Be vewy, vewy qwiet....it's a secwet!

Can you keep a secret? Good. 'Cuz I'm about to share one with you that I've had for about 8 months....and we don't want the birthday girl to know! Today is my ya-ya, R, birthday! She's turning the big 5-0! As you read this, I might be sitting in a camping chair with her and N on the front lawn of R's house...with 50 little tea lights waving 'good morning' to the rising sun on this special day sipping coffee while James Taylor sings from the ipod dock plugged into the outside outlet via an extension cord. Or I might be sitting at Crackers as we treat our birthday girl to a oh, so yummy! lunch! Or, I might be back down at her house for a birthday dinner with the family and close friends. It's a day to celebrate the birth of this gracious, caring, amazing woman to our Earth!



Okay..now here's the secret part.... for my dear friend, I made her a special gift... a prayer shawl. I knitted it using a yummy yarn that is no longer available here, so I special ordered it and voila'! Even better, I found this oh, so fantastic fiber for making the fringe with...at first I wasn't sure about the varigation and colors, but it was made for this shawl, I tell ya! It's just like the one I made for ya-ya, N, for her birthday. And see that little beady-thingy down in the corner?? Well.....

....I call it a talisman. It's a strand of beads that I've strung and attached to the fringed edge. Beads of special sentiment and colors of the shawl....with a special bead made of mother-of-pearl...in the shape of a cross.

I wrote a blessing for it on a sweet tag, tied it on, wrapped it up and snuggled it down into a pretty birthday bag....

I can hardly wait!! ..but shhhhhh............

We have to be vewy, vewy qwiet!