Secret Quonsar 2018: Thank You Thread

November 17, 2018 10:02 AM

Let the happiness and niceness continue! (This is the official 2018 Secret Quonsar Thank You Thread.)
posted by theappleonatree to MetaFilter Gatherings at 10:02 AM (640 comments total)

I don't participate in Quonsar because I don't trust myself to send out a gift in time. But y'all's delight in the gifts you get, the care and joy you put into the gifts you give, and just the sheer wonderfulness of this act of community is a gift in itself to observe. So thank you everyone who does participate in it for the goodness of it all, especially in these tough times.

SCHMOOPY SCHMOOPY HUGS
posted by barchan at 10:22 AM on November 17, 2018 [23 favorites]

One of my Quonsee's gifts got delayed in the mail so I can't ship until next weekend. I am bereft!
posted by elsietheeel at 10:37 AM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

I'm making one of the things I'm sending this weekend and hope to ship on Monday. I hear that mine will arrive in the next few days. Much excitement!!
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 12:44 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

I did my shopping, wrapping, and packaging today, ready to post across the Atlantic on Monday.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:01 PM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

I think I got my secret quonsar gift on Thursday!!! It is a mysterious package from a place I didn't place an order to but a place where I would happily buy things :) - my husband peeked inside, though, and says it is not wrapped so I cannot investigate further (i.e., until after the family holidays - I always leave my quonsar gift as something to look forward to!).

I am impressed!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 1:36 PM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

My quonsee's gifts have arrived, so now to ship on Monday after work!
posted by thomas j wise at 2:24 PM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

I remember a comment from a previous quonsmas thread about how quonsmas gifts seem to arrive exactly when a bit of cheer was needed.

Well, last Wednesday was the day NYC proved to be no match to six inches of snow (SIX! The Canadian in me was so confused and wept tears of frustration.). It was also the day I had a not entirely joyous conversation with my doctor about an issue that has been a concern for months.

So thank you, jillithd. I can’t even begin to describe how your beautiful package , containing the coolest and most amazing cookbook gave me the loveliest and cheeriest of feels. I usually wait until Christmas to open presents, but I was really excited this time. Thank you a million times and please let me know when you’re visiting your family so I could also thank you in person.
posted by theappleonatree at 3:05 PM on November 17, 2018 [12 favorites]

My cats thank Obol for their catnip bats. Here is Zoe bunny-kicking her bat in happiness.

And now I need to get my secret quonsar's gift into the mail
posted by Is It Over Yet? at 4:37 PM on November 17, 2018 [16 favorites]

Yay, theappleonatree! I'm so glad you like it! Sarah Becan is one of my favorite comics artists and I thought immediately of that cookbook she illustrated as something you might enjoy.

I am still working on part 2 of your gift, and hope to get it to you by the deadline.

I'll send you a memail the next time I'm in town and maybe we can get a bite to eat! :)
posted by jillithd at 5:49 PM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

I am hoping to pick up the last part of my quansee’s gift today! I am making part of it, and that should be finished today, which means mailout Monday! This is my first year participating, and assembling this gift is giving me so much joy! And I’ve used up an entire week’s allotment of exclamation points in this post alone!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:40 AM on November 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

jillithd, oh my goodness, there is more? This present gave me enough cheer! But yes, please let me know the next time you’re in my neck of the woods.

I can’t believe I waited this long to join Secret Quonsar (I lurked for about 7 years before getting an account and for some reason was terribly shy and intimidated to participate in anything.)! This whole experience has been so much fun - stalking, procuring, gift wrapping. 100% would do it again.
posted by theappleonatree at 1:36 PM on November 18, 2018 [5 favorites]

Oh oh oh oh! I checked my mailbox today and my Quonsee's last gift arrived yesterday, despite Amazon saying it would be this coming Friday. I get to wrap and box up presents tonight and ship tomorrow after work! Yay yay yay!
posted by elsietheeel at 6:09 PM on November 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Devrim, I usually do UPS pack and ship. It's a little more expensive, but I just bring them a wrapped gift and they put it in a box, do all the packing peanut stuff, and ship it. I don't mind paying the extra, because otherwise I totally stress out about shipping things.

(I have 2/3 of my quonsee's gift ready! Just need to get one last thing, then I'm off to the UPS Store!)
posted by Weeping_angel at 6:53 PM on November 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

My quonsee's gift is packed and ready to be shipped tomorrow! Partially handmade, partially bought, completely heartfelt.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 10:54 PM on November 18, 2018 [4 favorites]

Is there any direction on how to handle the Canada Post strikes? Last I understand, CP was asking other countries to stop sending packages due to backlog. Should I wait a bit to clear backlog, or is the situation only going to get worse?
posted by Liesl at 6:28 AM on November 19, 2018

Liesl, it seems to be getting better, though since the deadline is not 'til Dec 1, waiting might make it less likely for your package to get lost in the shuffle in customs.
posted by wellred at 6:51 AM on November 19, 2018

Also I have just discovered this moment that a package I sent from Toronto to Niagara Falls is arriving a couple of days before the predicted delivery date. Of course that's not cross-border, but it's a semi-data point.
posted by wellred at 6:59 AM on November 19, 2018

I heard about the Canada Post issues. They'll likely clear up soon (maybe). Failing that, flag down a passing Canada goose.
posted by arcticseal at 8:56 AM on November 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm always a bit alarmed by how quickly y'all manage to do quonsing.
I'm going to have to get a move on.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:33 AM on November 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

Tandem Affinity, I'm your quonsar sender. I wasn't able to send a card with the item because of how their website was set up and I wanted to have it sent directly to you rather than mailing it to me and then relying on my ability to remail things. I apologize for revealing here rather than sending a card, but I hope very much that you enjoy the gift once you open it!
posted by bile and syntax at 10:06 AM on November 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

My quonsee match said they like edible gifts, even better if they are handmade. I make and can things from my CSA overflow and I live in Brooklyn, the Land of Artisinal Bespoke Condiments, so this is flippin' perfect. (Mine is going out this Friday or Saturday.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:17 AM on November 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

My Quonsee gave me some really excellent guidance (and seems totally awesome) this year. The original plan was to pick up something at the annual holiday crafts fair I go to with my family, but it's really close to the shipping deadline. So I was looking around for something else online today, and saw something really gorgeous, so I went ahead and had it sent for Quonsmas. I'm really quite excited!
posted by PearlRose at 11:11 AM on November 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

My Quonsar has been made. I have gotten an awesome moon pocket knife! Given my gifts for the past several years, I now have a new trend to go forward. It is really unique and awesome! Thanks to my awesome match for getting the surprise oh so right this year!
posted by Nackt at 4:40 PM on November 19, 2018 [7 favorites]

I received my gift today and it is PERFECTION. Thank you Chris from FL!!! Thank you SO much. I am so, so thrilled with the pens and the elegant blank book! And... The Wonder Woman chocolate truffle bar is DiViNe. Like, I'm here to tell you, it is so good, if you slapped a piece of it on your head, your tongue would beat your brains out to get it. (This is the highest known form of admiration that can be made in my neck of the woods.) THANK YOU. Truly. You are a fine, fine human being.
posted by pjsky at 5:30 PM on November 19, 2018 [7 favorites]

Second half of my quons-mate’s gift is ordered and should be on the way soon! Wonder which half will arrive first?! The Quonsing season is so full of delightful mysteries!!
posted by Dorinda at 6:47 AM on November 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

Dear Secret Quonsee, your package went out today and should find you Monday! I hope you like it, or at least find it amusing.
posted by Atrahasis at 9:12 AM on November 20, 2018

I spent way too much time pondering whether orange would be considered yellow or red, not wanting to violate my quonsee's very good like/not like guidelines. Oh DAMN! I just realized that a different part of the gift right now is goldenrod. Phooey - must rethink that part.

This is great fun! It's my first quonsar. I haven't gotten such good guidelines on a gift in forever, and I love giving gifts.
posted by queensissy at 5:41 PM on November 20, 2018 [3 favorites]

Following on theappleonatree's comment on "how quonsmas gifts seem to arrive exactly when a bit of cheer was needed," a box arrived in the mail today, following a weekend that started with my car getting hit while parked. Generally I wait for awhile before opening a Quonsar gift, but hey, sometimes you need some extra cheer. Inside was a coffee mug with a most unusual handle: a red rock climbing hold, which I can use to practice my pinch grip while I drink my coffee. No name as to a sender; thank you, mysterious MeFite!
posted by lharmon at 6:20 PM on November 20, 2018 [5 favorites]

Happy Quonsmas to me! I was sent (from a secret Quonsar in FL) a beautiful porcelain teacup/mug and saucer with a supercool octopus/squid tentacle theme! I will use it at my office and put on airs around my coworkers, with their freebie swag coffee mugs. It’s got a great weight to it and I will put this beaut to use starting tomorrow! Thank you to my secret quonsar!
posted by samthemander at 11:38 PM on November 20, 2018 [6 favorites]

I've sent mine, purchased from Australia, mailed from the UK, hopefully en route to the USA! I have no idea what cross continental shipping times are like, but I knew that sending to Aus from the UK and then remailing to the States would have taken approximately three years, so I hope it's faster!
posted by smoke at 2:17 AM on November 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

bunderful, thank you so much for the Quonsar gifts! It is truly the crustacean hat of my dreams (also I have now gently coerced friends and family into that hat, to everyone's great mirth), and I am so happy that I have a new water bottle, just in time for Thanksgiving travel. Thank you for this bit of Quonsar cheer!
posted by batter_my_heart at 6:59 AM on November 21, 2018 [21 favorites]

Just popping my head in to say that we LOVE it when you link to Quonsmas photos in this thread!
posted by bookmammal at 8:22 AM on November 21, 2018 [7 favorites]

Dear quonsee, your parcel is in the post and I may have leaned a bit too heavily on one theme but I hope you and your companion like it. I had a ton of fun fabricating this year's gift.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 10:30 AM on November 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have acquired the goodies for my quonsee. Now all I have to do is pack it up and get it in the mail, maybe this Friday or next Monday. Anyhow, soon. And hope I've followed guidelines well enough.
posted by MovableBookLady at 12:17 PM on November 21, 2018

All parts of the gift are now acquired, mailing supplies are bought, and I should have time to drop everything off early Monday morning.

I had a lot of fun hunting around for The Neat Thing to send, and I have to say it was an extremely low-stress activity. Compared to struggling with gifts for all of my family members for the end of the year, this was downright relaxing!
posted by erratic meatsack at 12:31 PM on November 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

I mailed my quonsee's gift out yesterday. I got in way early this year so I wouldn't be late. I decided to go out of town for thanksgiving at nearly the last minute and had to move my timeline up, but I really hope my quonsee likes it!
posted by Mister Moofoo at 4:27 PM on November 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

I am ready to send my Quonsar gift - but worried about Canada Post job action stuff. How are other Canadians handling this? I'm shipping from Victoria to Vancouver, and surely that won't take a month?!
posted by rozee at 10:12 PM on November 21, 2018

I have received a wonderful book in the mail from Aniola who is entirely correct in the suggestion that finding time to read with two cats and a rambunctious toddler is a bit fraught. You’ve given me a double gift in that I will carve time out to read and relax during a positively frenetic season. Thank you.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:10 AM on November 22, 2018 [4 favorites]

THANK YOU to cozenedindigo for the wonderful 12 day of hot cocoa AND 12 days of hot tea! It was lovely to come home to that at the end of my work week yesterday. I have 5 days off from work and will be swimming in lovely hot drinks. It's just in time, too, as the weather takes a cooler turn. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 8:48 AM on November 22, 2018 [6 favorites]

Yay! Glad you liked them, KleenexMakesAVeryGoodHat!
posted by cozenedindigo at 8:54 AM on November 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

I am ready to send my Quonsar gift - but worried about Canada Post job action stuff. How are other Canadians handling this? I'm shipping from Victoria to Vancouver, and surely that won't take a month?!

Just posted mine to Louisiana from Toronto this morning - I've been getting regular mail via Canada Post the last couple of weeks. It looks like the feds will be legislating an end to the strike next week if there's no deal. That said, things are just quite slow at the moment, so best bet would be to post it as soon as you can to be on the safe side.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:29 AM on November 22, 2018

My Quonsee's gift is sitting at the USPS hub in their city. I had hoped it would be delivered yesterday, but it looks like it will arrive on Friday. I'm excited!
posted by elsietheeel at 1:47 PM on November 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

I just need to buy packing materials (and some leather gloves and more marmoset sedatives for the tranq darts.) and then my quonsee's gift will be sailing off into the postal system.
posted by halcyonday at 2:43 AM on November 23, 2018 [7 favorites]

I sent my Quonsee's gift off this morning and it should arrive Monday--cross fingers. But, I wanted to say thank you to snaw for a lovely Quonsmas gift that I've been waiting impatiently to open!

snaw, I loved the individual packaging (and the shredded purple paper covering the manaTEA was super fun!) and am tremendously excited to try all the tea varieties. Even better, the tea is sustainably sourced (which is wonderful; tea is Not Great in that regard sometimes) and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what I can support from them in the future. The manaTEA--all caps necessary somehow--is one of the few tea infusers I haven't gotten yet and I'm looking forward to giggling madly as it bobs away in my next cup. So, a huge thank you!
posted by librarylis at 8:10 AM on November 23, 2018 [8 favorites]

Hah! My secret quonsmas gifter came through early. Got my package from mdonley in Hong Kong today. Not noted for patience (wait a month? I don't think so), I immediately opened it and found several cool things, including Rwandan coffee and an article on art deco in HK. Excellent stuff! Many many thanks.
posted by MovableBookLady at 11:28 AM on November 23, 2018 [4 favorites]

Yay! So glad it all got there OK. I looked and looked for a book on art deco in Hong Kong but I don’t think one exists...MeFibrarians, what say you? Wishing you and yours all the best!
posted by mdonley at 3:36 PM on November 23, 2018 [3 favorites]

OMG! I came home to a package containing some chemistry washi tape and I can't wait to decorate ALL THE THINGS with it.

Thank you, sciatrix, and I look forward to the card :)
posted by invokeuse at 5:30 PM on November 23, 2018 [7 favorites]

I have my gifts together but will be unable to mail until tuesday or so due to life events. Which sucks since mine are going to Canada and therefore there will no doubt be a delay. But the gifts are together! It's coming!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 8:42 PM on November 23, 2018

I had on my calendar a note to "send out Quonsmas gift" today but then totally forgot that I will be spending all day on a train, two and/or from Rhode Island, and thus that was a bit of a misnomer.

Fortunately I had the bright idea to take the day off on Monday and will be getting things in the mail then. Huzzah.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:37 AM on November 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yay librarylis! I'm so glad you enjoyed your gifts (I love my manaTEA too)!
posted by snaw at 5:36 AM on November 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay! Came home from Maryland to find a box on my porch, containing a game (Tiny Epic Zombies) I didn't even know I wanted! It looks awesome!

Thanks, theappleonatree!
posted by Mister Moofoo at 9:26 AM on November 24, 2018 [7 favorites]

Thank you, PearlRose! You were completely awesome in your presentfinding! (And yay for my commentary being useful rather than overwhelming! I am a 'more info is helpful' person generally, but I worry other people find it too much.)

I just checked my mail, to discover beautiful package from an Etsy seller (TheMysticalForest), with a lovely note.

Inside was a pendant with five lapis lazuli stones and the wire holding the forming a pentacle. For someone who's been Pagan for 20 years, I own almost no pentacles because I find a lot of them overdone, but this one is beautifully subtle. (Also, I am a sucker for lapis.) I am thrilled. Thank you so much!

Also in the same mail was a book for my quonsee, so I need rummage downtown (maybe tomorrow) for a last few things to include, and get my own package in the mail.
posted by jenettsilver at 11:48 AM on November 24, 2018 [9 favorites]

Thank you, seawallrunner! Unfortunately my kids got to the gift before me, so it took a while to find where they buried the card! I love the journals. Also props to Canada Post for getting the package from me, and being open for me to mail my gift last Saturday!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 12:46 PM on November 24, 2018 [3 favorites]

It snowed today. And what should I discover when I ventured out to shovel my walk. Why nothing other than my Quonsmas gift waiting for me. CMcG was on the ball this year. And made some excellent choices, as it is true you can not have too many cable ties. And Chaos Uno is stepping up a notch this year with the addition of TMNT and Wilderness Uno Decks. My family may not thank you, but I do. And to top it all off, homemade rice crispy treat (a personal fav). Thanks so much CMcG.
posted by zinon at 2:54 PM on November 24, 2018 [4 favorites]

I got home from our Thanksgiving trip to find that I had been quonsared! Tooloudinhere gifted me with an incredible array of chocolate that I am gloating over like a dragon over a hoard. Thank you so much! I don't even know where to start!
posted by PussKillian at 5:17 PM on November 24, 2018 [4 favorites]

Yikes, forgot my link. Thanks, tooloudinhere !
posted by PussKillian at 5:26 PM on November 24, 2018

So glad it arrived safely, zinon! Wishing you many happy days this winter season!
posted by CMcG at 6:03 PM on November 24, 2018

I am so glad you liked the package, PussKillian! A very merry Quonsmas to you!
posted by tooloudinhere at 7:20 PM on November 24, 2018 [1 favorite]

Valancy Rachel! Your gift is so perfect - the book as I think you may have deduced is at the top of my to-read list, and the embroidery floss colours are so pretty and soothing. Thank you from the bottom of my much-warmed heart.
posted by wellred at 5:24 AM on November 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

ilicet, I received your package last night and thank you SO MUCH! I am a huge fan of Penzey's spices and had actually just had placed two orders with them recently - so I was so surprised to receive another package from them. What a delight to find that it was my Quonsmas gift! And what was even more delightful is that even with my prodigious existing spice collection, every single spice in your box was a new addition to my collection. I had just run out of thyme and there it was! I had also been wanting the V for Victory pin and there it was! This really could not have been a more perfect fit for me and I will think of you and MeFi and Quonsmas cheer every time I cook now. Thank you so much again!!
posted by Neely O'Hara at 7:40 AM on November 25, 2018 [6 favorites]

I have acquired all of my Quonsee's treats, and just need to pack 'em up and get my butt to the post office!
posted by sarcasticah at 12:58 PM on November 25, 2018

A second surprise arrived and a second round of thanks to my gifter! My kitties loved their new toys and even opened the envelope before I got to it. Definitely a great Quonsar this year.
posted by Nackt at 2:52 PM on November 25, 2018 [2 favorites]

Mister Moofoo, I hope the game is as good as what the reviews say! I wasn’t confident in picking out new sci-fi books because, well, my knowledge and interest peaked at Star Wars and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Not a bad place to be at, but there’s definitely room for development there. Thanks to your gift guide and post history, I now have an excellent guide on where to start. So thank YOU for that!

I also received another quonsmas surprise today. Thank you so much, jillithd! I try to test my patience and emotional intelligence every year and wait until Christmas to open presents, so I was thinking I could save opening this until then. I want to prolong this excitement as much as possible, ha!
posted by theappleonatree at 3:46 PM on November 25, 2018 [3 favorites]

A warm thank you to my secret quonsar, fairlynearlyready. My package arrived lightning fast! And, she very thoughtfully made the gift herself. I can only imagine the time involved to craft this driftwood fiber art. The colors are very earthy and calming. I hope you have a very happy quonsmas this year! :)
posted by pdxhiker at 7:56 PM on November 25, 2018 [5 favorites]

Glad quonsmas tidings! I was quonsed today by the wonderful carrienation who gifted me a huge variety of delicious Belgian chocolate (some in the shape of ladybugs! one large choco-llama! plus a kit of pieces for me to build my very own chocolate sleigh and reindeer!!!!), a dish in the shape of an extremely majestic cockatiel, a crystal-like penguin that lights up in various colors, a Magritte bookmark from the Magritte Museum (awesome), and a fun necklace she made herself out of an eyeglass lens! On top of all that, she threw in a Merry Quonsmas button (sharing the quonsmas cheer from her own quonsar gave her last year [she was gifted a handful]) - so fun!! carrienation I absolutely love everything - thank you so much!

My own quonsee's gift has been patiently waiting for me to wrap and ship - quonsee, I know you don't know who you are yet, but never fear... it's coming soon :)
posted by hansbrough at 8:37 PM on November 25, 2018 [6 favorites]

Oh, tipsyBumblebee, you are the best gifter! I'm truly impressed with your stitchcraft and I appreciate that you took the time to create and send gifts specifically for me and Boo Radley. Here's Boo, basking in the sunshine, looking dapper in his bow tie.

Thank you tipsyBumblebee and thank you Metafilter for this lovely holiday!
posted by kbar1 at 10:06 PM on November 25, 2018 [4 favorites]

My quonsee's gift is mostly packed up, just waiting on me to stick a card in there, and mail it off! Hopefully tomorrow.
posted by needlegrrl at 8:51 AM on November 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh, hi Quonsee! Your parcel is shipped! Hope you like it!
posted by angiep at 10:40 AM on November 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

My quonsee's gift went out today with an expected delivery on Thursday. I'll be obsessively checking the USPS tracking information until then.
posted by maurice at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2018

I returned home from teaching to discover that I had been quonsed! Thanks to bunnysquirrel for the teeny books for my teeny houses!
posted by thomas j wise at 11:31 AM on November 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

As for my quonsee...I fear Canada Post is going to make the package late, though I shipped it on the 19th...current delivery estimate is 12/7 but it keeps being pushed. If it really goes super far I have a plan to ditch the secret and do alternate delivery of part of it to tide q over.
posted by wellred at 11:39 AM on November 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

I am waiting for one more item to arrive in the mail before I send out my SQ gift. Crossing my fingers it comes in soon.

and my SQ gift arrived today! I won't open it until I send my present out, so I'll come back with an excited post about it later.
posted by Julnyes at 12:21 PM on November 26, 2018

Planning to pick up the last piece of my Quonsar gift tomorrow and then get it in the mail by the end of the week. This is always so much FUN!
posted by bookmammal at 12:41 PM on November 26, 2018

I just quonsed someone who lives near where I grew up, which tickled me. I sent them gifts that I hope will bring them amusement in the chilly winter months ahead, and long after.

Merry Quonsmas, movie house! Merry Quonsmas, Emporium! Merry Quonsmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan! Hey! Merry Quonsmas, Mr. Potter!
posted by wenestvedt at 12:56 PM on November 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

pdxhiker, I am so glad that you like it!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 2:42 PM on November 26, 2018

Yayayayay to my gift giver Fig (I immediately opened it!). My toddler helped unwrap. We love it. It's actually something I've always wanted when I saw it but never treated myself to. I don't know how to link you officially... But thank you very much.

:)
posted by PistachioRoux at 3:09 PM on November 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

I got to the USPS with my quonsee's goodies, got them packed and addressed. Went up to the counter to pay and the clerk says the address "doesn't verify." Something odd about the street and the zipcode not matching up. So I've sent it off with the the zip I got from the Quonsmas directive and hope it gets there okay. Annoying.
posted by MovableBookLady at 3:11 PM on November 26, 2018

Thank you to my still-secret Quonsar for the gift of these excellent chocolates!
posted by Songdog at 3:27 PM on November 26, 2018 [2 favorites]

I got a beautiful quonsing from brilliantine, perfectly timed for a day of lying around the house with a nasty head cold. Lavender lemongrass soap that smells delightful (how did you know I just used the last of my fancy soap?), a locally made pistachio-chocolate bar, mulling spices, striped cotton yarn that will make great dish cloths, and, best of all, a little purple turtle hand-sculpted by brilliantine herself! (Full haul shown here.) I have decided that the turtle’s name is Hilda, and I’d like to see if I can put her on a cord to make a cute necklace. I am also planning to bring the mulling spices and cider to my meeting for my frazzled little activist group this week, because god knows we need something joyful.

Thanks again brilliantine! As for my quonsmas gift, I am still waiting on one key piece that I had to special order but once that arrives I will be assembling and shipping the box ASAP.
posted by ActionPopulated at 3:29 PM on November 26, 2018 [5 favorites]

Huge thanks to Captain_Science, who kindly sent me an enamel pin that says “I believe in science,” as well as a very pleasing “resist” cross stitch ornament that I will absolutely be putting on my Christmas tree this year and then in my office at work thereafter, and a handmade zippy pouch made with poison label fabric.

The pouch is particularly thoughtful as I broke my leg and ankle in a roller derby accident earlier this month, and I am still taking multiple medications and was just thinking I neeeded a way to transport them all together. This will totally do the trick!

This was my first day back at work since my accident, and my mailman showed up with the box just as I got home and my husband was helping hoist me up our front stairs. It was so wonderful to come home after a tiring day to a nice present.

Thank you!!!
posted by meggan at 3:51 PM on November 26, 2018 [7 favorites]

Yikes! I forgot to add that carrienation also sent a super cute tea towel featuring elephants!!! That happened because I put it immediately into my towel rotation. I loved that too, thank you!!!
posted by hansbrough at 6:15 PM on November 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

Gift has been ordered and will be winging its way over to a Quonsee on the West Coast. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 9:29 PM on November 26, 2018

I sent my quonsee's package last week and USPS says it arrived today! But, I think there may still be some traveling left for it to do before it arrives at its final destination. :)
posted by pdxhiker at 10:02 PM on November 26, 2018

Yaaaay Pistachio Roux, I'm glad you and your toddler like your gift, that makes me so happy! Merry Quonsmas!
posted by Fig at 4:08 AM on November 27, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay meggan! Glad the stuff arrived! The poison bag as a medication pouch is an awesome use! :)
posted by Captain_Science at 5:59 AM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

My Quonsar gift is en route, delivery (in North Carolina...) date looks like Thursday or Friday. Happy Quonsmas!!!!
posted by Elly Vortex at 6:28 AM on November 27, 2018

Mailed my SQ package out yesterday and the ETA is tonight! Apparently the postal service has a healthy fleet of owls at present, or maybe they're using the secret passage behind the statue of the one-eyed witch. (Taps USPS tracking number with wand. Mischief managed!)
posted by miles per flower at 6:39 AM on November 27, 2018 [6 favorites]

I mailed mine out this morning and it should arrive on Thursday! It was packed up with treats and I decorated the box and made a card so hopefully it's fun to open!
posted by lucy.jakobs at 8:25 AM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

I sent my SQ on the 20th, and now UPS says the package was delivered an hour ago. Always reassuring to see that delivery notice, though the 'received by' name is not the same as the address on the box.
posted by buildmyworld at 9:26 AM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

Canada Post's tracking tells me: "Item has arrived in foreign country," with an expected delivery date of December 3, so it looks like it made it out of Canada just fine. The rest in in the hands of US customs and USPS.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:45 AM on November 27, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just mailed mine off today! Hope you like it, quonsee : )
posted by widdershins at 11:49 AM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

USPS tracking number confirms package was delivered "to/in mailbox" 2 days ago! I pray it was the right mailbox ...
posted by pjsky at 11:50 AM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

My gift went out this afternoon, so I can finally look at what I received!

Thank you so much lesser weasel for my Quonsmas gift.

I've already cracked open the strawberry tart cookies and they are yummy. The cat card looked a lot like my little demon Mischa, though if I tried to put a cape on him, he would murder me in my sleep. I love the cat stickers and will stick them on everything going forward.

I'll give Mischa the silvervine cat toy and see how he reacts, he loves catnip.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm gong to eat some langue-de-chat cookies now.

(I think I see a theme to these gifts)
posted by Julnyes at 1:59 PM on November 27, 2018 [5 favorites]

Dear Secret Quonsar...Your identity may be a mystery, but your choice was on point, and I plan to lock myself in the bathroom for hours with this lovely little basket of handmade goodies from Paint Creek Soaps; thank you! The citrus scent is perfect--cheerful and lively against the winter chill here--lip balm! Sugar scrub (yay, I love those!)! I particularly like the hand-knit washcloth, which has such wonderful colors. Thank you again for a much-appreciated lift to my day!
posted by MonkeyToes at 2:47 PM on November 27, 2018 [2 favorites]

Allright! package mailed! Canada here it comes!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 5:12 PM on November 27, 2018

Julnyes, I'm happy to hear everything arrived safely and so glad that you like it! :) Mischa is adorable and I hope he likes his cat toy (it's one of those dental chew toys, too)
posted by lesser weasel at 5:30 PM on November 27, 2018

Thank you, missmary6, for the triceratops and the chili mix! The triceratops will be framed and have a place of honor in my home for all the years to come. The chili will be made soon and consumed with great gusto. This is an excellent gift and I was so happy to come home to it tonight!

Quonsee, your gift is in the mail! USPS seemed to think it'd get there by Friday sooooo here's hoping!
posted by curious nu at 5:34 PM on November 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

EndsOfInvention, I have built my LEGO cats, hoarded my LEGO trading cards, put my LEGO ballerina keychain on my keys, and put the beautiful orangutan calendar in my bag to bring to work to be adored by my colleagues and then displayed in the Laboratory for Orangutan Behavior and Ecology. Thank you so much! I'm so delighted by everything - you have made my entire week!!!
posted by ChuraChura at 7:12 PM on November 27, 2018 [5 favorites]

Happy day! Devrim you brightened my life today with gifts of treats I've never had and reminded me most importantly home is within the heart. Your food gifts and note gave a sense of you I didn't imagine possible. Thank you! We had Jambalaya rice (which takes me back to my time in NOLA) tonight for dinner and strawberry cakes for dessert in cheers to you.
posted by emypocu at 7:32 PM on November 27, 2018 [2 favorites]

Sending Deadline

... is this Saturday.

Just as a reminder, once we release our gift into the hands of our local postal or package delivery service, we have no control over their logistics and operations. If it takes then 3 weeks to deliver a package 50 miles away, that is on them and not you. You did your best and met the guidelines! Don't angst if your package spends a week in Iowa en route from Atlanta to Miami; if it seems to sit in customs for 2 weeks, blame the dude trying to smuggle in live chinchillas masquerading as cheap teddy bears which has sent that sorting facility into chaos.

Canada Post
Every year, it seems, some postal service somewhere is struggling with logistics, labor, dumb regulations, or other interfering factors. This year, it seems to be Canada's turn. Luckily, it just seems like a slowdown, so a little patience should get you through this season.

Second Chancers
We are still accepting second chancer volunteers! Drop us an email or me a memail if you want to signup and have not yet done so.
posted by julen at 8:00 PM on November 27, 2018 [5 favorites]

ChuraChura - glad it arrived OK and you like it! :D My kid helped choose the calendar and donated some of his spare Lego cards. I'd say he was the reason we were in the Lego store too but honestly that was all me.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:33 AM on November 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

displayed in the Laboratory for Orangutan Behavior and Ecology

That is awesome !!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:34 AM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have returned from the post office from which I have posted my gift off to its recipient before the actual deadline (which may be a first for me).

It should be arriving tomorrow.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 4:34 AM on November 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Big, big thanks to Servo5678 for the wonderful gift of the Rifftrax/MST3K Live Reunion Show BluRay! My son and I will tear into it this weekend and laugh ourselves silly. Much appreciated!!
posted by Twicketface at 7:28 AM on November 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

How it takes 2 other gifts I sent the same day to the West Coast from KY a shorter delivery time, rather than my SQ gift which just had to go to NY, I shall never know. And yes, all of them went Priority Mail.
posted by deezil at 7:57 AM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh my gosh, my Quonsar ended up in the Haunted Mansion and didn't beware of hitchiking ghosts!

Now they'll haunt my desk until I return!

Thank you so much!
posted by Katemonkey at 7:58 AM on November 28, 2018 [4 favorites]

Mailed mine out this morning! Now the delicious anticipation of stalking the tracking number begins.
posted by spinturtle at 8:15 AM on November 28, 2018

Mailed mine on Monday via Priority, but there was a huge line so I fled the office without grabbing my receipt with tracking number.. so it should get there this week but I'm flying blind.
posted by The otter lady at 9:48 AM on November 28, 2018

I'm a few days behind where I thought I'd be. I was going to send it out on Saturday but then forgot I was out of town; then was going to go for Monday but was trapped in my apartment waiting for a repairman. Then yesterday I was laid low by the WorkDay From Hell. Am hoping to finally wrap it up today, and maybe get in the mail either tomorrow night or Friday night (maybe Friday night because then I can use the adorable shipping service up the block that's staffed with fresh-faced local kids).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:35 AM on November 28, 2018

Big thanks to bibliogrrl for sending me The Game Console: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox. It's a fantastic coffee table book of professional photographs and histories of video game consoles both common (Nintendo) and obscure (Mega Duck anyone?). It's going to be a very fun read.
posted by Servo5678 at 11:43 AM on November 28, 2018 [3 favorites]

Today is cold and the wind swooshes through me as I trudge home from the bus stop, past the contractors cutting down centuries old trees to make way for new light poles. Shivering, I approach my house and spy a bright red box sitting underneath my mailbox. It is addressed to me! Joy! Dexterously I juggle empty trash can (it was garbage day), package and work bag as I open the garage door and knock over a snow shovel while putting the trash can back into place. Inside, I shed hat, gloves, scarf, coat and shoes and carefully slice the tape to open the box, silently complementing the sender on their diligence in covering the seams of the box.

Inside was beautiful red paper and a slightly heavy bag with a bunch of goodies tucked inside. Chocolate! Plum jam! Goat Milk Caramels! A Pusheen Kitty pen which made me laugh with delight, as my kid stole mine! Pusheen Kitty stickies! Caramel maple lip balm. And a lovely little note from marfa, texas.

My day got much, much warmer. Thank you marfa, texas for the lovely gifts! 🎁
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 1:48 PM on November 28, 2018 [5 favorites]

Part of my Quonsee’s gift should be sent today and the rest is packaged to be sent as soon as the last piece arrives (hopefully by Friday, realistically maybe not). Hooray!
posted by centrifugal at 2:50 PM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

My Quonsee's gift is being sent in two shipments for some reason. The first one went out today! Delivery date estimate is December 3.
posted by SisterHavana at 3:35 PM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have the feeling one of the amazon boxes sitting in my house waiting to be opened is from my secret quonsar! I’m going to wait to open until I ship mine out on Saturday to open it, though. :)
posted by firei at 4:20 PM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

My quonsee's gift is said to have arrived on Tuesday, left at the front door by UPS with a driver release. Hopefully it made it indoors!
posted by batter_my_heart at 6:04 PM on November 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Got the Quonsmas presents in the mail yesterday! Thanks to toby_ann for the cool card, cute responsibly sourced animal-doodle notepad, and the (now-legal) relaxation herb. Just what the doctor ordered :)

Finally sent my quonsee's gift as well; a week earlier than last year, largely due to reading how many people had already shifted themselves into gear. So hooray for peer pressure!
posted by Hardcore Poser at 6:45 PM on November 28, 2018 [5 favorites]

Uh oh, I'm pretty sure I messed up the house number for my quonsee (put 221 instead of 2211) and that's why the PO couldn't "verify" the address. I bet it's going to be returned to me, which means I'll have to remail it. Drat. Sorry sorry but it'll get there eventually.
posted by MovableBookLady at 7:07 PM on November 28, 2018 [1 favorite]

jilloftrades, thank you!!! I had a long and frustrating day today, so the arrival of secret quonsar was a delightful surprise and much needed balm. Tea & chocolate & postcard ♥ and I look forward to reading the book by Sun Shuyun! Can't wait to learn more about Xuanzang's travels. :)
posted by ilicet at 8:44 PM on November 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

I mailed my Quonsbox on Monday. It was a joy to assemble the contents thereof!
posted by lakeroon at 10:10 PM on November 28, 2018

My box for my quonsee is sitting at home, waiting for some of my online shopping to show up so I can steal some of their box-padding materials. Sorry to make you wait, quonsee, but I promise I'm checking my other packages' tracking practically every hour...it'll be on its way ASAP!
posted by mosst at 6:53 AM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have been quonsed and I am delighted! (The package may have been in our mailroom for a few days so apologies if this acknowledgment is a bit late.) I got a beautiful bag/cloth suitable for tarot decks/spreads, a gorgeous dice bag with an embroidered fox on it, a d20 “with history” that I will put to good use in our game this Saturday, and delicious chocolate! It has been a rough week, and this lovely package was perfectly timed to make me feel so much better about the world. I wasn’t sure if the name on the note was your user name or real name so I won’t put it here in case I wind up accidentally identifying the wrong MeFite, but know that you have brought joy and chocolate to my week and I love you for it.
posted by skycrashesdown at 8:48 AM on November 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

My secret quonsar strikes (again?*)! I received a large box today, stuffed full with this utterly amazing advent calendar, which is itself stuffed with gorgeously wrapped presents! Likewise, my heart is now completely full -- and I haven't even opened any yet. My kids are super excited about this Quonsmas business, and once again, this lovely little pocket of good cheer has come at the best possible time in my life (ie. the shittest moment in the year when everyone in the family is laid low by viruses, a slew of holiday-related obligations looms large on the horizon, and I'm running on fumes). So thank you, quonsar. This is just wonderful. I'll post again when everything has been opened -- if I can contain myself until then!

*I think I recognise the handwriting on the address label from Quonmases past, so if my quonsar is who I think it is, flippin' heck, your track record is stellar and you basically deserve a medal at this point!
posted by catch as catch can at 9:07 AM on November 29, 2018 [13 favorites]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

I haven't opened my Quonsar gift yet, but just seeing it delivered on my doorstep this morning gave me a much needed smile in my life. I've had such a unexpectedly shit-tastic week so far, but it's definitely less shitty now that I've been quonsed!

It's the most awesome time of year, Quonsmas!
posted by astapasta24 at 9:10 AM on November 29, 2018 [2 favorites]

It comes to something when you recognise your Quonsee by handwriting alone.
I was going to send you something anyway, because it's not Quonsmas if I'm not sending you something! :)

But as it turns out, yes it is once again me!
Happy Quonsmas.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 9:11 AM on November 29, 2018 [7 favorites]

Yay, I thought it was! I almost feel bad since everyone else in the UK group really deserves to experience the wonder that is a Just this guy, y'know Quonsmas, but their loss is my gain. Thank you, we can't wait to see what's hiding in all these little parcels! <3
posted by catch as catch can at 9:25 AM on November 29, 2018 [6 favorites]

I received my box yesterday and put it under my tree. I appreciate the kindness from a stranger / online acquaintance. Can't wait to open it! Thank you!!
posted by acridrabbit at 10:43 AM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

@skycrashesdown, I'm so glad you like the gifts, it's great to have reasons to use those embroidery designs I've been hoarding.

That D20 was last used about 20 years ago, because we're all GURPS all the time now :) But it was a favorite back then, chosen for a elf-dryad crossbreed who helped to topple a corrupt regime in an amazing campaign.
posted by buildmyworld at 10:59 AM on November 29, 2018 [4 favorites]

Woohoo! I just got home and opened my quonsmas present. Huge thanks to Daisyace for a nifty little knife sharpener, cooking thermometer, and maple caramels!! Thank you thank you thank you!!

I've already gone through quite a few of the caramels. My roommate expressed serious concern that I'm literally eating candy from a stranger, but then she doesn't understand the wonder that is Quonsmas!
posted by astapasta24 at 11:36 AM on November 29, 2018 [16 favorites]

So for my "what I want" form, I wrote a very wide-reaching sprawl of things that I was interested in, with the thought that it would leave a lot of great options. I also said that if all else fails, I love marzipan.

I got a lot of marzipan in the mail the other day. Which is perfect, because I love it.

My wife is participating in a gift exchange, and she got an absurdly long list of interests, but it lacked any specifics. We are talking pages and pages. She had a hell of a time finding something, and has been stressing about it non-stop.

Point is - it's cool to have options and leave things wide open, but you should always have one thing that you will always be thrilled to receive on your list. I was super excited to see marzipan, and I'm very happy with what I recieved - so thank you, SQ!
posted by MysticMCJ at 11:47 AM on November 29, 2018 [9 favorites]

You're very welcome, astapasta24! Candy from strangers -- it's not just for Halloween anymore. Wishing you all the wonder of the Quonsmas season :)
posted by daisyace at 12:12 PM on November 29, 2018 [5 favorites]

So many thanks to cellar door for the most best perfect Quonsmasing!!! It *did* arrive tomorrow! I mean today! I was working from home due to being done with people, and hadn't yet gone down to check the mail. When mrsturtle came home she opened the door with "IT'S QUONSMASTIME!!!!" which proves the theory that SQ always arrives at the exact best moment. Inside the box, perfection. A STUNNING hand knit hat that magically matches all of my winter coats. For real. Delicious looking apple crisp mix and cider mulling blend from a local market. A beautiful card with a picture of the Quabbin, which also matches my new hat. Have I mentioned my new hat matches EVERYTHING??? And toys for Sherman, who is super excited to be included. Here's the bounty, and Sherman investigating his Quonsmouse! (Also I love that we live pretty close *and* that yesterday we posted consecutively in the sign-up thread about shipping.)
posted by spinturtle at 2:36 PM on November 29, 2018 [7 favorites]

According to the USPS my Quonsee's package was delivered to their front porch this afternoon! I had so much fun putting it together.
posted by Neely O'Hara at 3:22 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

I bought and mailed my Quonsee's gift on the 23rd, while in Seattle for Thanksgiving. Evidently it headed to San Francisco before crossing international boundaries. I hope it reaches my Quonsee soon!
posted by MrBobinski at 5:55 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

I posted my package on Tuesday, and USPS tracking says it's supposed to arrive on Saturday.

I had so much fun shopping for my Quonsee this year; they seem really great! I have been dealing with a lot of good life stress lately, and Quonsmas shopping and wrapping has kept my brain a little more on the level.
posted by minsies at 6:09 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

All these nice words were about me! :D (and I favorited it without knowing, hahaha)
I came home to a wonderful Quonsmas gift of homemade caramel (a LOT of homemade caramel which is awesome), some very nice beeswax-based soaps and lip balm that are almost too pretty to use, 10 pairs of second-hand earrings which are all very shiny and blingy and I can't wait to wear them, and a 'KIND' pin that was shared from her Quonsmas gift. And! A super nice note with kind words and explanations of everything. Pic of haul here. Thank you so, so much Neely O'Hara! It is wonderful.
posted by Fig at 6:39 PM on November 29, 2018 [4 favorites]

According to USPS, my Quonsee’s package arrived today!
posted by Stephanie Duy at 7:09 PM on November 29, 2018

Hi Folks!

We're entering the Period of Anticipation, and I have a few words of advice for senders:

Take a breath. The Postal Estimate has come and gone, Tracking indicates delivery, and you haven't heard from your quonsee yet.

Did it get there? Did rogue marmosets kidnap the package? Is it hiding underneath a bush? Under a lawn chair? Stored on top of a cabinet by another resident of the household? Help incommunicado in office somewhere, perhaps without due notification? Has it been actually delivered or is the delivery service fudging their numbers and will deliver it tomorrow? DID THEY HATE IT? OMG THEY HATED IT, DIDN'T THEY. DANG IT, I RUINED QUONSMAS!

I strongly recommend giving your quonsee a few days to respond before asking us to find out what is up. There are lots of reasons why you might not have heard anything yet, including:

• They don't know they got a package because the person who accepted it/signed for it hasn't told them yet
• They aren't home (travelling), but it's waiting for their triumphant return
• They're under the weather and can barely spell their own name
• Work sucks and as soon as the week is over, they are opening that box.
• They don't actually log into Metafilter every day. (*gasp*)
• They actually think they thanked you but forgot to hit the submit button.

These are all things that happen pretty much every year. There are a lot of other good reasons. If after a few days you haven't heard a peep, ping us, and we'll find out what is what.
posted by julen at 7:34 PM on November 29, 2018 [9 favorites]

julen: Did it get there? Did rogue marmosets kidnap the package? Is it hiding underneath a bush? U

Goddamn marmosets...
posted by wenestvedt at 7:43 PM on November 29, 2018 [3 favorites]

I had a Quonsar adventure today, retrieving and prepping the last bit of my Quonsee's gift. Looking forward to posting it tomorrow, at last, hooray!
posted by itesser at 7:45 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

Statistics of the Season! End of November Edition
The sending deadline hasn’t even hit yet!

377       Participants
266       Gifts are a mystery to us or have not yet been sent (70%)
047       Gifts have arrived! (that we know about) (12.5%)
041       Gifts have been sent (that we know about) (10.9%)
020       Animals represented
016       Gifts are in process/being considered/selected [i.e. the last we heard, quonsees were clarifying questions for their quonsars]
008       Gifts contained at least 1 book (1 cookbook)
005       Gifts have probably arrived (according to tracking) (1.3%)
005       People got games
002       Folks are currently saving their gifts to open later
001       Superheroes included
001       Person (that we know of*) Definitely Has Not Sent Their Gift Yet (0.2%)

Every year I forget to track chocolate/candy gifts even though I swear that next year I’m going to do it.

* It’s me! I always send my gift on Deadline Day. It’s partially to give us the most options should someone drop out, but also because Stuff with a Capitol S got in the way.
posted by julen at 7:49 PM on November 29, 2018 [6 favorites]

I knew it: I screwed up the address and the USPS Tracking says it can't be delivered. It doesn't say whether it's on way back, but I hope it is and I can fix the label and remail it. It'll be late but it'll get there eventually. Sorry, my quonsee. If something goes really really wrong, I'll memail you direct.
posted by MovableBookLady at 8:07 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

MovableBookLady - I don't know if this would work, but could you try calling USPS and seeing if you can "fix" the address on the phone? It might be worth a shot!
posted by julen at 8:33 PM on November 29, 2018 [2 favorites]

Curious nu! I rushed home from work today to save a different package from would-be thieves and was delighted to find yours with it. The spicy pecan chocolate bark is delicious and just the right amount of spicy. My daughter was saying she really wanted some new stickers ten minutes before I opened the box, and she’s going to freak out when I include the cute and sparkly dinosaur stickers in her Hanukkah/Solstice/Christmas gifts! And thank you for the lovely note (and your excellent handwriting). I had six meetings today and this was a much improved end of the day. Thank you!!

Edited to add: the last bit of my Quonsee’s gift will arrive Saturday, and if this happens before the post office closes I’ll get it sent out on time. If not, please forgive me for mailing it Monday instead.
posted by centrifugal at 11:46 PM on November 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

Perfect Quonsmas timing!

I've been a little grumpy and out of sorts this week because of Things. Imagine my joy when I opened the door this evening and found a package propped outside.

Yay! Quonsmas cheer! Thank you, possibilityleft, your dear fiancee, and your six not so terrible cats for the lovely handmade Quonsmas card -- so cute! -- and the stash of supplies for card-making and adorning: gel pens, metallic pens, washi tape, stickers, glue pen and glue dots. I already called a friend and suggested a card making play date. You definitely brought some fun and joy into a rather bleak week. Thank you!
posted by LeftMyHeartInSanFrancisco at 3:01 AM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

Law of Demeter , your parcel arrived today (luckily I have today off but that did mean me rattling the front door while the postie stoood outside bemusedly as I had forgotten that t'hb had locked it on his way out this morning.). Thank you so much for the many lovelies Inside! (Project bag with birb, Loop tote bag, beautiful shawl pin, GINS!)

I look forward to trying the new to me Robin of Locksley gin and Sacred is always welcome in my glass!
posted by halcyonday at 3:23 AM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

001 Person (that we know of*) Definitely Has Not Sent Their Gift Yet (0.2%)

...make that two, because of STuff.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on November 30, 2018

Oh, if it helps for stats, I very excitedly sent my gift the week I received my quonsee's address. I haven't yet been quonsed, but I'm in Canada and expect delays due to the Canada Post strike (for gender equality in pay and better working conditions, which I wholeheartedly support).
posted by ITheCosmos at 4:53 AM on November 30, 2018

erratic meatsack, you know those movies or commercials that are shot in black and white except for one little item in color? It felt like that when I came home yesterday at dusk on a cloudy day, distressed kid with stomach flu in tow, to find a blue-striped box quietly radiating cheer from my front door mat. The lovely handmade little kingfisher is exactly the kind of thing I like; thank you very much! And coffee beans with cookie-dough flavor notes might make purists shudder, but as a coffee drinker with a sweet tooth times 32, I strongly approve! I will also enjoy displaying the fish-man-in-a-suit card and I appreciate your thoughtful message. Best wishes for the season and the new year to you and yours, too.
posted by homelystar at 5:26 AM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

Oh fig, I am delighted that you enjoyed everything! It was such a pleasure to put together. (And I was SO tickled that you'd favorited my comment without knowing it was about you!) I am thrilled especially that you like the earrings - they have new life now and you can wear the bling I can't. What a wonderful Quonsmas!
posted by Neely O'Hara at 5:48 AM on November 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

Oh my God, along with the hitchhiking ghosts, I also got the book about my favourite dead guy! Eeee! Thank you! So excited!
posted by Katemonkey at 6:38 AM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

Quonsmas gift shipped. I paid a sin tax for extra fast mail because I was unable to pull all my logistical executive function out of my purse and get it done. Shopped for in Amsterdam, and mailed to my Quonsee in the US from Hong Kong. A well travelled package when it arrives.
posted by frumiousb at 7:21 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

I got a bunch of awesome Canadian souvenirs last night! I really like the Toronto raccoon mug, it is my new favorite mug. I was riveted by the post on the raccoon-proof garbage cans that weren't. Thanks mandolin conspiracy! My quonsmas present is going out today, sorry for the delay. I have had a great time running around town after these items.
posted by domo at 7:33 AM on November 30, 2018 [4 favorites]

Life got a little hectic there for a bit, and I missed the opportunity to schedule pickup for today, but my quonsee's gift will be in the mail tomorrow! Apologies for the delay, hopefully it will be fun enough to make up for it!
posted by miratime at 8:05 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

I got my gift out yesterday, which means I met the deadline. Hurray!
posted by mmmbacon at 8:23 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yay homelystar, I'm so happy it got there! And I hope your kiddo feels better soon, too.
posted by erratic meatsack at 8:57 AM on November 30, 2018

Curious nu, glad you like your gifts! You were very fun to shop for.

I’m out of town all weekend, so I’m crossing my fingers that if something arrives my upstairs neighbor will tuck it inside our shared stairwell. He’s very kind, and I’m assuming so.

What a treat to read about everyone’s gifts!
posted by missmary6 at 9:03 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

My package is near its destination and should arrive tomorrow on the opposite side of the country. Hopefully my Quonsee will enjoy some northwestern things she may not be familiar with yet. Happy Quonsmas, everyone!
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 9:11 AM on November 30, 2018

Quonsee, your package should be arriving today!!
posted by sarcasticah at 9:12 AM on November 30, 2018

My gift is there, in the post box, for my Quonsee to open!
posted by deezil at 9:44 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Shipped. It will probably arrive in time for Xmas.
posted by tel3path at 10:26 AM on November 30, 2018

miles per flower, I got your package today! I've had mail issues wnd have been sick this week, so it was extra wonderful to receive! So many goodies, THANK YOU! The Math stuff is awesome; the stickers, chocolate, and pens are lovely; and I'm really looking forward to reading Outside Lies Magic! Just what I needed, I think. Thank you and have a very Happy Ounsmas!
posted by wiskunde at 10:34 AM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have received my gift, but want to wait till closer to Christmas to open it. When I do, I will post back!
posted by initapplette at 11:00 AM on November 30, 2018

Who the hell are you people who can receive a gift in the mail and hold on to it for three weeks instead of tearing into it immediately?

I mean, I admire y'all for your will power but I also worry that maybe you're some sort of cyborgs.
posted by bondcliff at 11:07 AM on November 30, 2018 [17 favorites]

Woop woop! wiskunde, I’m glad it landed at a good time—on the flipside, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick. It was fun pulling those things together, as it looks like we have some overlap in our interests and go-to gift-type places. Merry Quonsmas, feel better, and cheers!
posted by miles per flower at 11:46 AM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

I just realized that I failed to indicate my MeFi name on the "gift note" area of the packing slips for my gifts, so my Quonsee won't know who the heck sent him those things. I am an id10t.

Well, they both were delivered this week, so I hope he has fun with them! :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:10 PM on November 30, 2018

That's why it's called secret quonsar eh. None if my quonsees know who sent their gifts. I like to be mysterious sometimes.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:45 PM on November 30, 2018

You are so very welcome, spinturtle! I had such a fun time picking out everything, and I'll admit that some of the matchy-matchy was intentional. (Once I realized that the card matched the yarn, how could I resist little purple mice?) I'm not sure whether you have any particular fandom affinities, but for what it's worth, the hat is modeled after the one Hermoine wears to Godric's Hollow. If that's not your thing, though, then I'm at least glad that you liked the design on its own. It can be tricky to knit for others, depending on one's level of pickiness, but it's so so fun!

And yeah, I had a bit of a giggle-fit when I noticed your post directly above mine. I wish I could say that I planned it, but, well, not so much. :)

Happy quonsar, to spinturtle and to everyone!


PS. OMG, QUONSMOUSE, how did I not think of that?!
PPS. Sherman is seriously adorable; I can't even stand it.
posted by cellar door at 2:01 PM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

domo: I got a bunch of awesome Canadian souvenirs last night! I really like the Toronto raccoon mug, it is my new favorite mug.

Woo hoo! Glad it made it there in one piece! I was a little nervous about shipping a ceramic mug, but it came pretty well-packaged and I added a little extra bubble wrap.

You're very welcome!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 2:05 PM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Post Office says my quonsee should receive their package Monday, or by the latest Tuesday! Prepping this package has made me much more cheerful. Chronic illness stepped in, and I was afraid I wouldn’t mail it on time, but I made it!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 2:22 PM on November 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

I just got a box in the mail from Sarcasticah which included some honey, chocolate and this amazing homemade scarf.

I am in awe. Knitting is like magic to me. I don't understand how "take some string and tie 10,000 knots in it" can possibly result in clothing but it somehow does and I have been the lucky recipient of it in this case. It's too bad New England doesn't have cold, shitty winters that last forever and I probably will have no reason to ever use it.

This is the second time my Quonsar has been someone who attended the game night meetup* I held at my house a few years ago so I highly recommend hosting meetups at your house because it results in neat things showing up at your door.

Thank you, Sarcasticah! This is amazing!

*the first person was Xingcat who actually was my Quonsar before the game night but I suspect he is some sort of time traveller so I still credit my meetup.
posted by bondcliff at 3:13 PM on November 30, 2018 [6 favorites]

001 Person (that we know of*) Definitely Has Not Sent Their Gift Yet (0.2%)

...make that two, because of STuff.

3!
But! 95% chance of mailage tomorrow AND it only needs to hop a few states away.
posted by Glinn at 3:17 PM on November 30, 2018

batter_my_heart - just finally ducked into the thread and saw your comment :) So glad you like the crustacean hat! and it fits! :D

I confess that as much as I appreciate your poetic user name, while researching for your quonsmas gift I read it several times as "butter my heart" which I also found delightful.
posted by bunderful at 5:16 PM on November 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

I got a box on my doorstep yesterday morning, right when I needed it most, with a super sweet card, a magnet with Mississippi headwaters on it (I love magnets, this is a thing), and an amazing pottery leaf. The card told me to enjoy the reminder of spring & summer, and I will (and it arrived at seriously the best time, it's getting cold and gross here and the days are getting shorter and it's the worst week of the semester). Thank you so so so much. Elly Vortex, you did just right.

I love this place. Thank you.
posted by joycehealy at 6:06 PM on November 30, 2018 [7 favorites]

I dropped off my Quonsee's gift at Canada Post today; it needs to cross borders so I'm afraid there may be extra delays. Keep faith dear Quonsee!!

(I did get tracking so I'll let the quonczars know if it falls into a black hole of transit.)
posted by invokeuse at 6:24 PM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yaaaay, bondcliff, I'm glad you like the scarf! We have some of the honey at home, and it's SO GOOD. And, well, I had to tape the chocolates up into the package and mail it quick or else they all would have arrived with a couple of bites taken out of them.
posted by sarcasticah at 6:24 PM on November 30, 2018

I mailed mine out this morning. I liked picking everything out, but WHY did I have to choose things in difficult-to-wrap shapes?
posted by meemzi at 7:44 PM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

According to Canada Post, my quonsees gift was delivered to their front door approximately 50 minutes ago. YAY!!!
posted by rozee at 7:52 PM on November 30, 2018

Yay Joyce I'm glad you received my package, and liked it!! I work at a ceramic studio and sometimes when the kids would make nature art projects, I would make one too just for fun. That plate has the monarch in three phases: egg, caterpillar, and butterfly 😊
posted by Elly Vortex at 8:04 PM on November 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

Janetland thank you!

First, A+ stationry and wrapping, it was a joy to open.

My puppy was ecstatic about the toy, she instantlly knew it was for her and has been excitedly playing with it ever since. This was the most still we could get her to be for a photo!

Those chocolates look delicious, I can't wait to try them :)

The notebooks though, did you make them? They are works of art, I quietly flipped through every page of the smaller one, so many desings and colors all different but in harmony; and the fabric art on the larger one is simply amazing. Both are tresures. This was such a kind, lovely gift, thank you so much.
posted by lepus at 8:44 PM on November 30, 2018 [3 favorites]

WOW! I am delighted and astonished by my quonsar gift. It's a vintage catalogue from a Magritte exhibition in 1990. That's right around the time when 13-year-old me saw an exhibition of Magritte's work and had my mind fucking blown. It was The Experience that turned me on to art.

Such a thoughtful gift! Thank you, beccasaurus!
posted by jeoc at 8:58 PM on November 30, 2018 [11 favorites]

Thank you so much msali for your wonderful gifts! They were so good that even West Midlands Police used the Schedule 7 Terrorism Act 2000 to have a peek in the box too, apparently. My kids are loving the sticker book and I am excited to dig into the D&D Monster Manual and try the coffee!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:12 AM on December 1, 2018 [7 favorites]

It's raining here in London today, so I bribed my husband to take my quonsee's parcel to the post office this morning. Apparently the lady at the counter was very concerned about whether or not it had batteries inside (it does not). Hopefully it should be at its destination Monday or Tuesday!
posted by catch as catch can at 4:33 AM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yay! I’m so glad you got the package (I trusted media mail with it) and that you like it, jeoc! I had so much fun looking through art books and things at the Strand til I found that one.
posted by beccasaurus at 4:41 AM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Many thanks to halcyonday for the card and the very lovely set of French bottled inks . A very merry Quonsmas to you! I posted a parcel to my Quonsee this morning: all being well it should reach them within a few days.

Having, on preview, now read halcyonday's comment above, I wonder if they aren't in fact inks after all, but rather colourful samples of various marmoset sedatives decanted into cute inkbottles. I've had no difficulty writing with them, which suggests the former possibility, but meanwhile I'm also feeling oddly drowsy.
posted by misteraitch at 5:55 AM on December 1, 2018 [6 favorites]

In all my excitement about the inks , I momentarily forgot about the notebook that came with them: thank you again!
posted by misteraitch at 6:09 AM on December 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

I opened my door yesterday and found a package propped against it... my secret Quonsar! I received a really neat salad dressing mixer and homemade dressing mixer, which I am excited to try. It's perfect, because just last week I was trying to figure out how to make a good vinaigrette :) Many thanks to Angie!
posted by sevenyearlurk at 7:23 AM on December 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

I've been quonsed by the delightful spinturtle (feat. mrsturtle)! The print is a theoretical subway map of Hartford, CT that somehow combines about a dozen of my favorite things: maps, transit, New England, urban planning, graphic design, prints, what-iffery, and probably more. The gift also includes a frankly intimidating amount of spiced oatmeal raisin cookies (I may or may not have had 3 5 for breakfast) as well as a nifty little jar of homemade pumpkin spice blend. I'm eagerly looking forward to a homemade PSL as soon as I finish this comment. There is also a Vermont maple syrup sampler, and spinturtle notes in their little explanatory note that mrsturtle has "STRONG OPINIONS" on the topic. My wife and daughter are born Vermonters, so they enthusiastically approve.

I'll send you a photo of the print on my wall as soon as I have a chance to have it framed and hung, spinturtle. Our den already has some Bostoniana on the walls, so I think this will fit right in.

Thank you, spinturtle, and Happy Quonsmas to you and yours.

[Note to Quonsmas Elves: My package will probably not ship out until next week, but it doesn't have far to go, and I'll send it speedy mail, so it shouldn't be too much of a straggler, but do let my Quonsee know if they get anxious.]
posted by Rock Steady at 7:39 AM on December 1, 2018 [7 favorites]

Quons away! Just popped the second part of my gift in the mail and it should arrive early next week. I had a great time picking it out and I hope my quonsar enjoys it too!
posted by orrnyereg at 7:43 AM on December 1, 2018

Note - for full and proper credit, my thanks go to angiep, not "just" Angie. Thanks again!
posted by sevenyearlurk at 7:51 AM on December 1, 2018

MY GIFT HAS BEGUN ITS JOURNEY. I REPEAT - MY GIFT HAS BEGUN ITS JOURNEY.

I have placed it into the care of my local shipping place, who convinced me to send it FedEx ground rate (on the principle that FedEx would come get it from them today, as opposed to the post office who was going to wait until Monday). The anticipated arrival date will be in one week, but since I'm shipping from one city to what looks like another city it may be a day or so sooner.

Advance apologies to my Quonsee - you will see who you are - for using as much tape and bubble wrap as I did. You will understand why I wanted to make sure that that stuff wasn't gonna break.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:55 AM on December 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

My Quonsee's gift was supposed to arrive 11/29 but USPS still shows it is "pre-transit". I hope it won't be too much longer!
posted by Is It Over Yet? at 8:10 AM on December 1, 2018

Looks like my quonsee's gift cleared customs! Go go Canada Post!
posted by capricorn at 8:32 AM on December 1, 2018

Mailed my gift today, apparently it should arrive all the way across the country by Tuesday! What service!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:08 AM on December 1, 2018

The package was "undeliverable" as of 11/29, but there's no indication whether it's being returned to me. If it shows up by the middle of the upcoming week (say, by 12/5) then I'll resend it right away. If it doesn't, then I'll have to scramble to get a gift together and send it off so my quonsee will not be giftless. Should I get in touch with my quonsee directly? or will the mods do this? or what? Feeling frustrated and stupid.
posted by MovableBookLady at 9:37 AM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

misteraitch, would you believe that I couldn’t get get marmoset sedatives in Brighton at all this year. There must have been a rush on it. I blame the Brighton hipsters, they’re probably using it as beard oil. 😉 A grave shortage of marmosets as well.

I’m glad you enjoyed the inks and notebook! As someone whose's handwriting could be mistaken for a NHS doctor, I have not ventured into the fancy inks so it was lovely to spend some time picking colours.
posted by halcyonday at 10:03 AM on December 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

Ugh, I was waiting until I got all the pieces for my Quonsmas package assembled to mail, but I called the store where I special ordered the last item and there’s been some kind of snafu on their end that resulted in no ETA for said item as of yet. So much for placing the order weeks ago to stay on top of things. Given this new development, I’m going to send out what I already have on Monday and wait on the last piece. Sorry for the delay Quonsee, but I hope the fun of getting double Quonsed makes up for the lateness.
posted by ActionPopulated at 10:18 AM on December 1, 2018

I just dropped my package off at the UPS store, it should arrive on Wednesday.

Unrelated: Anyone know if fire ants can eat through cardboard?
posted by bondcliff at 10:25 AM on December 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

Mailed mine out today :)

I also received my package from widdershins today! Such perfect timing that I was in Stockholm last month and didn't buy myself a dala horse (how did you know?!?)... now I can relax with my tea and cookies and admire my little dala horse I've hung up... THANK YOU!
posted by gemutlichkeit at 10:26 AM on December 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

Shipped my packages today via UPS (Quonsee, when you receive them you will understand why two packages), they are due to arrive 12/7. ::bounces excitedly::
posted by jet_pack_in_a_can at 10:50 AM on December 1, 2018

My husband has informed me that my package arrived, but I am stuck at work for another three hours! Torture! I shall tear into it when I get home, because I do not have the willpower to wait until Christmas.
posted by sarcasticah at 11:29 AM on December 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

I returned from the post office, having sent my Quonsmas gift on its way, only to find a package from Two Unicycles and Some Duct Tape! It travelled down river a few miles from the big city and I could not have been happier! All manner of consumables for the humans and fun toys for the cats Thank you so much 😊. Loved the postcard from Jake’s. Happy Quonsmas To all!
posted by ZenMajek at 11:49 AM on December 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

batter_my_heart! Thank you so much for this delightful assortment of goodies! I've already finished one bag of the almonds and they were fabulous! Just the right mix of sweet and spicy. I can't wait to try the chocolates -- all flavors I've never even seen before! I think at least some of the smoked salmon will be breakfast tomorrow with scrambled eggs and cream cheese. Yum! The red pepper will get good use too. It's smells amazing! A thousand thanks, batter_my_heart. 😁
posted by erloteiel at 12:12 PM on December 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

I got my gift last night! Thank you to my secret quonsar for the chocolate bar and YUMMY YUMMY red soda from Akron!

So, every other month or so, I will randomly get a super strong craving for something that is COLD, SWEET and RED. This has been a thing of mine for so long, that I now know to keep something in my fridge for when the cravings arrive. Usually, I buy vintage soda from the store, typically either Cherry Limeade or Shirley Temples. So when I opened my box and saw my Norka Cherry-Strawberry Sparkling Beverage from Akron, OH I was THRILLED. I had one immediately and it is no joke the best, best cold, sweet, red drink I've ever had. How did you know this totally random and hidden little fact about me Secret Quonsar? It must be the spirit of Quonsmas at work! Thank you so very much! I love it! :-)

(the chocolate bar I am saving for work, because I like to have a few squares of chocolate every day with lunch, but I am very excited to try that as well!)
posted by triggerfinger at 1:25 PM on December 1, 2018 [5 favorites]

And now for an update for my quonsee - I wasn't able to get the last part of your gift until today (due to the location and hours of the place I went to to buy it), so I will be mailing it tomorrow morning. I am SO SORRY for sending it last minute, but it has been a hectic couple of weeks around here. I am sending it UPS though so I am hoping it gets to you pretty quickly!
posted by triggerfinger at 1:28 PM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have arranged for quonsgift to be sent. It will arrive in two packages.
One of the items has tentacles and is measured in meters.
I can only hope that it will serve its new owner well.
posted by sciencegeek at 1:31 PM on December 1, 2018 [11 favorites]

lepus, you are welcome! And thanks for the puppy picture -- the people at the pet store, where I'm always buying cat food and litter, were very surprised I was buying a dog toy, and they were all, did you get a puppy, we have puppy training classes!

I wish I could brag and say I did make the notebooks, but no, I didn't, I am nowhere near that craftsy.
posted by JanetLand at 1:42 PM on December 1, 2018 [2 favorites]

I am slow but not late! Package is shipped today. I will be anxiously tracking it's coast-to-coast journey.
posted by agentofselection at 1:50 PM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Rock Steady, so glad everything arrived safely, and that it hit your buttons just right:) We had such a blast gathering and creating!!!
posted by spinturtle at 2:33 PM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Many thanks, apoch! Today I received a box containing some local-to-Michigan yarn and *delicious-smelling* coffee and a local-to-metafilter knitted hat pattern. It is a perfect gift for me! Thank you and Happy Quonsmas :)
posted by chaoticgood at 2:46 PM on December 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

Do not feel bad for mailing your gift today. Today is a perfectly reasonable and acceptable day to mail your gift!

As a corollary: especially, do not feel bad if your gift hasn't arrived by today!

When I sent my package off to Canada today, my not-that-local mailperson [*rant about US Post Office logistics, saving money, and inconvenience removed*] said the USPS was estimating a 2 week delivery time. Take that as you will.
posted by julen at 3:12 PM on December 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

Rats! I have a gift ready to mail and forgot it on the counter when I left the house this morning. I beg forgiveness of my quonsee and of the elves and will get that darn thing in the mail first thing on Monday.
posted by Sublimity at 3:41 PM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

I mailed mine out today (always on the last day for me, seems) after a buddy and I went on a bagel-fueled Saturday morning adventure to pick up the last item. It should arrive on Tuesday.

I also received a box mid-week but didn’t open it until I had fulfilled my side. It turned out to be a trove of Minnesota goodness: wild rice, Nut Goodie candy, Hmong crafts, treats from Mn businesses (3M, Aveda) and a super handy and festive kitchen towel with printed and embroidered Twin Cities tourism info. What a cheery gift from lakeroon! Thank you!
posted by janell at 3:41 PM on December 1, 2018 [4 favorites]

I can't believe I waited until the last minute, but travel got in the way. Nevertheless, I did get my package off in the mail today, and the nice lady at USPS said it would get there Tuesday! You seem like a cool person, SQ, so I hope you like it!
posted by gemmy at 4:40 PM on December 1, 2018

I finally got home and opened my package of goodies from chaoticgood, and it was worth the wait! Gorgeous yarn! Chocolate bourbon balls that I may not even share with my husband! Bourbon smoked sea salt and sugar -- I'm looking forward to trying those! And an adorable wee Kentucky ornament! Thank you so much, I love all of it!
posted by sarcasticah at 5:14 PM on December 1, 2018 [6 favorites]

I came home from a long day of family stuff and shopping and minor annoyances and small triumphs and found a package waiting from queensissy. I thought I felt too tired and flattened to get excited but when I opened the box and delved into its beautifully wrapped contents, I swear my my heart grew at least a size. Saffron(!!!!) and other spices, fat quarters, funky and interesting-looking short fiction that I can't wait to dive into, and a very sweet card. Thank you!!! And Happy Quonsmas!

Did I mention the delightful drawings on the outside of the box? There were delightful drawings on the outside of the box!
posted by bunderful at 7:15 PM on December 1, 2018 [3 favorites]

Janell, I'm so glad you liked your slice of the North! You were fun to shop for.
posted by lakeroon at 7:40 PM on December 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yay! Glad to hear everything arrived safely.
posted by chaoticgood at 6:11 AM on December 2, 2018

My most excellant Quonsar package made it to my address last Friday, but I was away for the weekend so only got it from a neighbour today. The lovely Ellieboa created the most thoughtful package of items that fill me with so much joy - now and also lots of future joy - becase I can use every part of it with my Bujo / for writing throughout the year.

Pics are here.

Thank you !

I loooooooove quonsmas.
posted by Faintdreams at 7:31 AM on December 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

USPS my package was delivered on Thursday the 29th at 2:10pm. Hopefully my Quonsee reports in this thread soon!
posted by lucy.jakobs at 7:38 AM on December 2, 2018

Faintdreams: yay! So glad you like it all! Love love love quonsmas too!
posted by ellieBOA at 7:49 AM on December 2, 2018

Dearest minsies,

Thank you so much for the lovely assorted treats!

I discovered the present last night, after I'd gotten home from tromping about in the wet and gloom all day. It was the perfect thing to see on the doorstep, and everything was wrapped so wonderfully, with ribbons and everything! I was very, very impressed. The six-legged octopus (hexopus?) card was the first thing I opened, and it a lovely, delightful thing. So festive! So cute!

The pokemon magnets are the cutest thing EVER, and I quite like the narwhal (I thought it was a dolphin at first, which is my favorite, but narwhals are like ocean unicorns, so that is also awesome). I've had the yuzu candies and the taro mochi before, and I can attest that they are 100% delicious. I have not tried or even seen before the other two treats yet, so I am looking very much forward to snacking on them at my leisure later.
posted by PearlRose at 8:38 AM on December 2, 2018 [2 favorites]

Dear Countess Elena
Your gift arrived while we were on vacation, and I didn’t open until I had sent to my Quonsee- which was yesterday.
Thanks everso much for the delightful package of edible snacks and chocolates. The chocolates were especially appropriate as we just got back from Vista, CA and will be hankering Mexican flavors Real Soon Now. I will report back on the other items as we delve into them.
I was assured by the shipping place that my gift will reach its intended in about a week, so hopefully next Saturday! I love Quonsmas.
posted by dbmcd at 8:46 AM on December 2, 2018 [3 favorites]

Hi lucy.jakobs! Thank you so much for the wonderful edible gifts. The parmesan cheese, sugar cookies, brownies, matcha cookies and chocolate bar were all lovely -- so lovely I promptly ate most of them in the past few days. I'm looking forward to trying the red pepper jam! Stellar quonsar all around. Have a great rest of the holiday.
posted by tooloudinhere at 9:21 AM on December 2, 2018 [2 favorites]

PearlRose, I am so glad the narwhal arrived intact! (I was a little afeared for it.) It's good to hear that the package brightened your day. I hope the mystery treats are decent, and you have a most excellent Quonsmas season.

(Definitely a hexopus!)
posted by minsies at 10:22 AM on December 2, 2018 [2 favorites]

If MovableBookLady is trying to send to me, I know it’s delayed, no worries! No need to reshop if you think it’s being returned.
My quonsar gift has arrived at the appropriate continent according to USPS tracking and is still en route to its final destination, the local things I sent are all somewhat historical and goofy in nature.
Also this thread is delightful, I love that everyone is getting happy stuff in the mail.
posted by tangaroo at 10:45 AM on December 2, 2018 [3 favorites]

Narrative Priorities,

Thank you so much for the game! The wrapping paper and the card were both delightful. We haven't had a chance to play the game yet, but the spouse and I both think it looks like a lot of fun and thank you in advance for the hours of enjoyment.
posted by Apoch at 12:19 PM on December 2, 2018 [3 favorites]

Thank you for the Weird European Candy, oceanjesse!
posted by jet_pack_in_a_can at 1:14 PM on December 2, 2018 [3 favorites]

Happy Quonsmas, sevenyearlurk. May your salad days be merry, bright, and Quonsy!

Schmoopiest of Quonsmases, everyone!
posted by angiep at 4:14 PM on December 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you Tface for the very thoughtful Quonsmas gifts! The lovely soft scarf in greens and blues will keep me warm this winter, and the old fashioned lemon drops look amazing, my mouth is watering just thinking about them -- yum! And I will soon get to work filling up that big new sketchbook! All three gifts are much appreciated. The kindness of strangers is a magical thing. Wishing you and everyone a wonderful Quonsmas season!
posted by Dibbery at 6:32 PM on December 2, 2018 [5 favorites]

Part 2 of the shipment to my Quonsee has been sent and should arrive by December 7. Part 1 is on track to arrive today. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 10:18 PM on December 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

Parcel now sent off, after some delay caused by stolen wallet...

I am nervous because I don't think I really got what quonsee described. But at least it was chosen and sent with best intentions.
posted by 15L06 at 4:04 AM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

15L06, stolen wallet situations really stink!

Don’t be nervous... the Magic of Quonsmas transforms your intentions into what is somehow the perfect gift, which your quonsee themselves may not have realized was Just What They Needed until holding it in their hands! Examples up thread already this year.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 5:37 AM on December 3, 2018 [7 favorites]

Suckpoppet!!! Your gigantic parcel (I can't imagine the postage fees) finally made it to my house despite Fedex's best efforts!

My wife and I fought over who got to open it (I prevailed, since she doesn't even have a MeFi account) and we recorded the unboxing in a very unglamorous "oh my god oh my god oh my god" video.

Thank you for the food - the tea loaf was fantastic, the fruit cake even batter! The coins will be used next year during Chinese New Year (it's actually a custom to give kids chocolate coins that don't taste very good, so these would be a significant upgrade) while the box and the packaging will be used to engineer my next secret santa glitter explosion.

Happy Quonsmas everybody!!
posted by appleses at 5:58 AM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

yeah the wallet theft was really stupid and the loss of money painful. Also I had no idea just how many things require use of a card these days... even posting off a parcel which here has been automated to machines in the post offices and can no longer be paid for in cash easily except certain branches of the postal services.

However, it also showed me the kindness of total strangers. The wallet itself with all those cards that have no value to a thief but lots of value to me such as my annual public transport pass, social security card (which in our country is equal to ID and no medical appointmensts possible without) plus umpteen other silly cards that are useful was actually found and is now in the mail to me, sent by a most kind stranger who bothered to google my name instead of tossing it.
posted by 15L06 at 6:00 AM on December 3, 2018 [8 favorites]

I sent a MeMail, and now that I've found this thread will post here too!

From waviolet, I received a set of watercolor brush pens to play with and a crinkly cow toy for Belle, who loves it!
posted by bookdragoness at 6:33 AM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Sent! Happy Belated Quonsmas to all!
posted by Sublimity at 6:43 AM on December 3, 2018

mmmbacon!!! Thank you so much! The purse was obviously handmade and FREAKING ADORABLE! I am in love. I adore the hand towels, the facemask will definitely be used, but THE SKULL JINGLE BELL!!!! I can't figure out where it is going, but I must be able to jingle it daily.

Love, love, love. Merry Quonsmas to you and yours!
posted by Sophie1 at 7:01 AM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you Munching Langolier! My quonsmas package arrived today just before I went to work. I received an awesome assortment of items: some s'mores chocolate, googly eyes, christmas crackers, a book of Mad Libs, and some crinkly toys for my kitty!

Pic of goodies here.

Kitty loves his toy!

Merry Quonsmas!
posted by cozenedindigo at 7:46 AM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

Sent my SQ's gift off this morning! And I received my gift sometime last week. I've set it aside to open the night we decorate our Christmas tree, which has become my SQ tradition. It's a great way to inaugurate the season. Can't wait to see what it is and who it's from!
posted by Miko at 8:49 AM on December 3, 2018

Yaaaay, Sophie1! I'm so happy you liked it!!!! Spooky Happy Quonmas hurray!
posted by mmmbacon at 9:54 AM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Having been felled by BGGConCrud (aka, the hacking plague) since Thanksgiving, all my grand Quonsmas plans remain unfulfilled. As I rejoin the world of the living today, I vow to get my package on its way by Wednesday.
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:10 AM on December 3, 2018

My main gift is en route but I need to get my butt in gear to send my little secondary gift with card.
posted by PussKillian at 10:38 AM on December 3, 2018

I think I have been quonsed! I received some lovely fancy-looking decaf mint chocolate coffee--just the thing for drinking with Christmas cookies. Thank you so much!!
posted by exceptinsects at 10:53 AM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

I was quonsed! I didn't see a MetaFilter handle anywhere on the package so I don't know who to thank, but I got a detective novel that I cannot wait to read and the Most Perfect Socks. They are, as the youths say, my aesthetic. Thank you, whoever you are!

[To my quonsee, I am on my way to the post office right now, and am paying the Quonsmas spirit forward by reusing the envelope my Quonsmas came in.]
posted by coppermoss at 11:02 AM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

After a delayed flight I came home slightly grumpy last night, only to find a package on my porch... Big thanks to advicepig who took my vague suggestions and came up with a box of local awesomeness that made my grumpiness evaporate. I'm not too proud to admit that I opened the jar of jam and stuck my finger in for a taste - it's delicious. The chocolate is right up my alley, and I've already informed friends and family that we'll be playing Pick-a-Seal. Thank you for the Quonsmas magic!
posted by Svenny at 11:29 AM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

Dear Smoke,

Thank you thank you THANK you for my Paragon messenger bag! I literally squeaked with delight when I opened the package! I didn't even know such a thing existed but it's absolutely perfect and I adore it. It came at just the right time to brighten a rough week. Joyous Quonsmas to you and thank you so much!!!
posted by oblique red at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Gemutlichkeit, so glad your gift got there OK, and that you liked it! I made a special trip to the Scandinavian store for the Dala horse - I felt bad that you didn't get one while you were in Sweden ; ) Happy Quonsmas!
posted by widdershins at 12:27 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! I was worried it was a bit of a gamble. :)
posted by smoke at 1:29 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

The magic of Quonsmas strikes again. My Secret Quonsar elected to remain secret and today delivered a package of an astonishing collection of wondrous goodies from the PNW. I am overwhelmed with how lovely and perfect this is. Thank you SO much! I can't wait to get into those chocolates, and Mabel and Dipper are already enjoying the adorable kitty toy (and wanted to run off with that awesome pouch, too). Merry Quonsmas to you, whoever you are, SQ!
posted by miratime at 1:47 PM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

Happy Quonsmas! I came home to find a package from my Secret Quonsar -- a giant octopus kite and a cat toy for my dog. No user name was included so I hope they see this public thank you! This kite is fantastic and the dog does love her new toy.
posted by maurice at 2:13 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Life has been very much A Lot lately but I came home today to cheering in the form of a package from jetlagaddict containing an absolutely perfect Quonsmas gift: a lovely and delicate Van Gogh irises mug (with an educational tag, I didn't know he'd painted these while in the asylum!), full of amazing-looking coffee chocolates, and a dark chocolate whiskey bar that I will be saving to enjoy after some stressful stuff next week. Thank you very much, jetlagaddict, you did such a perfect job!!
posted by SeedStitch at 2:56 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

exceptinsects, indeed you have! Glad you like the coffee - part 2 of the gift is on its way to you and should be there by Friday. (Guessing the gift message will be in that package!) : )
posted by SisterHavana at 3:30 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I lucked out and got the lovely jessypie. Thank you so much for the Chicago chocolate, honey, and tea! You've made my week!
posted by Stephanie Duy at 3:30 PM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

I HAVE BEEN QUONSED! Thank you so much, nolechick11! My orange cat Theo immediately climbed in the box to rub his face on and steal the catnip fish taco toys. The fluffy cat Tia also got her face rubs in. Now Theo is manically digging IN the box trying to eat the GINORMOUS bag of kitty treats you sent!

Plus, there is a FANTASTIC new mug with a little kitty painted inside, a good smelling candle, and a BEAUTIFUL paint by numbers kit I can't wait to get my detail loving eyeballs on.

Thank you so much! What a wonderful Quonsar!
posted by jillithd at 3:33 PM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

Thank you, aaanastasia for your awesome choices: local (to DC) hot sauce bear and indie graphic novel! My child already looks forward to regretting absconding with the hot sauce bear.
posted by palindromic at 4:14 PM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

Aw, quonsar, you made our day! Coconut is thrilled with ALL THE THINGS. I was trying to get a cute picture of him with the box, which confused him, and he wasn't sure whether he was allowed to just help himself so instead he tried to drop hints.

It's a crappy video but I promise it was a precious moment. And don't worry, it worked.
posted by mosst at 4:57 PM on December 3, 2018 [4 favorites]

I received my quonsarring package from Amazon today. Thank you TigerMoth for the kick-ass, and on theme poster. I can't wait to get my office back together and find a spot for it.
posted by DigDoug at 5:11 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

My present has arrived, and it's sure to be as great as the totally adorable taco-and-avocado wrapping paper! I'm waiting until Christmas to find out what's inside.
posted by Banknote of the year at 5:35 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I’ve had a horrible day (including a person in Target making me cry), and my secret quonsar gift from Kbar1 arrived almost as though it had been programmed to arrive right when I needed it most. These succulent themed goodies made my night.

❤️❤️❤️
posted by ocherdraco at 5:37 PM on December 3, 2018 [11 favorites]

already looks forward to regretting absconding with the hot sauce bear

This unexpected construction has a real ring of truth about it and totally just made my day.
posted by miles per flower at 5:37 PM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

I shipped my gift on time!
posted by theora55 at 5:50 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

And, having shipped my gifts, allowed myself to open my Quonsmas presents, a small honey bear (I have a collection) and a novel, The Monsters of Templeton. These gifts are delightful, just what I asked for, and ... anonymous. Spirit of Quonsmas, show yourself! so I can thank you.
posted by theora55 at 5:54 PM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

jillithd, I am so glad that you and the kitties like the gifts! Those fish tacos were very enticing. I caught Tec with his head in the bag after I got home from the store.
posted by Nolechick11 at 6:28 PM on December 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

I too have been Quonsed with some organic herbal beauty products from Maine! I was very excited to see the box sitting on my front step when I got home. Thank you so much OntologicalPuppy! I can't wait to use the facial steam because it smells sooooo wonderful.
posted by Nolechick11 at 6:35 PM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

My quonsee's gift is en route as of December 1, and USPS tells me it should arrive by December 7!

After a weekend away, I was thrilled to visit my building's mail room and see a non-Amazon box waiting for me! Said box was full of things related to my two great loves: books and chocolate! Thank you so much to bookmammal for the already enormously tempting Fannie May chocolates, which I am exerting copious willpower to not eat before my dinner, the bibliophile pins (how did you know I've been meaning to get more pins for my messenger/laptop bag???), the "Do What Makes You Happy" magnet, a tote bag (for more books, natch) and of course, a book! I'm looking forward to dipping into My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop, which will undoubtedly put a lot more places on my mental To Visit list. I already love the book's charming little illustrations of each bookstore!

Unwrapping each little gift to see the emerging theme was so fun! Thank you again so much, bookmammal :D Also, I'm not sure if this is the tote bag's intended message, but I'm amused that the quote on it of "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body" suggests I should fill the bag with books then like, do some nice bicep curls with said bag full of books. :D MAYBE I WILL and I will get swole via books. :D
posted by yasaman at 7:10 PM on December 3, 2018 [5 favorites]

I have received an absolutely delightful gift of tea, chocolate, and sweets from koucha! Really good tea is always such a revelation, isn't it?

I put my Quonsee's gift in the mail this morning, and sent them MeMail to let them know. I know that makes me officially past the deadline, but at least the gift is on its way.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:14 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

Well well, if that deadline didn’t just sail by while I was busy having a weekend! I put my quonsee’s gift in the mail today.
posted by Secretariat at 7:16 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have been Quonsed as well. Thank you, ChuraChura! The squirrel ornament is already hanging up (alongside a koala and a platypus since I just got home from Australia), and the tea looks delicious. The Scottish red squirrel sponsorship is wonderful...thanks!
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 7:24 PM on December 3, 2018 [3 favorites]

So on Saturday I had a head cold and I was working with some fresh sage from our yard when I noticed that I couldn't smell the sage at all. Others in my household confirmed that the odor of sage was permeating the entire house but I shoved my nose right up in there and smelled nothing. I cast my mind back to the last thing I remembered smelling. We were boarding a couple of Boston terriers - adorable, spunky and fragrantly flatulent creatures whose odor forced me from the living room just that morning.

Today, I opened a package from The Pink Superhero which contained, among other goodies, a tiny dog figurine that is a reasonable facsimile*of the dogs whose farts I briefly believed would be the last thing I ever smelled on this green earth.

Reader, I am pleased to tell you that I am now able to smell the tasty gummi bears and rich dark chocolate also included in my Quonsar gift. I'm looking forward to terrifying our next doggie guests while wearing the unicorn facial mask.

Thank you, The Pink Superhero!

My Quonsee's gift is scheduled to arrive this evening, but knowing USPS could be tomorrow.

*I think the figurine is a French bulldog, but the coloring is right, so close enough.
posted by rekrap at 7:50 PM on December 3, 2018 [6 favorites]

yasaman—I’m so glad you got the package! I kept getting very confusing tracking emails and thought the box was headed back to me because of an “undeliverable address”.
Use the tote bag as you wish— but I do think that the very best exercise is leaving a bookstore or library carrying a heavy bag of books!
posted by bookmammal at 8:00 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I too put my Quonsee's gift in the mail today. Will keep an eye on tracking.
posted by Altomentis at 11:54 PM on December 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

This year, PostNL has decided to up the ante on delivery tracking tension: my app says that my Quonsee's package will be delivered between 7-12 December, but the international tracking website denies the tracking number exists. Everything is also labeled with massive warning boxes because they got totally overwhelmed by BF/CM/pakjesavond deliveries this year, the posties have been upset about understaffing for months, and so what would normally be delivered next day is being delivered 3-5 days later. So ... stay tuned for more As The Parcel Ships, right after this message from our sponsors.
posted by sldownard at 12:07 AM on December 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

sldownard, that makes me happy to know I evaded PostNL completely, by going to the neighbours and shipping from Germany! I shipped it without any tracking, so that cuts down on page refreshes on my end. On the other hand, I have no idea when my Quonsée can expect their gift. In any case, most likely not this week.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:47 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have been wonderfully Quonsed today by Megustalations, who sent me this most marvellous book and a gorgeous card, all the way from Norway. The book pings my sense of humour exactly, so I couldn't be happier with my gift.

Thank you, Megustalations!
posted by essexjan at 5:31 AM on December 4, 2018 [5 favorites]

When quonsmastime rolls around I always get far too excited by the opportunity to send off some ridiculous nonsense to an internet stranger (although at this point I'd hesitate to describe my delightful three-year running quonsee as a stranger!) that I forget that someone is going to send me something as well.

Then I find a mysterious box and get confused.
Well, today was that day!

Inside the box were a nice letter, a nice card and three beautifully wrapped gifts.
They were so nicely wrapped that I really really thought I would put them under the Christmas tree that I don't yet have and wait with great anticipation until Christmas day.
Well, you and I know that I was never going to succeed in doing that. Approximately four seconds after thinking that I tore into them to get to their juicy innards.

And what innards! What delights await!
1) A curious Scandinavian device for dismembering cheese!
(to be completely honest with you, I have a chunk of danes in my family, and so ever since I was a child I've been greatly puzzled why no one in Britain has a cheese slicer. My family has always had cheese slicers. The best part of the gift is the acknowledgement (in the accompanying letter) that IT IS WIERD THAT BRITISH PEOPLE DON'T HAVE CHEESE SLICERS!. Anyway, this new quonsmas slicer will replace my old one which has a handle that is falling apart and keeps falling off and that I have never quite gotten around to replacing.)

2) A rather pretty vintage notepad.
(I will use it ostentatiously for writing down my most profound thoughts.)

3) Last and most bestest of all. A book about a subject very dear to my heart.
(Once, a while ago, on a trip to Belfast for literally no sensible reason I was in an airport Wetherspoons with some friends. I was tired, it was early, so I asked the barmaid "Can I just have, like, a bunch of sausages". She took pity on me, seeing I was not particularly capable of any elaboration and sent to my table a bowl of 7 hot sausages. The friends with me are aware of my love of sausages and wanted to know (in the manner of some hypothetical Faustian pact) how many sausages I'd trade our friendship for. I wanted to indicate how much they meant to me so suggested some pretty high number. This was apparently a trick question because the answer was apparently "No amount of sausages" but, c'mon, let's be honest here, everyone has their price. So now I'm known as that guy who would trade friendship for sausages. And y'know what. They're right. I would. If the sausage price was high enough and contained some nice fancy ones. I would. Anyway, I want it to be very clear that I will treasure this "Book of sausages" by Antony and Araminta Hippisley Coxe. I vow now to attempt to eat EVERY SAUSAGE TYPE mentioned in this book. Yes! Yes I will!*)


*Actually this book is phenomenal.
Check this out:

FÅREPØLSE
A sausage made of mutton, beef and goat meat, cured in sugar, salt and alcohol.

That sounds amazing.

Armadillo Sausage
...According to Theodora FitzGibbon's Food of the western world Armadillo sausage was once very popular in parts of Texas.... 1.8kg Armadillo meat, finely minced, to 450g breadcrumbs. Seasoned with AllSpice, chopped sage, whole black peppercorns and salt. If this mixture is put into large casings it is smoked; if put into small casings it is fried or grilled or boiled.

dear Texas MeFites. If anyone can send me some Armadillo sausage (or I guess, just a few Armadillos in a box and I'll sort the rest out myself) I would be incredibly grateful.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:34 AM on December 4, 2018 [19 favorites]

Working at home day and very pleased to have my postman (or post elf today it turns out) knock on my door with an international package. Many thanks to bettafish, a swiss army knife, personalised with my MeFi name has already joined romakimmy's 2016 talisman against evil on my key ring. It combines a pen, nail file and tweezers, amongst other things I regularly have to wait to get home to use. I feel thoroughly cheered by it. Thanks also for the lovely printed post card, our first arrival of the season! Excellent choices.
posted by biffa at 6:49 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just this guy, y'know: I'm glad to know the box arrived in good time, and that the book is providing some inspiration!
posted by misteraitch at 6:59 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

I'm so hungry for sausages right now!
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 7:04 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Oh, I forgot to mention the origami birds that bettafish included too! Thanks for a very thoughtful gift!
posted by biffa at 7:26 AM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I've been quonsed by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat!

It arrived yesterday in a big heap of mail that's been on hold at the post office while I was out of town and didn't have the energy to sort through last night. I'm not going to get into it because the details are obnoxious, but trust that I have had a real shit week month and it was so nice to open this gift this morning on the first day I've had in a while that feels like I've got time to breathe. Ahhh.

First up is a box of orange spice black tea. Kleenex, you'd have no way of knowing this but I have a jam advent calendar I'm going through this month. December 4 was...orange cinnamon jam. This tea for this day is perfect.

Next is a really cool nesting sun and moon. Not only are they pretty to look at, they also have a nice weight and make a really satisfying tumble noise when they're nested. New desk accessory!

And finally is a hilarious dinosaur puppet I've already used to terrorize my dog several times today despite the early hour. He's napping now but I think he'll be ready to go another round before lunch.

Thank you!
posted by phunniemee at 8:09 AM on December 4, 2018 [13 favorites]

coppermoss, I am your mystery gifter! I totally spaced on the labeling bit, but I'm so glad you like the socks! I read the book earlier this year and adored it - I hope you enjoy!!
posted by okayokayigive at 10:14 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay phunimee!!!!!! I'm so glad it all got there and you love it. I knew you would enjoy the dino puppet especially! Happy Quonsmas.
posted by KleenexMakesaVeryGoodHat at 10:29 AM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have been quonsared! Morpeth has sent me an excellent series of sketches of Irish cottages. Opening it has made my day cheerful.
posted by Gilgongo at 11:00 AM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

My Quonsmas gift is so good! It's a big box full of pretty smaller boxes, with a fancy chocolate bar and beard-care products and a bunch of awesome enamel pins (including some from her personal collection) and some cool stickers and an astonishing collection of postcards (seems to be a shared interest). Thanks, ocherdraco!
posted by box at 11:57 AM on December 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

I sent mine out over the weekend to Canada and as I was filling out the customs forms, I thought that was spoil the surprise by writing the contents on it and in a moment of thought, I wrote
"cortex biography and EyeBrowsMcgee shirt".

Either way, I was a bit ignorant of how long it'd long take, I thought my giftee's location in Canada was closer to me, so the USPS told me 7-10 days if I recall correctly. It also may get hung up because it's wrapped in a brown paper bag and red duct tape (the color duct tape I have) so it may look, ahem, unintentionally suspicious.
posted by fizzix at 12:29 PM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Dearest Secret Quonsar: I wish I knew who you were, so I could thank you properly for the lovely tea! I'm looking for ways to relax during the crazy holidays, and this will be a wonderful impetus to do just that!
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 12:53 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I received my quonsar gift all the way from Singapore, and it even arrived on my birthday! It included a delightful assortment of the edible (candy!), the whimsical (googly eyes! little country flag erasers! Public Utilities Board propaganda stickers!), and an awesome Eisner-award winning comic book, The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. Thanks, appleses!
posted by jedicus at 1:02 PM on December 4, 2018 [5 favorites]

I’m so sorry dear Quonsee, I’m behind schedule. I got hitched and went on honeymoon, and got part of your gift there, but I want to add another thing to it and the shop opening hours don’t mesh with my working hours until the stars align on Thursday. So rest assured it will be on its way then I promise!!
posted by billiebee at 1:41 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Happy birthday jedicus!
posted by ellieBOA at 2:09 PM on December 4, 2018

I have been quonsed! I think? I participate in a few online gift exchanges of mystery... If this dazzling assortment of goodies indeed came from my quonsort, please step forward to accept my thanks! That jerky is being devoured right now. The kale stripper, seriously, I eat tons of greens and it looks so handy! And that most Canadian touch of all, the little Crown Royal bag. Perfection!
posted by Freyja at 2:30 PM on December 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

Ah, I borked my link! Here is the fine comic anthology and hot sauce bear of anticipated regret! Thanks again, aaanastasia!
posted by palindromic at 2:48 PM on December 4, 2018 [5 favorites]

thivaia, I came home to your package just now. Thank you very much--I'm filled with that exciting new pen and new notebook feeling. You've done well with my "I don't like stuff and I don't like food" guidance.
posted by hoyland at 2:56 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

I got quonsed! Aaaah! It finally happened but maybe a few days ago since I had to visit the delivery location but today I did! I’m really excited but will probably wait a few days and reward myself during the holiday card endeavor.
posted by itesser at 3:01 PM on December 4, 2018

Arrived home just in time to see our mail carrier engrossed in a futile attempt at tetris-manouevering a package into my mailbox. It’s QUONSMAS! Thank you, Secret Quonsar, for the fascinating book and adorable kitty stickees! I’m extending the anticipation by Bravely Resisting Opening those other so-cute packages until another day (or at least until I can’t stand the suspense) and will post a photo after I’ve opened everything. Thank you SO MUCH! (It’s a known truth in my family, so much that it’s become a rote warning to newbies: never give Nancy a book first. You’ll lose her for the evening. So I’m going to TRY nit to burn dinner. But we’ll see.)

It’s been a challenging season for us, to end a challenging year. Your thoughtfulness and perfect-so-far gifts have really brightened my holiday. Thank you so much! I couldn’t find your mefi handle in the things I’ve opened so far, but rest assured you’ve made me very happy, Secret Quonsar. And there are still Cool Things Yet to Unwrap! Yay Quonsmas!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:09 PM on December 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

I got mine today! The original bird art pieces are beautiful! I put them in a special place so that I’ll see them often (my bathroom, they are in my bathroom). Thank you whoever you are!

I hope my gift gets where it’s going soon!
posted by oomny at 3:10 PM on December 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

I received an absolutely fascinating mug that I cannot wait to use! I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather and I cannot wait to drink some nice warm tea out of it before bed. Thank you so much mystery secret quonsar!!!
posted by firei at 3:29 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hoyland you sneaky sneaky person, you! However did you manage to keep a straight face when I brought up the topic of Secret Quonsar at the last Mefi Knitting meetup?!

I set aside a box that looked suspiciously like another Amazon box, and let it sit for two days until getting around to opening it today, expecting a shipment of shampoo or swiffer wipes or something. Well instead, it’s a lovely hank of Shetland wool in a delicious purpley pinky green speckle, and a handmade project bag! Stash entry here. I love them, and you’re the tops!
posted by Liesl at 3:47 PM on December 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

I have opened a most spectacular package of Quonsmas cheer from hansbrough! And though I am not the first to say so, it WAS just exactly what I needed today. (This morning at the office I discovered a mouse in my [tall] mug in a couple inches of coffee. Probably stuck all night in there, but alive. And hopefully doing fine now where he was left. And also I destroyed that mug which was almost a vessel of death. And the workday did not improve later.)

But everything is most excellent now with this wonder of perfect items including toys for the dogs (they both demanded them immediately as I tried to cut off tags and then they mad dashed around the place with them), adorable things, delicious things and the Dissent Collar pin! Oh yeah and those toy tools? PENS! LOL! Thank you so much hansbrough! You seriously made my day and probably the whole month. :)
posted by Glinn at 3:56 PM on December 4, 2018 [5 favorites]

Today is the day !!

Today is the day I received a lovely package from the lovely Wellred with a thumb drive full of beautiful jazz music (that I had not heard before, thank you !!!) as well as handfuls of chocolate, oh my goodness chocolate kisses, chocolate dots and chocolate crisps a chocolate tree and NOM a chocolate caramel santa. Yaaasss!!

What a lovely Quonsmas indeed, thank you so much dear Wellred. ❤️
posted by seawallrunner at 4:39 PM on December 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Got my Quonsmas present this past week. Some new pretty dice for D&D, and an adorable chest to keep them in! Love it!!!!!! Merry Quonsmas, secret Quonsar :)
posted by triage_lazarus at 5:32 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

My SQ's gift is en route! I just dropped an accompanying card in the box but it probably won't mail out til Thursday since the post is getting George Bush'd tomorrow, but hopefully everything will be in hand by Monday.

I'm pretty pleased...my quonsee has a few very specific interests that gave me not one but two nice ways to mash them up. NOW TO WAIT.
posted by phunniemee at 5:56 PM on December 4, 2018

Aaahhh seawallrunner I am so happy the package made it. Enjoy!! And thank you for the opportunity to hear lots of new songs.
posted by wellred at 5:58 PM on December 4, 2018 [1 favorite]

Dear “Santa Quonsa,” thank you so much for the GIANT book of paper crafts, paper-related craft inspiration, and random nifty paper stuff, all of which is going to take me a good five years to get through; the vintage French Marvel mag which is hilariously titled “Spidey” without having a Spider-Man story inside (but does have a very early Captain Marvel appearance from when she was the first Captain Marvel’s sidekick!); and most of all, the adorable Secret Quonsar-themed poem customized to my interests!! I have been having a real Mess of a week but you have no idea how much getting your package picked me up. Especially since your eco-friendly gift wrap game is incredible and it took me ten minutes to unwrap because I had to ooh and ahh at how nicely everything was put together. Unfortunately the Mess continues which is why this post is dubiously coherent but seriously thank you!!! ♥ ♥ ♥
posted by bettafish at 6:28 PM on December 4, 2018 [4 favorites]

Thank you for the pickling solution kayram!! I can’t wait to use it.
posted by griphus at 7:45 PM on December 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have been quonsed and spectacularly so! vert canard, you absolute star! I love it, it's beautiful.

I have informed my family that I'm off to join a cult. Thanks for the detailed directions :)
posted by h00py at 8:28 PM on December 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

Janell, you lovely person you! I got my package today, which made an up and down day much better, allowing me to end on an up note. Thank you so much for the super nice card and sweet greeting, and for the gifts that were exactly up my alley! An absurdly beautiful cotton scarf also used as wrapping, plus a handwoven overshot card - in my favorite color! I'm impressed that you got the Swedish name for the weaving! Then there was some oolong tea I can’t wait to brew in the nice gaiwan. Oh man, how did you know that I’ve always wanted to own one!? Truly, my gaiwan floweth over!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I do hope that we get to meet one day!
posted by gemmy at 8:42 PM on December 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

Oh man, I was sure I thanked One Smart Monkey publically, but nooooooooo. I must not have hit the Post Comment button. There's always at least one every year, but you'd think I'd have learned from past year's examples.

I got a lovely box of Pacific Northwest goodies including confections, meats, and cheese, GLORIOUS CHEESE. We had a ceremonial tasting, and then a ceremonial devouring approximately 30 seconds later! It was all delicious and a lovely treat. Again, I point out that I GOT CHEESE. Cheese that was new to me! It was a beautiful thing!
posted by julen at 8:57 PM on December 4, 2018 [6 favorites]

Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer I am really happy you received the package. I totally blanked on adding my username to the note (November is always my hell month, by the end of it I am lucky if I remember my own name). I hope you enjoy ALL of the goodies. Happy Quonsmas!
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:41 AM on December 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

This morning I was so excited to figure out that my mail room had notified me YESTERDAY that I had a delivery and I somehow missed the message. Box has been retrieved and is getting the day to rest under my tree (to let me relish the anticipation). I'm so excited to come home to open it!
posted by beccasaurus at 6:15 AM on December 5, 2018

I'm getting a little nervous because my local post office sometimes has bad habit of mis-delivering packages...I'm in one of five similar-looking brownstones in a row, and we go through waves of mail for the building next door being delivered to my own building. It goes in waves, and usually stops after a couple weeks.

But it's started up again (four packages for the building next door over the past couple days) and now I'm worried that things for me may be lurking in other buildings...so, this is a subtle warning to my Quonser that you may want to track the package to see whether it claims that it was delivered yet, and if so, follow up with the post office to re-direct if possible.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:33 AM on December 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

My recipient's gift was due to be delivered today, but I suspect that the post office closures will push it to tomorrow. Hopefully that is the only hiccup in the delivery process!
posted by miratime at 7:14 AM on December 5, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yesterday was looking pretty lukewarm until I got home to this package from kimberussell! I can't wait to use the mix and cookbook, and the smell of the candle was a nice way to end the day! Thank you again!
posted by bookwibble at 8:27 AM on December 5, 2018 [3 favorites]

Akhu, thank you so much! It was such a delight to open the package and realize it was Quonsmas time! I loved your hand painted card, it’s so happy and it is displayed proudly on my mantel. I am always looking for new coffees to try and this one looks and smells wonderful! Thanks also so much for the magnet - it’s awesome and colorful and gives my fridge much more character than it had before. Thanks again and I hope that you have a really wonderful Quonsmas season! 🤘😎🤘
posted by machinecraig at 9:26 AM on December 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just checked my tracking # again, and it looks as if delivery has been delayed. It was originally supposed to be delivered on Dec. 4, but now it shows as still in transit, with no new delivery date specified.
posted by Annabelle74 at 9:27 AM on December 5, 2018

Yay, Dibbery! I put the wrong handle (Tface) on the package but glad you got it! Happy Quonsar :)
posted by Twicketface at 10:19 AM on December 5, 2018

Ooh. A package. It has a Grinch on the box. I didn’t order a Grinch? Oh yes! I have been Quonsed! Under the tree it goes.
posted by tel3path at 11:30 AM on December 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you, SisterHavana!! The second part arrived and is fantastic Frango chocolate mints to go with the coffee (also Frango-flavored)! I'd never heard of Frangos before but I am now a convert. Merriest of Quonsmases to you and yours!
posted by exceptinsects at 11:50 AM on December 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

Came home early and was excited to see a package outside my door. Thank you, coppermoss! I first saw the washi tape (squee!) and then the box of homemade snickerdoodles (cannot wait to try them!) - but the best thing was the Anne of Green Gables graphic novel. Wow - it blew me away. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and Happy Quonsmas!

Also, seeing the addresses of who I sent things to and who I received things from, I am imagining this amazing spiderweb of packages and thoughts mapped out across the globe. Such a wonderful thing to be a part of!
posted by jilloftrades at 12:45 PM on December 5, 2018 [7 favorites]

Huge thanks to my most excellent Quonsar, bowtiesarecool! In these truly, exceptionally great Darn Tough socks, my feet will be so, so happy, whether in France or wherever else I may roam. I'll have the pleasure of recalling Quonsmas whenever I wear them... which will be often! Looking forward to the postcard you mentioned, too! Thank you so much!!
posted by daisyace at 2:07 PM on December 5, 2018 [3 favorites]

Thanks so much from the frozen east to the frozen north, Monster_zero! I love artisan crafts, and the gifts you sent were perfect. The string bear reminds me of California, where I grew up,and I remember making (much uglier) string art as a kid. The feather sculpture is going in my office as well - to remind me to get more writing done.
posted by Philbo at 3:00 PM on December 5, 2018 [3 favorites]

deezil, I got your package a few days ago, but with the rush of the semester ending, I am just now getting to the point where I can say thank you for your lovely gifts. The candle and the spices will be put to excellent use, the horseshoe is already above a doorway (how did you know it is a thing in my family?!) and the grass will go on my patio in the spring. I most deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness and the little patch of Kentucky I got in the mail. Happy Quonsmas to you. Best wishes and good health in the new year.
posted by oflinkey at 3:52 PM on December 5, 2018 [4 favorites]

Y'all, I have been quonsed, and it has been the super raddest! I received the blackest of black pyropet kitties. It makes my nugget of a black kitty loving heart so very, very happy. Thank you, quonsor, for making this holiday season epic. I can't even begin to tell you how very much I love this gift.
posted by batbat at 5:08 PM on December 5, 2018 [6 favorites]

I was Quonsed yesterday by the wonderful initapplette! How funny that this is a countrywide swap and yet you're practically my neighbor. She chose an adorable little planner from the V&A Museum, a Decomposition notebook, a lovely card and a gift card to my favorite local bookstore, Porter Square Books! Thank you so much for your thoughtful gift, and I love that you beautifully wrapped each individual gift.
posted by peacheater at 5:14 PM on December 5, 2018 [7 favorites]

A late Thank You post to my Secret Quonsar. I had asked for food or book club suggestions. Here is me and my book club eating the lovely banana bread that was sent
posted by BobtheThief at 5:21 PM on December 5, 2018 [7 favorites]

I was Quonsed on Monday! I waited until today to open the box, because it was clearly a great box, and I wanted time to appreciate it.

It's like homelystar got inside my head. I nearly bought these wilderness survival flashcards at REI this summer! Fortunately I survived the year's misadventures. But next year, I'll be even better prepared. Thank you, homelystar!
posted by MrBobinski at 5:54 PM on December 5, 2018 [4 favorites]

Why did I wait to open my gift from the creative and resourceful librarylis? Perhaps so I could stoke anticipation--and I was richly rewarded! A fellow librarian, she decided to warm the cockles of this cataloger's heart by assigning a Library of Congress call number to each of the enclosed gadgets and gifties (and though she professed to be 'hilariously bad' at this activity, her numbering choices checked out, earning her a stamp of approval!). Packed in a publisher's box, my gifts are as follows:

-- A Song for the River (book) = SD 421.25 = Forestry--Forest fires and wildfires--Biography
--Tube squeezers = T39 = Technology (General)
--Go Fish playing cards = LB1029 = Theory and practice of education--Instructional systems
--Mini ornaments = TT900 = Handicrafts--Decorations for special events
--Decomposition notebook = Z251 = Book trade--Specimen books
--Astronaut bandages = RC86.7 = Internal medicine--First Aid
--Mini carabiner = GV200.19 = Outdoor recreation--Mountaineering
--Travel mug from the UH Libraries = TP659 = Bottling. Bottler's machinery and supplies

Thank you thank you, librarylis! My gratitude and admiration is your due. :-D
posted by initapplette at 6:25 PM on December 5, 2018 [22 favorites]

Thank you Puss Killian for the groovy vintage hand shaped salad forks! I haven't made a salad yet but I did attempt a Home Alone homage!
posted by vespabelle at 6:55 PM on December 5, 2018 [6 favorites]

Still secret quonsar: thank you so much for the perfect box of things I never would have found on my own and love so much! How did you know that square plates are so much more awesome than round ones? How did you find the most adorable owl plate that also met my really fussy dinnerwear requirements (small and appliance-safe)? How did you find the most adorable ferocious sugar dinosaurs on sticks, which are both precious and lollipops? How did you find the perfect, bite-sized, on message, packable book of inspiration to support me through the end of my PhD? Thank you so much for the spot-on gifts!
posted by beccasaurus at 7:43 PM on December 5, 2018 [5 favorites]

Vespabelle, I’m so glad you got them and hopefully like them! Your description of your likes sent me rummaging through a few of my favorite antique stores (one of which is guarded by a chubby lovable Siamese named Simone that I will take any opportunity to visit) but nothing I found seemed to fit. Etsy to the rescue and they made me laugh so I hope they are both practical and amusing for you!

I have another small card and present that will go to you when I can remember to pack it!
posted by PussKillian at 8:37 PM on December 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

I feel like I'm breaking some kind of Secret Quonsar code here because I actually had a pretty excellent day and then I came home to discover I had been quonsed. Clinging to the Wreckage, thank you so much for the awesome goodies!

In my guidance, I asked for a book that my quonsar had read and enjoyed, figuring that this vague direction would surely lead to receiving something amazing and well outside my usual reading habits. I can already tell this book will not disappoint, and - bonus - it's by MeFi's Own Mchelly! So cool! I also asked for anything local, which turned out to be great because my quonsar is from Minnesota, and I've never been there but have spent a bit of time thinking about Minnesota lately because (spoilers?) my quonsee is also from there. (Like I thought about some cute socks I saw but refrained because what do I, a San Franciscan, know of socks?? Yes, I know, eponysterical.) So, there's a mug from Caribou Coffee that says "Oh fer fun", which I am assured several of my quonsar's family members say without a hint of irony or derision, but I had to look it up. Oh, fer cute! I am also a sucker for anything with a map (or silhouette of a state) on it, and aside from what's on it, this mug is kind of my platonic ideal of a mug. Like it's a good size and weight and has a good handle and everything. Then there are Nut Goodies from Pearson's, where my quonsar's grandmother worked back in the day. (Fun fact: at the other end of the U.S. climate spectrum, my mom worked at the Dole pineapple cannery when she was a teenager.) And a local paper that I forgot to take a picture of in my excitement.

This is my first year participating in Secret Quonsar, and it's pretty much as great as you all have said. Things just arrive! From the internet! And I get to do a bit of armchair travel and get to know some cool MeFites. Hooray!
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:10 PM on December 5, 2018 [10 favorites]

Huh. I wonder how many other Nut Goodie treats were mailed for this year’s SQ. We are at least at two (which seems noteworthy for regional candy).
posted by janell at 10:50 PM on December 5, 2018 [2 favorites]

My Quonsbox is here! I'm delighted to report that my Quonser also reused a box.

And WOW. I'm an explosion of hearts right now! I was hoping for visual art and local-to-my-quonser stuff and . . .

Dibbery sent me:
-some gorgeous artwork that they made! I'm so excited to hang the print and the watercolor. And I put the magnets on the fridge already
-some local maple syrup, which I'm going to put on everything . . . And I'll probably sip it straight from the bottle >:)

Thank you so much! And thank you also for the PP sticker and chocolate. I am just so pleased and heartwarmed. Metafilter is a good place.
posted by meemzi at 11:42 PM on December 5, 2018 [5 favorites]

Just got an absolutely wonderful Quonsar package from oflinkey: beautiful (and practical!) tea towels, a snow globe (which really gets me in the holiday spirit), and pint glass from the local brewery. The best part is that they all represent something about her town. Exactly what I was hoping for!

Happy Quonsar, everyone!
posted by CMcG at 6:01 AM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

behold the quonsmas bounty i received yesterday from exceptinsects! everything is in perfect alignment with my interests, right down to the card. the wee animals will go on my desk, the fun stickers will go on my laptop, and the yarn will be great for some sturdy winter accessories. half of the krispie treats have already gone in my belly ;) and the adorable sheep plushie arrived just in time to be my secret cheering section for a talk i was a little nervous about giving yesterday at work. thank you so much, and a merry quonsmas to you too!!
posted by bunnysquirrel at 8:16 AM on December 6, 2018 [4 favorites]

h00py, I am so so so happy! Sending postal mail from Canada to Australia works, theoretically, of course, but it just seemed so many kilometers. This week has been about trying to not reload this page too often. So glad it all worked out. :-)

Happy doodling!!
posted by vert canard at 9:14 AM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm glad you liked it sunset in snow country! I am always nervous sending Quonsmas packages. I thought that The Norma Gene hit a mix of your preferred genres and I really did get a big kick out of it when I read it.

Huh. I wonder how many other Nut Goodie treats were mailed for this year’s SQ.

It's because they're so tasty! Personally I really prefer Salted Nut Rolls but the general preference seems to be for Nut Goodies so I usually give those as gifts. It's one of those things from my childhood that was seemingly everywhere but I later found out was very local. LaCroix is another example and it's kind of funny hearing people talk about it like a fancy new thing.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 9:36 AM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

AAAAH MY QUONSEE'S GIFT IS SITTING ON THEIR PORCH
posted by phunniemee at 9:38 AM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

According to the tracking my qonsees parcel was delivered this morning.
posted by 15L06 at 9:46 AM on December 6, 2018

Huh. I wonder how many other Nut Goodie treats were mailed for this year’s SQ.

It's because they're so tasty!

Can confirm! I was eating my first one as I read this comment, haha. It was delicious.

My quonsee's package is out for delivery!
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:27 AM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

My Quonsee's gift was delivered at 4.50pm their time today!!
posted by essexjan at 10:41 AM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Clinging to the Wreckage: I am always nervous sending Quonsmas packages.

Oh my dog, yes, me too. Is it good enough, will they like it? Do they even enjoy handcrafted things, or will they just secretly think I'm too cheap to buy stuff? Did I spend enough time on it? Is it silly / childish? Is the packaging sufficient? Did I write the address clearly? Will it arrive at all or is it lost forever? Will I even ever find out?
Etc. etc. ad infinitum.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:46 AM on December 6, 2018 [13 favorites]

I'm anxious about mine too! I'm not sure how other people gave such amazing gifts within the suggested price limit, it makes my Quonsee's gifts seem modest, but I hope they enjoy them.
posted by ITheCosmos at 10:55 AM on December 6, 2018 [5 favorites]

I’ve received a wide variety of Quonsmas gifts over the years—some bought, some handmade, sometimes one gift, sometimes several gifts—and I can honestly say that I have loved and enjoyed every gift I’ve received! For me it’s the simple idea of getting a package in the mail from someone who took the time and effort to choose something they thought I would like. That’s what I love about Quonsmas!
And as for the price limits—coupons, sales, thrift shops, and employee discounts are your friends!
posted by bookmammal at 11:13 AM on December 6, 2018 [15 favorites]

essexjan, you really went above and beyond in making my Quonsmas wishes come true! When I wrote about my 'serious popcorn addiction' in the guidelines, little did I know that my horizons would be expanded by Marmite flavoured popcorn (I've never had Marmite), mince pie flavoured popcorn, and caramel & mirin & soya & sesame flavoured popcorn. Add to that the toffee from where you grew up, the Christmas tea, and the most adorably British tree decorations, and I am just the happiest quonsee! Thank you :)
posted by rawrberry at 11:38 AM on December 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Depending on the desires of my quonsee, I will pad their package with new/like-new things that I have acquired over time and set aside for gifting. This is usually things made from/actual balls of yarn I fell in love with but never found a project for, cool stationary, notebooks and/or pen sets I bought in an organization binge and promptly forgot about, and things I just plain couldn't pass up because someone I know will surely love them.
But seriously, it's mostly yarn. So much yarn, ya'll. I have a yarn problem. I'll use it all eventually, I swear!
_{my precioussssssss}
posted by ApathyGirl at 11:42 AM on December 6, 2018 [6 favorites]

rawrberry, I am so happy everything arrived safely. The taste of Marmite is unusual. You will either love it or hate it. There's no in between.

And you'll see from the popcorn catalogue that they deliver all their amazing flavours to Europe. I had fun choosing ones that you might not have tried before, but sent the catalogue anyway so you can try them all!

Merry Quonsmas!
posted by essexjan at 11:58 AM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

on my phone and the ferry workers are looking grumpy, so more later, including a photo, but many thanks to my anonymous quonsar for the very and literally cool print!
posted by maxwelton at 1:42 PM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Tuesday night I was running around tossing clothes into a suitcase for a conference I was attending on Wednesday and today when a HUGE box was delivered to my door. I saw the return address and squeaked! Because FORKING A! I was quonsed by MetaFilter's own bondcliff!

I mentioned in my profile that I liked The Good Place, and HOLY SHIRT did he take that concept and run with it. (Instagram photo gallery)

I received three handmade wooden frames, one (maple) with the comforting "Welcome! Everything is fine." message from the waiting room, one (purpleheart to match purple outfit) frame with Janet and the other (mahogany) with Bad Janet. But look closer. The frames have push buttons. When you push the button, Janet talks! EEE! Look even closer. Bad Janet's button is black and Good Janet's is white. He also included instructions on how to re-record sound if I ever get tired of the Janets. (nope!) The card tallies up my good and bad deeds.

Plus, I received my own piece of the literal Blockchain. (Spanish cedar and wenge) The gift of a comfortable retirement...ahhh...

The craftsmanship is superb, the wood smells amazing, but the thought & execution were ... divine! Thank you bondcliff. +556.32 to your score!

Fact: I watched bits and pieces of this being assembled on Twitter and I was jealous, which probably takes more off of my score.
posted by kimberussell at 1:50 PM on December 6, 2018 [26 favorites]

I came home to find another Amazon package this time with a metal spinning top. There was no name or message, so I'm assuming it was an additional gift from my Secret Quonsar. Thank you!
posted by maurice at 2:16 PM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay, bunnysquirrel, I'm so pleased you liked it!

(and for those wondering how people get around the price limit, I bought the plushie but most of the rest was things I already had around the house--regifting is your friend!)
posted by exceptinsects at 2:45 PM on December 6, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have received a beautiful tote bag with the counties of Maine on it- from ??? because apparently I am not allowed to open the accompanied note with a rebus on it until another part of my gift arrives! I shall obey my mysterious instructions! So for now, whomever I am supposed to thanked will be un-thanked until the second part arrives and I am allowed to open the note! Thank you mysterious Quonsar- I like the tote bag a great deal! Maine is great!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 3:05 PM on December 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Omg the fabulous redrawturtle got me PUSHEENS! And all in a series of adorably decorated boxes, with handmade paper snowflakes. I am so delighted! Thank you so much, redrawturtle, and high fives all around on a successful Canada/US swap trial! Aahhh these stickers are so cute I am going to stick them all over everything I own
posted by capricorn at 3:17 PM on December 6, 2018 [7 favorites]

Wow, what a Quonsmas! Many thanks to the stitch-savvy esoterrica and her kitchen-crafty husband saeculorum! My package arrived earlier this week, and I opened it last night to find a hand-embroidered piece comprised almost entirely of lovely French knots and an enormous jar of homemade granola brimming with nuts and fruits. I will be petting the embroidery hoop gingerly until I decide where to hang it, and then attaching the jar of granola to my face like a feed bag-- it's delicious! Happiness all around, and merry Quonsmas!
posted by stardustbunny at 3:27 PM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

I arrived home this afternoon to discover a mysterious FedEx box from Long Beach, California, addressed to me! I dutifully fed the cat, then got scissors and gleefully went to town on the box.

Inside I found not one, not two, but THREE bars of the most delectable looking custom made artisinal chocolate from Romeo Chocolates of Long Beach. Gorgeous stuff!

Thank you Secret Quonsar from the bottom of my chocolate loving heart! May your Quonsmas be merry and bright!
posted by halfbuckaroo at 3:31 PM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Glad you like it maxwelton! There were some issues with USPS so the shop mailed a second copy yesterday. Not sure which one actually got to you, but you shouldn't be surprised if another shows up
posted by Is It Over Yet? at 3:46 PM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Glad you enjoyed it, Kimberussell! Sorry about the terrible wrapping job. I was deathly afraid the Janet buttons would somehow get pushed inadvertently during transit and they'd either arrive chirping away or the Department of Homeland Security would detonate them.

And yeah, since we're Twitter buddies I had fun tweeting little teases while I was building them.

Since you were my Quonsar a couple of years ago I'm curious who else has had their Quonsar become their Quonsee or vice-versa.
posted by bondcliff at 4:00 PM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Well, my quonsee, the package hasn't returned yet, so I'm going to put together another little bundle and send it off. If all goes well here (what with an impending 10+ inches of snow arriving soon), I'll get it off tomorrow. If it doesn't go so well, it'll be Tue/Wed (depending on snowplowing). Either way, it should get there by xmas. Sorry sorry.
posted by MovableBookLady at 4:13 PM on December 6, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hooray! I have been wonderfully Quonsed by Annabelle74!
Here is what Annabelle74 so thoughtfully chose for me:
2 large, fabulous chocolate bars, a pair of extremely cozy socks, a make-your-own library equipment kit (I cannot wait to put this together!) and a great bookish T-shirt from Out Of Print Books that I do NOT already own and can’t wait to show off!
Annabelle74, you managed to fit my loves of literacy, chocolate, and winter coziness into one excellent package! Thank you so, so much, and a very happy Quonsmas to all!
posted by bookmammal at 4:38 PM on December 6, 2018 [5 favorites]

Did you guys know there are calendars made up entirely of illustrations of chickens in shoes? Neither did I! But apparently some amazing Secret Quonsar does, because I got an amazing package containing said calendar, AND five patches of doggos, AND a cool button! Thank you, whoever you are! (I did not see a note with your identity but it could have gotten lost in my gleeful ripping open)
posted by itsamermaid at 4:45 PM on December 6, 2018 [7 favorites]

The fact that a calendar with pictures of chickens in shoes is something that exists makes me inexplicably happy!
posted by bookmammal at 5:34 PM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

Oh my stars and garters. I don't know who (show yourself!) But I got an awesome glass that says "Halt and drink fire" which is great because it's nerdy, it's glassware, and it's just amazing. Thank you thank you thank you!
posted by deezil at 6:17 PM on December 6, 2018 [3 favorites]

Thank you to peacheater for the lovely Paint By Sticker book of cats, notebooks and super awesome highlighters. This came just in time to keep me occupied during jury duty. Thank you and thank you to the Quonsar elves!
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 7:36 PM on December 6, 2018 [2 favorites]

I apologize because my phone is...at work, whoops...so I have no photos, but the delightful and talented theora55 made a tough day SO much better with the most beautiful, detailed set of shibori tie-dye napkins. I will treasure these, they could not be more perfect. Thank you so much. I can't wait to put them in action.

Also, that card made me ear-to-ear grin. It's an elephant carrying a christmas tree, y'all. On its back. With a baby elephant! All the best things.
posted by mosst at 7:36 PM on December 6, 2018 [4 favorites]

Somewhat belatedly (that shipping was faster than I expected), biffa, I’m very glad you liked your gift and can put it to good use!
posted by bettafish at 7:49 PM on December 6, 2018

Do we like bunnies? Heck yeah we like bunnies!

elsietheeel sent me the loveliest and most thoughtful bunny-themed box for SQ! There's a gorgeous, silky, navy blue rabbit print dressing gown -- check out all those adorable little mildly disgruntled rabbit faces, just like real bunnies have! And supercute bunny socks to replace my holey regular socks! And arty bunny postcards that are now living on my fridge! And a dark chocolate orange because chocolate oranges are my favorite and I live to whack and unwrap! And some neat japanese hard candies! And more chocolate! Enough to last me until Easter. I'm calling it The Box That Launched A Thousand Squees... 🐰

Thank you and merriest quonsmas, elsietheeel! It's all beyond perfect and I love every bit of it.

This is my tenth year quonsing and I'm always deeply moved by how heartfelt this annual event is. Y'all are like family to me and I always look forward to SQ and this thread to brighten up the holidays. To my wonderful Chicago quonsee, your gift is on the way and should be there by end of week!

Merry Quonsmas everyone!
posted by mochapickle at 9:27 PM on December 6, 2018 [9 favorites]

Oh my goodness, thank you Miko! Your beautiful package from New York was such a delight, and it made up for missing my in-laws' traditional day trip to Manhattan to browse weird shops this year! I am going to panda-fy my face with that sheet mask tonight.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 4:37 AM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

I came home at midnight from a very long day to find a package waiting for me from Rush -That-Speaks! Thank you so much for brightening my day with the gifts. I have always enjoyed things that try to be many things and then pen fits that very nicely. The puzzle will be fun for the whole family. It's nifty that the gifts came from the MIT Museum because my oldest is very focused on getting into MIT in 2 years. The card with hippocampus images and info is fitting because Mrs. Wreckage used to do brain surgery on rats to study how addiction affects or is affected by neurons. That work is way outside of my skillset and I'm not explaining it well but I really enjoy it because I have a lot of practice at science and addiction separately and I'm proud of her work.
Happy Secret Quonsar and thank you Rush-That-Speaks.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 6:45 AM on December 7, 2018 [7 favorites]

I've been quonsed!!! I was actually just starting to think that maybe I was going to be a sad panda this year - and then this morning, as I was leaving my house to get to work, I noticed a box that had been wedged underneath my mailbox. I almost rushed right back into the house to open it, but then the adult in me won out since I was already a bit late for work. I had every intention of opening it as soon as I got to the office, but then emails and phones and people stopping by and blah blah blah - so I JUST opened it up and I'm so excited!

Tesseractive, I was literally yesterday thinking that I should get one of those cookie scoops, but I'd heard many were junk and just didn't have time to start googling for the right brand. And then voila, you send me your favorite kind! And spearmint tea is my favorite herbal tea - how did you know? - and locally grown, too! What a lovely and thoughtful gift. I feel like I can be hard to shop for because I prefer practical gifts and am not really into pop culture tchotchkes, but you really nailed it. I'm going to make a cup of tea in my MeFi mug RIGHT NOW. What a great break in a hectic day. Thank you SO much.
posted by widdershins at 7:31 AM on December 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

I've been quonsed! Some ski wax just in time for heading up to the mountains this afternoon! Thank you and happy quonsmus!
posted by craven_morhead at 8:01 AM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

I got a package the day before yesterday, but I honestly can't tell if it's from a quonser or a more local friend. Either way the stuff inside is totally awesome.
posted by JanetLand at 8:54 AM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

So a confession before my thanks - I haven't sent my Quonsmas gift yet! But I will this weekend. I know, I'm violating the guidelines. But it will come!

But yesterday I got a fantastic gift from WaspEnterprises! It was a really neat Minnesota-themed gift package with a lovely MN State Fair fridge magnet, some wild rice, a MN Christmas tree ornament and a cute little Minnesota calendar. It's super fun! I love seeing things about where different Mefites live and it's a very creative gift. I'm touched by the effort and creativity as much as the items themselves. Thanks very much for sharing a little part of your life with me WaspEnterprises!
posted by GuyZero at 9:25 AM on December 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

My package got soclose and is now in USPS purgatory...

Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility.

Hang in there, Quonsee!
posted by miratime at 9:40 AM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

My quonsee's gifts are on their way! I feel bad they'll be kinda late because USPS from the west coast is hella slow and also Bush's funeral I think gummed up the routes a bit too - but 2 packages are on their way!
posted by nakedmolerats at 9:50 AM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thanks so much for the so groovy art supplies, theBigRedKittyPurrs! I’m having so much fun with them! Taking the crayons with me to brighten up a doctor’s visit today. I’ve never seen ERASABLE crayons before!

I facetimed my surprise-loving m-i-l while I opened these lovely Pusheen-papered gifts. (She’d never seen a water brush before, and was so intrigued that I’m ordering some for her!) We both enjoyed the unwrapping, and will be playing with them together. Also, how did you know? I’ve been eyeing the items in the Artist Emergency Kit individually, but here they show up for Quonsmas! Thanks so much for your truly thoughtful gifts.
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 11:11 AM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also, I cut out Pusheen from the wrapping paper and added to my journal, along with my Quonsar’s lovely note. Commemorating Quonsmas!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 11:14 AM on December 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

I love Quonsmas, for oh so many reasons. One being the kid in me can sit in the Post Office parking lot and open my Quonsmas gift, and revel in delight over the personal note from my Quonsar, and love the mini pannettone, a book, journals, and pens too, sweet!
posted by Oyéah at 11:42 AM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

BobtheThief!
That was me!
I am super pleased you liked the little banana breads!
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:33 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also,

Yesterday I went out to get the mail to pick up some stuff I had ordered, and a semi-unexpected package was on my porch.

theappleonatree had said something in the note on my gift about a part two, and what I received was nothing short of wonderful. Snacks and fidgeties! Thanks, theappleonatree! I have been abundantly quonsed!
posted by Mister Moofoo at 12:56 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

Got my Secret-Quonsar package today from SpaceWarp13 ! Had a really nice card and two really cool gifts...a "Magic Crystals" Christmas tree and a "Stenoflex le cyanotype" kit which while all in french I was able to get the gist of and figure out its a "sun print" kit for doing silhouette using some special paper and a few chemicals. I love all of it!
posted by Captain_Science at 1:32 PM on December 7, 2018 [5 favorites]

SECRETARIAT!!!!! SHUT THE FRIDGE DOOR!!!! i love my new username desktoy, i kinda refuse to believe you handmade it. it's so totally cool. and the oracle cards are indeed cute. so cute that my children promptly stole them from me (damn kids). i really cannot thank you enough. even your timing was impeccable. it was a pretty tough week and i got this right as i walked in the door after an epic long day. what a great way to get a smile going on my face.

i will also say, that i was just so nerdly downright giddy when i saw the names on the return address. i mean how often does one get a quonsmas gift from internet royalty??? thank you so very much, truly.
posted by chasles at 1:58 PM on December 7, 2018 [11 favorites]

OMG, thanks so much sunset in snow country! Quonsmas really does come when you need it most. I can't go into details, but let's just say this week was trash, but to get quonsed at the end of it was perfect.

The gift included an amazing cat pin, punny owl coasters, and GINGERSNAPS! I'm so excited.
posted by advicepig at 2:42 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

Firei! You are awesome!

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for everything! I haven't read the book, I desperately needed more genmaicha, and I have always wanted a Night Vale Community Radio mug.

I haven't yet had a cookie, but my boyfriend says that they are very good and are very well baked, so I am looking forward to eating one as soon as I post this.

Thank you, again! You made my week.
posted by minsies at 2:44 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

Yay advicepig, so glad you liked it! Those gingersnaps are my fave. They're so good.
posted by sunset in snow country at 3:46 PM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

I am so glad you liked them, initapplette! Your description was delightful and it's a relief to hear that the gifts' 'cataloging' worked out. Thanks for being an awesome first Quonsee!

As for staying within budget, I'll say that it was actually way more fun to work within the SQ budget because I got to challenge myself to find gifts that were meaningful, met my (awesome!) Quonsee's wishes, and weren't high-priced. I am also fortunate to have received many gifts these past couple of years and was able to thoughtfully re-gift.

I am so in awe of all the super cool handmade gifts and the neat regional food items and the like! It just goes to show there's no one way to Secret Quonsar.
posted by librarylis at 4:06 PM on December 7, 2018 [6 favorites]

Eeeeee, jet_pack_in_a_can sent me the best regional food item of all time: CHEERWINE, A WHOLE CASE OF IT, ALL FOR MEEEEEEE~! (It's been a rough week and I've been feeling sick and miserable, and then I came home yesterday to your wonderful first package with its postcards full of awesome lady scientists and the little box of tiny glass jars for mixing ink (or possibly putting other wonderful things in; I'm already contemplating what will do best with them). And then today I came in and saw another box and it was full of my very favoritest drink, which will be getting parceled out for good days for a long time yet.

Thank you! I am seriously contemplating pouring the Cheerwine into one of the tiny jars and drinking out of it for sheer quonsmas cheer squared. :D
posted by sciatrix at 4:10 PM on December 7, 2018 [12 favorites]

Bookmammal, I'm so glad you liked everything! Happy Quonsmas!
posted by Annabelle74 at 4:25 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Krazor, the vintage 1947 book about the Stanislavski method was already a brilliant gift. But the three-page, handwritten letter was more than I had ever expected. Thank you so much for your gift. It means a lot.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 5:47 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

I got a Quonsmas box today, full of thoughtfully chosen gifts from yasaman. A nutcracker I didn't have yet in my collection, three adorable dragon ornaments I plan to display all year, and a book I hadn't heard of yet but can't wait to read (The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers). Many Quonsar thanks to yasaman!
posted by rakaidan at 6:08 PM on December 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

Quonsar, I’m so embarrassed! My husband picked up your package today (the address is a mail drop, not my house) and I was really excited to open it but I was on my way to my brothers house and I decided to wait until I was home. I bet you see where I’m going here: I left it at my brother’s place. Aaaargh! But don’t worry: I’m seeing him again on Tuesday and he’ll bring it to me. Thank you in advance!!
posted by holborne at 6:46 PM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Dearest secret quonsar, I got what must be your gift today!! I am really tempted to open it and roll around in its contents right now, but I know I am one of those people for whom anticipation builds excitement, so I am going to wait. I hope you aren't too disappointed by this decision but I promise to open and report back on my joy over the contents at some point later in the season, probably when I feel I really need it! I feel like a Quonsmas package is like a secret item in your inventory--an extra life, a turbo boost, a health-restoring potion and a cheer-producer all at once! I'm already cheered just by its existence, and its presence in my own two hands. Thank you, thank you.
posted by spelunkingplato at 6:59 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have been delightfully and thoughtfully quonsed by Halfbuckaroo! I am the happy recipient of a most excellent set of Key West vintage image postcards, a spectacularly sparkly mermaid ornament, an awesome hand cream that has already been applied to my grateful hands, some AloeMax for kitchen burns, and some delicious key lime fudge... because it's the law! Thank you so much for ending a very long day (and week) on a great note!
posted by jenquat at 8:19 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just got home and had a notification there was a package waiting for me. I have been Quonsed!

Thank you, Ink-stained wretch! The Smitten Kitchen Every Day cookbook is perfect. I've been meaning to pick up one of her cookbooks for ages, so I'm thrilled to have this one!

And the NYC fridge magnet is an welcome addition to our magnet collection.

Thanks so much!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:28 PM on December 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oooh and the book comes with a Strand bookmark.

Extra awesome!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:40 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Kantola, Thanks for the gift. A calendar and hair clip-great items!
posted by waviolet at 9:18 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you, Ink-stained wretch!

Oh. Um. This is awkward. This is from me, Mefi handle Liesl, real name something else. But I am very glad you liked it!
posted by Liesl at 9:40 PM on December 7, 2018 [2 favorites]

Philbo made a donation to a local (to me) charity advocating for 100% clean energy, which made me feel very warm and happy inside, and then also sent me some chocolate truffles, which were tasty and also made me feel happy. I like to think this Christmas will make a small but meaningful impact on the world, and I really appreciate the thought he put into his gift to me. Thank you. :)
posted by saeculorum at 10:53 PM on December 7, 2018 [4 favorites]

Everything has arrived and it is absolutely amazing and I am swamped with end-of-semester work but I will post pictures soon THANK YOU MOSST!!!
posted by okayokayigive at 4:49 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I finally managed to pick up my Quonsar gift from the Post Office today, and inside were wonderful things from iamkimiam, including some tiny bars of chocolate, a colour-changing light-up reindeer bauble, and her first ever biscornu, which is super adorable. Thank you so much, iamkimiam!
posted by Law of Demeter at 5:40 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

CaptainScience I have English instructions if you need them I’d be happy to scan them and send them to you. I’m happy you like the gift!
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 5:53 AM on December 8, 2018

Dear SQ tinymegalo: Hey, I got it! Thanks!! This morning I received the excellent dark chocolate molasses honeycomb chip goodness, which looks fanforkingtastic & is most welcome. Apologies for (possible?) lateness of reply. The package delivery situation in my building is... chaotic at the moment, and it's possible the box was sitting there for a bit, though I swear I've been checking daily. Anyway: Thank you again, & Merry Quonsmas! nom nom nom
posted by miles per flower at 6:55 AM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

okayokayigive, glad you got it! All the best wishes with your end-of-semester everything, I know how overwhelming that can be.

By the way - I have this persistent worry that I may accidentally have sent you a broken item because I never took it out and checked it after I got it from the vendor, so if it that did happen...please do let me know and I will make sure it gets fixed :). Or perhaps that's just my anxiety talking, in which case, never mind!
posted by mosst at 8:03 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I picked up my gift from the post office this morning and Delight lived up to their name. I got a set of gorgeous wooden tongs and the board game Splendor. I’ve played it before but didn’t have a copy and it’s great I’m really looking forward to playing it! Everything was really nicely wrapped too. Thanks so much, it was a really thoughtful package.
posted by SpaceWarp13 at 8:54 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

I just received a huge box that jingled mysteriously as I carried it up the stairs.

As another person who requested treats local to my quonsar's area, I was delighted to receive some very exciting snacks from New Orleans, all packed in with some festive parade throws.

Thanks so much, domo! I can't wait to try everything. New Orleans is one of my favourite cities, but I wouldn't feel too safe in the U.S. for the forseeable, and I've really missed lots of the people and places that I love in the States, so it's an especially lovely gift.
posted by ITheCosmos at 9:00 AM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Liesl: Oh. Um. This is awkward. This is from me, Mefi handle Liesl, real name something else. But I am very glad you liked it!

*headdesk*

D'oh!

Sorry about the mixup.

My comment stands, though! :)

Thanks so much!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:07 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

introp, Thank you SO MUCH for the delightful box of Blacksburg goodies! The tea is delicious and I'm very! impressed with the handmade, reclaimed materials notebook, like, [insert "Mind Blown" .gif here], and it has already been put to good use! Your wife is a great teacher!

And the box of chocolate bark and glacé! WITH CHOCOLATE FROGS! I can neither confirm, nor deny, that there is a bite already taken out of each piece. Because Science. Give my regards to Eugenie, she's got a good thing going there, I will be ordering more.

CHOCOLATE FROGS Y'ALL! HAPPY QUONSMAS, EVERYONE!
posted by RhysPenbras at 10:06 AM on December 8, 2018 [6 favorites]

I was quonsed! I was actually quonsed Thursday, but my life had gone a little off the rails and I hadn’t mailed out my quonsee’s gift yet so I couldn’t open it. Mailed the gift yesterday, so I just opened mine this morning.

Skycrashesdown sent me a lovely box of goodies! The first thing I saw was a sweet little poem about the new year. I thought, I should put this on my fridge. The next thing I unwrapped was a refrigerator magnet from the Seattle Public Market! They also sent the most delicious smoked salted caramels (that are already half gone), some yummy looking tea, and a little thing of honey! Yay Quonsar!

Thanks, skycrashesdown!
posted by Weeping_angel at 10:15 AM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

(Oh and, skycrashesdown, if you ever DO figure out how to send fresh caught salmon, I volunteer as a test subject!)
posted by Weeping_angel at 10:28 AM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

A Quonsening has been visited upon me! I got home Thursday to find an unfamiliar package on my doorstep from Lepus. Inside were some great local goodies - some olive oil, a jar of wine country honey (which appears open in the photo because I couldn't resist tasting it immediately) and a jar full of 225 tiny paper cranes! The honey and the olive oil will definitely get used soon, and the paper cranes will be placed on my desk to play with when I need some distraction. Thank you so much Lepus, happy Quonsmas!
posted by amelliferae at 11:39 AM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

Aren’t those caramels amazing? Those are what we buy in our house when we’re feeling super fancy and want to treat ourselves. You’re so welcome, happy Quonsmas!
posted by skycrashesdown at 11:58 AM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

Yay! The rest of my Quons appeared! It's from vectorcon systems! I got the lovely tote bag already mentioned, and a book on forensic anthropology and a really nice old copy of Gibbon's decline and fall which despite my almost classics minor, I've never actually read! It has a beautiful red cover and is an edition from 1960! Thank you so much vectorcon systems!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:41 PM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

The wonderful chasles sent me an awesome X-Files-Florida (X-Florida?) mashup! I have a new cube at work with tall walls that I can now decorate with the lovely Florida calendar, so different a view from the hard, crusty-ice reality of Minnesota urban winter. I love the cute little wooden Treasure Island seahorse magnet and ESPECIALLY the key lime candy - did I even say in my gift hints that key lime is my favorite flavor for anything ever?

On the X-Files front, the Mulder and Scully sticker will go on my work laptop and the "I Want to Believe" one on my home laptop, both in need of coolifying, which will also happen to me when I wear the t-shirt of the same design. I am feeling inspired now to rewatch the whole series. Maybe this time I'll take notes on the Conspiracy and figure it out.

Thank you thank you for a most excellent Quonsmas, which was much appreciated after a nerve-fraying trip to a busy Target on a Saturday afternoon!
posted by lakeroon at 1:14 PM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Yay I'm glad you liked the local foods bundle, erloteiel! It was fun to shop for and let me discover what was actually made nearby.

Also, bunderful, thank you for the cat clips as well! I got them in a separate shipment that I didn't pick up until I had to get some other packages; it was a delightful surprise!
posted by batter_my_heart at 2:37 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

After recovering from completely embarrassing myself by misidentifying my Secret Quonsar, I went out and bought a cabbage.

With said cabbage, I've made this delicious winter slaw with farro from the cookbook Liesl gave me.

Thanks again, Liesl, and sorry for totally messing up my thank-you! Gah.

I'll be making lots of stuff from this cookbook in the coming weeks.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:40 PM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

I'm super glad you like it. I had a ton of fun!! Do rewatch the entire serie!!! We did last year and it was so freaking awesome. Even the bad parts with the Terminator
posted by chasles at 5:38 PM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

ApathyGirl, I got your gifts and they were so much fun to open! It was exactly the sort of selection I love to poke through and I can't wait to pick a project for the yarn. Thank you so much!

ActionPopulated, I'm so happy you liked it! Your preference list had all the things I love to shop for so it was a blast :D
posted by brilliantine at 6:24 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have been spectacularly Quonsed by the wonderful Miratime!!!

In addition to an adorable card with a sweet handwritten note, she sent me a zippered pouch with a pattern of dogs, a magnet with values that match my own, a very cute set of three different cat pawprint sticky note pads, two luxurious pair of fuzzy slipper socks (in gorgeous colors!), and (squee!) a set of metallic colored pencils.

Here's a photo :).

You captured all my interests purrfectly, Miratime! And I'm blown away by your gift wrapping skills (and your wrapping paper choices)! Thank you so, so much, and Merry Quonsmas to you!
posted by Annabelle74 at 6:33 PM on December 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Today, I received awesome perfect earrings from Go Banana. They are so beautiful and will totally be my new favorites. Thank you!
posted by eleanna at 6:42 PM on December 8, 2018 [2 favorites]

GEMMY! Gemmy, gemmy, gemmy, gemmy, gemmy! I utterly and completely ADORE my gifts! They are so personal and delightful- better than anything I could have hoped for! And your letter was so evocative, that, from one beach-fun lover to another- I feel like I was able to appreciate the context of them even more!

The Ballerina cookies were new to me and absolutely delectable, however the main hit was the black currant candy! There's been this running gag (to nobody else but me) that I can never remember if I've had black currant or not and, if so, what I thought of it, but now I unequivocally have and I love them! I love that sort of berry-ish tea-type taste they have.

The Dalahäst was also a new concept for me and genuine or not, it has made an excellent addition to my library and has a place of honor there! Thanks for explaining the background too! The paper he was wrapped in was almost too pretty to unwrap and I can't believe you made that flower. I could have sworn it was some type existing piece of jeweley! I want to figure out some way to keep it out with me rather than put it in my keepsake box.

I absolutely intend to fix the keychain you gave me. He's such a cute little bug and I want him to come see the world with me! His color is so striking.

Lastly, I LOVE the stone flake you sent me and the teeth! The box you set them in was the icing on the cake. I think I'm going to keep them in there. It's all the more special since they came from your own collection. So thoughtful and I couldn't have thought of a better present if I picked it myself! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Gemmy!
posted by Krazor at 7:22 PM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

YO I'VE BEEN QUONSED YOU GUYZ

I brought in the mail today and there was a small box for me!!!!

digdug, you included a whole pile of cool stuff: Field Notes notebooks (I love stationery), postcards by local artists, a box of fancy, boozy chocolates from Louisville, a chocolate with a horse's head (I ate that first!), some packets of Sugru that I already have plans for...and a nice note, to top it all off.

So many fun, creative things -- thank you! And also, thank you for helping to make Mefi the best place on the Internet!

(My wife & I spent like five hours out shopping for the kids tonight and came home with basically nothing. But my spirits are still high because I BEEN QUONSED before we left!).
posted by wenestvedt at 7:52 PM on December 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

Krazor: Yay! It’s always nerve-wracking to wait and see what the SQ thinks. I’m so relieved and happy you enjoyed it!!
posted by gemmy at 8:34 PM on December 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

girlfriendofselection and I spent the day dipping chocolates at my aunt's house to provide all of our holiday presents, and when we got home, there was a package from EmpressCallipygos waiting in front of our steps in Oakland. And it hadn't even been stolen! And it was perfect!
We sent jam and preserves away, and got back delicious-looking homemade jams and preserves, plus other locally-sourced food-and-drinkstuffs. Our whole family is so excited! Thank you and happy Quonsmas to all!
posted by agentofselection at 9:48 PM on December 8, 2018 [5 favorites]

Thanks for the gifts, erloteiel! I think I'll come to treasure the notebook; thank you so much for providing the medium in which I'll ... cogitate on stuff and hopefully avoid making all manner of unusual, handwritten typos. I would like to fill it with heady, thoughtful stuff -- though just having a notebook like this within reach makes me quite happy.

Found the bundle in the mailbox before the weekend, in case you were curious about when it arrived.


Also, I had been informed by capricorn over PM that her gift had already arrived; that was fast! Again, I'm glad it got there safely and I'm glad you seem pleased with it (the latter of which I ... think I forgot to mention in my response PM).

(It's such a strange sensation to see it photographed like that; to think it was sitting on my desk just a week before.)
posted by redrawturtle at 4:41 AM on December 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

Many thanks to mossesis for the wonderful quonsar gifts. A lovely grocery bag which I put to the test today and was a pleasure to use, and a handkerchief with the DSA 🌹 rose.

Yet again I'm surprised by how thoughtfully and appropriately people select for quonsar. This thread is a feast of good ideas.

Anyhow, thanks again comrade, although I make no promises about keeping my nose clean :) I hope everyone else is having as wonderful a quonsar.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 7:05 AM on December 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have received two mysterious packages that must be Quonsmas gifts. I just picked them up at the mailbox and am waiting to savor the opening. I will return with thanks to my quonsar.
posted by Altomentis at 9:08 AM on December 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Agentofselection: glad to hear it arrived safely! (And hope the tape and bubble wrap wasn't too annoying to wrestle with!) I was a little unsure whether the Baked stuff would also be nationally-available, but even if it is, it's still Baked, so what could be bad?....(I also confess to picking up a second box of the cookie mix for myself at the same time!)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:25 AM on December 9, 2018

Thank you Shelbaroo!!! Your package got here and I LOVE IT ALL. I know it’s such a quonsmas cliche, but I was really in a low crabby mood when suddenly your bright red envelope of treats turned the whole week around. The “I am excessively diverted” bookmark is amazing, and the pin and notebook are coming to work with me. I love Mexican hot chocolate and didn’t realize there are FLAVORS. Omg. I’m stunned by the thoughtfulness. :)
posted by tinymegalo at 12:08 PM on December 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Glad it made it, AnhydrousLove. Merry quonsmas!
posted by mosessis at 2:22 PM on December 9, 2018 [1 favorite]

Maxwelton, thank you for the wonderful gifts! I am looking forward to reading the baseball books, and I am nervous but excited to tackle the "world's most difficult puzzle", which looks like it will certainly live up to its title. Happy Quonsmas!
posted by kayram at 5:59 PM on December 9, 2018 [3 favorites]

PistachioRoux made me an AMAZING scarf. They personally did the screenprinting and designed an additional type of fabric on the back of the scarf. It's honestly such a cool gift and I feel privileged to own it. Thank you so much, PistachioRoux!
posted by delight at 9:20 PM on December 9, 2018 [5 favorites]

Lovely package of Dr Bronner organic soaps arrived today! Thank you very much to my Quonsorer (of unknown Mefi Name) and a Merry Quonsmas to you all.
posted by Coaticass at 10:29 PM on December 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

Hey! It's Only December 10.

If you haven't gotten a gift yet, don't freak out. It is probably still in transit! It's early times yet. There were a fair number of late senders this year [mostly with good reasons], so take a breath.

If you haven't heard from your quonsee yet, don't freak out! There's lots of good reasons why. [After a few days, drop us a note and we'll follow up for you.]

If you haven't thanked your quonsar yet, don't freak out! But you should make sure you've done so - even if you are saving the package to open later, letting them know you have the package in your hot little [or extremely large, whatever your personal self-idealization is] hands is really nice.

We'll be sending out a batch of "Did you get it?" emails to folks whom tracking indicates that their packages were delivered but we have no confirmation of said delivery yet.

Also, I picked up six bottles of Norka sparkling beverages yesterday based entirely on Triggerfinger's excitement on my way back home from Ohio, and OMG, that strawberry-cherry one! So gooooooooooood.

Also, if you are still looking for the last bit of quonsarly decoration for your home or office, may I suggest this Excellent Holiday Decor [warning: hosted on facebook]
posted by julen at 11:01 PM on December 9, 2018 [11 favorites]

I will send a proper thank you via MeMail when I figure out who it's from (I wasn't 100% sure due to a little trouble deciphering the handwriting on the enclosed note) but if you were my secret quonsar this year: your gift arrived; thank you.
posted by Nerd of the North at 2:19 AM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

my secret gift arrived! i love the anticipation of opening gifts on the day, so i’ll be writing you joyfully on christmas morning. thanks, secret gift-sending person. i’m already so happy. yay surprises!
posted by lemon_icing at 3:04 AM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you quonsar! I think the name of the sender is someone's real name, so I wont use it. The parcel came from Rome, and contains lovely fragrant stuff! So nice - there is ChocoTea, Marakesh Mint tea, Farfalle Aglio & Pperoncino with lovely stripes, a little Panettone - it is about to be eaten, chocolate covered coffee beans and wonderfully fragrant oregano from Pantelleria.

Thank you so much, what lovely selection of specialties! It made my day, it is a rather nasty day at work so the parcel ist just what I need. Off now to devour the Panettonecino.
posted by 15L06 at 4:35 AM on December 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

Oh yay 15L06! I honestly am a bit flabbergasted it arrived within/on the earlier side of the time the post office guy told me, because I am a horrible time-tested cynic when dealing with Poste Italiane (see also: I wasted an hour and a half today trying to pick up a package that they apparently already delivered to me. :P)

I'm glad you like it; I had so much fun putting it together and had to stop myself from going overboard. :*
posted by romakimmy at 5:46 AM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Okay, for the 2nd year in a row I've gotten a package that maybe possibly could be quonsar-ish, but then it turns out somebody else sent it, because the REAL quonsar present arrives! Thank you very much itesser! Those cards are so so so very beautiful, it is going to be both hard to give one up and also a joy to send them out into the universe.
posted by JanetLand at 6:11 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

Hurrah! I just came back from a week in Mexico to a lovely gift from centrifugal that is a beautiful collection of thoughtful gifts from the PNW! It's a lovely (homemade!) mug that will be perfect for work, a delicious-looking Candy Cane Crunch Dark Chocolate Truffle Bar (how did they get all that stuff in there?!?) and a gift card towards a book from the renowned Powell's - how perfect! Thank you centrifugal - you made my Quonsar shine!
posted by kinsey at 6:35 AM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

Hippybear - I'm glad you liked your spicy bears! The bonus is that I didn't even know that my pickle bros made hot sauces, so in my wanderings to find "DC" gifts, we both scored. Merry Quonsmas!
posted by kinsey at 6:37 AM on December 10, 2018

Thank you, jgirl! We open presents on Christmas Eve, and I can’t wait to see what you sent me!

Now I feel bad for my quonsee, who must think they've been forgotten. I did mail before the deadline, I promise! "It'll be there before Christmas," the post office clerk said. By what, horse and carriage?
posted by hannala at 8:01 AM on December 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

Law of Demeter, YAY I'm so glad it arrived and that you like it. I truly enjoyed making the biscornu — I've even done another, smaller one with a snowflake design as a Christmas ornament for my new tree. May even make a tradition to do one every year, it was that much fun! It was because of a craft post you made that I even found the idea, gotta love MetaFilter for the joy of all these connections and how they come back around. :)

For my secret quonsar, I've been out of town and just returned to some parcel slips — I'll pick up the packages on Wednesday, can't wait!
posted by iamkimiam at 9:16 AM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Stynxno - the gummies are so tasty. I had a wreath and a bear the second I opened the package. The hot sauce looks awesome and I can't wait to have some on a burrito. I love that it all came from New Jersey! Best of all, though, may be your kid's drawing of Merry Christmas Mom & Dad - I can see how carefully he drew every detail as found in the cover art. I have hung it up in my office, and I don't expect to be taking it down anytime soon. You can't go wrong with the Little Critters.

Happy quonsmas! You made my season.
posted by lyssabee at 12:03 PM on December 10, 2018 [4 favorites]

Thank you so much romakimmy, i am so very happy. Today was the perfect day, for it to arrive i was so excited. The morning started with me trying to remain calm after my boss told me off for something i felt was undeserved and proceded with more difficult issues, i really needed this lovely box of goodies!
posted by 15L06 at 12:24 PM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have been well and thoroughly Quonsed!

agentofselection got me a delightful array of homemade goodies: a very yummy looking tomato sauce (that I'll probably use tomorrow), "trash fruit" jam, candied orange peels and spicy peppers!

But the consumable parade doesn't stop there, my good mefites. There's also some hard cheese and two cans of tasty looking beverages.

And and and a lovely anthology of chinese science fiction in translation!

Thank you so very much for these excellent gifts agentofselection!
Wishing a very merry Quonsmas to all!
posted by OntologicalPuppy at 3:01 PM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have been quonsed! vespabelle truly outdid herself. Every year I request Christmas tree ornaments, and she made a lovely quilted MetaFilter ornament! So appropriate for a MeFite couple. Also a beautiful baby quilt since she knows I am expecting. And a card with a hunky, pensive Jesus. Who could ask for anything more?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:04 PM on December 10, 2018 [6 favorites]

I've been quonsed! I've never heard of marionberries before. Thank you DingoMutt! And I can't wait to find a place at my church office for the cat art switchcover. I've already name dropped my cats in a sermon before so it's totally on brand for me.
posted by Stynxno at 3:11 PM on December 10, 2018 [5 favorites]

When a package arrived this morning, I thought it would be boring face moisturiser that I have to order overseas now cause no one else sells it anymore - but no! I've just had the dickens quonsed out of me!!

Mulled wine tea, in an absolutely gorgeous canister, along with an adorable tea timer. My Quonsar somehow knew my propensity to oversteep in an absent minded haze. It's a gorgeous gift, and the kettle is currently boiling in anticipation right now.

Thank you so much, my beneficent Quonsar! There was only a real name on the package, which I won't share here. I don't know who you are, but I really love and appreciate your thoughtfulness, and I hope the medical treatment you're receiving (from the shock of having to send postage all the way to Sydney) goes well!

Happy quonsmas to ye!
posted by smoke at 4:18 PM on December 10, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have been quonsed by hanov3r. A lovely dice bag in blue crushed velour. Each die can live in its own little pocket, thus concentrating the luck. Or maybe put a good die in with one that needs a little boost?

Plus there's a set of dice, but the d20's been chainmailed into a pendant with the 20 facing out for luck. Which we all need, right?

Thank you so much.
posted by buildmyworld at 5:50 PM on December 10, 2018 [2 favorites]

HOKAY SO

Now that I got my card and I see that my quonsar was phunniemee and she did an excellent job with my gift and I love it so much AND I GOT A CARD WITH SCHROEDER FROM PEANUTS TYPING ON A COMPUTER INSTEAD OF A PIANO AND I ALSO GOT THIS REALLY BITCHIN GLASS THAT SAYS HALT AND DRINK FIRE AND EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL AND SCHMOOPY and I'm about to go die in my bed because I've worked about 27 hours in the past three days, and yesterday was only 5 hours and I'm on day 8 of probably 11 with no days off for those of you keeping up from chat and I love you all very much and "you've all done very well!"

and here's a bonus of Mr. Big getting confused by the humidifier.

Yes, I really am this exhausted and frazzled.

THE END.
posted by deezil at 6:02 PM on December 10, 2018 [9 favorites]

Nobody told me that this quonsmas tradition was going to make me cry! Gygesringtone absolutely bowled me over with a really perfect calendar and this amazing variety of handmade/hand-dried delicious things. I got some stitches in my head the other day and have been a big baby about it, but the generosity of this gift is making me forget to feel sorry for myself. Thank you, and lots of love. What a nice community.
posted by queensissy at 7:03 PM on December 10, 2018 [4 favorites]

I think I have been quonsed, but I'm traveling. My partner helpfully offered to open the mystery box and email me a photograph of the contents, but I accused him of trying to steal my fun. So, thank you to whoever has sent a gift for me to look forward to opening at Christmas! The anticipation is delightful =)
posted by Metasyntactic at 8:24 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

It's an odd feeling when someone who's never met you gets things Exactly Right. Thanks so much to obloquy for sending some amazing fabric ranging from retro to kawaii in my favorite colors, some fun gift tags, and the truly amazing Geneva Vampire Pack. It somehow hit all the marks--my tendency to buy postcards when traveling, my fondness for scientific illustration, and --improbably--the many hours I have spent over the years reading dusty vintage copies of the American Anthropologist. I am even more amazed that this trove is from your very own Etsy shop. It arrived on a day that had mostly been tedious and difficult and made everything better. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

(Apologies for a couple of days' delay posting my thanks! It took me a while to find the thread).
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 9:20 PM on December 10, 2018 [6 favorites]

Thank you Secret Quonsar for the lovely gift. An assortment of teas, some new pens, lipbalm, hand lotion.... and more. This was my first Quonsar and it did not disappoint!
posted by rozee at 9:29 PM on December 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

OMG, that strawberry-cherry one! So gooooooooooood.

RIGHT?! Sad follow-up: all my sweet, red soda is gone. :( I was planning on keeping it around for when I had cravings, but I guess I have cravings every time I open the fridge and see it sitting there, so. You know how these things go.

Also, UPS informs me that my gift arrived with my quonsee last Friday, so I'm hoping they got it!
posted by triggerfinger at 9:29 PM on December 10, 2018

I came home today to the most lovely package from fraula! She absolutely nailed it, with cute teas, an adorable elephant game (elephants!), and Eiffel Tower-shaped grater and such lovely wrapping paper and cute card. Thank you so much fraula, you absolutely made my day. And one of the teas has an image from The Little Prince, which I adore but was not in my swap info, so now I feel like you have crazy mind-reading powers :D. I can't wait to try it all!
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 9:59 PM on December 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

I thanked machinecraig in memail as well, but I received the perfect SQ gift from them!

Their favorite coffee (yum), local honey (bought from the beekeeper!!!), and ferrero rocher, which are delicious and I never have to share in my house. (I share all the other stuff, though.)

These are seriously my favorite things, and I love that it's someone else's favorite coffee. As a matter of fact, I may rework my suggestions next year to just be "send me some of your favorite local things!".

I may have to repurpose one of my cabinets in the craft room as a honey cabinet, so my husband can't say "another honey? surely we don't need more?". The answer is always yes.
posted by needlegrrl at 6:05 AM on December 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

I've been quonsed but I don't know who my quonser is! I got a gorgeous bullet journal that will surely make all my goals in 2019 so much more manageable, some unique and delicious-sounding chocolates, cute stickers (the bookworm one is going on my dissertation inspo board for sure!), and some adorable postcards. Also the kind note was addressed to *countess* and I'm not sure how you knew, but it's nice to be recognized ;). Anyway, REVEAL YOURSELF so I can properly thank you!
posted by mmmbacon at 6:54 AM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

Whee, Quonsmas!

Thank you Meinvt for the parcel, which is so cool. I love local things, and you've chosen some really hyper-local things.

There has been a bit of adventure in my office getting the parcel to me (which I believe Meinvt knows all about!). I think maybe my postal address was so long that my name was pushed off the customs label .. or something like that. But that means that everyone in the office has been having a jolly time eating the maple candy. It definitely feels like Quonsmas here.

I adore the snowflake ornament - it's a great time too - we've just got rid of our old Christmas ornaments at home, due to an insect problem. So this will be a good start to our new set!

The chocolate is stashed in my desk for a day when I feel I really need it!

Thank you so much!
posted by SuckPoppet at 7:35 AM on December 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

I, too, have been quonsed! Freyja sent me a huge bag of locally made, organic, cocktail-flavoured gummies in the most beautiful gold packaging. I had to hide it from my toddler immediately, and can't wait until she goes to bed tonight and I can dig in!
posted by toby_ann at 8:36 AM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

Mmmmbacon - that was me! I am so glad you package arrived, you like it all! I got your name wrong, and didn’t realize until after it was sent. Btw, the stickers are designed (from wood cut) by a friend and neighbor. Merry Quonsmas.
posted by dbmcd at 9:45 AM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much dbmcd! And so fun to learn more about the stickers! Please tell your friend I love their designs!
posted by mmmbacon at 9:50 AM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

S.Q. was good to me this year, y'all! they kept it anonymous, which i thought was a classy choice, but still included a lovely note about our commonalities (they too play the double bass, they claim formerly but once a bass player...), plus an assortment of delightful goodies including a typewriter pin, a gorgeous tiny handmade ceramic bowl, a book of delicious-looking baking recipes I can't wait to employ, and some wonderful-smelling reusable food wraps made from beeswax! I hope my S.Q. has a terrific holiday season up in Tacoma -- if you're reading this, just know that you made my week, and my family's too. Cheers and warm regards!
posted by slappy_pinchbottom at 10:13 AM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

My Secret Quonsar couldn't possibly have known, but she nailed my gift this year. From Toronto, I received many Toronto and raccoon-themed gifts, including tree ornaments, a sticker, a pin and magnet!

I have been secretly cheering for the Toronto trash pandas since I saw this post earlier this year about changes made to Toronto recycling bins. I love the fact that raccoons have outsmarted the smartest humans who endeavor to make bins "raccoon proof". As global climate change threatens human civilization, I take comfort in the fact that raccoons, (which I have loved since my early days as a Ranger Rick fanclub member and magazine subscriber) are probably going to be okay, even after we are long gone.
So thank you, my Secret Quonsar, wherever you are (but likely Toronto). I love my gifts, and I love your raccoons.
posted by msali at 10:16 AM on December 11, 2018 [5 favorites]

I came home really dispirited after an especially shitty day at work dealing with my nightmare boss. Only to see a missed delivery note! I know from the tracking number it’s from my Quonsar. eeeeeeeee!! I can’t get to the post office til Thursday but it’s lovely to know I’ve something nice waiting for me. I’ll update when I get to open it but thanks in advance!
posted by billiebee at 12:02 PM on December 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

Quonsmus is here! Quonsmus is here! Yesterday I got a package from nakedmolerats containing a notebook with a picture of a tuxedo cat (that looks a lot like my Chaplin, a toy for Chaplin, and a cool postcard from Eugene, OR with a hint of more to come! There's no way that nakedmolerats could have known this, but the artist who created the notebook is the aunt of a childhood friend of mine! (Heck, I didn't know this until said friend saw the picture on Instagram and commented on it.) How cool is that?
posted by SisterHavana at 1:58 PM on December 11, 2018 [5 favorites]

I received my gift last week and the timing was perfect! It was a lovely hodge-podge of all sorts of quirk things: taco & mermaid temporary tattoos, fancy salts, spicy honey, journal items, a necklace, a pin, and other fun things. As I unwrapped each little trinket, I kept yelling "what? What? WHAT?! OMG THIS IS AWESOME!".

Thank you, secret quonsar. Your gift is greatly appreciated!
posted by chara at 2:16 PM on December 11, 2018 [4 favorites]

Rumors of Canada Post's slowness were greatly exaggerated (at least in this case, and much to my pleasure); I have been quonsed! I opened a mysterious package yesterday evening to find true loveliness from the great white north -- a tasty green tea that I have been sipping away at all afternoon, the sweetest, tiniest loom you ever did see, and a very pretty card, all from Toronto's "One of a Kind" artisan show. Thank you for the thoughtful gifts, ilana! I am well and truly delighted.

I would be lying if I said I never thought of learning to weave (in truth, I have been resisting the siren call for a few years now), so I have already put some scrap yarn to use on the mini-loom, and it is great fun. So when I inevitably buy an actual loom someday, I can now pretend to blame Secret Quonsar for putting the idea in my head. ;)
posted by cellar door at 2:44 PM on December 11, 2018 [4 favorites]

Wheeeeee! I came back home from my week-long trip to find that I've been Quonsed! Kermit flail!

So rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto wrote that she was a first-timer at Secret Quonsar - and boy did she nail it.

I've been savoring N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy - it's probably been my favorite read in 2018 - and she bought me a beautiful copy of How Long 'til Black Future Month?, a book so new (first on sale on 27th November 2018!) that I wasn't even aware it existed. And what do we have here? "In the first collection of her evocative short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories, Jemisin equally challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption."

Sometimes a gift is just so perfectly lined up that ... well, it's another Quonsmas miracle. The lovely card included a wish that I might have time to curl up with a good book this holiday season, and this book is most definitely going to get the curling-up-with treatment.

*Thank you*, rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto, for this wonderful Quonsmas gift!
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:00 PM on December 11, 2018 [6 favorites]

Administrative Note

We've been getting good news all day as folks we had marked down as Maybe - Tracking Says Yes respond to our "Did you get it?" emails with enthusiasm and adorable pictures.

We'll keep checking in with our Maybes, and start sprinkling in folks whose gifts we know have been sent this week.

We know that a bunch of gifts should arrive this week, and that several should arrive next week [some international sends will take a while!].
posted by julen at 3:36 PM on December 11, 2018 [6 favorites]

Big thanks to needlegrrl for all the fantastic foods, but especially for finding an awesome tote bag with a fruit bat on it! Loved the unique wrapping paper too! Happy Quonsmas to all!
posted by obol at 5:31 PM on December 11, 2018 [1 favorite]

craven_morhead, my mouth literally hung open with surprise, glee and gratitude tonight as I opened your Quonsmas package! Thank you!

From the magical handwritten note to the incredible whiskey ice cube trays (as a bourbon lover WITHOUT AWESOME ICE CUBE TRAYS who had been eyeing them forever, I was so thrilled to receive these!) to the smoky, caramel-ly, savory concoction you mailed, you skyrocketed my Tuesday from "fine" to "incredible"! I poured a small sample and am sipping it delightedly - I will be savoring it through the whole Quonsmas season! What a gift!

As it happens, I got your package a couple hours after I heard that my own Quonsee, RedOrGreen, had received his Quonsmas gift! This was my first Quonsmas and my heart has grown three sizes. Thanks to julen and all of the organizers!
posted by rogerrogerwhatsyourrvectorvicto at 5:47 PM on December 11, 2018 [5 favorites]

Confidential to Liesl:

Working my way through the recipes! Tonight I made the Pizza Beans. I had some rapini on hand, so I blanched it and chopped it up and used it in place of the kale. Worked out well!

Thanks yet again!
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:54 PM on December 11, 2018

Part two of kayram’s gift just arrived and it is a thing of mumbo sauce I am now dying to try. Thank you kayram!!
posted by griphus at 7:05 PM on December 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have been well and thoroughly Quonsed! capricorn, a fellow December baby and cat and Star Trek fan, sent me awesome things from D.C., including a beautiful local card (with a Hanukiah sticker inside), a sticker set of cats inside bananas (why bananacats? Why not??), a Cat Stax puzzle that I am incredibly excited to break into and try over the holidays, a pair of knee-length glittery Santa Narwhal socks (yes, narwhals with Santa hats) that I desperately hope will fit on my giant feet, and, perhaps most importantly, my very own Starfleet pin badge that's only going to feed my burgeoning obsession. Thank you so much, capricorn! It's finals week and I'm drowning in grading, and this made my week. I'm also going to count it as an early birthday present. Now to see how many ways I can stack cats...
posted by ilana at 7:13 PM on December 11, 2018 [3 favorites]

cellar door, I'm so glad you like your gifts (I was so worried you'd already have a loom, but it was so tiny and handmade and cute! So tiny that it can't really loom over anything) and I'm so glad Canada Post actually got it to you. I made the right choice to send on time rather than to wait until I got to the US!

I will be glad to take the blame for all your future looming adventures!
posted by ilana at 7:42 PM on December 11, 2018

Well, I have been fully Quonsed today by a mysterious Texan! I didn't see anything on the package indicating their MeFi handle so I can't thank you by name -- reveal yourself! A seasonally-appropriate Grinch-themed Amazon box arrived at my office bearing all manner of interesting things. Two different kinds of gochujang, one medium-spicy and pasty and one hotter and Sriracha-like. And to keep with the heat theme, an electric lighter! If I can't keep myself warm this winter with the gochujang, I can set stuff on fire through the magic of electric arcs! Thank you very much, my Secret Quonsar!
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 7:45 PM on December 11, 2018 [4 favorites]

Statistics of the Season! Now Featuring a Dramatic Uptick!
So far…

377       Participants
242       Gifts have arrived! (that we know about) (64.2%)
075       Gifts are a total mystery to us (20%)
058       Animals represented
051       Gifts have been sent (that we know about) (13.5%)
036       Gifts contained at least 1 book (4 cookbooks)
029       Folks have volunteered to be second chancers (so far)
016       Gifts are in process/being considered/selected [i.e. the last we heard, quonsees were clarifying questions for their quonsars]
012       People got games
011       Folks are currently saving their gifts to open later
011       People got pens
008       Gifts have probably arrived (according to tracking) (2.1%)
004       Packages mysteriously delayed by The Postal Authorities
003       Superheroes included
003       People Canada Post Doom and Gloomed To [“Could be 3 months!”]
002       Packages being returned to sender [and then returned to quonsee!]
002       Packages delayed by The Weather
001       Second chancer already enlisted [ahead of plan!]
001       Gavlegoat still standing!
posted by julen at 8:14 PM on December 11, 2018 [10 favorites]

I was Quonsed by Spelunkingplato, and it is beyond wondrous!!! Thank you so much for the lovely and perfectly suited to me gifts, most especially the hand drawn tote bag which sums up my witch aesthetic by combining my love of cats with my interest in Persephone (queen of hell and maiden of flowers) with an adorable dancing cat with a flower crown on!!! It reads: "Persephone - goddess of the underworld - and also the warm spots on the rug!" It is so utterly perfect in every way and all my gifts were obviously chosen with such care, it brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so very much!!
posted by fairlynearlyready at 8:42 PM on December 11, 2018 [4 favorites]

I think I have been Quonsed! I received a box yesterday with a stamp from Norway, so if that's you, Quonsar, the goodies have arrived. I think I'm going to hold on to it for a few days... the temptation will probably be too great to last until actual xmas but I want to try. :)

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to stalk my own package's track-and-trace, not getting any updates, and tbh, getting a little paranoid about it. I guess coordinating package tracking systems across the world's postal services is a tough challenge, and you can't expect people to do things exactly the same, and sometimes it probably works great and sometimes it probably works not at all but mostly it works out alright, but honestly, it would be nice to know if it made it on its long-haul flight and landed on the right continent or not, or if it's in a long, long queue at Customs. But Post.NL, give me something, I'm dying over here! Tell me it's not still trapped in some NL sorting center!
posted by sldownard at 10:40 PM on December 11, 2018 [2 favorites]

the temptation will probably be too great to last until actual xmas but I want to try. :)

You don't have to unless you want to; it's not an Xmas gift after all. The important part is that you don't open it before Quonsmas. And it's Quonsmas when you say that it is!
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:06 AM on December 12, 2018 [7 favorites]

a belated "you're welcome" to thomas j. wise - I had a fun time falling down the etsy miniature book rabbit hole.
posted by bunnysquirrel at 2:40 AM on December 12, 2018

A belated thank you to I the Cosmos for the most excellent Japanese stationary!
posted by Morpeth at 4:01 AM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Oh wow. What are the chances? My Secret Quonser is Cortex himself! And he sent me a box of handcrafted coolness. Who has two thumbs and a gorgeous lasercut wooden plaque of their MeFi username?
*points to self* This Quonsée, that's who. I will display it with pride.

I also received a wooden MeFi badge, and a watercolour painting doubling as a card.
Pictures, of course, because this deserves to be seen.

Thank you, Cortex! It's great.
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:05 AM on December 12, 2018 [13 favorites]

Thanks Lawn Beaver for two amazing and intriguing books, beautiful postcard and sea shell!

Both books have found their new natural habitat to their liking and are slowly getting bolder in their explorations.

One of them said this morning:

December 12th: High clouds slowly filled the sky, the morning whitened out, the sun was hidden. A cold wind rose from the north. The horizon light became clear and vivid.

And so it is!

Happy Quonsmas!
posted by haemanu at 4:14 AM on December 12, 2018 [4 favorites]

To the otter lady, who sent me the most wonderful Quonsmas gift ever:

you made my day, and my month, with the most thoughtful items: the stuffed panda now lives by a picture of my late mom, to remind me that love and kindness are still a thing in this world; your beautiful handmade houses (how do you do that??) have been carefully glued on some rocks, and live in my potted plants like a small village under the geraniums; the corn, once I stopped my two year old from trying a nibble, has been put away in the garden shed to be planted in the spring; the folding trowel is magnificent and honestly I am surprised that no one had yet known me well enough to realize that this was something I should carry with me at all times; and the quail egg is resting, safely, in a hand painted bowl shaped like a nest that my cousin made for me.

It was perfect and wonderful and I can't believe how sweetly it was put together!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
posted by lydhre at 5:55 AM on December 12, 2018 [6 favorites]

Ok, so. I saw my brother last night. Guess what he forgot to bring with him. That's right -- my Quonsar's package.

I'm sorry, Quonsar! I promise I'll get it and open it by Christmas, even if I have to go back up to my brother's house.
posted by holborne at 8:23 AM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

USPS tracking is a great thing. My Quonsmas gift is out for delivery as we speak! Someone gets a gift tonight!
posted by GuyZero at 8:32 AM on December 12, 2018

Hey holborne - I'm your quonser and no worries. Nothing will go bad and hopefully you'll enjoy whenever you finally get to open it!
posted by Sophie1 at 8:45 AM on December 12, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yay! So glad you got it and liked it, lydhre!! :) Quappy Quonsmas!
posted by The otter lady at 9:02 AM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay, Too-Ticky, I'm glad you dig 'em! You can insert the wee MF bit crosswise into the bottom of the main name plate to make it a stand too!
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:43 AM on December 12, 2018 [4 favorites]

Oooo! I mean, oooof course. I totally knew that.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:06 AM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Happy Quonsmas Freyja! Glad you enjoyed the little things. I'm relieved the box made it on time.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 12:51 PM on December 12, 2018

Omg! A package from Finland arrived today! Thank you to hannala! You really outdid yourself! coffee! and chocolate! and mulling spices! and fancy soap! and a little paper ornament! And spruce bud powder! I can't wait to try that! I love everything! You are the best! Amazing! I consider myself fully quonsed!!!!!! Exclamation point!
posted by fancyoats at 3:30 PM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

Also, I have been checking for tracking updates on the package I sent to my quonsee and it's been showing this:

"In Transit to Next Facility
Your package is moving within the USPS network and is on track to be delivered to its final destination. It is currently in transit to the next facility."

for a whooooooooole weeeeeeeeeek. :(
posted by fancyoats at 3:36 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

I've been quonsed! My quonsar this year was box! I accidentally opened the package from the bottom so the first thing I took out was a giant "8" sticker and I had to unearth some layers before I could get to the note that said who it was from!

Anyway, I mentioned in my "dear quonsar" note that I run a comic book making group for teens at my public library and any art supplies or stickers or doodads that I could share with them would be appreciated...and then I got matched with a librarian. Box, I promise Lemon Brick Road Studios will have a field day with this stuff, and I will too. Thank you so much.
posted by Tesseractive at 4:17 PM on December 12, 2018 [3 favorites]

The UPS guy put the sticker on the bottom of the box, and I was like ‘Uhhhh....’ I’m so happy you liked it!
posted by box at 4:55 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]

I sent a private thank-you but am overdue for making sure the whole world knows that mochapickle is an amazing quonsar! I received a completely delightful box of animal-themed gifts, all wrapped up beautifully with ribbons and bells. There was a set of cat bookmarks, a sloth journal, Naked Goat Farm bourbon peach jam (with a note on it saying "best jam in Colorado!"), and what I am pretty sure have to be homemade chocolate turtles (they are so! good!) in a tin with a reindeer and a penguin on it.

Thank you so much, mochapickle! Everything is perfect and completely made my day.
posted by jessypie at 5:27 PM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]

I am now getting anxious about my Quonsee not receiving their package yet and regretting I did not pay the extra for the tracking into the US from Hong Kong. Sending thoughts and prayers, postal Gods!
posted by frumiousb at 7:46 PM on December 12, 2018

Don't be so sure. It was sent to the US.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:24 PM on December 12, 2018 [12 favorites]

As is my apparent tradition, Quonsmas shame first: I have not sent out my quonsee's package yet. Basically I'd just been throwing stuff in this big box for a month, as is my wont, but due to a confluence of events, I hadn't gotten around to organizing the thing, sealing it up, writing the address on it... Anyway, all that is done and behind me now, and I'll take it to the post office tomorrow! Apologies to my future quonseeeeeeeeeee. It's my sincere hope that the contents will make up for my derelict nature.

'Cause oh man, Quonsmas joy... I felt compelled to finally get my act together for my quonsee because I was quonsed—and how!—by Gilgongo. Apparently there is a cabal? Because I was wearing my cabal shirt when I checked the mail, and there was some magic, lemme tell ya. I at least held off on opening it until I'd sealed up my box to send out. So at this time of night, I've now opened everything, listened to everything, and just...you're very good at this, I will say that right now. I so appreciate the depth of thought that went into it all!

Spooky action at a distance—not sure you even know how right on some of this stuff was. I'll post photos and details as soon as I can do it justice, once I've slept a while and suchlike.

God, I love Quonsmas. I am so delighted! I hope my quonsee feels the same soon. <3
posted by limeonaire at 11:19 PM on December 12, 2018 [4 favorites]

Like frumiousb, I am also getting a bit anxious and thinking I should have paid extra for the improved service/ tracking from Canada to Scandinavia (still prefer to be a little vague), especially with the current Canada Post issues. Sorry to my Quonsee; I hope you receive it soon.
posted by Laura in Canada at 7:09 AM on December 13, 2018

Thanks for that, Sophie1! I'm now supposed to get it Sunday. Will update here ASAP.

My Quonsee's package is still "In Transit" according to USPS, but of course it doesn't say anything more than that. Am I imagining things, or did USPS tracking used to tell you what city it was now in and so forth? Anyway, it's supposedly on track to be delivered tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
posted by holborne at 8:48 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]

So, International shipping is always a bit unpredictable and requires a little more patience on everyone's parts. If you got a delivery ETA and that date has passed, feel free to email us and ask us to check on the package, understanding that ETAs have a variable relationship to reality when it comes to shipping.

Also, yes, USPS also has a variable relationship... this year to accurate details about package progress.
posted by julen at 9:25 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you to witchen for the beautiful Quonsmas card and all the goodies! You couldn't have known this, but I'm in the middle of making an illusion statement necklace in teal and brown for a dear friend, and those beads are really gonna flesh it out. Merry Quonsmas indeed!
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:30 AM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have a Quonsmas pony that seems little enough to not warrant its own post:
Could we get a Quonsar/Quonsee option in our MeFi contacts, maybe under Friendship?
_{If I should make a new post, feel free to redirect and delete.}
posted by ApathyGirl at 10:34 AM on December 13, 2018 [12 favorites]

Thank you so much to my secret quonsar for a lovely and colorful shawl that I thought was my only present -- and then I found little delightful gin-filled ornament bulbs -- and THEN I found a gin-making kit filled with tasty spices! It was PERFECT!!!
posted by knownassociate at 10:57 AM on December 13, 2018 [5 favorites]

Holy Toledo, people--have I ever been QUONSED! A package from samthemander arrived today and inside was one treat after another. A wee Rubik's cube (surely meant by the universe to be regifted to its true recipient: my 14yo who is in the Rubik's Cube club at school, believe it!); beautiful notecards with architectural drawings; the most astonishing pop-up book I have ever laid eyes on (seriously, check this shit out); and a sweet and newsy holiday card with a lovely note for moi. I love every bit of it, thank you so much!
posted by Sublimity at 11:12 AM on December 13, 2018 [6 favorites]

Thank you to julen for all the hard work and also for letting me know my quonsee received the parcel and liked it. /
posted by 15L06 at 11:30 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]

After a crazy week I was finally able to open my great quonsmas package from Rock Steady. And it's really really good. I got great science book about the total eclipse that happened in the Western US in 1878, and some very yummy looking foodstuffs. Thanks so much!
posted by Gygesringtone at 1:21 PM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]

VERY BELATEDLY, thank you to my secret quonsar for the book! I'm very much looking forward to reading it!
posted by Narrative Priorities at 3:18 PM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]

VERY BELATEDLY, thank you to my secret quonsar for the book! I'm very much looking forward to reading it!
posted by Narrative Priorities at 3:18 PM on December 13 [+] [!]

Quonsmasly eponysterical!
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:38 PM on December 13, 2018 [4 favorites]

So I got my parcel today and I have been wonderfully Quonsed! I opened the box to find a festive tin adorned with red ribbon and cheeky Cardinals. I opened it to read a lovely note and as I did so some dark specks fell out. Plastic? I wondered, or packing beads of some kind? I did what any right-thinking adult would do and put one in my mouth. And realised it was in fact chocolate, so I knew instantly my Quonsar understood me on a deep level. And wait, what’s this? A tiny tissue paper envelope containing a tiny whale pin, that’s what! My love of tiny things satisfied, I removed the bubble wrap to reveal what the note promised me were “home-made Gin Chocolate Truffle Balls”! Oh my word they are good. I (reluctantly) allowed mrbee to have one, and I may have snarfled four already just to check the quality, and I can confirm they are giny and chocolatey and bally. Really rich and with a beautiful botanical note. I’m so chuffed that someone took the time to actually make me chocolates and send them all the way from the US. It’s so thoughtful and so much appreciated. In short, I think you’ll agree that fancyoats is a most excellent Quonsar and I am very lucky. Thank you!!
posted by billiebee at 4:03 PM on December 13, 2018 [9 favorites]

kayram, you're welcome. Sorry for not including a note, I was rushing about that day. The novel is only tangentially about baseball, but I enjoyed it when I read it and hope you do, too!
posted by maxwelton at 4:47 PM on December 13, 2018

So.... we have a bunch of emails awaiting answers to such barnstorming question/comments like:

• Did you get it? Tracking Says Yes!
• Did you get it? We have no tracking, but are hopeful!
• So... your quonsee hasn't gotten a gift yet. Is it still reasonably in transit?

We sent emails to everyone for whom we had a status of Maybe? Tracking Says Yes, to folks whose gifts we knew were mailed in November, and to every recipient in a [single country] Only swap for whom we didn't have any tracking data whatsoever. Then we followed up with their quonsars as appropriate.

So... there are a bunch of emails out there begging to be answered. So ... answer them! Please.

[The International, US/Canada, and Europe swap groups with folks whose status are a mystery to us will be tackled this weekend; we're giving international shipping its sweet time to get those packages to their recipients!]
posted by julen at 5:22 PM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]

USPS says it delivered my quonsmas gift at 2pm yesterday to a mailbox in Phila. Hope to hear from my giftee soon.
posted by MovableBookLady at 5:32 PM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]

I didn't know there was going to be a part 2 to my quonsening and then there was a part 2! Out of the blue on a thoroughly sour & difficult day! (Which, maybe that's a stat to collect for next year, how often gifts arrive on crummy days? --though it seems like days are pretty much always brightened by both sending and arrival so that'd be too hard to measure, scratch that.) Further thanks to tinymegalo for the sweet stash of classic Star Wars patches & really lovely note on a local postcard. Hurrah for all this good cheer!
posted by miles per flower at 6:41 PM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]

ugh.... My quonsee's gift has been "in-transit" (after getting to the appropriate city) since Monday. "Expected delivery" on Monday and yet it's still in transit! What did you guys do with the box, USPS???
posted by Weeping_angel at 6:50 PM on December 13, 2018

OK, I am no longer a derelict human being! My count is now at one package received from Oxfordshire and one package now launched in the direction of Oxfordshire. (The reciprocity and balance of both quonsar and quonsee being there this year is a delight, too! 🇬🇧)

And documentation has been done. I'm not sure I've even done it justice, but photos have been taken, along with an accounting of delights. Here's what I got in this wonderfully recursive stack of tiny parcels!

• A packet of deep red bells 🔔 (a hat tip to Neko Case, I realized only as I got deeper in)
• A piece of tumbled tiger's eye 🐅 (which turned out to match perfectly in size and shape one I had just found at an estate sale last weekend!)
• A ridiculously adorable Ponyo in a jar that looks just like the one in the movie 🎎 (I exclaimed "Ponyo!" out loud, I'm pretty sure, when I realized what it was before fully unpacking it)
• A darkly lovely cat print from the Canadian webcomic A Softer World 😻 (this, man, it made me laugh and slightly tear up—it's really just perfect after the year I've had)
• A laser-cut Laser Geek Nintendo cartridge pin 👾
• A tiny clockwork turtle pin 🐢 (which reminds me of the phrase "rocket-powered turtles," which brings to mind all kinds of memories for me)
• A tin of Team Tea jasmine dragon pearls 🍵 (very much looking forward to steeping some of these in my MeFi mug!)
• A set of Charles Darwin centenary Royal Mail stamps from 1982 🦎
• Kenneth Rexroth's book Love Poems from the Japanese 📚 (a really nice counterpart to The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon that I'm looking forward to savoring!)
• A linocut print card by Clare Dales of Tom Paine's Lewes home, Bull House 🏠
• And a Quonsarmas mix CD 💿 that not only hat-tipped artists I already loved deeply (Neko Case, British Sea Power's "Carrion," which you have no idea what that meant to see it on a mix CD) and introduced me to some new loves (omg Dar Williams!), but also referred back, track by track, to the gifts themselves

I deconstructed the whole thing, slowly, exceedingly carefully, then stayed up a while to listen to the mix and look up all the lyrics. I poked through some of your photos, Gilgongo, while I did so, and I have to say, I like how you see the world. It was so cool to see things from your perspective, but also my perspective through your perspective, while diving into all of this. The whole thing made me feel very seen—you definitely followed the gift-giving notes I sent down more than a few paths!—and also just plain delighted. This had romance, geekery, ephemera, pins, cats, multicultural and literary references, a mixtape, tiny art, nods to revolution and resistance, rocks and bells and shells and sand...

Yeah, OK, I'm smiling all over again. I took a photo of myself 'round midnight, because I definitely felt and looked uncommonly content after all that.

Just, wow. 💖🍕🐴! ⁣Thank you so much again, Gilgongo!
posted by limeonaire at 7:57 PM on December 13, 2018 [5 favorites]

Wow wow wow! My quonsmas gift arrived today, and it was amazing!! Very well thought out, addressing so many of my interests- and THERE WAS A ROCK!!! I got:
yarns (including zombie yarn!)
an upbeat knitting pin
books and cards and space stuff
pu-erh tea (tried some today, so good, so fun!)
fancy tuna (my mouth is watering)
chocolate (it might not last the night)
lemon-ginger jam (already opened it and smeared it on an english muffin. It's so delicious)
catnip growing kit including silly cat magnets
And a beautiful baryte desert rose! Which I will add to my small rock collection and pet lovingly. (I spend time each week wearing gloves and working with amazing minerals that must. not. be. fondled., so it's a luxury to poke and handle my own collection.) Pictures here.

Thank you, anonymous Austin Quonsar!
posted by Secretariat at 8:53 PM on December 13, 2018 [4 favorites]

Hooray! I received a package today all the way from across the world and couldn't have been more excited. My SQ must've known that I was searching for the perfect snack food container to bring lunch to work (this is a minor issue for many, but had become a major search for me.) Also an awesome leather key ring that's definitely going to upgrade my life. Old station wagon keys have never been so lucky.

A huge thank you to my world-traveling Secret Quonsar for the wonderful gifts!
posted by Mr Yak at 9:12 PM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just recieved an AMAZING quonsmas gift from thereemix! A super cute scarf, a funky pair of evenings, tasty looking tea, and a book themed candle. Plus it was wrapped up in cute green paper! And had an adorable dog card! This was perfect! Thank you!
posted by lucy.jakobs at 9:19 PM on December 13, 2018 [4 favorites]

I'm really glad it arrived, Mr. Yak!
posted by frumiousb at 10:12 PM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]

I finally opened my package from Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer today and it was an embarrassment of riches in the form of salty snacks and art supplies, plus books plus socks.

My favorite bit is a hand-crafted travel watercolor kit that was also decorated with a proper Quonsmas theme. With a nice brush!

I feel very very lucky.

also a candle
posted by itesser at 11:45 PM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]

Local culture! Beer! Vintage ware! My Quonsmas gift had it all, thanks to maurice. I ended up having an overwhelming last few weeks and didn't open my SQ package until now, but I am thrilled with the charming, classic vintage Congress Beer tray and coasters. This was a perfect choice! I can't wait for patio season when I can sashay around as the happy hostess with these fun historic serving pieces. Thanks Maurice!

And bowties are cool - glad you enjoyed your gifts too!
posted by Miko at 8:44 AM on December 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN SIX YEARS I HAVE BEEN QUONSED BY MY PAL griphus. I am having a bad fourth quarter, and this came when I needed something to cheer me up.

Thank you for the gorgeous Petoskey Stone pin.

I'm so glad we are friends. <3
posted by bibliogrrl at 10:11 AM on December 14, 2018 [13 favorites]

I have actually had my package for days, but haven't opened it or posted about it!

Once I opened the mailer and saw the pretty gold wrapping paper and greeting card envelope inside, I put them both next to my little Christmas tree and decided to wait to open them until I could really SAVOR it. I find my job super stressful and knew I would need a pick-me-up at some point this month. I don't even know who sent it yet! Thank you to my kind quonsar, I will update more once I open it, I hope this weekend!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 10:37 AM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have been Quonsed by a mysterious gifter! Thank you for the lovely flag bunting (I'm going to hang it up right now in place of Christmas decor) and a place for me to record my showerpiphanies!
posted by elsietheeel at 12:32 PM on December 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

A mysterious parcel has arrived! I am saving it!
posted by paduasoy at 12:49 PM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh, itesser, I’m really glad you liked the teeny watercolor kit! I know you like to make BIG art, but I thought about making that as soon as I saw who I got as quonsee, and couldn’t shake it!

The BEST part of Quonsmas is building stronger bridges with seriously some of the coolest people on the planet. I am enjoying this thread so much!

(And I can post the baby marmoset on Instagram tomorrow, coz they’re no longer a surprise!)
posted by Nancy_LockIsLit_Palmer at 3:17 PM on December 14, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you so much drlith for the parcel which arrived this week! The space capsule tea infuser (with astronaut on an umbilical chain: how on earth did you find something so cool?) is already a hit with the family, and the bottle opener feels absolutely personal to me already. The music box will be a weekend project with my son (who has claimed the tea infuser and is currently sleeping with it in his hand).

Merry Quonsmas!
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 4:17 PM on December 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

I have been QUONSED!!!! Champagne Supernova, THANK YOU!!! She sent me an assortment of goodies for the Super Sensitive Soul that I am: A Japanese woodblock print 2019 calendar, a skein of handspun merino in my favorite color (yellow!! I'm not sure how you would have known that!), a bag of Yellow & Blue tea for sipping whilst relaxing, and two coffee crisp candy bars. She must have looked at my previous posts and seen that I asked about Good Stuff to Buy in Canada, and that I was all about the Coffee Crisp.

Thank you so much! This makes the Quonsmas season really special :^)
posted by Elly Vortex at 7:16 PM on December 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

Thanks to MovableBookLady for the bright crimson scarf, fancy North Carolina playing cards, reusable bag, A Pattern Language button (this is fab) and handcrafted chocolates! I love it all, you did a fantastic job of quonsing!!
posted by tangaroo at 7:32 PM on December 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yay, tangaroo! I'm so pleased you liked everything. The bag is from India (I received a caftan in it). A Pattern Language is one of my all-time favorite books, so I thought maybe a Philadelphian would appreciate the pin, what with all its fine architecture. I wish I had written down the flavors of the chocolates--they're all different and all adventurous, sort of like strawberry w/balsamic reduction--but I forgot so you get to just try them blind. Enjoy.
posted by MovableBookLady at 8:59 PM on December 14, 2018

I think I've been quonsed?

Got home from work at 11:30pm last night (OH GOD SOMETIMES I HATE MY JOB SOMEONE SAVE ME) to find a package....with no return address label. And no note to accompany what was inside.

What WAS inside was a bunch of cool things:

* A fridge magnet from the NYC Transit museum, with a design that I actually liked when I saw it on the subways themselves
* A pack of Hungarian noodles that will be GREAT with paprikash (and actually are of a brand that I picked myself a few months back and liked, and had just run out)
* A couple of fun jewelry items (a pin and a pendant)
* A....black thing with gears that I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's serving the same function as a fidget spinner
* And one HELL of a fantastic-looking travelogue for Paris.

If this was indeed from my Quonsee - thank you, thank you! I'm saving the book or a couple days to be a reward for finishing the Christmas shopping, but very nearly dove right in.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:56 AM on December 15, 2018 [4 favorites]

EmpressCallipygos: A....black thing with gears that I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it's serving the same function as a fidget spinner

Sounds like a fidget cube to me. Does it have a shiny rolling ball on one side, and a clicky switch on another?
posted by Too-Ticky at 7:10 AM on December 15, 2018

Hooray and oh my am I ever quonsed!!! holborne has spoiled me with a skein of the most amazing merino-and-cashmere fingering weight yarn from a small local fiber company, in luscious shades of teal and magenta, and I can Not. Stop. Petting. It! I think it wants to be knit up into a cowl or shawlette that I can wear around my neck all winter like a happy, soothing hug from the internet. And, as if this gorgeousness wasn't already beyond generous, she also sent a book of beautiful scarf patterns and I'm already eyeing a few to make! Oh, and even the CARD is freaking adorable, and I'm pinning it up in my little office for keeps. And, as these things often seem to go, my quonsmas package arrived exactly when I was feeling totally ground down and really needed the cheer. Thank you ever so much, holborne! You totally knocked it out of the park!!
posted by shelbaroo at 7:22 AM on December 15, 2018 [6 favorites]

Thanks to Snarl Furillo for the Hawaiian coffee beans two ways, for drinking and eating. I am enjoying a quiet Quonsmas morning cup of coffee at this very moment. I will save the chocolate-covered beans for a bribe to finish preparations for that other December holiday.

Joyous Quonsmas to one and all!
posted by esoterrica at 9:42 AM on December 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you weeping_angel! I love my quonsmas package! My dog is busy working on the squeaky snake as I type (he's had them before and loves them)! I'm looking forward to remembering how to play cribbage. I was also super into it as a kid and had forgotten all about it, so it was such a nice surprise to get a set (and funny that cribbage is evidently a common childhood pastime)! Good timing too as I was feeling quite overwhelmed finishing up all my Christmas stuff today while sick, so it was so nice to take a break and open such a thoughtful gift (I also loved the card!!).
posted by snaw at 9:58 AM on December 15, 2018 [5 favorites]

I’m so glad you and your dog like it!

I love how Quonsmas gifts always seem to arrive right when we need them.
posted by Weeping_angel at 11:05 AM on December 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

Homeboy Trouble, you rock! I got the best selection of nifty stuff from him. It's clear he read up on my preferences, and everything in my pack was 100% perfect!

I work at a library, and received the coolest pamphlets about Calgary's brand new, fancy central library, some delicious tea with a historical reference (the Famous Five - a fascinating group of local suffragettes), some delicious hot sauce, the BEST roasted almonds ever (garden rosemary and smoked paprika -I swoon!), toys for my kitties which they went ape over, a bike light that I totally needed and used to light my way last night through the dark and rain, a silicon pan scraper that is perfect and so useful, and a Coffee Crisp candy bar, which is...or was a total delight. I've only every had a CC bar from Canadian Mefis. It feels like a Qonsmas tradition, and I miss it already. Mmmm.....

All of these gifts were wrapped in super snazzy paper, with charming notes. So perfect!

Thanks so much, Homeboy Trouble! You absolutely nailed everything and I delighted in it all. Happy Quonsmas to you and yours!
posted by but no cigar at 11:33 AM on December 15, 2018 [4 favorites]

The Elusive Architeuthis —if the internet has taught me anything, it’s that no matter how oddball & random the things are that interest me, there are other people that are into them too (and some of them are probably on Metafilter). I am so very pleased you enjoyed your package.

To my own Secret Quonsar, my parcel has found its way from Eastern Canada! My brightly-wrapped little gifties remain unopened for now, but just their arrival prompted me to finally run out and get a tree to put them under. So they have already been instrumental in helping me to vastly improve my week and my environment. Thank you!
posted by obloquy at 11:48 AM on December 15, 2018 [4 favorites]

Sounds like a fidget cube to me. Does it have a shiny rolling ball on one side, and a clicky switch on another?

No, it's....there's one bigger gear and one smaller one, and they're both sort of housed together alongside each other with the teeth meshing and the smaller one rolls around the circumference of the bigger one. I cannot ascertain to what purpose it does this.

But the reason I came back in was to say that I took a peek in the Paris book and it actually is not proper travelogue, it's more like a fantastical travelogue/flight-of-fancy thing (one of the co-authors worked on the Griffin and Sabine books, if that gives you an idea of the tone). And that makes it far cooler so I wanted to thank my Quonsor again!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:23 PM on December 15, 2018 [3 favorites]

shelbaroo, I’m so glad you liked it! I felt a little bad sending it all in a Kevlar envelope, but I underestimated the size box it would fit into, so that’s the only thing that was big enough and that was available at the post office. Oops! Anyway, I’m happy it arrived to you at an opportune time! Happy Quonsmas to you!
posted by holborne at 6:46 PM on December 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

I received a very lovely package this week from Nerd of the North! Chocolate, an adorable little teaspoon made from Alaskan birch, two fantastic tea towels with polar bears, and a very sweet card.

In their note, my very kind Quonsar, apologized for not including gifts that matched my wishlist. Here's the wonderful, shiny, really amazing thing, though: I have been meaning to buy this exact type of towel for YEARS. I just never got around to it. I even planned to put them on my family's Secret Santa list this year and simply forgot to do so. They're the perfect size and absorb water in just the right way - they're the towel that every proper kitchen really needs.

I was enthusiastically explaining my wonder to Mr. Wasp last night. About how incredible I find it that my positive towel thoughts made their way out into the world, all the way to Alaska and then all the way back to me in Minnesota. He smiled, agreed, and said how awesome it was that I was the recipient of such a happy coincidence. I immediately corrected him, saying that was exactly my point: that I don't believe it was a coincidence, that sometimes it's okay to believe that there is positive energy in the world that collides and brings karma to one's doorstep in the form of tea towels. I said that I just wished that sometimes he would let himself believe that magic is possible.

As we were having this conversation, we were walking out the door to the car, on our way to date night at a local restaurant. We neared the car and Mr. Wasp stopped. He said, "I think that perhaps I'm not explaining myself very well. I just think about things in a different way than you do. When I think about your gift, I think about all of the different mathematical possibilities available in the universe, all of the possible outcomes: the fact that one of them happened to you today makes me really happy. We're just talking about cosmic energy in different ways." I suddenly had this moment where I deeply understood my husband in a way that I never have before.

That conversation led to a bigger conversation in the car about soul mates and how I've always thought that he wasn't romantic enough to believe that we were meant to be together, when what he actually really feels is that it's incredible that out of all of the people and possibilities in all of the world, we found one other. This is my very first Quonsmas, and, in addition to getting the perfect little box of presents, I really got the best gift of all: a chance to understand and connect with my husband in a rich and unexpected way.
posted by WaspEnterprises at 7:07 PM on December 15, 2018 [44 favorites]

It's the waiting to hear of its arrival that's nerve wracking. This year was all the way across the planet.
posted by infini at 8:54 AM on December 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

I have been quonsed by sleeping bear. My package contained a metal puzzle (I love fidgety puzzles!) that I have not yet solved and a deck of "New Arcana" "tarot" cards that I'm going to have a lot of fun with. Thanks, sleeping bear!
posted by hanov3r at 12:15 PM on December 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

SO I know my package was delivered to Canada but as they have yet to post in this thread I am assuming they are either: too busy to post/on vacation or waiting to open their gift on the actual x-mas day (both totally fine I'm just glad tracking said it was delivered!)

BUT HOLY CRAP! I got an un-official second Quonsukah! Elsietheeel got me in the card club this month and sent me gifts! I am absolutely speechless! She got me a beautiful mason bee house for my garden and a metal grasshopper to keep my metal ant company, and some lactose free gelt! This technically wasn't part of the quonsar, but it was so kind and thoughtful I wanted to thank them here! Here's a picture of my metal ant's new grasshopper friend! I feel like the luckiest neanderthal in the world!
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 2:32 PM on December 16, 2018 [9 favorites]

Yay!!! Congratulations on finishing school, friend! <3
posted by elsietheeel at 3:16 PM on December 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you guyzero for my delish looking chocolate, and definitely-mine-and-not-anyone-elsesinthehouse storm trooper towel! The magnet is already up on the board, and the choc will be enjoyed over the next week
posted by darsh at 4:05 PM on December 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

apex_, forgive me for the late update (school obligations were subsuming my life there for a bit) but I got your package and had been saving it to open when life was a little less crazy. I opened it tonight and that cozy blanket is EXACTLY what I needed! Right now my wife and I are in a bit of a tug-of-war over it but I'm sure there's enough room beneath it for both of it and our pup - speaking of whom, she is delighted with her bully stick! I couldn't get a great picture because she wouldn't stop chewing long enough to pose, but here's an action shot of her (which is blissfully ongoing as I type this).

Thank you for the wonderful presents, and happy quonsmas!
posted by DingoMutt at 9:21 PM on December 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

And yay, stynxno, I'm glad your package made it! I wish I could have sent you fresh marionberries from the summertime farmers market - as a native east coaster I must say I've never had berries as amazing as the ones out here in OR. The marionberry jam gets us through the winter and I hope you enjoy it, too! Glad the cat plate is on-brand for you, too - we always enjoy having an excuse to buy something else from the cat lady at the market. Happy quonsmas!!
posted by DingoMutt at 9:32 PM on December 16, 2018

I’ve been obsessively watching the tracking of my parcel and finally today it said it’s left the processing facility and is out for delivery! Which means that it took less than 2 days to travel over 5000 miles to the processing facility, and then took 5 days to make it from one side of that to the other. That’s some big facility right there. Anyway hang tight Quonsee, nearly there!
posted by billiebee at 5:06 AM on December 17, 2018 [4 favorites]

Ok, so, I finally managed to get my brother to give me my Quonsar's gift. And it. is. AWESOME. sophie1 send me a jar of raw honey (from her own bees, I think?), which is basically one of my favorite things. I immediately took a spoon to it, but my husband gave me the hairy eyeball so I relented and ate it in a more civilized way, by spreading it on an English muffin. Plus she sent a whole multitude of pens (because I'm slightly obsessed with pens) in great colors. Not just blue and black and red, but those along with pink, silver, orange, purple, light blue, and so forth. They're gorgeous.

Thank you so much, sophie1! I love everything. This gift made Quonsmas very happy for me at a rather stressful time.
posted by holborne at 8:35 AM on December 17, 2018 [4 favorites]

The honey is indeed from my own bees! Glad you liked it!
posted by Sophie1 at 8:48 AM on December 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

Secret Quonsar has come once again! I was super-busy for a couple weeks with work travel, a wedding, a lot of snow, and a cold, but upon my return home I discovered a charming package from ActionPopulated wishing me a Merry Gritsmas. :D

Gritty has brought me a wicked-cool magnet (which my wife says is a protective ward) and some very tasty strawberry and prosecco jam. We've already had a good bit of the jam in the name of Science. And I just received an email saying that there's a part 2 of the package still in the mail!

Time to go make a thank-you card! :)
posted by introp at 9:57 AM on December 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

Re: itsamermaid

I was your secret Quonsar! I sent the package in a hurry before a business trip and forgot to include a note!

Anyway, the calendar and the cat button are both by local Montreal artists. The chickens calendar is titled: "Fashionable Hens" in French.
posted by exolstice at 10:16 AM on December 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

I forgot to post the picture of the gifts!
posted by introp at 12:51 PM on December 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you to my still-anonymous Secret Quonsar! The gift just arrived and it's wonderful. I can't wait to put the cat toy to use when I get home tonight! Also looking forward to all the puzzles, what a great gift I'll use year after year. Thank you so much!!
posted by CheeseLouise at 1:55 PM on December 17, 2018 [1 favorite]

Quonsmas has arrived at the Bee & Rose! All the way from Osaka, a delightful curated collection of local Japanalia courtesy of emmling! An assortment of candies which I will try to mostly save so I can share them with PITA daughter comes home from finals on Tuesday, octopus socks in socky homage to a popular Osaka street food that PITA daughter will also likely claim, a good luck charm that hearkens to the upcoming year of the boar, a postcard of Osaka Castle and an accompanying Japanese fable about a calico cat, an erasable pen, and most importantly, a vending machine cat hat which none of the indoor fam was a fan of. Indeed, after I adjusted it on Miela's head twice, she was absolutely done with me and my horrible cat-hat-positioning hands and went to hide under the table and I wasn't sure I would be able to get it off.
posted by drlith at 3:40 PM on December 17, 2018 [5 favorites]

I have both Quonsed and been Quonsed, and have been very remiss in communicating in either direction.

To my Quonsar duffell, I got your package several days ago and I am so sorry for the delay in getting in touch! I love the art and the art-to-be, and I shrieked a little when I saw the microscope, because I'd been thinking of getting something similar for myself! You've inspired several of my coworkers to go looking for something similar for their various holiday gift exchanges. Also did you know that fillings, crowns, and natural teeth fluoresce very differently? I've had a stressful couple of weeks but that little scope has brought so much fun, so THANK YOU!

EmpressCallipygos, apologies for the unintended mysteries, I was in a rush to chuck it in the mail and forgot all sorts of things, but I'm glad you're excited about (and didn't already have!) the book! We only live about four zipcodes apart, but I hope you enjoy the other little bits and pieces from my "local area" (for a few different definitions of local)!
posted by yeahlikethat at 3:44 PM on December 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you so much, Billiebee!! Spammusubi picked up the mail today and excitedly texted that I had a package from Belfast, with the customs stamps on it and everything! It's a long way to Los Angeles, but Royal Mail and the USPS came through well before Christmas.

First, the wonderful Wee ChocCo Orange and Ginger Dark Chocolate, handmade in N. Ireland. All profits go to people with learning difficulties, which is awesome! Spammusubi is addicted to candied oranges, orange marmalade, and the like, so needless to say, this chocolate is not long for the world in our house.

Then, a collection of locally harvested and bottled flavored rapeseed (canola) oils, grown on an estate in County Down since 1656. This will be perfect for our various cooking endeavors, especially stir fries. Yesss!

A gift from Milan. I hope I'm not giving away any secrets if I share that this is from Billiebee's honeymoon, so congratulations and mazel tov on your marriage! How very thoughtful of you to take time out of your honeymoon to pick out a SQ gift! A beautiful, handmade set of deckle edged cards and envelopes, from L'antica Cartiera Amalfitana. Now to identify recipients who will appreciate this beautiful stationery.

Finally, the card with a beautiful Belfast cityscape and a lovely message from Billiebee! This is going on my desk and will remain up well past the holiday season as a reminder of the spirit of SQ. Thank you again, Billiebee, and hugs all the way from Los Angeles!
posted by Atrahasis at 7:03 PM on December 17, 2018 [4 favorites]

I've been delightfully quonsed from all the way around the globe! A package arrived from distant Denmark containing not just a bundle of tasty sweets including Danish licorice and other candy sticks but also a lovely soft gingerbread heart as delicious as it was gigantic. I say "was" because I'm afraid that Mrs. Lobster and I had zero discipline and simply devoured the entire thing the moment it got unpacked. It was great and we regret nothing!
And as if those sweets weren't enough there was also in the package a lovely crustacean Christmas tree ornament! This will now have a place of honor among our various decorations.
Thank you so much rawrberry. You made my day and I loved everything you sent!!!
posted by Hairy Lobster at 7:43 PM on December 17, 2018 [3 favorites]

A big thank you to infini who provided me with a lovely polka dot bag, card and paper cut out wishing me luck and prosperity for the coming year. The bag has seen a lot of service since it is the default bag for my journeys around Sydney. Thanks, infini!
posted by jadepearl at 11:26 PM on December 17, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yay Hairy Lobster, I'm so glad that the package arrived - and that you liked everything! Merry Quonsmas to you and yours!
posted by rawrberry at 12:47 AM on December 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thanks jadepearl, I'm only sorry i was unable to stuff more inside the bag for you, but Finland to Australia was a very long distance for the parcel to travel. I'm so glad to hear you received it in time.
posted by infini at 2:47 AM on December 18, 2018

Thanks The Elusive Architeuthis! My package arrived safely. I love the lip balm and the soothing salve and the animal bag is really amazing and cool. I've been quonsed!
posted by frumiousb at 4:41 AM on December 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you knownassociate for the amazing and witchy gift! I can't wait to hang out with my tarot cards and these zines :)
posted by aaanastasia at 4:48 AM on December 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

Yay I’m so glad it arrived safely Atrahasis! I was a bit late getting it in the post so I was worried about delays/cranky customs officials/contrary marmosets etc so hats off to the postal workers! Best wishes of the SQ season to you and Spammusubi, and to julen and the elves and everyone here. I love this little corner of the site and my Quonsmas this year was wonderful all round with delightful Quonsars and Quonsees. See y’all next year :)
posted by billiebee at 5:14 AM on December 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I received a mail pick-up card last week, but was just able to get to the post office yesterday... obviously I Have Been Quonsed! Super-Thanks to Fizzix who sent be a "Let's Beer Friends" Cleveland T-Shirt picturing the Guardians of Traffic (which is very cool & fits perfectly) & a How to Speak Midwestern book, which I thought was probably a fun novelty book but actually looks to be full of real information, and fun at the same time. I look forward to reading it and thank-you again!
posted by Laura in Canada at 6:21 AM on December 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

I need to receive a lump of Quons-coal, because I have been HORRIDLY negligent in posting my thanks to triggerfinger for the truly excellent and very much appreciated gift Which arrived several days ago!
It contained:
A fun shimmery nail polish!
The coziest socks, with little grippy bits on the bottom so I don’t break my neck while chasing my dogs down the stairs/all over the house!
Two GIANT treats for aforesaid dogs! I tried to snap a photo of how instant and ebullient their appreciation was, but I was not speedy enough!

Thank you so much, triggerfinger!! I (and Kenobi and Mara Jade) love it all, despite my total failure to show my gratitude in a timely manner (it’s been a craaaaaaay week, y’all, but this package was an absolute bright light).

Many many many thanks.
posted by Dorinda at 7:09 AM on December 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

tel3path!!! Thank you for the delightful books, I can't wait to get stuck in! I ask for the same Quonsmas gift each year and it's so great to see how different Mefites interpret it.

(To show how alert I am, I just assumed the package was the board book I ordered for my baby nephew and was seriously confused when I saw the contents.)

A very Happy Quonsmas to all!
posted by orrnyereg at 11:28 AM on December 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

I now believe in the magic of quonsmas!! I've been reading stories above about how a quonsmas present always arrives at the exact perfect time. Well now I have proof.

We had some hard rain on Friday morning, but my quonsmas gift arrived during a lull in the rain and luckily I was home to bring it inside so it didn't get wet. I was working so I set it aside to open later that evening. That afternoon, the rain really started coming down and, before you knew it, the water rose up from the street into our house, until our ground floor was filled with 10cm of gross water and street rubbish. We've spent just about every minute since then trying to move the water out, save any furniture we could, rip out the carpet, stop the mildew from spreading, book tradies and clean up.

But yesterday we were finally starting to get things under control and I remembered that I had received my quonsmas gift! What a treat to get to sit down and open it after the few days I've had. It's a beautiful tea pot and some stunning blooming teas. I haven't used it yet, but the photos online are gorgeous - these teas open up to look like flower arrangements in the teapot. And they're in a variety of really yummy sounding flavours. My quonsor totally knew (before it happened!) that I would need something relaxing and beautiful to sit down and quietly enjoy. I have a friend coming over to visit next week and I'm looking forward to sharing a pot of tea with her.

My quonsor didn't include their username but thank you so much for the lovely and very needed present.
posted by mosessis at 10:20 PM on December 18, 2018 [6 favorites]

I have been quonsed by the amazing vickyverky , who sent me a copy of Taking Things Seriously, a bunch of postcards and notecards, and a small jar of various artefacts. 100% delightful, and especially nice to come home to after a long day of pretending to be an adult. Thank you!
posted by bile and syntax at 5:33 AM on December 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yes! I have been gloriously Quonsed. Exactly in Metafilter tradition I was having a less than stellar day when a package arrived. I don’t know how to link to pics, but it’s really lovely stuff. I said I love stationery so that’s what I got. But.......I got me some nice Suffragette stationery. Which is awesome. A cute notebook which says: Notes for women, votes for women. Button badges just like the real buttons worn by the women of the militant Suffragette organisations around 1900. And pencils with little erasures on top, which to me are the best. But they are also in fun colours and are stamped with good words. Like: ‘nevertheless she persisted’, ‘The future is female’ and my favourite in bright pink: ‘Nasty Woman’. I’m looking forward to using them in a noticable way and fielding remarks in a appropiate (nasty?) way if necessary. Also I’m quite certain that this is a validation of my calling out someone the other day, so there!
A big Thanks to my Secret Quonsar, I love your gift. You made my day and I’m gonna have a lot of fun out of this.
posted by oenzemain at 7:31 AM on December 19, 2018 [6 favorites]

aaanastasia, you're welcome! I reallllly wanted to get you a ticket to that tarot/witchy/yoga class, too -- but hope you already know about it and are friends with the organizers already to be ready for the next one!
posted by knownassociate at 8:24 AM on December 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

A huge public thank you to emypocu for an incredible local-to-emypocu band's Bastard Orphan, a Hamilton-themed Quonsmas gift that could not have been more surprising or delightful (and for a kooky personality-fitting goody, as well). Emypocu, your private thank you should either be in, or almost in, your USPS mailbox as I type.

This year's Quonsmas has been a tad kerfuffle-y. I thought I had NOT received anything yet because, starting from my return from Thanksgiving, not only was none of my held mail delivered on the appropriate date, but for a week after, I didn't get anything except advertising mailers and non-USPS deliveries. The post office assured me my mail was no longer on hold. It turns out that our substitute postal carrier decided to "deliver" dozens of people's mail to another set of apartments in our complex, so dozens of residents have been carrying mail to the main office to have them sort it. At the end of last week, I got a stack of 50+ envelopes and packages.

Meanwhile, email providing my quonsee's info disappeared in cyberspace (but our elves took care of me straight away) and then the original gift arrived late and broken, so I had to become a not-so-secret Quonsar and make sure everything was set right (which it finally is). Whew.

"Raise a glass to Quonsmas, something they can never take away..."
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 10:18 AM on December 19, 2018 [3 favorites]

My sweet quonsar arrived yesterday. It took 19 days to travel all the way to Sydney, Australia from the Netherlands. As has been the case for other Mefites, it arrived just when I needed a pick-me-up. My bachelor pad fridge is now stocked with 2 apples, 2 blocks of chocolate, 1 bag of chocolates, 2 boxes of chocolate sprinkles and a jar of sweet spread that I can't yet decipher the flavour of.
I also received a lovely chatty post card and a book. Thank you to my sweet Quonsar xx.
posted by MT at 1:57 PM on December 19, 2018 [2 favorites]

Thank you for the lovely tea and tea-flavored candies, anonymous Canadian SQ!
posted by marfa, texas at 5:30 PM on December 19, 2018 [1 favorite]

In true Quonsmas fashion, there was a mail mishap, and I never received notification that I'd received a package... on November 22nd. My Secret Quonsar, haemanu, had to memail me to let me know that I should have received something. After much sleuthing and calling and messaging, I managed to track it down, just before it was scheduled to be returned to the sender. Quonsmas magic works in mysterious ways.

After waiting for 30 minutes while the world's unfriendliest postal worker searched for my package, I happily skipped out of the post office and saw that the return address was none other than WETA WORKSHOP. I was giddy! And I was not disappointed with the contents! An awesome map of Middle Earth tea towel, which I don't even want to use because I just know it'll get ruined. And a Krampus bell, which I was tempted to put on my dog's collar, but I think it'd end up driving us crazy. Both gifts are just so perfect for me. I feel so lucky to have been gifted these wonderful items.

And then I got a lovely card from Spain a few days later. Quonsmas is the gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you so very much, haemanu!
posted by MsVader at 5:33 PM on December 19, 2018 [4 favorites]

What goes around comes around, and it serves me totally right. I am currently in much the same state of anticipation as my quonsar was 2 years ago, as he waited for me to acknowledge receipt of, much less even open that first Quonsmas box of wonder. My outgoing package was allegedly delivered a good couple days ago now, almost 3 days ago, across the sea. Hopefully it's just under a tree somewhere (ideally in a domicile) at this point, waiting the few days until the next holiday.

Of course, given my track record that first Quonsmas, it would be entirely fair game to make me wait another 18 days, so I can and will be patient. In the meantime...mischief may be afoot. Double-reverse-recidivist Quonsmas lives on!
posted by limeonaire at 8:08 PM on December 19, 2018

Yay, Dorinda! So glad that you and the puppies liked everything!
posted by triggerfinger at 11:01 PM on December 19, 2018

Holy shit, have I been quonsed or what? Coffee, chocolate and figs would have been more than enough, but the collection of materials from the Museum of Jurassic Technology made my heart squee with delight. Like, audibly. That sort of thing is so up my alley that I'm wondering if Hairy Lobster has access to my search history. Thank you so much!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 6:52 AM on December 20, 2018 [6 favorites]

Okay, I'm just going to ask:

Yeahlikethat, what IS that black thing? I'm not sure what it's supposed to be, and I'm actually afraid that it maybe got into the package by accident and that there is something in your house that you're not able to use because you're looking for it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:58 AM on December 20, 2018

Glad everything arrived safely, Johnny Wallflower and glad you like all the MJT stuff!
posted by Hairy Lobster at 8:02 AM on December 20, 2018

signal! Thank you so very very much for the awesome mug and Chilean tea! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get the package from our apartment's reception area, and then to post an update here. I got my hands on it at the perfect time though - work has been driving me crazy with deadlines before the holidays, and yesterday they finally started to let up, giving me some breathing room. Time to relax with an awesome hot beverage!

Thank you!
posted by erratic meatsack at 12:00 PM on December 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

I have been joyously QUONSED with the most perfect gifts that match me SO WELL there was GASPING OF JOY when I opened everything. Thank you, The Wrong Kind of Cheese, for such an amazing haul and your sweet card. First, it must be noted there was a gift kerfuffle, and so The Wrong Kind of Cheese reached out by MeMail to break The Sacred Vow of Quonsmas Surprise to apologize for the delay. Y'all, she wrote me such an adorable The Good Place themed message that part of me concluded that this message alone would make a fine gift. But, lo, my packages arrived and what lay inside?

First, two shrimp forks! For Eleanor, of course. This foodie delights in making the most fanciest of things, and tiny serving items like shrimp forks are JUST the kind of thing I covet, despite not even eating shrimp! (Just like vegetarian Kristen Bell, so my shrimp forks are EXTRA authentic.) How did The Wrong Kind of Cheese KNOW I was vegan and STILL KNOW shrimp forks would be a perfect gift? Gifting Level Platinum Edition. Next, a What The Fork t-shirt in blue (my favorite color, how did she know?!), which will easily become my favorite t-shirt. It's going in the wash RIGHT NOW so I don't have to wait any longer to wear it. Finally -- and these were the gasps of joy -- a hanging file folder. No, wait, what, that sounds awful, says the disorganized folks in the crowd. The Wrong Kind of Cheese described it as a "spreadsheet in 3D" which are the words you would say to lure me into a murder shack. I will leap to the next level of organization AND be a savvy user of vertical space!

Thank you, The Wrong Kind of Cheese, for your generous, thoughtful, fun gifts. You have made this Quonsmas so very special, and I am grateful.
posted by missmary6 at 4:14 PM on December 20, 2018 [4 favorites]

> erratic meatsack: "signal! Thank you so very very much for the awesome mug and Chilean tea!…Thank you!"

Yay! SO happy it got there in time and in one piece, I was a little worried about the mug. I hope it brings you some quality tea-times.
posted by signal at 4:49 PM on December 20, 2018

I just got my quonsmas presents! Plural! Something for the consumer in me AND the idealist!

Thanks, secret quonser!
posted by aniola at 6:38 PM on December 20, 2018 [1 favorite]

mosessis, I’m so glad the gift arrived at the right time. Thinking that the gift card may not have made it in the box, you should also be getting one last thing in the mail. I hope you had a nice tea with your friend. happy quonsmas!
posted by lemon_icing at 3:47 AM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

unstrungharp, thank you, thank you! for the exquisite selection of transfers, and craft and origami papers. I can hardly wait to decorate my Moleskin notebooks and some plain storage boxes with them. They arrived yesterday. So many pretty and unusual tidbits that will beautify otherwise mundane stuff. Thanks again for a very funny Quonsmas card, and lovely and absolutely perfect Quonsmas gift. Happy Quonsmas, everyone!
posted by angiep at 8:22 AM on December 21, 2018 [2 favorites]

Happily quonsed this morning!

Thanks for the Doctor Who prints Secret Quonsar! The framed one is up on the wall already and looks amazing, can't thank you enough.

Merry Quonsmas one and all!
posted by brilliantmistake at 8:32 AM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

drlith, I'm glad you enjoyed your present! And thank you for the pictures of your animals trying on the cat hat!

To my Secret Quonsar, your box arrived the day after I left for Christmas vacation with my family in the states, so my friend has collected it for me and is holding it until I get back around New Year's. Sorry for the delay in opening it, but I am looking forward to opening it when I get back home!
posted by emmling at 11:10 AM on December 21, 2018 [1 favorite]

Worth waiting for

Merry Quonsmas and thanks to the inestimable Songdog, who sent artisanal sweets from the Northeast: apple butter, hot fudge, organic chocolate and maple syrup candy. Nom nom nom.

And merry Quonsmas and many noms to you all, as well.
posted by key_of_z at 10:40 AM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

THANK YOU, secret quonsar of New York city, who ever you may be!! Our power was out due to a windstorm but that didn't stop the post from delivering a wonderfully bulging box full of cheer! The adorable stuffed little ribbon monster with majestic mustache and sweet eyes, has taken a place atop our tree so the curious dogs cannot taste him, and the INCREDIBLE cookies are just the thing to have with a hot cup of coffee-- ONE is like a personal cake all by itself!! Thank you so very much!! Happiest of Quonses to you!!!
posted by The otter lady at 11:53 AM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Oh boy, have I been Quonsed!
A huge belated thank you to the wonderful Amelliferae, who put together a thoughtfully curated box of goodies. A beautiful granite necklace, European currant candy, epic guitar picks, and a homestate cookie cutter. I absolutely loved the explanation behind each one, it felt like a vacation in a box! Thank you so much, you absolutely hit the nail on the head with this one, I could not be happier!
posted by Champagne Supernova at 2:35 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my Quonsar, unreasonable! You truly outdid yourself. I got not 1, not 2, not 3, but FOUR presents from Maine! 2 t-shirts (wearing one now as I type), a cookbook featuring Maine foods, and a beautiful wooden dish with tiny spoon and lid, perfect for salt or sugar! I love my gifts so much! I really, really appreciate it, Unreasonable! You're the best!
posted by bookworm4125 at 5:51 PM on December 22, 2018 [1 favorite]

I was very excited to receive the package notification on Thursday and even more so when I saw that it was my quonsmas pkg!! I only opened part of it because I couldn't wait until Christmas! Too-ticky sent me a lovely porcelain kitty necklace which I have been wearing since. I look forward to opening the rest of it in a couple of days! Merry Quonsmas!!
posted by googlebombed at 6:05 PM on December 22, 2018 [2 favorites]

I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t wait. I had to open it. Coaticass, it’s all so very perfect! My coin purse has just unraveled; and the thoughtful movie-defined choice of heritage seeds is just delightful! Summer is almost here in Welly. Oh how I hope I can plant soon. Thank you.
posted by lemon_icing at 12:46 AM on December 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

Hey LuckySeven~, thanks for the gorgeous gift! The book (Emphyrio by Jack Vance) looks fascinating, and I've never owned a cravat before and am looking forward to figuring out how that works! In such a gorgeous color too! Happy quonsmas to you!
posted by possibilityleft at 11:13 AM on December 24, 2018 [2 favorites]

Hey mollymillions, you read my mind!A Hedy Lamarr button! Harvard-scented and grpefruit-scented candles respectively! Octopus ice molds! A mystery component??? I am intrigued!!!

You read my mind!!!
posted by tel3path at 7:44 AM on December 25, 2018 [4 favorites]

Oh, glinn, I love all of my gifts! You out-Quonsed yourself! I valiantly saved them to open on Christmas Day, and all I can say is "Wow!" I loved the note, too!

Indulge me while I excerpt this wonderful note, which was in magenta ink, and thereby tell you what was enclosed within!

"List of Quonsmas things therein (in no particular order). *Vosges Chocolate Bars! [When the package arrived I saw the card and intended to open and display the card. I saw the word "Vosges" and and quickly steeled myself to close the card IMMEDIATELY and wait.] "Chicago co." [I asked for things reflective of the gift-giver's area]. Glinn continued, "HOWEVER, I did not forget you said 'Not too sweet' and the one is quite dark." [One is dark milk with coconut, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper, and the other is super dark with goji berries, pomegranate, and pink Himalayan salt.]

Glinn also notes that they got one for themselves [Good decision!] and "and now I don't mind telling you I am quite worried about running out of space on this card." [And the post might be a bit long, but I wanted to share Glinn's voice and lovely note.]

Next, "a sort of retro patterned fountain pen which does not quite meet your color preferences [It does, it does! It's a very golden orange! I also said I like pens]. Glinn "really liked it" and adds in "full disclosure -- I also got myself one." [Another very good decision!]

Then there was "a small cute dish, with feets [Cute feets!] ... a lovely teal inside!" [I noted in my SQ profile what colors I like!] From the 2018 Winter Arts and Crafts Expo, this purchase supported the Evanston Arts Center.

AND, "tiny art I made, a mushroom house." [She MADE it! YAY! And the card is a print from her line. I said I like handmade things and art and pens. I worked in ink as a kid.] She notes that it has some of the colors I mentioned, and added, "I have no clue what sorts of art you like but I hope you like it. (And it's OK if you don't)(Really!)"

I love it all! Really! Thank you so much! Pics will go on Facebook momentarily!

TL;DR: glinn rocks! Season's Greetings to her and all of you!
posted by jgirl at 9:50 AM on December 25, 2018 [4 favorites]

so, for some reason, I couldn’t find this page, and worried needlessly that my non-trackable pkg for tel3path might have gone astray. all good, I received a lovely note and now see the acknowlegent above. (thanks also to junius.)

Likewise, the good bethnull‘s similar fears were for naught, as I was quonsed most promptly and deliciously, in both senses of the word. It was my first Quonsar, but shall not be my last. My heart is full!
posted by mollymillions at 12:48 PM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

I have a terrible confession to make. I bought my quonsar gift in plenty of time and then the last month became pretty busy. Anyway, I thought, I am visiting the country I am gifting to ten days before Xmas, I will post it internally and it will be there in no time. I packed the gift and remembered to look up the address before I left. It was only then I realized I had remembered the city wrong and the actual target city was in a different country. I posted as soon as a worked it out and it was just inside the supposed limit for posting to the actual country but this is obviously no guarantee it has got through. I feel pretty bad about this as I got my gift weeks ago.
posted by biffa at 2:54 PM on December 25, 2018 [1 favorite]

I am jumping in after Quonsmas Day to say a HUGE thank you to Julnyes, who kindly sent me my package nearly a month ago! THANK YOU!

I always keep it unopened under my tree, to have a treat to wait for. I asked for little souvenirs of my sender's hometown, plus odd little bits and pieces from wherever -- and Julnyes went above and beyond!

I received: some delightful-smelling cherry and rose tea from Brooklyn Tea, which will be drunk while I'm sitting at work today, waiting for things to do;

a Bodega Cats enamel pin featuring Ditmars, a take-no-prisoners orange tabby with a chewed ear (nobody is going to mess with that cat, that's for sure);

a gold NYC Transit Authority ornament/medal that I think represents the NYC subway token and that is now on my tree;

a metal toy coffee grinder that really turns, with a special secret tiny story inside written by Julnyes herself;

and a bunch of Goetze's Caramel Creams, which are not only delicious but also historical and local. And everything was beautifully wrapped. Julnyes is clearly a Very Fine Quonsarer. Three cheers!
posted by vickyverky at 8:37 AM on December 26, 2018 [5 favorites]

I'm glad you enjoyed the gifts vickyverky!

Oh and that is an actual usable pencil sharpener that looks like a toy coffee grinder :)

and yes that ornament represents the now defunct New York Subway token - they were phased out in 2003.
posted by Julnyes at 9:24 AM on December 26, 2018

Dear bile and syntax thank you for the barn owl kit! I have been very patient and your package has been keeping safe under the tree all this time! We opened 'at home' gifts today and I'm so excited to get started and make a friend for Fiesta Cat! Thank you thank you :)
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:42 PM on December 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

I saved my Quonsmas gift and, just as I hoped it would, it's given me the loveliest pick-me-up and I am full of Quonsmas spirit and joy! Thank you Altomentis! (And possibly also monopas?!) I am SO excited by the handmade lotions and conditioners; I believe you that they are chock full of goodness AND you've even included an ingredient list because science. All three of them smell like heaven (and you even remembered that I like grapefruit! and it's so sparkly!). The page-folded book looks lovely fanned out on my bookshelf, the Christmas tree chocolate mints are going to be dug into as soon as I finish my dinner, and the THREE "oh, these are just packing material" HAND-CROCHETED hats are a source of much petting and future warmth. You couldn't have known that I was frequently not using my current hat, which is too warm and poorly packable for all situations--and yet somehow you gifted me with three different solutions to my cold-headed walks. Thank you! And I've saved the best for last--a Pilot parallel pen, which I have seriously always wanted, no joke. I am going to calligraph everything now. The accompanying card, with a stick figure drawn on Mt. Ranier, made me squeal in delight as soon as I opened the package. And this may sound silly, but everything was carefully packed away in ziplock bags to prevent leaks...and I am going on another trip tomorrow and was nearly out of bags to sequester toiletries and clothes and whatnot in...and now I have all I need. So yes, I was pleased with my Quonsmas package from start to finish. Thank you (both?) so much! All the blessings of the Quonsmas season on thee and thine!
posted by spelunkingplato at 8:33 PM on December 26, 2018 [4 favorites]

Hi Tandem Affinity! I'm so glad you like it, I was crossing my fingers that you didn't already have the barn owl (or, if you did, that you would sensibly like a second one because who has too many barn owls?) and I'd love to see photos! I hadn't seen these before and they are SO CUTE!
posted by bile and syntax at 6:15 AM on December 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

I opened my box! I waited until my parents had left and my wife and I finally had a bit of quiet.

I am totally astounded. I had a big box just FULL of amazing things - pin badges! Snacks! Shells! Pretty things! - and an incredibly lovely letter inside a card. (Which, uh, I cut in half with the scissors I opened the box with, despite the clear writing on top of the box that I failed to comprehend except in hindsight. But I taped it back together!)

Honestly, I cried. I've had a tough couple of months, and this was SO thoughtful and lovely. This was my first quonsmas and I just absolutely didn't anticipate someone taking so much time on such a kind gift.

Thank you so much, fellow queer ND lady! I am really overcome with gratitude. Thank you so, so much <3 <3
posted by Cheerwell Maker at 8:31 AM on December 27, 2018 [7 favorites]

(My cats and) I have indeed been quonsed by Meemzi!
I must confess that waiting to open the package until after Christmas represented no strength of will on my part -- I was traveling. It remained in its unopened state for maybe an hour after I got my hands on it =) In that hour, it served as an excellent motivation to actually unpack and deal with the less fun presents left by my cats.

It contained:
* Fancy chocolate -- yayyy!!!
* A tea infuser and assortment of loose leaf teas. In filling out the Quonsmas questionnaire I had admitted that I loved tea but was intimidated by the step from tea bags to loose leaf. Now I know that that was silly of me -- this is so deliciously simple!
* An adorable fuzzy cat toy that cat #2 immediately batted out of the air and claimed.
posted by Metasyntactic at 11:44 AM on December 29, 2018 [2 favorites]

Anonymous Quonsmas has arrived!
A book, a keyring, and a cutout and make Sagrada Familia; Barcelona has for ever been close to my heart.
All to help keep my terrified mind off the turning of 2019 / 1964 and the incoming fascist clown show.
posted by adamvasco at 12:26 PM on December 30, 2018 [2 favorites]

Big thanks to rozee for a lovely present! She gave me Blank, a card game where you get to write new rules on the cards. And also a set of nice pens, for writing new rules with. My boyfriend and I are excited to try it out!
posted by Banknote of the year at 6:21 PM on December 30, 2018 [1 favorite]

A belated Thank you to hapax_legomenon. I was out of town and only saw the gift after i returned yesterday.
I received a package from San Francisco with a building set for the Goldne Gate Bridge. Thanks a lot and I look forward to building it.
posted by Megustalations at 3:24 AM on January 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

adamvasco, thank you so much for the Quonsar from afar! I have never been to Brazil, I love all the little souvenirs, and in fact my household has been lacking a beer bottle opener so thank you so much for that!
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:49 AM on January 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

An email from the admins helped me to realize that I hadn't yet thanked my Quonsar. Thank you so much, Tandem Affinity! The science-based cross-stitch kit is great and something I never would have thought to do on my own. I'm making good progress (after a couple botched attempts) on the DNA strand.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 8:27 AM on January 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

I am sending a Memail to Rakaidan too, but I opened my quonsar gift a few days ago!! It had a small adventure; we have a parcels mailbox at our apartments but for some reason this box was delivered to the front management office - which was all good except the postman didn't give us a slip that said we had something! So our apartment manager tried to be kind and called me around Dec 22 to come get it in case it was a Christmas item - but of course by then I was out of town and couldn't get it until a few days ago!

Anyway, rakaidan sent me a lovely themed package - I had said I could really use some self care / "mini vacay" items and she sent me a beach vacation in a box!
A 'beaches' mini calendar I will happily display when I start my new job in a few weeks *toots horn*
An amazingly beachy-smelling lotion
A lovely candle in a scent I wouldn't have picked, which is half the fun of getting new things
And a Tahitian gardenia roll-on perfume!

It feels so tropical and fancy! Thank you!
posted by nakedmolerats at 6:23 PM on January 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

OK, this was my first Instagram post of 2019, but I didn't have a chance to come back here and tell you all about it until just now. Thanks to dearest tel3path, double reverse recidivist quonsmas lives! I got your surprise package the last evening of 2018, and it immediately put a huge smile on my face and totally made my night.

Here is a photo and accounting of delights! I have been gifted multiple miniature things to put into and take out of this perfect little box, which I unwrapped one by one.

• A working ceramic bell with flowers on it 🔔
• A tiny roast turkey (I think) 🦃
• A hot cross bun and a loaf of challah (holla!) 🍞
• A puffy satin Valentine's heart with a gem on it and a box with a rose on it 💌
• A cake with rosettes in its icing 🎂
• A gilded tureen with a rose on it and a tiny lid 🍲
• Three boxes from the pantry 📦
• A floral pitcher with a lid 🏺
• Two bebidas or sodas 🍾
• A hand-decorated plate 🍽️
• A lidded rose urn ⚱️
• A two-handled gilded dish that the emoji set fails to fully cover 🏺

💖🍕🐴! This is all taking a place of honor on my shelves. For those who don't know the back story, tel3path was my first quonsee, in 2016. And we've managed to keep this delightful exchange going for 3 years now! (Look out, tel3path et al., 'cause there may indeed be some mail stuck in the tubes of the global postal system for you as well.)

P.S. Added spookiness: tel3path, I also got a set of octopus ice molds for quonsmas, albeit not officially part of quonsmas—that was one of Kimothy's gifts to me this year! I'm so glad the tradition of quonsmas octopodes also continues! 🐙
posted by limeonaire at 8:45 PM on January 2, 2019 [6 favorites]

Hello! Sorry to have taken a long time to thank my Quonsar, the excellent saeculorum - I've been down with 'flu over Christmas and New Year. I was so pleased to receive a wooden puzzle (will find a link once I have more brain cells), some hot sauce, which I do not think is a thing over here so I am intrigued, and a thick history book, just the sort of thing I like. Thank you!
posted by paduasoy at 1:21 AM on January 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

So glad you liked it Vectorcon Systems and so glad you mentioned it here - I had been a little worried about the Canadian Post holding it up (or maybe still having it in the vortex somewhere), but I took the risk because I couldn't find anything quite like it from an American seller!!! Happy stitching!
posted by Tandem Affinity at 7:31 AM on January 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

After being out of the country for ~three weeks, I am finally home and have received my quonsmas gift! Thank you SO MUCH to ochenk for the wonderful present! I love the little bowl and the wooden Minnesota ornament, and the candle smells very nice. I'm looking forward to comparing the Goldfish crackers with the Penguin crackers. Thank you again!
posted by emmling at 5:22 PM on January 3, 2019 [2 favorites]

hee hee! Glad you like it, limeonaire!
posted by tel3path at 8:05 AM on January 4, 2019 [1 favorite]

I love Quonsmas! A very warm thanks to jadepearl who sent me a lovely card and Paraspheres, an anthology of fabulist stories, which I am so excited to read! Even that cover, gosh; I love it.

I've been overseas with family for the holidays for the past two weeks, and this was waiting for me at the post office. I cannot wait to bring in the new year with such an abundance of stories in a genre that previously had no name. Thank you so much, jadepearl!
posted by lesser weasel at 8:36 PM on January 4, 2019 [4 favorites]

articseal, thank you so much for the beautiful fan, nougat, fudge, and lovely card! I am actually that into makeup that I fan my setting spray dry every morning so it will feel way fancier! I got back to Paris yesterday after 3 weeks in England so also sorry for the tardiness!
posted by ellieBOA at 2:22 AM on January 5, 2019 [3 favorites]

Shoutout to the sweet and wonderful bookdragoness! Thank you so much for the Paleo Angel Power Balls! Yesterday I attended my last holiday party and these little babies really saved me from falling off the wagon! What a thoughtful Quonsmas gift; I really appreciate it! (And they came in a beautiful, reusable padded cloth gift-bag too -- extra nice!) XOXO!
posted by LuckySeven~ at 2:21 PM on January 6, 2019 [2 favorites]

Faintdreams! Thank you so much for the thoughtful gifts! At first I was a little disappointed that you got me some computer speakers but no! Inside was so much better! Thank you for the travel games and the MF mug (!!) and the German dictionary and the shoe bows! This was so thoughtful! You made my Monday a great day!
posted by LizBoBiz at 9:27 AM on January 7, 2019 [2 favorites]

Big thanks to Severiina for my neat gifties all the way from Finland! They arrived last Friday and made for a lovely surprise at the end of the week. I got a nice postcard, some nifty wooden Lovi puzzles (including a black kittycat to match the lurker in my house :3), a beautiful Moomin calendar, and a lil' box of Salmiakki, which is salted black licorice. Happy Quonsmas to one and all!
posted by Monster_Zero at 2:37 PM on January 8, 2019 [1 favorite]

Biffa quonsed me beautifully this year! I received a lovely postcard, some clotted cream gin and cornsih tea! I didn't even know we grew tea in the UK! It was like receiving a warm hug out of the blue when I really needed one after a crappy December.
posted by arcticseal at 1:13 AM on January 9, 2019 [2 favorites]

h00py! Thank you for the spectacular notebooks and fun socks and the wonderfully detailed drawing!

The notebooks are from Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation in the Northern Territory in Australia and I am loving exploring the patterns and designs. Happy Quonsmas!
posted by mdonley at 1:28 AM on January 9, 2019 [3 favorites]

So I did save my quonsar package until just before Christmas, when I opened it to find a local bookstore bookmark, per my yearly request for "something local to you" and a very luxe silk sleep mask, which was a great match for my request for "something from one of those Buzzfeed improve your life wish list articles that I am too cheap to buy myself." It inspired me to make "get better sleep" my 2019 resolution and I am loving it so far. The enclosed card said that the gift was from my secret quonsar, which is just delightful. Thank you, dear secret quonsar!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 2:52 PM on January 9, 2019 [3 favorites]

I just realized I am remiss in having not thanked my terrific quonsar, LeftMyHeartinSanFrancisco.

Thank you so much for the book about a cabinet of curiosities. I love the weird and wonderful. Also thank you for the sea shell you collected. Just exactly what I like to receive. And the Marmoset! I got a marmoset!. Thank you for being such a thoughtful quonsar.
posted by Altomentis at 5:23 PM on January 9, 2019 [2 favorites]

After 6 successful years of Quonsmas, this time I messed up my user name, actual name, and address... My package got returned to sender but I got it back! Thanks ZenMajek for your patience and commitment. I love my socks and candy, but especially this minty camel milk soap.
posted by sgrass at 6:23 PM on January 9, 2019 [3 favorites]

Sgrass! WooHoo! Great to hear that the well traveled gift finally arrived 🙂. Enjoy!
posted by ZenMajek at 11:14 PM on January 9, 2019 [1 favorite]

Mr Yak! After 3 failed delivery attempts, the local mail finally decided to leave the package at a local post office. I left work early and got there 5 minutes before closing time, but they'd decided to close early! Some begging ensued, after which they let me in and behold! I have been quonsed.
Thanks for the awesome poster (which went up right away in my guitar practice space), chocolates (my wife said 'they taste like L.A.'), tattoos, so many ribbons and the music recommendation, which I'm listening to right now (mefi's own Existential Dread's Northern Nomads)
Thank you for reminding me of the many reasons I love Metafilter and Mefites.
Love and best wishes from Chile to you and your people.
posted by signal at 2:48 PM on January 11, 2019 [4 favorites]

So, I asked for hey random stuff, and...holy cow did augustimagination deliver, with a fantastic menagerie of goofy stuff.

My gift package included:

- astronaut ice cream
- an inflatable space shuttle
- four (4) fiber optic lazer fingers
- a squirrel that is also a pen (or a pen that is also a squirrel)
- a set of little monster stickers with tiny googly eyes
- a pair of large, disembodied googly eyes
- two different tiny plastic big cats, with articulated jaws
- a wooden cat puzzle
- a hidden role car mechanic game (because I'm a Chevy tech who lives for drama)
- two packs of 8 premium educational dinosaur trading cards
- an American Science & Surplus mug
- AND A PACK OF BURTON BATMAN RETURNS ERA CATWOMAN DISPOSABLE ICE CREAM CUPS

I am delighted to all get out. Thank you so much, augustimagination!
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:49 AM on January 12, 2019 [7 favorites]

Dear mysterious mefite who was my SQ from UK,

The waiting was worth it when the first thing I put my hands on whilst unboxing was Georgette Heyer's World, a book I'd keep meaning to buy for myself but haven't yet gotten around to it. I knew then I was being pampered and spoilt. Thank you so much for the treasure chest you sent me. It made me feel belonged and very special.
posted by infini at 7:55 AM on January 13, 2019 [3 favorites]

It looks as though this was a pretty successful Quonsmas - julen, are there any updated stats?
posted by dbmcd at 10:54 AM on January 15, 2019 [3 favorites]

I have been quonsed, so so beautifully, by MrBobinski.

I misplaced one number in my address and made it so much harder for the gift to reach me. The usually helpful mail person decided to not take any risks with the package, not pick one of the 4 apartments that gets mail in the building, not presume it is probably the same person with the same name that gets all the mail in the building and... sent it back from Montreal to Seattle. The package spent all of its holidays zig-zaging across the 45th parallel.

At that point, did I even deserve anything? Was I really asking someone to send me the same package twice? Go to the post office again, fill out the funny forms? Declare it void of commercial goods? Bacteria? Tiramisu? My offer to pay for the shipping fee did not lead anywhere. I felt extra, extra bad.

But it's here. It's so beautiful and great. It's... coffee from Seattle. Fantastic, delicious coffee from Seattle! The birthplace of coffee!! Coffee!!

And the kindest note. With the kindest words. And a stunning rendition... of a vert canard. Yes, it will get its own little frame at the vert canard headquarters, and I will know that it carries on its back warm words of encouragement, and kindness.

I am truly awed at the beauty of this gift. Thank you so much, MrBobinski.
posted by vert canard at 8:50 AM on January 18, 2019 [6 favorites]

A much-overdue photo of my FANTASTIC quonsar gifts from mosst this year, with special appearances from quonsars past... [Image: a pile of unrelated items as described below]
2018: Lego mug, brain coaster set, gorgeous fall-patterned scarf, and bleeding feelings pin from mosst. We had guests over last weekend, and they squeed over the brain coasters. I love them SO MUCH. (I love it all, honestly, but the brain slides take the cake.)
2017: animal skull and cereal truck, only part of the amazing package I received from maxwelton...these two just happen to live on my desk.
2016, not shown: desktop beanbag toss; it lives where it can relieve the most stress, as it was intended to do.
2015: my wow-that's-a-very-orange-hat! knit hat, which I've worn every winter day since it arrived in my hot little hands.
posted by okayokayigive at 7:14 AM on January 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

I'm terribly late in posting here, but since the gift arrived just as we were packing to go away for Christmas, the nice note disappeared somewhere, and I can't recall the user name of the lovely Canadian MeFite who was my SQ. However, thank you very much for the cool stuff, even if my children immediately robbed me of the tasty-looking handmade candy. They said it was delicious, though... The tiny Santa hats keep turning up in the oddest places, though.

They showed no interest in the nice tea towel, but our cat Felix imagined it was for him and claimed it. After getting the hair out it's been put into proper service.

And thanks a lot to the Quonsar Qrew for putting this together!
posted by Harald74 at 1:48 AM on January 22, 2019

@Harald74
OMG! I am so happy to hear from you. I have been checking regularly to much dismay. I was very worried with the Canada Post service issues that your package had been lost. I'm glad your children enjoyed the candies, and that you liked the other items. Thanks for posting :)
Happy Secret Quonsar to All!
posted by Laura in Canada at 11:06 AM on January 22, 2019 [3 favorites]

Thank you Tangaroo for the wonderful bundle of fun things you sent. I particularly liked the hand made card and the cool cookie cutters.

Apologies for the super late thank you. I misplaced the card with your name on it. I knew it would turn up somewhere. And I found it today, as I was taking the decorations down, hidden behind some other Christmas cards.
posted by daffodil at 12:59 AM on February 3, 2019 [2 favorites]