GreenTech Geek: When a gift is more than a gift ~ Tea With Lemon

The bumper sticker.

We all get happy when it's obvious that someone has put a lot of thought into their gift for us. The GreenTech Geek gets doubly -- make that triply -- happy when it's clear that the gift-giver has not only though about me in selecting my gift, but also about the larger world in which we live.

So you can imagine my giddiness when I opened the following presents on Christmas morning two days ago:

Purple 'Peace' Bumper Sticker -- My nieces in Eugene, Oregon -- home to all things good for the Earth -- have a tradition of sending me bumper stickers for Christmas, always containing messages intended to keep me connected to wholesome liberal thought processes so easily chipped away at lollygagging in it's-all-about-the-sun San Diego. This year's offering: a bold purple 'Peace' sticker from an interesting place called Peacemonger.org that sells all number accessories laden with messages reminding humanity of its better nature.

This gift served an additional awesome purpose: reminding me of the a little music video I put together a few years ago called The Bumper Stickers Did It. It's about the power of the bumper stickers of Eugene, Oregon to lift my spirits during a difficult time in American history, when a Presidential election was stolen, Bush ruled the land, and unjust war was raging.

Have a look -- and check out a couple more amazing gifts I got -- after the jump ...

The candle.

Prosperity Candle -- Mom gave me this gift, for the second year in a row, and it is equally powerful and moving the second time around. It's a lovely-smelling, soy-based candle with a card certifying it was handmade by Tila, a refugee woman from Bhutan.

From the card: "Hand-poured by recently resettled refugees from Burma and Bhutan who are living in Springfield, Massachusetts, it offers women who have fled from their homes in regions of conflict an opportunity to earn an income and help support the wellbeing of their families. Prosperity Candle partners with local refugee programs to bring you the Vessel of Light -- a testament to the transformational power of enterprise and the healing gift of light.

How many of your presents this year can lay stake to such lofty claims?

Tila from Bhutan. She made my candle.

As if that isn't enough, another card with the candle informs you that it's "made with 100% soy wax from soybeans grown on U.S. farms. This high-quality wax is natural, non-toxic, biodegradable, and certified Kosher, with natural, clean-burning wicks."

Another cool thing about the candle is you can "meet" the actual woman who made it -- and even send her a message -- by looking her up at www.prosperitycandle.com. This is a picture of Tila and a little bit about her from the site:

Tila has a shyness about her and a beautiful demeanor. She speaks very little English and admits that she is a little lazy about learning it. Her husband and two young children moved to the United States from a refugee camp in Nepal, where she had lived since she was eight years old, having escaped her village in Bhutan during a time when an ethnic conflict erupted between the indigenous people and those of Nepali ethnic background. She likes the United States, she admits, though the winter is difficult.

The hat.

The Hat -- And then there is the hat. Wild and crazy, warm and cozy, hand-made and happenin'. Made by my sister Krista in Eugene, Oregon (what'd I say about Eugene, Oregon?) during something they have up there called "Buy Nothing Friday." It takes place on Black Friday, as the rest of the country is getting maced in the face by rabid shoppers at Wal-Mart. A community's brave attempt to slap American consumerist madness in the face and get people back to the quaint notion of actually making their Christmas presents. For that reason -- and because it covers by shaved head and exposed ears perfectly -- this is now my favorite hat.

(On a side not, and to round out the holiday theme of this post.) Somebody connected with Tea With Lemon (I believe) and known in his comments to me as N.H.F. has expressed an inordinate interest in seeing references in my posts to Perv -- an occasionally recurring Tea With Lemon character who also happens to be my scooter buddy. Well, Perv and I outdid ourselves this holiday season, showing up on our scooters in places where scooters really have no business being. Here you go N.H.F.!

Perv on his shiny new scooter trying to out-shine the shine on Rudolph's nose -- on the Sqooterheads Holiday Lights Scooter Ride in the College Area, December 23, 2011.