity of spirit warms your heart. Have you ever met someone who welcomes you in to their home and heart without hesitation. Have you ever met someone who has struggled with adversity and always seems to continue to smile. I have, and her name is Dorothy and I would like to share a little about her here.

Dorothy and I on 1.1.1995 at my eldest daughter's wedding
(oh and for those that don't know - I am the one with the poodle hair - LOL)

We met through the local kindergarten, I was new to the area and my eldest daughter started at Kindy. Dorothy was one of the first people I met and straight away she offered the hand of friendship, she didn't know me, but that didn't matter. That is just who Dorothy is.

For more than 10 years we lived in the same suburb. For 7 of those years we probably saw each other every day. Even when I went back to work we would see each other at least once a week.

Dorothy was always there for me, probably more than I ever was there for her - she baked and my family always got some, she sewed - and made clothes for my girls. In fact her generosity kept my kids in clothes - I only had to buy the fabric and she sewed them for me, but quite often when she had left over fabric from sewing for her kids she also sewed up something for them just because she could.

When I went back to work and was struggling to find clothes to wear, she sewed tops for me. She would never take any money for the work - she just did it because that is who she is.

There were so many great mornings when we would drop our kids off at school and then go back to Dorothys for coffee and I would find myself still there when it was time to pick up the kids, we just clicked and could talk for hours on end.

We worked together on the P&C both at the Kindy and the primary school - and here she gave of herself more than anyone I knew. She was always helping in the canteen, always helping in the library - she just gave so much of herself - never asking for anything back.

Then one day she and her family moved away to a little town down south, I was heart-broken, for even though I was working by this time and we didn't see each other every day, we were still best friends and caught up when we could and chatted on the phone all the time.

Not long after they moved Dorothy was diagnosed with 4 brain tumors and had to undergo 3 different brain surgeries with high risks involved and yet when I visited her in hospital up here in Perth, there was always a smile on her face and a positive way forward focus. She had to have her head shaved but she didn't hide away from the world - no she sewed turbans of different colours that she proudly wore. Then she sewed some more and donated them to the hospital for others - that is just who Dorothy is.

We gradually lost contact as it was hard because I worked and weekends were filled with catching up on housework and running my kids around - you know the normal working parents life. A couple of times I managed to get down to visit her and she and her hubby made the trip up for my eldest daughter's 21st and then for her wedding. We would occasionally chat on the phone, but money was tight for both families and phone bills needed to be kept down and so the phone calls slowly stopped.

The last time I saw Dorothy would have been about 12 years ago, it was just after my eldest grand-daughter was born. Every year Dorothy remembers my birthday and sends a card - she has never missed a year while I on the other hand always remember her on the day but am so unorganised I rarely send a card.

Today Dorothy turns 60 and on Friday I get to meet her again for lunch. I am driving down to share my day off with her and I can't wait because I know it will be just like we spoke yesterday. How do I know it will be - why because that is who she is. Dorothy just loves you because she can.

She is a lady who's spirit shines forth and bathes you in it is warmth. Happy Birthday my dear friend.

Friendship and Love

Last Friday I had lunch with one of my 'sisters' and we were talking about relationships and I came out with what I later considered to be brutal truths. Normally I am reluctant to say much about other people's relationships as I don't want to hurt people. I then worried all weekend that I may have overstepped the mark and so many times went to pick up the phone and call, but never had the courage.

Today I apologised for what I said. Having reflected all weekend I realised that I said what I said out of love for her, as I believe that she deserves to have a perfect life - she is full of love and caring for others, she deserves to be rewarded with the same love and caring in return.

She was not worried about what was said at all, as she could see why I was compelled to be so honest with her and appreciated my honesty.

I also realised that in the last 4 days I for the first time have said the words I love you to two of my sisters - I hope that they knew that through my actions, but for some reasons the words tumbled out of my mouth to both of them. Boy it felt good to say it out loud, I wonder if we actually say those three simple words often enough to the people in our lives that we love. We assume that they know through our actions - but maybe we need to say the words as well.