At first, I got all teared up because I realized the fullness of the package meant she'd sent my mom a home-knitted blanket from one of the two ministries she and her husband are a part of in Boston (they're both ordained and he's a hospital chaplain - please pardon if I didn't use the right words). There is nothing like receiving a soft blanket handmade with the purpose of making you feel better. The closest thing I can compare it to is holding the magical combination of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.
The extra surprise was that there was an envelope for me in the box as well. And it held the most wonderful things! Things that said to me "Hey, I know you, I know you'd want this, and I love ya so I got them for you." I felt so very very loved. My gift included a handmade apron, a very cool bracelet clutch made out of a laminated newspaper article (that I had actually read when it was printed in The Times and had kept going back to because I liked the ballerina picture so much), a gorgeous cookbook from the Flour bakery in Boston (that she had already signed - which is a personal request I make of all book gifts), and 2 dried leaves. Yes, the dried leaves threw me off at first too, but they blessed me to pieces. One is from Boston this past fall and the other is a gingko leaf from a tree at the White House. Perfection.
The only criticism even possible is the red velvet cake recipe in the cookbook. It doesn't use a cream cheese icing or give the option of pecans. But, bless her heart, the author had never heard of a red velvet cake until people kept asking her to make one - so she just didn't know better. Her other amazing goodies make up for it.
I think there's a spiritual analogy of knowing and being known here, but I'll spare you further ramblings. Thanks for letting me share this! Here's a picture of all my loot (sorry for the crooked iphone pic):
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