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Gifts for Friends Those little gifts and thoughtful gestures that acknowledge our connections with friends, colleagues, and neighbors. They're tokens that say, "I'm glad we're friends," "Thanks for your help with the project," or "Sorry to hear the bad news "I'm here for you." Deliver a batch of fresh-from-the-oven sweet rolls on a busy school morning, hot homemade soup or chowder on a cloudy day, or a pot of hot chocolate or wassail on a bitter winter afternoon. Kidnap a friend for lunch or an afternoon of uninterrupted shopping. Arrange for care of her children, if needed (this would be a nice gift in itself). Offer your fruit tree's overabundant crop and your help making jam or preserves. Deliver lunch on moving day or dinner to a new mom when she comes home from the hospital with her baby. Prepare a batch of cookie dough or homemade bread. Deliver it—with baking instructions—to a friend or neighbor and let him enjoy the aroma while the goodies bake. Tuck a cheerful note into a bouquet of fresh flowers from your garden and give it to a friend who's feeling down. Give an enlarged and framed photograph of the two of you enjoying a time together. Pen a brief message in the corner of the photo or engrave a thoughtful message on the frame. Or give an album filled with photos of a trip you took together or another event in which you both participated. Give a blank book or journal with your own thoughtful message written on the front page. Fill a wok with fortune cookies into which you have inserted your own "fortunes." Give a jug of fresh-pressed cider, spices, and directions for making hot cider, and a set of mugs to celebrate Fall. Or give an assortment of gourmet hot chocolate mixes and miniature marshmallows. Assemble an assortment of birthday, anniversary, wedding, and other greeting cards and give them to a busy friend. Present them with a supply of postage stamps, a small calendar, and an address book. Make holiday cookies for the neighborhood children. Decorate cloverleaves for St. Patrick's Day, hearts for Valentine's Day, ghosts or pumpkins for Halloween, flags or stars for Independence Day, and so forth.
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