CARDINALS at Widows' Luncheon 2019

Today was our annual Widows' Luncheon.  Our church has a ministry for the widows of our congregation, and they have some sort of get-together for us about once a month.  This time of year they always treat us to lunch at the Junkyard Dog restaurant, where we have a big room all to ourselves.  We eat, and talk, and laugh, and just generally enjoy each other's company.   For this Christmas Luncheon, we all bring a wrapped gift, and we play what THEY call Dirty Christmas.

For a change, I decided to make a gift rather than purchase one.  I'd be happy if ALL Christmas gifts had to be handmade/homemade.

Anyway, I rolled it up on a cardboard tube, wrapped it in foil paper, and tied the ends with ribbon, like a big candy roll.  It went totally ignored/picked-over until the very last participant got their turn..........I felt like it was kickball time on the playground again, and I was last to be picked !

But, when it was opened and the lady was heading back to her seat, she was stopped multiple times for people to ooh and ah and make a fuss over the quilty.  Several people suspected that it was my work, and they asked and I nodded, yes.

Many people associate the sighting of a Cardinal with an angelic visit from a passed loved one.  I don't, but do find it a nice reminder of someone who's  passed.  But, for whatever reason, gifts with Cardinal representations are very popular with our group, and I saw more than one gift containing them.

In fact, the ironic thing was, the lady that got my quilty had 'stolen' a candle/lantern containing a cardinal from another player, and when it was later 'stolen' from her, she chose my 'candy roll', and was happy to have Cardinals after all.

(NEXT YEAR, I THINK I'LL PUT MY CONTRIBUTION IN A GIANT GIFT BAG.  THEY GET CHOSEN FIRST ! ! ! ! )