If you squint hard at the label in that first photo, you can see what I mean. And I suspect there are a few other people on this forum who recognize the sender's signature.

The package arrived at my workplace last week, I think, but I hadn't been in --- picked it up on Friday, and SQUEALED loud enough to scare a few of the weekend drunkards off the front porch (our office is next door to a sizeable liquor store in an, um, 'popular' marketplace, which means we're inundated with men and boys looking for a fast, cheap high each weekend and certain weekdays; apparently days of religious fasting need to be followed by purification by firewater, an occult ritual our ancient and elaborate texts forbear from mentioning).

Inside, in a ziplock bag, sat a pair of shiny black-strapped Birkenstocks. Remember all my moaning over the last few months about my lack of sturdy, comfy shoes to take me through long days of stomping around messy streets?

Well, St. Sona heard my prayer! This lovely (mad!) generous lady figured out my size, *adjusted* for the fact that Birkies run big, bought a new pair and mailed them all the way to India to me. I can't remember ever being on the receiving end of such a generous and thoughtful gifts, and that is NO reflection on my other wonderful, thoughtful and generous friends --- this is just SONA, going way, way above and beyond.

Of course I had to take them for a walk at once. And I wore them all weekend as I went scouting artisans' markets for furniture, up hill and down destroyed pavements and over the odd dirt track. And wore them to the mall on Sunday, after hauling composting equipment from a local supplier in the back of beyond, totalling 10 hours on my feet, bar 20-minute breaks for lunch and dinner. By the end of the day, my varicose veins were barking mad, the bottom of my feet were boat-shaped from the extra fluid pooling there --- yet sore as I was when I finally slipped my 'old slippers' off, not a blister, nary a bruise or callus or complaint all day! And this with feet so swollen and tender that I could not squeeze them into my oversized mary janes which are normally a tad too roomy!

I'm obviously over the moon. The suede-covered footbed curves and supports my feet in precisely the right places, apparently. Even if they look a smidge too long, *maybe* (I'm not entirely sure how Birkenstocks *should* fit, but compare #5 & #7 to #6, which oddity is making no sense to me), they are perfectly proportioned in terms of function, my fussy 'barking dogs' feet would wag their tails if they had any, so you can bet I'm KEEPING these!

I don't have words emphatic enough to underline and embroider the 'THANK YOU, SONA!' You're hereby consecrated as a patron saint!

PS: Seems these are also *LUCKY* shoes. See my other thread on pants today...!!!