Memories - Mason jars

So, I just looked at my friend Ann's blog and saw an entry about "crafts" made at enrichment night. It reminded me of a gift I received when I was a missionary many, many years ago.

She wrote about making crafts with Mason jars. It sounded like a spin off of an enrichment (then it was homemaking) activity in Oregon in 1992.

I was the premier recipient of a Mason jar covered with a stuffed teddy bear head and a bright green calico dress. This is displayed in the picture below. I'm quite sure this was the end product of an enrichment activity gone astray. I can't remember if this seemed like a sincere gift or one of those ABU (already been used) gifts or ....a pawn off gift just because someone thought it would bless my missionary life in some way. As you can tell, this provided a few jovial moments at the end of a hard day.





Now, I know that we all have the right to an opinion, but sometimes it is helpful to keep in mind the person for which you are creating the gift. Some people and homes welcome crafts more abundantly than others. My home has fewer and fewer crafts each year (I think I'm at around zero right now) and more and more computer programs, computer gadgets and books. I do like art, photography and anything digital, but I don't count these to be crafts.










A gift that was a little higher on the "favored" list was this pair of colorful slippers also given to me on my mission. I love bright colors, but the color combinations were slightly off. Either way, my companion and I caught a few shots sporting our new footlets and we wore them frequently to avoid touching the gross carpet.

At one point on my mission we lived with this woman, Leslie, and she was the giver of non-enrichment gifts. But, mostly I'm sharing this picture so you could admire the bad permanent I got that day.

Lest anyone that reads this thinks I am ungrateful for any gift I have received, it is important to know that all gifts and notes are appreciated. Some bring tears, some bring out a secret happiness, some practical usage and others....well, let's just say...they do provide entertainment and laughs. Now, in my world....that is a pretty good gift to give.

P.S. These gifts have now made it to my "Gifts" picture album. In time, I will remember all gifts given, but for some their are no pictures and for those that are...I just have to retrieve the memory still. So, please don't take offense if your gift is not here.