I had the most lovely morning enjoying coffee and chat with Ruth :) I'm so happy that her mother lives nearby so we get the chance to meet up whenever Ruth's visiting!
She brought me these flowers - aren't they gorgeous?! And we just had the loveliest long natter and catch up :)
Then I got home to find an exciting package waiting for me - so beautifully and happily decorated!
Inside was this amazing decorated clipboard and matching card from Beverly, as my Pay It Forward gift :)
Thank you so, so much, Beverly - I adore it! How sneaky of you to show it on your blog without letting on it was for me.... It is indeed a loved gift!
And as if that wasn't enough, soon afterwards there was a knock on the door and the lovely Mr Parcelforce Man delivered this package!
When I spotted the sender's details I nearly kissed him.... But I restrained myself and just kissed the box instead! Because look:
*squeal*.... Yes, it's my birthday present from The Doctor!! (I know my birthday isn't till August, but we weren't sure how long shipping would take so we had to order it early to make sure, OK?!)
I've loved the Jo Totes camera bags ever since I first saw them on Cathy Zielske's blog, and I can't believe I now own one! (Well, nearly! In a couple of months!)
I love that there are so many possible configurations of the inside, that there are several useful pockets, that the lining is such a pretty spotty dotty fabric, that it has long handles and a detachable shoulder strap too, that the outer is a deep, rich raspberry red (rather than the pinker shade suggested by my photos), that it's a really rather stunning handbag while also being a very functional camera bag.... Yep, I think I like it! ;)
I'm a very lucky girl indeed :)
And I do know it. I really am aware of it. I don't forget to thank God for my many blessings. Yes, I'm very lucky. I am aware though that there are so many in the world who are not nearly so well off. Shimelle has posted a reminder of that today. In an act of amazing generosity, she is donating to Plan-UK the proceeds from all sales of her online classes over the next 24 hours. That's an awesome thing to do - I already knew Shimelle rocked, but oh boy, isn't that the loveliest thing ever? The trouble is, I already have all her classes! So how can I help?
*lightbulb moment!*
I've bought the class 'When I Grow Up'. And one of you, my friends, can have this class as a gift from me. Would you like it? You just need to leave a comment telling me what you wanted to be when you grew up, and I'll put your name into the draw. Entries will close at 5pm GMT on Wednesday 1st June, and I'll announce the winner as soon as possible after that. Meanwhile, don't forget to go check out Shimelle's other classes to pick up a whole stack of inspiration and support an excellent cause at the same time!
PS Me? I always wanted to be a teacher. And a writer. And I guess now I'm both those things! Like I said, I'm a lucky girl indeed :)