Well, that was a nice surprise.

 Yesterday my adoptive Mom asked if I had gotten "the card" from my stepsister.  

I should probably clarify the food chain.  Older half brother, 17 years older than me, in contact.  Older half sister, 16 years older, not in contact by my choice.  Older stepsister, 5 years older (the one in this post), older stepbrother (2 years older), younger stepbrother (3 years younger).  So that's the whole roster.  

So this one and I were not exactly close 5 years is a big gap for girls, and she didn't agree with my Dad much (that resolved when she had her own child).  I was always a Daddy's girl.  Anyway we aren't distant like the half sister but not super close either.  I don't have her phone number or email.  

So I wasn't surprised to get a card, but was surprised to get a gift card.  A tasty one, too.  I will have a lot of fun at Amazon, I can get a couple of things I have been eyeing and have enough left for a bag of coffee.  I will think about it a while first, though.  

I honestly did not expect it to be a good gift year because the economy is trashed.  But I was wrong!