A Christmas Surprise

I was out running some errands on the 23rd, when I got a call on my cell from Hubby. He was working from home and wanted to tell me that I had received a package from the U.K. "What is it?" he queried. I told him I didn't know. Once I got home and saw the package I knew who it was from. My dear blogging friend Melanie from Jellybean Angel had sent me a Christmas surprise. Since it wasn't long until Christmas, I decided to wait until Christmas Day (today) to open my package. Hubby was right there with as much curiosity as I had. This is the wonderful array of goodies I found when I opened all the individually wrapped gifts...

The gorgeous rose print in the background is an adorable Cath Kidston print totebag made for Marie Curie Cancer Care. Then there were the makings of some "pamper time" with pink bathing roses, a tealight, some mint hot chocolate mix and a box of after dinner mint chocolate leaves. And the pink bathing roses are in my favorite rose scent--the smell of my Grammy's dressing table when I was a little girl.

How does Melanie know me SO well even though we've never met in person? Blogging, I guess. Somehow through the exchange of tidbits of life, we have to opportunity to get to know others in a way that is special.

What Melanie didn't know is that I've been having issues with my sciatic nerve on the right side of my body. This "pamper time" surprise is a reminder to me to take some time out and soak in a nice hot bath and let my body relax and heal. Thank you, Melanie!!!!!

As an addendum to this post (the rest of the story)...

In the midst of opening my goodie box, the kitties had to see what the crinkling and crunching of paper was all about. Of course, Dee Dee (the matriarch kitty of the house) had to be right up in everything. When it came time to photograph the goodies, she kept wanting to get in the middle of everything to touch it, sniff it, and generally be in the way (as Dee Dee does). Hubby was armed with canned air and spritzed her numerous times as he told her she wasn't allowed up on my worktable where I was shooting. This turned into a war of the wills, as Dee Dee insisted that she HAD to be in the middle of everything. She protested vocally repeatedly in her meow that is reserved for temper tantrums. I finally got the shots, and then Dee Dee was allowed to come up and sniff again. She promptly layed down on top of all the spent wrapping paper and gave Hubby "the look". And here it is...

And then Dee Dee gave me another of her "looks" for good measure...

Goodness!