Do you recall when you were in primary school, how the teacher would give each student a chance to show and tell whatever was special to them. This would be particularly interesting after a long weekend or holiday. Well, I don’t mean to brag, but I have some exciting gifts to show and tell you about.
(You may feel free to write me about your gifts too). 
Do you recall in my last RoseBouquet before Christmas I mentioned getting some money in a card. Well, at lunch that day I gave some away to my co-workers, also missionaries here at Western Tract Mission, where I have my office suite. After work I went to deposit the rest and do some grocery shopping. When I got home just before 6 pm, it was getting dusk already, but I saw these aluminum pipes forming a frame over the spot where I park my car, just inside my back alley gate.
As I pulled into my spot and closed the gate I was busy looking around, taking in details and wondering…. All at once, Penny, my neighbour to the west side, came out their back door, calling out loudly, “Merry Christmas!” She confessed that they and Priscilla (all my co-workers at WTM) had pooled the money I gave them, and bought this tent garage for me, and they had been busy setting it up all afternoon, but they had not been able to finish it before dark.
Joe and Wayne, one of the Board members, went back the next afternoon and put the canvas part up and finished it up for me.
I spent the next few days grinning and giggling to myself, and murmuring things like, “Wow, I just can’t out-give the Lord!”
Then there is my new hat. I had dropped some hints that I was looking for a warmer winter hat for when I walk to and from the office, and I got one from Anne Peters, who manages the office at the front of our building. but while cozy, I didn’t think it was quite thick enough for -40C weather, so I kept mentally planning how I would make one if and when I had time.
Then one evening while I was doing my bookkeeping, a strong impression came on me that the thick, heavily ruffled crocheted collar that Mom had once made for me, but which was way too bulky to wear under a coat as a collar - that might turn into a nice double thickness hat. I couldn’t help but jump up to find it in my scarf drawer and have a look.
Sure enough, there was enough material in it so that I could lay it double and sew it up the back with yarn, and turn it into a toque or hat! But since the crochet work with the yarn was so lacy with large stitches, I was afraid the cold winds would still get through it.
So the next day I went to Fabricland and bought a bit of arctic fleece, and a bit of wind-proof fabric, like that of which parkas are made. I sewed that into a a toque that fit snugly over my head and ears in less than half an hour. Then I saw that permanently sewing the crocheted hat to it was not going to work well, and it might be too warm some days. Ah-ha, then I’ll make it detachable!
However, it wasn’t until Christmas Day in the afternoon while I was waiting for the turkey to roast so I could take it to my brother’s place, that I finally had time to sew four white buttons on the toque part, put elastic in the brim of the crocheted hat and tried them out. Hey! Not bad, eh? I was rather tickled with the results.
What’s more, wherever I go. wearing this hat I get compliments. They usually say, “I LIKE your hat!” and I respond enthusiastically, “Yes I do too!”
What’s more, I’m finally using a gift that Mom made for me years ago, and I’m thinking of her more again these days.
