Rain, Hail, Sleet, or Snow...

Some friends just always deliver, and I have to say I've got a pretty great batch of them!  So I was at once surprised, and not at all surprised when this delivery of gorgeous Lebkuchen cookies arrived ... Can I just tell you that when I sliced into that vacuum sealed pouch - the aroma that erupted instantly made my dining room table seem as though it had been dropped in the center of a fancy bakery somewhere far, far away, and totally fabulous - ah, l'amour.  Truly, I wish your screen was scratch 'n' sniff, because these goodies are a whole experience!  Anyway, the woman behind them is (said without even a hint of irony, or exaggeration) living, breathing, walking art; effortlessly enchanting everything she puts her hand to.  I say "effortlessly" because even though a great deal of work goes into the things she does, she makes it all look wonderfully easy.  Mmhmm, yes.  In case you were wondering, even in your own group of chums, your perfectionist friend also has a friend who takes everything to the next level.  I don't consider myself a perfectionist in that I do everything "perfectly" ... It's more like, I have a hard time wrapping up my projects because I always find something that can be improved upon.  And yet, with my hyper-focused eye for critique, girl friend still blows me away.  

Ok, ok I get it.  You're probably thinking, lady, calm down, it's just a cookie with some frosting on it...

First of all, wash your mouth out! 

I mean, it's so much more than that.  February to February has been a hell of a year for folks, and the fact that people are taking their time to care, and nurture one another from across the country is heartwarming, and beautiful.  These cookies—oh my god, wait, her pies!  I never mentioned her pies!  Well, they're incredible too, and they're all lovingly baked in a charming 100+ year old home nestled in a picturesque New England town ... Is it just me, or is the YouTube series just writing itself here?  I don't know about anyone else, but I would binge my eyeballs out watching a magical kitchen witch conjure artisanal cakes, and confections in a snow-covered cottage.  I obviously think it's a hit, but I also subscribe to a channel where a girl talks about serial killers while she applies her make-up.  Alright, back to the point, it's been a weird year, and I think it will get weirder still before it ever gets any better, and people are out here doing small things for each other, that are actually kind of big things, and I absolutely love them for it.  You know, they say it's the thought that counts, and a lot of times the "they" in question are just gift-snobs looking for a nice way to say, "Thanks, I hate it" without hurting anyone's feelings, but it really is true!  The thought, and intention does count.  It counts for a whole lot with me.  This lady baked her ass off, and then carefully packaged I don't know how many kits, and sent them all over the country to members of this kooky little cookie-coven (in my case 3229 miles door-to-door), ensuring they arrived as fresh as they were the day they were baked JUST to say, "Hey, how ya doin'?" and lift our spirits, and make us feel closer, and more connected, and better about everything?  Yes, the thought counts, indeed.  The fact that the thought came attached to one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten in my entire life certainly didn't hurt either!

I believe I've mentioned it here before, and I'm sure I'll mention it many more times after this, but I am not an "Oh, you shouldn't have" kind of girl.  I promise you, I will never say those words.  In fact, it is one of my fervent prayers to see the phrase eliminated from the English language altogether, because yes you should.  We all should. 

We all should be doing whatever we can to show the people we care about that we do, in fact, care about them deeply, and earnestly, without hesitation, or expectations.  Don't wait for the right time, or for signs, or an eerily accurate horoscope, or a good hair day, just do the thing.  Do it even if it's inconvenient.  Do it especially because it's inconvenient.  Be awkward, be random, be a happy surprise, be the reason someone else feels good today, because it really matters.

 xoxo