Housewarming

We received two wonderful housewarming gifts recently.  I actually cried when I opened this one:

This completely undeserved and out-of-the blue gift was from my old friends Jason and Ashley.  It is unbelievably beautiful.  I've always been captivated by the beauty of swans, and the endurance of friendship over the years with significant people in your life.  Thank you both.  It means more to me than you know. I can't wait to hang this over the mantle as a centerpiece--that is, when we have a mantle.  And I really hope to see you both soon if you will. 

My out of state friends Mariam, Tony, and Danielle know just how to make me smile.  They brought me this stuff all the way from Texas:

As someone who LOVES to cook, these ingredients will come in handy.  There was all kinds of stuff in the gift bag including some exotic and hard-to-find ingredients that I cannot wait to use in my cooking!  They brought pomegranates, casera enchiladas verde sauce, lemongrass, tiny round chiletepin peppers that Danielle grew, Mexican oregano, home grown kaffir lime baimakrut (which smells divine!), dried ancho peppers, chipotle peppers, arbol chiles,  bay leaves, guajillo chiles, hibiscus tea flowers, and jasmine green tea leaves.
Feeling really loved right now, and I will have to pay it forward:-)