25 Green Days of Christmas

Day 17 --

Holiday Hostess Gifts

My favorite game as a six year old was Birthday. My best friend and I would take turns wrapping up our toys in blankets while the birthday girl closed her eyes and then we would yell, SURPRISE! We never got bored of being excited.

I still play that game when I bring a hostess gift to a friend's home for dinner. I scramble through my house looking for something perfect while the cute guy is in the garage. With the car running. Inspiration under pressure is my grown up element of excitement.

This month I'm set though. I have glass cylinder jars of artisan honey from Sonoma County. The honey is collected by a woman I call the Good Witch of the West. I have pickles and peach jam from Canvas Ranch. Persimmons that aren't really food but art and an extra square jar of Stonehouse Olive Oil. I have hyacinth bulbs waiting to be gifted so they can drop their roots and do their fragrant thing. And I have winter squash.

Yesterday with a little forethought I showed up at a friends house with a bunch of rainbow chard. I had to dissuade her from putting them in a vase.

I'm just playing. And it's good green fun.