the most important thing... and a preview of Christmas dinner

I don't want anyone to think I'm not thankful for the blessings in my life. 

Of course I am.

I would prefer not to have been blessed with those Last Five Pounds.

 But there's one thing for which we should all be wishing:

and of course this is the time of year when we wrap up 

those very efficient holiday plans we began

at last January's wrapping paper sales.

Like planning the menu for 

CHRISTMAS DINNER!

Also high on the list in the Gratitude/Thankfulness Department, 

I had an email from delightful reader Caitlin, 

who, with me, is still puzzling over the intrinsic meaning 

of this entry from the Madewell site:

Quite possibly the Copywriter From Space has been trying to learn the English words for different kinds of fabric!
Thanks, Caitlin!
And by the way, don't forget to enter our little giveaway - cool stocking stuffers!

A very little giveaway, but a giveaway nonetheless. Up for grabs are a Liberty Of London cotton print handkerchief, still wrapped on its cellophane envelope, which I bought at the original Liberty store on Regent Street, London, and

from Provence, the kind of little pottery dish that turns up everywhere. Remember Eeyore's present? A useful box to keep things in? Well, if Eeyore were French, this would be his dish. You see them on tables holding a few olives and toothpicks, or some salted nuts, or some olive oil, you see them on ledges holding tea light candles, the point is that it's a useful little dish.

The dish doesn't have a handle, it's leaning on a pen so you can see it better.

This event is only open to public followers of this blog. Anonymous entries will not be accepted.
To enter:
(1) be a public follower
(2) sign in under your Blogger I.D. and leave a comment (please include your email address if your email is not on your Blogger profile or blog).
Earn extra entries by doing any one or more of the following!
(+1) follow on Twitter @wellfedfred
(+1) mention this giveaway on your blog (include a link to your blog in your comment if you do this).

After a lot of thought, and grimly filling out a few customs declarations, I realized it's too risky to send the dish abroad. So, if the first randomly chosen winner is not in the continental US, she or he will get the hankie, and the next randomly chosen US resident will get the dish. 
The giveaway will end on November 29, 2012. Good luck!