The biggest delay was the crowd of cars at the airport. I’ve never seen anything like. It was nearly 3 a.m. her time when we got home.

And so she ate an early dinner tonight and was ready to crash while we went off to a potluck with a white elephant exchange: each person was to bring one thing.

Pick a folded-up number to find out when your turn is.

A quart of honey made the rounds.

But when it was finally the hostess’s chance, she had seen which ones I’d brought and was the first to pick the small gold wrapping on the table.

She got a Malabrigo hat. Once everybody knew what those were the other got snatched up quick. I had a third tucked in my purse in case someone didn’t like the color they got: which means I quietly handed the host one at the end, too, as a thank you for a fun evening and the couple can decide whose is whose, but the hostess was so pleased with hers that he may have to do some serious cajoling there.

Or not.

I was reminded how much more of this I need to be doing–for my own selfish gratification if nothing else. I like making people that happy!