Three Sisters

 

Day 68: This post has been scheduled since August 12, but since the little critters shown here were destined to be Christmas presents for my sisters-of-the-heart, I couldn't reveal them before this. Their creation began when Patty, aka Goldfinch, showed me a photo of a darling little amigurumi wren, and although I couldn't find the exactly pattern for it, I was able to locate a European Robin which was similar. I made a couple of them for practice and then thought, "I've got to make a finchy for Finchy!" I simply changed up the colours and adjusted the pattern to accommodate a Goldfinch's most distinctive field markings, and then the thought occurred to make a Crow. That required creating a broader tail and a longer, heavier beak. I sat my completed Crow down next to the Goldfinch and said, "Well, dang. Where's Alison? I gotta make a Mouse for Mousie." I couldn't find a pattern I liked, so Mouse is entirely original. And there you have them: the three sisters-of-the-heart, born of different parents, separated by as much as 3000 miles, but sisters nonetheless.

Footnote: the three of us have a tradition we call "the Twelve Days of Christmas." Each of us sends twelve gifts to the other two, and then starting on December 14, we gather on line to open one prezzie from each of our two counterparts every night through Christmas Eve. The last present is opened on Christmas morning, but not simultaneously. Last night was Day #6, and the Three Sisters made their appearance.

Something's Fishy Here

Day 68: "Sisters of the heart." That is how a Mouse, a Finch and a Crow describe the relationship which developed out of our common interest in geocaching, starting...oh, my! Has it been over a decade ago? We "met" in a chat forum, saw each other through various emotional crises and joys, and finally got together in several personal meet-ups despite the fact that two of us live on opposite coasts and the third is in New York.

I'm not sure when or how the tradition began, but each year, each of us sends the other two twelve numbered gifts, to be opened sequentially leading up to the finale on Christmas morning. We call it "the Twelve Days of Christmas," although it's on the wrong side of the holiday in the strict interpretation. There are no rules; gifts can be as goofy, lovely, inexpensive, lavish as the giver deems appropriate, but there always seem to be a few which bring a chuckle. Case in point: goldfish in a bag glycerine soap bar. The bag is going to have to deteriorate with age before I actually put it to use because it makes me laugh out loud every time I see it in the soap dish. I can't wait to see the reaction I get from the first guest to use my bathroom.

Twelve Days, Two Friends

Day 65: Although I generally don't have much good to say about the internet, if it hadn't been for computer technology, I might never have met the two women who are my "sisters of the heart." We became acquainted through a forum about ten years ago, a friendship which evolved into in-person visits and fun adventures on both sides of the country. With them, I share a "Twelve Days of Christmas" tradition of gift-giving, gathering or making twelve presents throughout the year which are then opened in numerical order on the eleven days preceding Christmas, winding up on Christmas Day with a final gift. We "wrap" gifts in cloth bags whenever possible, tie them shut with real ribbons and sometimes add tags which can also be recycled the following year. It makes so much more sense than throwing away piles of paper which has only seen one use.