blessings

last July, when James and i went to michigan for a family reunion, my grandmother was making an afghan. she's always making an afghan, but this one was a particular color of green that my husband admired. he told mormor that that was his favorite color. then about a month ago, that finished afghan arrived in the mail from my mother. she said it was a house-warming gift. james immediately claimed the afghan as his own. forget that it was for "us." it became his. i told my mom about it, and she asked what colors i would like in an afghan.

this afternoon, a most devastatingly beautiful afghan arrived in the mail for me from my mom. it was made just for me. that makes me feel special.

every Christmas, when i was a kid, my mom made pepparkakor. i think kakor is the swedish word for cookies. so i think pepparkakor means spice cookies. basically we're talking about very thin gingerbread cookies with a much milder flavor than say ginger snaps or american gingerbread. anyway, mom always makes a batch around Christmas time, and she cuts them into little hearts and stars. i LOVE pepparkakor.

in the box with my beautiful afghan was a cookie tin. upon opening and beneath bubble wrap, i found pepparkakor hearts and stars, wrapped in pairs in saran wrap so they wouldn't break on the trip.

each little package is like another Christmas present. i just hope i can make them last. i've already finished two packages. i cried when i bit into the first one. it tastes so good. love wrapped in saran wrap and an afghan made just for me.

i am so blessed!

i think i'll take my afghan and go get another package of cookies now.