GOING BROWN

Yesterday was so cold, I closed the blinds to conserve heat in the house. Then I retired to the lower level and turned on the small room heater. No trips outside of home, not even the mailbox for me! Today is not much different, ice-cube cold temperature, blinds still hanging low, heater humming. Howard was running the recyclables to the street… would he pretty-please bring in the mail from yesterday? Just the normal handful of mail, most of which is tossed back into the recycle bin. Standing alone from everyday unsolicited mail and advertisements was a thinnish brown paper package, held together with brown tape, addressed in a fine, elegant penmanship to Mrs. Sharon Furner.

Grabbing the dull orange Friskar scissors….you know the “utilitarian” ones that cut open bags of lawn fertilizer, clip coupons, pry open stuck lids on recalcitrant jars, scrape gum off of shoes, snip open mesh bags of onions and potatoes; anyway, they will do nicely to clip into the brown tape on the mysterious package with no return address.

It then occurred to me that this was a very CLEVER, PRACTICAL, BROWN (think GREEN) packaging. Ho-hum, I had thought I was the clever one wrapping everything in The Baltimore Sun newspaper cartoons bound with kitchen twine! This was a grocery sack, folded over and over, making a perfect wrap for a mailing package. Yay! Brown. With each unfolding rotation of the sack I was curious: where did this come from? Who was thinking of me? Definitely needed photo-documentation!

With the last turn of the paper, out tumbled an envelope the color of manila folders and a brilliant peacock blue diary. Oh, someone who knows I love love love paper products! And the most gorgeous blue ever, with beautiful silver clasp buttons.

This was too much fun! Who was the mysterious “gift giver?”

The giver with an elegant feminine script was dear sweet Ellen Williams, my dear DC friend who now lives in Hawaii.

Ellen has been travelling solo in India, a long held dream and adventure unfolding day by day. Then came an unexpected phone call relaying information that her husband, Steve, who was serving a military tour as a dentist in Iraq, had health issues. Her trip was cut short. She met her husband in Germany, at a medical facility. They are now in Hawaii, where Steve recuperates and is doing well. And Ellen is sending out thoughtful packages to friends.

In Ellen’s card she expressed having visited a cooperative in India where beautiful paper was created. Synchronicity must have been crackling in the air. As she looked at the beautiful selection of papers and products, for some reason she thought of me, and purchased this beautiful book. The gift has been transferred to welcome hands and heart. I already know what I will do with it, after this blog is posted!

Thank you and Aloha dear Ellen.