Roses In December

Yesterday I told you a little bit about our Christmas and some of you know that I am a December baby. Mom went into labour for me on Christmas day but true to form I made everybody wait til I was ready before making my appearance on December 27th. For most of my life I have to say that my birthday didn't really feel special, simply because it was in the shadows of Christmas. Not to say Mom did any less for me than my siblings but let's face it, after all the hub bub of Christmas no one really needs another gift to buy or party to go to. As I have gotten older birthdays are not really as important because they just seem to add up way to fast, but I have to say that my friends and family sure make me feel special. 

Just look at some of the lovely gifts I received.

Just as a side note, this pouch is not quite true to colour and it is lined in clear vinyl which makes it great for easy clean up from leaked toiletries. Very clever idea! Done in masculine fabrics it would make a great shaving bag for a special guy in your life.

This purse is a faux leather and was a surprise from a friend. Don't you just love the quilting on it?

While visiting the Boyce Thompson Arboretum I saw the cutest Christmas decoration, and a girlfriend made me up a kit to make my own Rudolph for next holiday season. Isn't he just the cutest? Can you guess what he is made from?

He is made from the fallen pieces of bark from palm trees!  Mine will have a blinking red nose and lovely false eye lashes...Gee I can hardly wait for Christmas!

Along with my Rudolph kit was a microwave heat bag and a gift card to a local quilt shop. Score!

I received a parcel in the mail a few days ago from a special friend and it was loaded with goodies.

Each item was wrapped individually with a cute little clue as to the contents

Filled with jars of luscious body butters!

Here is a closer look at this tower of wooden spools of trim And if that wasn't enough she also made me this charming cushion...

Mr. O bought me a Bose bluetooth speaker which I absolutely love! He also bought me a 3 season Columbia jacket and candy.

I had been feeling a bit under the weather for 3 or 4 days before my birthday so I opted out of a dinner date with Mr O but when he offered to take me for a walk through a public rose garden he had found in his exploring I thought that was just what I wanted. Being a December baby and growing up in Northern Canada there is something very decadent about seeing roses growing in December...even if it is in Arizona! 

I stopped to speak with one of the ladies who volunteers her time in the gardens and thanked her for hard work. A few minutes later she sought me out and offered to cut me a bouquet of roses!

Thank you Phyllis!

Afterwards Mr O took me out for lunch and when we left the restaurant we encountered a hungry mother and child looking for food. Mr. O suggested I take her in for dinner. I stayed in long enough for her to order lunch for herself and her daughter, then paid the bill and left. The cashier told me it was a very kind thing to do...my answer; maybe i was being scammed but you can never go wrong being kind to someone and it made me feel good to be able to give to someone when others had given so much to me.

All in all I had a wonderful day! 

I had an elderly friend from England who commented to me one day, " I wouldn't trade places with the King of England right now." That's exactly how I felt!

This little gift of a pincushion from my daughter makes me feel like royalty every time I look at it tho. A jewelled crown pin cushion!

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

Aesop