Santa IS real!

Okay first...a shameless plug for a friend I went to High School with
Okay a friend? Not sure...we knew each other and were in choir together for a year or so
but he DOES make an awesome Santa, and the Santa Is Real project is awesome!

But for me...this year Santa IS real!

I have a Secret Santa...

Santa sent me this

New with tags...still had that new thermos smell

I GASPED when I open the box and literally quivered a bit as I held it in my hands for the first time.

This is a big deal because...

this is the EXACT same lunch box I had when I was 7 and I've loved Holly Hobbie ever since...

If you've been a faithful bloglurker (or just decide to go through my history), you'll see I've been carrying metal lunch boxes as my purse for a couple of years now...so this is truly the Pièce de résistance!

I need to figure out some tin accessories for my wallet and check book, etc *coz I'm a bit of a snob and my stuff has to match* but this is TOTES my new favorite purse and it doesn't really matter anymore that I don't know where it came from...

It's cool to know that I've made enough of an impression out there on someone that they think highly enough of me to make me smile.

Today...I came into work knowing there was a little "surprise" for me from one of my colleagues. She mentioned she saw it and thought of me and left a gift bag on the cubbies in the office

and in the bag was THIS!

Now mind you...I just saw this in CVS about a month ago with my daughter...quick tie in to the lunch box purse thing...my second ever lunch box purse was a Wizard of Oz metal lunch box complete with all the accessories...

Bm REALLY wanted me to have it...because I also have all of these...

and I've been thinking of ways to conform my mud room to display them...

So again, this morning, I GASPED

I mean...there's NO way she could've known

and I'm SO grateful

and truth be told...

feel a bit like a schmuck that she cared enough to get me such a cool gift

How do you define 'Friend'

I mean...Santa up there...he's my friend

Secret Santa is obviously a friend

and Pez lady...well she's a friend too

although before today I don't know that I would've used that word for any of them

is it because i reserve the word 'Friend'

I hold it in such high regard that NO ONE...or VERY FEW are worthy of the word?

Really?

Maybe that's why I think I have so few of them

Maybe I need to loosen up a bit and realize that my friends are everywhere