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<\/a><\/p>\nSomebody — the name starts with C. — has a terrific memory. In addition to flower seeds and shoe treatments good enough to withstand the Northwet’s wettest, C has been observing conversations here on the blog and at the Cabal<\/a> and saving stuff to send me: U.S. military P-38 can openers for the bug-out bag; a key chain utility knife\/bottle opener; vents to improve government-ruined gas cans; and my very favorite of the bunch …<\/p>\n That one speaks for itself, doesn’t it?<\/p>\n It’s been a wondrous week of gifts. And this came at a time when I was asking nothing, expecting nothing. When the smallest thing would have surprised and pleased me, I found myself receiving something grand every day. <\/p>\n Sometime the gifts were material, sometimes not. <\/p>\n I went to the place I jokingly call the Big City with my dear neighbor J. She was picking up a rental car and needed me to drive her vehicle back to a repair shop here in town. When it comes to neighborliness, I’m in J’s debt and was glad to restore a bit of balance.<\/p>\n On the drive up I told her about the icon-painting workshop<\/a>, and how it was all coming together thanks to D. kicking it off and J. and B. pitching in with equally wild-n-crazy donations for it. Every difficulty, I told her, was quickly getting solved. Except for somehow getting a ride to the only place I could catch a bus on a weekend. From our tiny berg, there is NO way to get out of town on a Saturday or Sunday (the two days I need to travel, of course) except private car, bicycle, or on foot. Even though we’re talking an almost two-hour commitment to get me to the nearest weekend bus, then the same on the return leg, she looked at me as if I was slightly dim and said, “Well, that’s not a problem. I’ll take you.”<\/p>\n And speaking of the icon class, I said I’d come up with the funds on my own, but apparently not when I have you guys around to take care of matters. In poured donations from M, S,, and J. (different J. than above). M ordered that I not spend all of his contribution in one place, so I put 2\/3 of it into the class fund and ordered art supplies with most of the rest.<\/p>\n Around then came the biggest gobsmack of all. I checked my bitcoin wallet — and found a new addition: 1\/4 of a bitcoin. If that doesn’t sound princely to you, you haven’t been watching bitcoin’s rise since G. dared me into accepting his BC donation in last year’s fundraiser. What’s more, I have absolutely no idea who gave it. (UPDATE: I learned who did it. Thank you again<\/em>, G!)<\/p>\n (Now I just have to figure out how to turn that BC into something the monastery will accept; B, all my emails to you are bouncing. Could you send me an alternate addy?)<\/p>\n Three people also re-upped their Cabal memberships, too, and while those payments go toward taking care of Cabal business, they were most welcome. <\/p>\n Oh, and last but hardly least, there’s this:<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n