Googleplex? No, not another Internet product, but a number that looks like this: 10googol, i.e. 10^{(10^{100})}. I know, I was amazed too (-ish: I'm a linguist) when I actually, err, googled it. For decades, it's been our family's shortcut for expressing anything huge. I've got a googleplex-worth of homework tonight. You want more bits for your computer? That'll be a googleplex worth of room-tidying and dish-washing, then. But it's what sprang to mind when my Etsy purchase dropped onto the doormat yesterday. No, actually, I lie: that bit came later. First I had the pleasure of undoing the prettily stitched envelope, catching the glorious handful of free tags, stickers and sparkly bits inside, unwrapping the gift paper and stripey string, before shaking out gently the lovely vintage food-related contents ...

Now there's already a googleplex of kindness in the wrapping of this, but the serendipitous part took my breath away. For at the weekend we'd been reminiscing here with my parents, trying to piece together the origins of my youngest brother's family nickname, now lost in the mists of time it seemed. Mum thought it was a contraction of the name of a favourite cartoon character of his, Dad added his hunch that it was from a children's comic or magazine, I had a dim and hazy memory that it was something to do with eating - but none of us could remember any more. As I sifted through Julie's lovely bits, I suddenly saw it right there in front of me!

I ran down stairs - Hey! Look! Their faces beamed with pleasure and satisfaction - yes, that was it! I think I'm going to be googling "How to make a bookmark in time for Christmas", and one brother will be happily tripping down Memory Lane.
Thank-you for all your thoughtful suggestions on December page designs - it is helping me come to a decision. In the meantime, hoping you too have a googleplex of something nice or a lovely piece of serendipity (or both together) in your day. And thank-you, Julie! Times a googleplex, of course :)