Partying With the Crafters

We had such a good time yesterday at our sewing group Christmas party. This is the group that meets every Thursday at our Community Center and also puts on the craft co-op sale every September. I think there were 18 of us. We started out with visiting and a potluck lunch and oh, did we eat well! I was sitting between Robin and Sarah, with Susan on the other side of Sarah. We stuffed ourselves silly.

The party includes an optional gift exchange. If you bring a gift, it gets a number taped to it. At the beginning of the gift exchange, the people who brought gifts pull numbers from a bag and then the “elves” hand out the numbered bag that corresponds to the number each person pulled. We start at #1 and open the gifts in turn, and the gifter is revealed.

One of the women made crocheted “popcorn strings.” Such a clever idea and the string made a great necklace for Bonnie.

When we got to my number, Judy, the woman who had brought that gift said, “You can exchange that one if you like,” and I knew immediately what my gift was. I said, “Why on earth would I want to do that?” as I pulled this out of the wrapping:

Judy is well known for making Poppins bags (Aunties Two patterns) that are in great demand at the co-op sale. She also gifts a small one each year at the Christmas party. She said that she knew I had made some, which is why she offered to exchange it. I pointed out that quilters rarely get quilts as gifts—why gift something the recipient can make?—and that hers were nicer than mine. 🙂

[We do not do the stealing portion of the gift exchange, so I had no worries that someone would take this from me.]

Robin brought my birthday gift, too, which was a box of tea, some comfy socks, and a candle. She said she thought I needed a care package after all the running around I did in November. The candle smells like snickerdoodles. She suggested I burn it and make the husband think I had baked cookies. (My friends know me so well.)

After the gift exchange, Arlene led us in a game of bingo. Much hilarity ensued. We played until everyone won a prize—we drew a small wrapped gift from a bigger bag—and opened those when the game was over. I love that all the gifts revolved around sewing supplies, beauty products, and chocolate. We are so easy to please.

I came home, made myself a cup of the tea Robin had given me (coconut—yum), put on my comfy socks, and sat down to read for a bit. I had brought home leftovers from the party for the husband, including two pieces of Sarah’s raspberry/blueberry cheesecake. Those didn’t last long.

********************

Did I get any quilting done this week? Not much. I have got to get a handle on the schedule and keep it from being hijacked. Susan and I have been discussing Christmas caroling—we usually get a group together from church and go the Saturday or Sunday before Christmas—but I told her yesterday that I am just not feeling it. We will be down several male voices this year, and caroling doesn’t work as well with a tiny group. I also feel like a lot of stuff got dumped on me this fall that I wasn’t expecting and I am tired of being responsible for keeping wheels from falling off buses. When the volunteer activities begin to take up so much time that they keep me from getting my stuff done, that’s a signal that something is wrong.

I am going to be home all day today, hopefully with no interruptions. The recliners are being delivered this afternoon. I may not quilt; I may just cut out a few more clothing patterns and leave the quilting for next week. Robin and I looked at our schedules yesterday. We’re going to aim for a trip to Spokane some time in late January. We usually get a nice thaw around then.

That little deer that was on the porch last week has been hanging around the yard. I tossed out some corn and an apple for it yesterday. I asked the husband if he minded me adopting a pet deer and he said that was fine as long as it didn’t end up in the house. It isn’t full grown yet and I am not sure why it’s alone.