Cool stuff in the mail!

Yesterday Robert came home from the post office with a long, square package, which I immediately began to open. The tape on one end came off fairly easily for packing tape -- or maybe I just showed no mercy! -- and tucked inside, on top of lots of paper, was a black belt. Nothing fancy, not my size, not interesting enough to do more than glance at it, then toss it aside. Under that was a small plastic package holding something I didn't recognize, and under that was something long and slender.

"Won't it be cool if this is a sword?" I asked Robert as I began unpeeling more tape. "And I get to play with it."

I unwrapped a few reams of paper to find a cardboard tube with a pale blue drawstring cloth bag at one end and a bit of gold sticking out of the bag. It was a sword, along with scabbard (and the thing I didn't recognize allows it to be worn on the belt that wasn't very interesting).

It's a lovely sword, all shiny and impressive and . . . dull. No edge at all. Couldn't cut through air. Other than the pointed tip, it's totally non-threatening. The first sword I get my hands on and it's strictly ceremonial.

Okay, I'm not really disappointed. After all, it's not even mine. The kiddo's getting married in April, and he's going to look so handsome in his dress blues, and he needed the sword for that. Still, for a moment there, before I realized it wasn't even supposed to be sharp, I was having lovely images of Selena revealing some heretofore unknown skill in sword-fighting.

Oh, well . . . This reminds me of the time I came out of the office to find a backhoe sitting under the trees near the garage. "You got me a gift!" I said excitedly to Robert. Turned out, it wasn't mine, either -- just left there for a few hours by the plumbers searching for our water leak. And I didn't even get to operate it. At least I can still play with the sword before the wedding. Rachel7:30 AM