Hello to everyone on the Host Board! This message is being brought to you
through the good offices of Lindy, who is an excellent communications
facilitator as well as an expert dress designer!

First I want to thank everyone who participated in my Christmas Surprise
Box! It would have made a terrific "Sakurako's Surprise" Christmas story.
In fact, maybe some day I'll even write it. This year was a difficult one
because most of my close friends at work decided to use vacation time and
left their jobs permanently on the Friday before Christmas. When I went to
stay with my parents for the weekend, it became increasingly obvious that
although they are still capable of living on their own (thank heavens),
they are showing the signs of aging that everyone has to exhibit
eventually. Also, this was the first year that the majority of gifts under
our tree were FROM me instead of FOR me. So I felt both grown up (which is
a new experience, even though chronologically I'm 58) and rather sad for
most of the weekend. There are just the three of us plus my cat Thorfinn,
who spends most of his time under the bed there. I knew that Lindy had
sent me something because I picked up her box to tie a big red ribbon
around it. But I had no idea what was in it.

Lindy called me and we opened our Christmas boxes together. I sent her a
folklorico dress that I'd made (talk about redundant!) and she sent me... a
box full of smaller boxes, all beautifully wrapped and almost all the same
size. What??? I opened the first one and found an AGT box with the new
travel outfit from Lindy. Gina was sitting with me, of course, all excited
and screaming (in my head) "Open the next one! Open the next one!" I
couldn't believe all the treasures that came out of those boxes! I have
never had so many AG items arrive at the same time and my head was
spinning! My mother took pictures of me and I knew that my face was bright
red because my glasses kept steaming up, which is what happens when I get
excited. Thanks to everyone who contributed, I had a wonderful AG
Christmas for the very first time in my life!

So even though everyone has probably already discussed what they got for
Christmas this year, please let me tell you what I got! Kaya's powwow
dress (for Sabrina, my rewigged AGT26); Elizabeth's ballgown and green
velvet quilted cloak (which turned out to fit one of my Jess dolls so
perfectly that Yuki is now pretending to be a brunette Elizabeth!); the
flapper costume which Querida has been insisting she can't live without (my
mother will give her lessons in the Charleston -- M. is the Bee's Knees!);
the sightseeing outfit which Gina immediately tried on (it's indecent on
her so my other Jess, Shida, will probably keep it, since poor Gina is --
as my mother unerringly put it -- too fat to fit into it!); the AG mystery
outfit which Gina had already so I could give it to her equally chunky
cousin, Janice; rice paper blank books for Choko to write more haiku in for
Dolls' Day this year and a miniature Tomten book for Gina to share with
Fritha and Una (yeah, right, like Gina shares well!); a beautiful Folkmanis
fairy puppet with crystal ball and tarot cards (with which Frances, one of
my Time Travellers, has promised to tell my future for 2006 and perhaps
predict where I should look for a new job next spring); and two handknitted
ponchos and a yarn doll made by skittl. Those ponchos were very much
appreciated by Shida and Yuki, who arrived in CT in the middle of a snow
storm wearing their little bare-backed halter tops and cotton Belize
skirts! Brrrr! Lindy also sent me a little book with some of the lyrics
from the AG Revue, which Gina pounced on because she's been to see the
Revue twice at AGPNY -- and because there's no such thing as being the
wrong size to enjoy a book!

Better than all the presents, though, was the feeling of friendship and
support that filled this box. It is so wonderful to know that even though
I can't participate on the Board right now, at least I'm not forgotten.
Thank you so much!

As some of you know, I spent from August to the end of October designing
and sewing 20 folklorico and flamenco outfits so that some of my AGs could
have a harvest fandango while Ruthie was visiting us. I even bought a "How
To Learn Folklorico Dance" DVD from ebay to make sure that all the girls
held the proper poses and did the correct steps! Lindy has very kindly
scanned all the photos I sent her and made this album to share with you.
Her brother even animated some of the photos series so you can see some of
my girls dancing! The step by step pics are in the album. I hope you
enjoy the fandango. Thanks again for your friendship! Happy New Year to
all of you from Sakurako and Gina and all the other AGs who live with us!

Cherry e-mailed me the above to post here. I will be copying any comments you make and sending them to her. She can at least access imagine station and see the comments you write there. I hope you all enjoy the album. Lindy
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115197059