Apologies, analogies and Applets... oh my!

Apologies first: Thank you to everyone for sending me so many beautiful Christmas cards this year. The love was oozing out of my mail box and coating everything thing in my life in sparkle and light. And that was a good thing!!!! I had so much fun the last few weeks just trying not to curl up into the fetal position and lay on the floor of my closet with the door closed until it was all over. Every card I received helped me stay upright.
And yet.... I did not mail mine.
I have this box (on the right of the photo) ready to mail, each envelope filled with a handmade card, no two exactly alike, everyone with a hand written note.. and there they sit.
I know this was part of my stress. I can't exactly explain it. Money was part of the issue, time was another. I have thought hard the last 24 hours as to how I am going to handle this and I have decided that I am first going to say I am sorry and then I am going to mail them as is.
I know that you will all be receiving them way after Christmas... hell some will be after the first of the year but that is how I am going to do this.
So, I am so sorry. Please know that your kindness to me was so important in my life at this time and so well received that I can only hope to repay you at sometime in our relationship.

Analogies: I think the first woman who every had water running up to her home started the idea of Heaven. I am sure that some of you have never had to live anytime at all without this convenience and count yourself lucky now. When we take things as precious as clean running water for granted for as long as I have, it is no wonder that life seems to stop dead when it is ripped from our grasp. Do you know that toilets don't flush well without water? Did you know that dishes requires up to three trips to the outside faucet (where luckily water still existed) in 20 degree weather!! Did you know that washing your hands in freezing cold water does not fell good!!!!! Did you know that I can be such a WHINER!!! well yeah I bet you did know that already...hehe
Well good news is that I know have a dry floor, hot and cold running water and a much better attitude towards life once more.

Applets and Cottlets: I love certain foods. I am not a huge fan of sweets but some sweets are perfection. Once a year I treat myself to Applets and Cottlets. Not the chocolate covered kind, although those are marvelous too, but the original confection. Ladies, this is decadence in a tissue lined box. I only bring this up because I needed another A word for my title but you should truly try them if you haven't yet. ahhhh love that taste.

till next time, the Oz