good day.

First, we received a really, really wonderful package today!  We got a package from the Bakers (the Spurlock’s neighbors and best friends since who knows when) this afternoon at the office, but it was quite a busy day, so we had waited to open until we were at home and could actually enjoy it all. I assumed it was to both of us, and really more to Stephen since he’s known them forever, and I still thought that was so sweet of them to send it.  Then when we got home and I asked Stephen if he wanted to open it, he said it was up to me since it was for me.

What?!

Oh, yes, another birthday package!  They included cake mix, frosting mix, candles, and cookie mix for a celebration, plus a huge gift for me that included–post it notes (SO expensive here and I’ve been wanting them, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it!), stationery (another thing I just can’t find in Mae Sot; isn’t that odd?), candies, picture frames for the fridge, and a $20 iTunes gift card!  Stephen & I just looked through it over and over and talked about how creative it all was, so unexpected, and really perfect for what we could want and not get here.

Y’know how the most unexpected things really brighten your day?  Well, it did.

And though not comparable, another fun thing today: a garage sale!  There is a family moving from Mae Sot at the end of the month and they were hosting a garage sale this weekend.   We are headed out of town tomorrow and would miss it, but they mentioned lots of good things in their flier. We decided to ask if we could come early. How popular could garage sales be in Mae Sot? Maybe they’ll take what they can get.

And they did! We got to visit early today and found a whole host of things, including:

(By the way, this probably really emphasizes my frugality, which was already pretty strong in the States and is just getting stronger in a place where you can live even cheaper!)

– a desk for just $25 which Stephen’s really excited to be able to use for recording

– two small bookshelves

– a wooden cutting board, about 3″ thick that is actually a slice of a tree trunk where you can see all the rings; really lovely, I think

– three picture frames

– a floor mat, so we can welcome people into our home with true Karen style (by rolling out a floor mat)

– a pretty basket

– curtains for our room! I’m excited about this because they were just $6 and helped us to eliminate the really awful pink curtains that came with the house

I know, they look boring. But they are so much better than the pink, and fun turning into ugly is a very hard line to walk here…

…and look at the cute button detail at the top!

– the last steal was some clothes for me–six shirts, a sweater, and a pair of pants for just $6. And it included this shirt, which I thought was quite a deal.

It’s a new Columbia shirt with sun-protection, quick-dry material, and anti-microbial (which means you don’t really have to shower!) with a $65 tag on it. Not bad for less than $1 in Mae Sot!

On a more we’re-here-for-a-purpose note, we also had a good day at the office. It was long–we didn’t get home until about 5:30pm, despite our schedule of being at the office MWF from 9am to 1pm.  We did work on some planning for our first team coming in June, including their itinerary and budget. We got things together for our trip tomorrow–we’re leaving to visit a Karen village and clinic that Partners and FBR support.  It’s a very traditional community, and we’re really looking forward to getting to know some contacts there. We’ll also be stopping by a refugee camp on the way back to deliver hygiene packs and allowances to the children’s homes we support there. This is part of the Children’s Projects job we’re helping with for May, June, & July.  All this to say: we had jobs, we did them, and we enjoyed them!

Anyway, these are probably very little things to people who read our blog, but it was a good day.

…And very welcomed.

So now we’re signing off from internet, phones, and offices for a few days; even leaving the computer behind. We’re looking forward to it!