Needless to say, I've had a long face the last few days.

I miss my mate.

Sure, I'll LIVE without him, but I miss him horribly. And I haven't kept it a very good secret that I'm all Gloomy McGlumpants over him being away from the holidays.

So I was pretty surprised when the front desk of the facility called me today and told me I had a package. I wasn't expecting one.

I eventually got down there, and found it was...gasp...a package. From my mom. I was a little confused, because I told her not to send anything this year. She helped pay for the two consecutive months of car repairs...

It was a small package, mind you. Most years, you could stuff a toddler in the box. Not this year. A polite, petite little 12"x12" (30cm x 30cm) cube...and it wasn't very heavy either.

The first thing in the box was a small gift bag. Pictures of my niece and nephew. I've never seen them. I've never talked to my niece, and to my nephew only a few times...but it means a lot, to see them grow up. Even from a distance.

And then a card. Addressed to Jim and Dave. Jim AND Dave. This is the first time, EVER, my mom's sent anything addressed to the both of us. At the same time.

Inside was a card with a snowflake ornament and a gift card from WalMart...hey, mom's from Texas, give her a break? I've been collecting snowflake ornaments, one a year, since I got up here. Mom's added at least one every year.

Under the envelope was a small box, obviously cut down from a larger one. White, with a red tulle ribbon. Inside? Enough Christmas themed tissue paper to keep a hamster for a month. Inside that? A beautiful wire, mirror, and crystal bead snowflake ornament, at least 7 inches across. It's pretty!

And there was more. Under that? Several very carefully hand-wrapped (in bubble wrap no less) packages...each one containing a pretzel stick or candy cane, hand decorated...with that hint of 'I helped with this!' that only an 8 year old can bring. I suspect the nephew and niece helped ;) And a tin of organic (hee hee...mom's concession to my eco friendly views) mulling spices...and the world's largest tea ball...a nod to Dave's tea drinking, I suspect ;). And a chocolate orange. I should probably tell mom I haven't eaten the one from last year, neh? At the very bottom were two carefully wrapped wafer cakes. They aren't the prettiest things, they are definately NOT healthy (mostly butter and crushed Nilla wafers and coconut), but they TASTY...and they take hours to make.

My goodness. Mom...loves me again...

Jim