From Patrick

"Stop, Phantom!"        This is just too awesome for words. I mean really, really AWESOME! Dad came home for Christmas yesterday, and today he and Mom were walking through the mall. When they passed Carlton Cards (a store my mother never so much as glances at), she heard a male’s voice. She said it was a male voice which said very QUICKLY and very URGENTLY, “Stop!! Phantom!!”    Mom immediately stopped in her tracks, grabbed my Dad’s arm and told him she had to go inside that store. (She didn’t want Dad to think she was crazy, so she didn’t tell him just why she wanted to go in). Well, she walked into the store and guess what her eyes fell upon...      A PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Christmas ornament/music box. (I am obsessed with that movie. Patrick must know this - hence his referring to me, via my friend, as "Christine" and now the POTO Christmas ornament he led Mom to today).    So now I have even further proof that Patrick is really good at impressing things upon people. Though this was more than that, as Mom heard his voice this time.     I also just noticed that the day Mom heard him yell “Stop!! Phantom!!” was December 21st; 12-21.    So there are those numbers again.     The Highlander       The first time Patrick influenced Mom to buy something for me, she paid a lot of money for a Highlander painting. She saw the painting, left the store, kept calling me about it, and then immediately went back in b/c the urge to buy it for me was so strong.    So I guess the POTO ornament ringing up 24 dollars off the regular price was Patrick’s way of thanking her for buying the expensive HL portrait for me before?  He decided to save her money this time?  Lol!  (Just joking).   By the way, the beads the man is wearing in the portrait are 300 year old Celtic beads. The artist told Mom that the man posing for the picture was very adamant about the beads being in the picture.       The inscription reads:    "This is for Kristin. May the 'Highlander' always speak to your heart!"       Stained Glass 'Portrait'     I have to say that the stained glass on the right is basically my "photo" of Patrick.  My mother has always enjoyed doing stained glass, and when she decided to make one for me I immediately knew what I wanted once I found this one stained glass pattern.  (The swans stained glass was the first piece Mom ever made, back in the 80's I think).     My mother also made my sister one of a knight, from the same pattern book, but she's always told me that these 2 things:   1). When I picked out my stained glass pattern, she initially wasn't wild about it. (Although I was.  I was VERY PICKY about the colors and everything).   2). Once my mother started working on my piece, she fell in love with it.  She said it was her most favorite piece she's ever made and that even the lady in it reminded her of me.  She said she felt "inspired" while making it.  She even said that while working on my sister's stained glass piece, she didn't feel the same at all.  She keeps saying she didn't really like it as she did mine.  (For the record, my sister's stained glass is gorgeous, too.  I'll post a pic of it here once I find it).   I do get what she meant though.  My stained glass really is special, especially to me.