When I was in college, I loved receiving packages. I loved checking my mail, opening the small box in a sea of other small boxes, hoping for a yellow card with my name handwritten upon it.
One particular day, during my freshmen year, I received a great care package from a very sweet aunt of mine. She included all kinds of sweets and cookies and candies. I loved and couldn't believe that she was so thoughtful to send me a package. I even cut out her address from the package, perhaps either to send another package, or just to be occasionally reminded of her goodness, when coming across it in my travails.
It was the same too, but perhaps more intense, when I worked as a camp counselor during the summers in college. After dinner everyone would gather outside in the gravel by the flagpole and wait, wait, wait! The popular campers were almost always to receive at least one postcard, very often twice or three times a day. The smiles on their faces were huge!
Although I wouldn't say that I was jealous of them (if I don't say it does it still count?) sometimes I just hoped and hoped that those packages were for me. And sometimes, SOMETIMES, they were.
Perhaps that is where I've developed my love of sending packages. I can easily spend a whole day just planning the package of a package, let alone baking or writing or shopping (sometimes). I LOVE to send packages. I love to send homemade packages, especially when they will be a surprise for the recipients.
Last night, I baked cookies for just such a package. I made little sugar cookie gingerbread men, and finger painted them with a green Werder Bremen jersey (if you close your left eye and cross your fingers..). I made German flags with cheez-wiz gold, and very dark greyish black. They were extra sweet (I had to sample at least one!) and hopefully their fragility will last in the post.
In all, they were great fun to make. And I hope that when the young man who receives the package opens them up, they'll make him smile, too.
If all fails, the soccer coated chocolate balls should be enough for at least a few moments of sugar-high giddiness.
