Okay, so I had to go to out of town to help my mom and take all the grandkids to see her. She has stage 4 cancer and while we all had a wonderful time together the cancer made the trip have a hard truth behind it that will play out someday. I spent my birthday traveling back to get everyone home in time for school and just in time to take my wonderful companion to the hospital for gallbladder surgery. I spent the day today being her rock and support and making sure I gave her the care she deserved. Finally when the kids were all fed and she was at peace resting this eavining I brought the package I had gotten in the mail and laid it out on the bed for her to share in the fun of opening it.

I sat down on my bed and had no idea what a treat was in store. It was a kind and uplifting experience. It was a feeling of someone I dont even know taking the time to send gifts with care and thought and effort. It was for me the ultimate feeling of what redditgifts are all about. It was a lesson for me in what really matters about this process and a reminder of the real reason why I enjoy this. It was everything I needed to rekindle my sense of childlike joy and to make the world seem close and caring. Thank you redditgifter and thank you redditfgifts. I have attached photos of the whole wonderful process of opening the gifts. The first photo shows the three wrapped gifts. Each had a great note about the thought and research the gifter put into each gift and noted the order to open. I have included photos. Please read each. They are wonderful. The first photo is all together (including an envelope with gift reciepts incase needed. They were not!)

The first gift was a card game, Star Fluxx. I dont have it and love it. Perfect game for a sci fi geek and gamer. She researched me well.

The 2nd gift is so cool. I have friends that we play a big live game of Betrayl of House on the Hill every Halloween. This game, "Are you a Werewolf?" is such a game played in big groups up to 16 players. What is so cool is that I have some dear friends that rave about this game and I have always wanted to play it. That was not posted anywhere so she is a mind reader. Spooky :-)!!!!

The last wrapped gift was because she had noticed I was interested in wine but knew little about it, a pocket wine book with huge amounts of info on wine. Inside was a special over the top extra gift, a gift card from PA Wine & Spirits to buy some wine. I want to use the book and go find some new wine and broaden my horizons. Ummm I still dont know how this redditgifter did this. She is not from PA and got me a gift card from PA and knew that in PA you can only buy wine at state stores? Wow!!! Amazing!

My last photo is of the box and my cat sacked out on the bed. As I type this the kids are all asleep. I feel really good about the trip to see my mom with the good lifting above the sad. My gal has fallen asleep with an ice pack on her tummy resting finally after a day of surgery.... and for me, I am sitting on my bed with visions of suger plums in the form of unwrapped gifts, caring thoughtful notes from a stranger, and a much needed warm spot in my heart! Thank you Redditgifter!!!!