Today is December 7, 2024 - a whole year has gone by and I was recently asked if I received another Advent Calendar? Well I have some good news.  Yes.  Ruth MacNeil, who had graciously sent the real package last year, had another box delivered to my home by a courier as we are in the midst of a Canadian Postal Strike.  What again???? Sure enough but rather than all the buttons in the beautiful bunch of boxes, they are all in a small box. I promised not to open the box, but gave them to my husband and guess what? Each morning I recieve my breakfast on a tray and on a tiny little coaster is the button gift of the day.  (I have to admit he has been doing this for me for 31+years, but now I do get up and go down and carry the tray upstairs - safer that way - Last night, I put the coaster on the tray and this morning I found this:

L: Advent Button for December 7 on the coaster; R: Back of the fabric button, with the unique thread shank for easy sewing. 

Advent Calerndar Story for 2023

One day in November 2023, I received a box in the mail, and inside was an amazing advent calendar made up of small boxes, all numbered 1-25. Of course, I recognized it was a calendar, but each had a funny sound that rattled a bit! Could it be buttons? Who was it from? Why me?

Honestly, I cheated immediately and opened #1 - and sure enough, there was a tiny wrapped button! Then I investigated the name, and it was Ruth Battams MacNeil. Ruth is the daughter of one of my dearest Gananoque, ON, friends. My friend died a few years ago, and I had no idea that her daughter, Ruth, liked buttons and, better still, was now a real collector!

But my friends, it was early November, and I had to wait until December 2 to open the second box. My husband says he is proud of me as I did not cheat! Now, each morning of this Christmas Season, 2023, I rush downstairs at dawn to open my next box. I will keep you posted with photographs of my new buttons.

First four days of December - left to right. #4 is has a glass center.

May every Ottawa Valley Button Club member have a lovely Christmas season. Thanks to our new member, Ruth, for her thoughtfulness and creative gift.

Susie Smith

December 6 - Well the 5th is an amazing glass button with a black glass centrepiece.. and Dec. 6 is a Bakelite. A Pineapple too...
Bottom row, L to R - December 1-6, Top row, L to R. December 7-9 (Simone K eat your heart out, I have a darling new windmill #9,... ) #8 has a German Backmark. 
December 16, 2023 - Bottom row L-R 1-6; Row two 7-12; Top row 13-16. Each one is amazing. What a lucky girl I am!
Start at the bottom left and move to the Right - then next row up and so on. The second to last button is a tiny Goofie - Mr. Turtle. and the last button December 24th is a thread back button. Now I just wrote to my friend who presented this to me and said I just heard that the real Advent Calendar starts on January 1. Not sure she will fall for that... But suffice to say Susie Smith jumped out of bed everyday in anticipation. Thanks Ms. Ruth. Bravo and much appreciated.