Fellows,
My Secret Santa (who has chosen to remain secret) may be the embodiment of Dickens' 4th and lesser known spirit -- that of Som Besths. He bothered to read my ramblings in various sub-forums sufficiently to pull together a surprisingly thoughtful set of gifts:
I'm simply delighted with all of it! Thank you
very much!
Not only hadn't I
had Interlude before, but really I'm not sure that I was even aware of it. I don't think that I was. I fired up a bowl last night and found that I'd been missing out! What a solid Red VA with very natural seeming sweet topping --
right up my alley! Sincerely I'll probably be ordering more of this in the future.
Perhaps the greatest surprise was Irwin's
X Pipe book -- "mystagogic stories for the pipe smoker" revolving around a miraculous pipe kept in the Vatican's secret archives. Ha! I haven't fully established a feel for it yet as I received it only last night and had too much else going on to dig in like I wanted to -- but from an initial skim I'm blown away by the deftness with which he moves between tobacciana and religious esoterica -- what a hoot! If any of you, like me, weirdly combine pipe nerdiness with liturgical nerdiness, you need to see the 2nd Appendix of "Smoaker's Prayers & Collects" that reads in parts like the 1928 BCP. He flawlessly nails several different traditions in that "if you know, you know" kind of way.
Santa, I'd love for you to reveal yourself; but, whether or not you do, please know that you are very appreciated. Thank you!
Every Christmas blessing to you and to yours!
Scott