Chocolate, candles, coasters and cups of tea from across the big pond

/ April 28, 2015

Rachel and Steve outdid themselves.

When my dear wife Karen stepped the door of the Little Bitty last night, she spotted the package on the kitchen table immediately.

I announced that the BloggyVille mystery gift from across the pond, the prize I’d won because Rachel, Lundy Girl from the blog Could Do Worse: Adventures in London, had drawn my name from a hat, sat right there, awaiting our spousal team approach to opening.

First up, Karen at the outer boundary.

First up, Karen at the outer boundary.

Karen took the tape out of the equation. And this package, sent by post all those miles, had been secured well.

Then I reminded my dear wife of the email we’d received from Rachel just that very morning, warning that the insides were packed very tightly.

My turn.

I was a little careful.

I was a little careful.

I dove right in without a care.

It was indeed packed very tightly. These prizes had not a chance of shifting en route, let me tell you.

They slid out into our world, one delightful box after the other.

Great goodies from across the big pond.

Great goodies from across the big pond.

I opened a card with a heartfelt, hand-written message from Rachel and Steve. They have indeed become real friends, these Londoners, because she and I read each others blogs faithfully, trade comments like conversations, and began and continue email correspondence about life’s good times and tight spots.

Karen exclaimed her happiness at each piece of our gift. Chocolate candies, of Green & Black’s Organic Treat Collections. Cool candles, of English Lavender. I wowed as I opened a box and pulled out coasters with art of London street cars. There’s a box of Duchy English Breakfast Tea.

All of this, great and unique and exotic to my eyes and nose, because I said Happy Blogging Anniversary in Rachel’s comment box that day, something I’d have done, period. Oh, my.

Thank you so very much, Rachel and Steve, for bringing a piece of your world to our Little Bitty. We will cherish it all. Eat it, drink it, use it, yes, and treasure the memory and the friendship.

What’s your favorite kind of chocolate? What’s your favorite scent of candle? What’s your favorite kind of tea?

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82 thoughts on “Chocolate, candles, coasters and cups of tea from across the big pond”

  1. Happy anniversary to Rachel and Steve, and congratulations to you, Mark and Karen. What a lovely idea!

    Let’s see…as you can see by my user name, we have created an Anglo-American hybrid household, so I am well-acquainted with treats from across the Pond. I love the Cadbury’s Fudge bar and PG Tips for my cuppa. Candle-wise…um…Yankee Candle has a nice wild cherry scented one.

    I want to hop on a plane now.

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  4. now I see what was in it – and what a great idea from rachel to celebrate an anniversary! super cool – and looks like you and K have had a nice taste of England this week (mmmm)

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  5. I love when these kinds of blogging relationships are formed. The word is, indeed, becoming smaller.

    PS: Due to my colitis, I’m not supposed to eat chocolate (although I sneak some occasionally), so I mostly stick with white chocolate – and maple sugar candy. Tea and candle are also always welcome. Just sayin’ 🙂

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  8. congratulations on the win, Mark! No one deserved it more 🙂 Glad DWKaren gets in on it, too. Those coasters are especially cool. What fun, all of it. My favorite chocolate will always be the dark, spendy kind. Have a friend in England and I’ve always loved what she’s sent my way. Lucky you 😀

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  9. Lyons Tea. 🙂 In Ireland preferably. And currently enjoying green ginger iced tea, I make it at home and take it to work every day. Since I’m not doing pop any more I need something to give me a kick every day. And what a nice gift MBM!!! 🙂

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    • Now I have that great melody in my head, Fannie. And the scene in which Tom Hanks in “Little” is jumping on the big keyboard with his feet to play it. That makes me smile like dark, dark chocolate. 🙂

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  12. I think it could not have gone to a better couple, Mark and Karen! Hugs and so happy for you both to feel like you won the prize. You are our prizes, Mark. We love the smiles, sharing your package with us, too.

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  15. Dark chocolate truffles, lavender and Lipton. What precious friends you have! A lovely package they put together for you. I enjoyed seeing the contents, they did a great job! To be enjoyed for many days to come, I know.

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  16. what a fantastic parcel. And that lovely intense Green & Blacks chocolate! My favourite. Love chocolate but not a great buyer of it since a little goes a long way. A bar of dark chocolate can last me a couple of months, one chunk at a time. The experience is so intense. As for may absolute favourite, I can’t decide between Green & Blacks dark chocolate with ginger or their espresso chocolate. Oh dear, I beginning to drool over the keyboard. Enjoy your treats, my friend. 🙂

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  18. What a great way to start my day . . . sharing time with you, my blog bud!! I couldn’t wait to find out what was in your package 🙂 Wonderful treats, for sure!!! I love the friendships I have cultivated on WordPress, whether we ever meet in person, or not.

    Personally, I am not a tea drinker, love milk chocolate, and my favorite candle scents are patchouli, pine, honeysuckle, mango, and peanut butter cookie (which I can’t find anymore). English lavender is wonderful, too.

    Here’s to a great week ahead! I am bound & determined to get a new post up by the end of the coming weekend!

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    • Patchouili! Such a child of our shared 1970s, Sadie and that gives me a great smile today. 🙂 Get the most out of your work week until the weekend. I hope your new gig is going well, what with you passing the insurance test. You rock, my friend. I’m proud! And you never know when life will bring blogging friends together. The world is small, they say.

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  20. Wow that is awesome all nice things and so many. I love dark chocolate with mint. I just like black tea but will do herbal sometimes and the only candles I burn are beeswax because it smells like honey and no carcinogenics going into the air when I burn them (I am kinda big on that, hence my blog) LOL Congrats again.

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  27. Wow Mark that is great congratulations on winning! I have a confession to make. I have never had a piece of chocolate I didn’t like LOL. My favorite candle scent is clean linen, my favorite tea is green tea.

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  30. Ha ha you triggered memories with this one. The best tea I’ve ever had was served to me by a man named Steve in Bexley Heath which is one of London’s burbs. They really know their tea away there, over the pond. What a lovely gift box and a happy surprise too. I’d say enjoy the treats but I know you will.

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    • Great memory from over there, alady! I am going to enjoy a cup of British tea this weekend, when I can linger unattended by obigatory work stresses. 🙂 In other words, I am gonna enjoy the treats! ;-o Thanks for joining in on the pleasure of this discovery today.

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