Gifts Abounding

I am so blessed with friends! Some I see quite often and others only occasionally. I have had friends that I've lost touch with over the years, that happens when we move, get busy with life, pursue different interest. Now with all of the technology available finding an old friend isn't as hard as it used to be.

I have been blessed to get reacquainted with a friend from my past over the internet and telephone in the last year. We still haven't seen each other, but that is coming soon.

This friend is very adventuresome and is able to travel and has done so extensively. Our lives have taken very different paths, but we still have much in common.

Well, this precious friend just returned from a trip to Guatemala and Costa Rica. She sent me the most wonderful packet of treasures! Look at these beautiful things! The zippered pouch is covered with lovely embroidery. The bracelet is handmade and the bookmark and worry dolls are precious! The gorgeous aprons are full of beautiful weavings, embroidery, fancy trims, and the sweetest little zippered pockets! And just look at the swatches of lovely woven fabrics! I think I might try and make a purse from those.

From what I understand women from different villages are identified by the aprons they wear. They are so pretty! I know my grand-daughters are going to really go ga-ga over the child's apron! I'm going to have to throw a party just so I can have occasion to wear/show off the red woman's apron. Won't it be perfect at Christmas time?



We also have a friend close by who has a tree loaded with pears, more than they can use, so they graciously offered some to us. Last year I put up tons of pear preserves. They are so good! This year since I still have plenty of the preserves I decided to make pear butter. I've worked on it for two days and just have a few jars to show for it. I love the stuff and so does a lot of my family, but it is a very long cooking process to get it right. Some of it I ended up not cooking long enough and it doesn't have the rich deep brown color with the equally rich taste that it should have. So far I only have 4 1/2 pints that turned out the way I like it. I think I'll just cook it down more as I open the other jars. That should work, I hope. It's not bad like it is, but it's not as rich in flavor as that that has slow cooked for 24 hours or more.

Anyway, I'm feeling wonderfully privileged to be so honored with gifts and most of all with friends.

This last picture is another lacy, little gift left on our porch by a visiter that I'm not sure I would call a friend.