Rhonda, I agree with you. If people are in these swaps to be praised for what you send then they are here for all the wrong reasons. Yes, common courtesy is to post a Thank You, but sometimes Life gets in the way of living. A parents health, a friends remission, changes at the job, changes in personal relaationships, a broken bone for a child, Chemo for a grandchild, and these are only a few things that happen in life that could prevent someone from posting a proper Thank You IMMEDIATELY. That doesnt mean they are not appreciative, it simply means you are not FIRST in their life on that particular day. When things happen to me, I have to deal with them myself as I live alone. That may mean I miss getting and opening my mail for a few days or I am not on the internet if I am away for work. If you can't give with an open heart and expect nothing in return, then in my humble opinion, you are not giving freely but attaching a string to what can no longer be called a gift. If you sent the package with a delivery confirmation you know when the gift was received, why keep posting rude comments fishing for a compliment. Maybe they didnt like what they received and were being polite and saying nothing like they were taught....."If you can't say something nice, don't say anything".
I also wish some people on here would quit worrying about what someone else received. I know I personally have sent more to a new quilter to help them establish a stash and to build up their arsenal of tools. If I have double of an item I would rather offer it to a new person than to have to find space to store it in my sewing room. (You know how things get lost until you buy a replacement then they turn up right in the middle of your sewing table.....duh) Getting started in quilting is very expensive today, so if I can help someone else enjoy this art and hopefully share it with others, that is what I am going to do.
I am not trying to tell others how to send a gift or receive one. I am speaking only for myself. But maybe this will give insight to others and help those people understand why that Thank You didnt happen immediately, or why that package seemed like more than 10.00. I hope all this negative commenting doesn't give the Administrators a reason to stop this swap. In December, we had that problem and nearly lost what so many of us really enjoy. Lets be positive and accept what we receive with a smile and move on.
Originally Posted by Rhonda
Before I ever joined any swaps on here I had to sit down and decide if I could live with getting something that might not thrill me. I joined the swaps with the convictiont that it is for fun and not for perfection. What I get is not as important as the fact that I am connecting with another board member and that is thrilling to me!!
What size the pkg is or is not doesn't matter. If it was more important than the chance to get to know a new friend or enjoy an already friend then I shouldn't be in the swap.
My expectations are that I will do my best to send out something I hope my SP will like and what I receive is just fine regardless. I enjoy the conversation and the fun!!