Lunching with the ladies (and a few men)

Just look at this! It is so cute!



It's a little Yorkie, if you can't tell from the photos. The giver knows me well!



And it opens to reveal a little hideaway which holds a tiny bone.



Today was our Special Education department meeting, and instead of having the usual this-is-what-the-principal-said type of meeting, we decided to have a covered dish meal with a $1 gift exchange. This was my gift.

I typed up the names and cut them into individual pieces, then put them into a basket and took them around to those who wanted to participate. One of the guys was reluctant, so Mary (head of the SpEd department here, and my boss) told him that she’d do the shopping for him.

(Do I want to admit that there’s one guy in the department that most of us don’t know and haven’t seen often because he works in another wing of the school most of the time? And that he never speaks to anyone or smiles or responds when spoken to? And he’s big and hairy and scary-looking? And that at least 5 of us drew his name and then hastily put it back in the basket and shuddered and denied that we’d drawn it? And that by the time he drew a name, it was his that he drew? Only one other was left by that time, so I told him he had to put it back. And I’m really ashamed to admit that, at the luncheon, he was very cordial and laughed a lot. Didn’t look nearly as scary when he laughed.)

So we all found cute little gifts that cost practically nothing. Some were handmade. Some came from The Dollar Tree. The best one (beside my Yorkie and the gift I gave to Mary--whose name I legitimately drew after the scary guy's name: a small personal fan to be used during hot flashes) was a note printed on pretend parchment, tied with a red ribbon, talking about the recipient’s upcoming wedding and that she’ll give a 2008 penny as soon as they’re released, for the recipient to wear in her wedding shoe for good luck. Very sweet.

Everyone seemed to have a good time. And the food was GOOD!