Box of Delights

I woke up feeling lousy this morning. My period is making me very SHOUTY and a bit more IRRITABLE than usual (and never let us forget that I am already starting at the baseline of ‘Outraged of Knighton’). On top of that I have a cold which means my sinuses are killing me, and my head is full of goo.  I am all:

‘Hein! Eh! Quoi? Eh? Ze knobs are flasheeng’

Etc.

My ear trumpet is failing me badly.  I need two of those old cones from gramaphones strapped to my head so I look like a stereophonic moose.  At the moment I cannot hear anything, and then, when everyone speaks up so that I can hear, I tell them off for shouting.

I had already shouted twice in the car on the way to mum’s this morning, and then, when we arrived, there was a surprise box of joy waiting to be opened.  My lovely friend Bronx Bee had sent us a package of loveliness all the way from New York. It arrived at the perfect time to cheer me into a feeling of greater kindliness towards my fellow man.

I was able to mentally remove the scimitars from the hub caps of my car.

The children and Jason all got presents, but mine, of course, I consider to be the best.

I was given a large tin of Williams Sonoma salted caramel hot chocolate mix.  It is actually flakes of real chocolate, just waiting to be melted into hot milk, and the smell is divine.  All day I have been opening the tin and sticking my nose in, just to inhale the scent.  It is heaven in a box.

My equally lovely friend, The Scribbler, sent me a box of the most mouthwateringly good chocolates from her (and now mine) favourite chocolatier, Gareth James, a few days ago.  These were as amazing to eat as the salted chocolate mix is to smell.  I HAD to eat the chocolates quickly as they are freshly made and are full of cream and other magnificent things and they had an eat by date which I was obliged to obey, but I wish I’d managed to save them for the hot chocolate fest to come.  I feel they would have paired together perfectly.

What I might do is save the hot chocolate mixture until Gareth opens his online shop and then indulge completely, possibly until I die a huge, chocolate moustache related death.

I also got a new pack of Staedtler felt tipped pens from Bronx Bee.  These are my favourite type of pens in the world.  Every year I treat myself to a pack and try to hide them from the children.  I eke them out for as long as possible.

I love new pens.

And

To add to the brilliance, she bought me two colouring books.

You might think: ‘Eh? What a childish present! Why would she want those?’ but I say to you: ‘Hold your horses there Nelly.’  These are not children’s colouring books. These are some of the finest colouring books in the world.  I got a Charley Harper colouring book.  I love Charley Harper’s work, and have a framed copy of his ‘The Squid and the Whale’ currently hanging in my kitchen (also courtesy of Bronx Bee, who knows me very well indeed, and is a most indulgent friend).  I also got a Hiroshige colouring book, and I love him too.

What an excellent box of things to receive on a trying Wednesday.

Ms Bronx Bee. I love you. Thank you.