venta

OK, as promised earlier, here's my Advent calendar this year.

Getting home from work last night, I found a cosy, bulgy-looking parcel waiting on the coffee table. Other years, I've received a conventional door-opening calednar, so my first thought was that this fat little parcel couldn't possibly be a calendar. But no, the "from" on the back told me that it was from

the_alchemist.

I've never met The_Alchemist, and don't even know her in an on-LJ sense although it seems we have a few friends in common. I know she writes emails in complete sentences, and now I know what her writing looks like. Other than that, I know only that she's the sort of person willing to spend time and effort making something because a complete stranger thought it was a good idea. It never ceases to amaze and delight me that every year people are prepared to get creative with various media, and send their calendars out into the world in blind faith that it will all work and they will receive one in return.

Anyway, my calendar presented me with something of a dilemma this morning. It can't be propped up, it won't lie neatly on a table, and it can't easily be blu-tac'd anywhere. However, acting out of a firm belief that most of the world's problems can be solved with string, it's now on display.

Today's little envelope was gold, with the opening line of a carol I don't know written on it. In it, I found a leather string with a little shell charm, and some instructions. It seems that each of my little envelopes will contain something to thread onto the string each day. It's a lovely idea. Many thanks to The_Alchemist for making and sending it.

[*] The Nature Carol, which is very apposite. Sadly my pitch is too flaky to be able to sing the tune through, but me and the concertina have trundled through it a couple of times now. I don't think the bottom C# button is meant to make a noise like that, though, so I'd best be off to find a screwdriver.

What've you got ?