We *ARE* in Kansas!

"Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." That's a line from The Sound of Music, but it rings true for me. I certainly haven't done anything to merit the knitterly goodness that continues to come my way.

Today's dose of incredibleness came from Criquette of beautiful Kansas. I must admit, prior to this afternoon, Kansas wasn't one of the states I longed to visit, but she's a great tour guide, and now, I'm thinking I need to fly out to visit my favorite cousin (in Iowa) and see some of what I've always lumped together as the "bread basket" of our country.

Here's how it started, minus the note card that instructed me to stop ripping into the box and proceed to Criquette's blog, where I received specific, step-by-step instructions on how to open the numbered presents. Each postcard had a lovely note written on it, explaining why it was chosen. Then, each step included a little story as to why that gift was selected, and where it was found. (Go on, go check it out. I am touched and impressed by her ability to plan a tour I'd really love to take!)

Each item was wrapped in a lovely green and tied with a midnight blue ribbon. Heck, Criquette even explained why she'd chosen those colors to represent the blues and greens of her beloved prairie, since she knew me well enough to know I wouldn't have been excited about yellow. Details! Each and every detail was well-executed and made her thoughtfulness ooze out of the box and into my living room. Evidently, the South has no monopoly on good hostesses; I think the folks in Kansas go out of their way to make a girl (and her dogs) feel welcome and eager to see more too!

While I'd love to take you through each item, reading the "travelogue" on her blog will give you the same feel, minus the gifts, which are all mine. Well, um, not ALL mine; the dogs do get their treats, even though Criquette assures me they're made with human-quality ingredients. There's a local tea in three varieties, chocolate coated sunflower seeds, more chocolate (hmmm... maybe the Midwest is more aptly called the Snack Wagon?), a hand-knit scrubby with handmade soap inside, luscious yarn, and of course, The Wizard of Oz items.

Hush, Anne. I don't know if any of my other regular readers know why the Wizard of Oz is so ironic for me, but that's what friends are for. Let it suffice to say that I have a connection, and I appreciate it so very much, especially the funny notepad, which you really should click on and read. Mugsy would never desert me like that, nor has he ever chewed on shoes. Fred did have a right shoe fetish as a young pup, but he only carted them to his crate and held them in his mouth. The vet says it was because they smelled like me. Hrmph. Still, it's a very cute pad, and I like it very much.

I had to stop petting the yarn to type, but I am fascinated by the yarn (available here), and the chocolate coated sunflower seeds, which match. Who knew?! (So long, dark chocolate peanut M&Ms. There's a new crunch in town.) Evidently, the prairie is a fascinating location, full of all kinds of goodness and wonder. Maybe you should check it out on your next vacation. It's certainly on my radar now, as is the most awesome Criquette! Once more, a million thanks for a great Virtual Vacation, which arrived on an afternoon when I sorely needed it.