Secret Santa - Recieved

[DaisyDaisy]

I only just managed to keep my pressie until Christmas morning - if you count just past midnight on Christmas eve!

Thank you Sish Santa for my beautiful daisy necklace!

[Boots]

Well, as the daylight disappears on Christmas Day over here, I want to send a big thankyou to my Sish Santa. I opened a Jackie French book this morning and have enjoyed this Aussie writer in Grassroots and like her friendly writing style. Must say I was so very impressed - An Aussie Author, talking about Aussie issues... ... Seems we think alike, Nev! Seriously, I am a big supporter of Aussie Artists/Writers and am just chuffed we both also managed to support them in the exchange.

I hope you have had a great day down there, and for our UK mates who are just preparing now for the Fat Mans Visit, I hope you all have a great day.

Thanks again Nev!

[Boots]

... or is it Earth Garden....?

[Wombat]

Thanks to you Boots,

I have a quite extensive library but the book you sent is a good one and I don't have it!

I also appreciated all the little bits ( the angel is really pretty!), made my Christmas day!

So merry Christmas all and happy Boxing Day Boots!

Nev

[Wombat]

Psst! It's Earth Garden....

[the.fee.fairy]

Thankyou to my ish santa.

The book is beautiful. Don't know what 'm going to use it for yet, it needs something special.
Also, i love the seed pots!! Any chance of sending the pattern?

Ta ish santa, the pressies are lovely!

[Boots]

The girls and I have been exchanging ornaments with friends for most of their lives, and every year when we put up the tree, we say "Oh, remember Aunty Ral made this? or Remember those Jehovah Witnesses we shared Christmas with?... Stuff like that.

The Angel will remind you of all your Sish friends every year!

[Wombat]

The girls and I have been exchanging ornaments with friends for most of their lives, and every year when we put up the tree, we say "Oh, remember Aunty Ral made this? or Remember those Jehovah Witnesses we shared Christmas with?... Stuff like that.

The Angel will remind you of all your Sish friends every year!

That's a nice tradition! I certainly will, she will become a treasured decoration. (JWs on Christmas - sounds like a story there...... )

Thanks again Boots!

Nev

[Boots]

Yeah, that is a nice story...

There were 2 JW girls who were a part of an after school activity group I supervised. Each arvo I was "required" (boss was a very strict and very routine dutch woman) to provide one sporting activity and one craft activity and once November 1 rolled around, each craft activity had to be Christmas orientated.

The girls explained that they did not celebrate Christmas, and would not be allowed to make Christmas things. They were both excellent kids and very good at craft, so each arvo I would attempt to change the design of whatever it was we were making, to make it less Christmassy, so they could remain involved. This was no easy task when the bulk of the materials were things like tinsel, or stars and whatnot.

The situation kind of put the spotlight on the kids, and every afternoon they would have to try and explain to other kids why they didn't celebrate Christmas and answer an ongoing bevy of questions from the other kids. As the days went on, the girls became more and more depressed, because - this is my take on it - as kids, I don't think they really understood WHY they couldn't celebrate it, when the rest of the world was. Sometimes they would make really impressive crafts, and then give them to others in the room rather than chance taking them home and being seen as disrespectful, or hang them in the room without their names on.

Much of what I do is meaningful to me and when I would present new crafts I would provide some sort of folk meaning or personal meaning in the form of a bit of a story. (Much like this, I guess)

One of the last craft activities was a door wreath, and I had no idea how I could make this less Christmas-ey for this pair, because lets face it... Wreaths have only ever been used (as far as I know) to remember those who have passed. So, I decided to adapt the wreath and present it as a greeting that unifies all. I dragged in the ol mistletoe tradition and adapted it by replacing it with gumnuts and told the giggling kids how people came together under the mistletoe to kiss, and in Australia we all come together under the gumnuts to accept and appreciate each other. I told them that the door wreaths we were making were a sign to anyone passing, that the people in the house respected the 'circle of love' that goes round and round and the gumnuts reminded everyone it was just fine to do your own thing, think differently and celebrate whenever and whatever you felt like celebrating.

I had been warned several times by the dutch woman that I was treading on thin ice with the girls, and that I should really be sitting them out during the craft activities. She told me I would lose my job if the parents came in and complained.

On the last day the parents BOTH turned up, and I pretty much sh*t myself! They spoke briefly with my stonefaced boss and then waited quietly by the door and watched me finish up the class and by the time they approached me I was certain I was in for it. The girls introduced them to me, and both looked nervous too. None of us were expecting what happened. The mum gave me a parcel wrapped in plain blue paper and said she wanted to thank me for working with her kids. I was heaps surprised, and she explained that JW's still give gifts, but they don't give gifts in the name of a season. I figured it probably wasn't appropriate then, to tell them I would take it home and put it under my tree, so I opened it.

They had wrapped up one of the little wreaths the girls had made and told me the other was hanging on their door! So every year, the wreath comes out again and usually sits under our tree, near our tree or hangs somewhere (we now have a sliding door... ), and we remember the girls, their family and their values. I always wonder if the other wreath is brought out too, and how the girls are going...

[Millymollymandy]

Ahhhh! Nice story, Boots.

[Wombat]

Yeah, it is a nice story Boots!

I have cousins (in Queensland!) who are JWs and it always hit their kids pretty hard at Christmas time. I believe in sticking to your principles, but tell that to the kids!

Nev

[Wormella]

I picked up my parcel today and I was floored by the generosity of my santa.

I actually sat down in the ceneter of town to open it.

Really thank you.

and thank you for the chocolate coffee beans. I brought them for everyone else but failed to recieve any myself. These are mine!

-I hope everyone had a lovely christmas / celebration of some kind.

[the.fee.fairy]

I'm a bit worried - i haven't seen anythign from my secret santa in a while. Can someone check on them for me please to make sure they're ok, and that Royal Mail didn't lose thair present please?

Ta

[The Chili Monster]

Thanks to my ssish secret santa for the book "The Small Ecological Garden".
I've flicked through it, though I've yet to settle down with it properly. Would have replied to thread sooner only I've been laid up since Christmas Eve with 'flu.

Boots -your story about the JW girls & their parents was inspiring.

A very happy healthy and successful New Year to you all.

[Merry]

Opened my presents today as I`ve been away.
Thank you to my Secret Santa for the great plant waterers and seeds!
I look forward to using them.