Sunday, December 16, 2007

Ultimate Yankee Swap

"Oh...the weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful..." --really it is!

The storm we'd been promised has arrived. It was kind enough to pack its punch well after we returned home from a friend's Christmas party last night. They are the kind of friends that make living on the Cape truly worthwhile. They're fun and they are always up for a good time. They have a tradition at there holiday party to host a 'Yankee Swap'. It's a fun game of passed presents to get everyone in the holiday spirit. The best Yankee Swaps have a mix of hot desired gifts and cool 're gifts'.
My husband decided to make a 'First Aid Tree' as his gift. It stood at about six feet tall! Well at least people noticed us when we arrived.
Twenty minutes before we were supposed to head out for the party I hear him in the basement with a drill and a hammer. He bought all kinds of first aid trinkets from band-aids to gauze to rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide and attached them to a tree made out of scrap wood. He also added a hefty 'hand' for holiday 'hangovers' with things like Advil and a cold compress. If it didn't look so outrageous it really was a great gift idea.
What made this swap 'ultimate' is that the girl who chose it in the swap had a deep gash on her finger. I guess she made a crab dip with sliced bread to share as an appetizer and before she left for the party she sliced her finger while cutting the bread. She said they were out of band-aids at her house so she actually had a bit of paper towel held on with a rubber band to protect the gash. She told us after how perfect the gift was for her. That all the items would really come in handy.
Come to think of it, I forgot to ask her if the large 'tree' would even fit in her car.

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