Bit of Ivory

I woke up this morning at 5:30–an hour before I was planning on getting up for my drive to Provo–with a raging sore throat in addition to my cough, stuffy nose and headache. I called in sick to the library. Went to see a doctor this afternoon. It’s not Strep. Which is good news and bad news. While Strep is contagious, which would be bad, it’s also treatable by antibiotics, which would mean a quicker recovery. Unfortunately, my doctor thinks it’s a particularly violent cold virus strain, and will probably be around for another week or so. So I’ve been lying around all day.

However, this does give me the time to FINALLY gush and flow about the lovely surprise that I found when I came home on Friday. I knew Elizabeth was planning on sending me something, but I certainly never expected this!

Let me give you a list of what’s in the basket:

• A Harry Potter tin (that’s the big thing in the middle)
• 3 boxes of cookies
• 4 boxes of tea light candles for my
• 2 tea light candle holders
• 3 vintage postcards
• 2 pinecones
• An Albus Dumbledore Famous Wizard card
• 2 BIG mugs
• A can of hot chocolate
• Harry, Ron, and Hermione sculptures/snowglobes,
• A metal phoenix, which Elizabeth informs me is a candle jewel– you stick it in a tall candle, and it makes a cool shadow on the wall!
• A bottle of shower gel, massage oil and body lotion, all in a very familar fragrance– Cedarwood Sage!
• A jar of blue lavender palmarosa bath salts (pictured with the other body stuff)
• And last but definitely not least, a hand-painted greeting card of Imbolic, or the Festival of the Maiden in Celtic mythology.

Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. I certainly didn’t deserve even half so much. Its arrival has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise very stressful Christmas. I’ve already used the shower gel and body lotion often, and plan on using the bath salts in the very near future.

Elizabeth, I’m very lucky to have you as a friend.