Saturday, December 24, 2016

Conversations

At a table next to me in Tim Hortons, a woman of my age to three companions:

Imagine - me, 6 children in 8 years and he has the sauce to tell me I was good for 8 more! I said to him, well it was more of a scream, you`d better yank the damn thing out of me or I`ll find a good protestant doctor who will!

From Leo:

Mudder would have to cut up the apples and oranges and divide them among the 8 stockings. And there was only one peppermint hobnob each. Fadder would drink all the Christmas money away.

A good friend to me:

You`ve always admired my French glass bottle of lavender soap, and guess what I found one for you!

Overheard:

Well, it`s all wonderful Jingle Bellish isn`t it, until Harold arrives. No, we never invite him. He just shows up and what can we do, surrounded by little ears waiting to pick up on all the fucks. And it wouldn`t be so bad until he shoves Tom out of the way, as if Tom wasn`t my legal husband now. I mean Harold and I were only married for 7 years of hell, right? And now he expects to sit at the head of the table beaming at his grandchildren. I tell ya, Tom is a saint.

Me:

My happiest Christmas? Prepping the food at 4 a.m. and feeding the homeless at 10.00 a.m. in Toronto with my younger daughter. And talking to them, hearing their stories, their memories. Singing together. Joking, even. Feeling so privileged at the end of it all. Humbled.

Whatever you do, whatever you wish, may it all bring peace and joy and a smidgin of hope for the new year.

31 comments:

  1. Nice little snippets of conversations, and feeding the homeless sounds rewarding.

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  2. Happy Christmas and I wish you the same. Amazing what one overhears sometimes and I wish there was a way to feed the homeless all year.

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    1. I know E. Such an unequal world we have created.
      XO
      WWW

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  3. There is a way: call your local food bank and various inner city charities wherever you live. All are crying out for funding to pay for three basic meals a day, socks, mitts hats, sleeping pallets, and volunteers (like WW and her daughter) to box up the supplies and signing up those in need ALL year long. They can't do it without you.

    Here WW the food bank requests went skyrocketing since the oil and pipeline slow down and stoppages. More than one "Christmas" charity dinner was cancelled this year, as almost every organization here funded by the oil industry and this year funding was cut or cancelled altogether.

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    1. Some of us are limited as I now am anon both financially and physically.
      The food banks here are equally affected by the economy. One in particular has volunteers who work in frigid conditions by choice and use the money thus saved to buy bread and butter.
      XO
      WWW

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    2. Yes WWW, I am one of your "some". Each little bit offered is never refused. A few cans, a huge cheque, one hour spenet greeting at the door, doesn't matter it all counts. My last stint I couldn't complete because blind as a bat, but one of the things I learned doing intake was, it's women and children, elderly women, and the disabled who use the food banks, and give back by helping. Each one reach one.

      I had to smile at your stories. You do that too? Sit somewhere and hear the stories around you. It's the best.

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    3. I do anon. Sometimes taking discreet notes. I will send you a card soon. Thanks for your email.
      XO
      WWW

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  4. Hey, I see at least a dozen short stories in the above material. Want to partner up on some? We can discuss it email, but i'm already picturing a couple....
    Mike

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    1. Mike what a plan! This should be interesting.
      XO
      WWW

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  5. Happy Xmas to all. I'm off to listen to Mel and Ella. And if you know who they are, blessings to you. xxx

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    1. Know them! Well not so much Mel but Ella is still huge in my universe!
      XO
      WWW

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    1. Backatcha Hattie with nobs down the back and buttons up the front as my tribe have it!
      XO
      WWW

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  7. An ex-husband who gatecrashes the Christmas festivities, barges the new husband out of the way, and presumably gets blind drunk. And nobody can manage to get rid of him? That sounds dreadful.

    We don't do any Christmas volunteering but we've donated to the Simon Community and Jenny is now volunteering at an advice centre that helps people to get all the welfare benefits they're entitled to.

    Have a great Christmas and I hope the New Year is a good one.

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    1. Thanks for the good wishes Nick backatcha to you and Jenny.
      In a weird way I get it with Harold. Lonely old f*** and Tom and wife showing enormous compassion. What modelling for Harold's kids and grandkids.
      XO
      WWW

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  8. Thank you and the very same to you.

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  9. Eavesdropping...a great hobby of mine. I use to be so good at carrying on a conversation with two or three while eavesdropping on another couple of conversations. Now, it seems harder to keep track.

    I heard stories the last time I was at the hairdresser, listening to the two stylists and their clients on either side of my gal's station. She has moved into this tiny space where three of them are jammed into what I consider a hallway. I absolutely hate the space and the lighting, but it does make for easy eavesdropping.

    A very Merry Christmas to you.

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    1. Same to you DKZ! I think I've recorded stories from the hairstylists here. Lol.😆

      XO
      WWW

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  10. My best source are the runners whooshing past me stumbles on the trail. I get a snippet, usually very passionate something. Running seems to be cathartic. In a good doddle (me) I can get about a dozen stunners.

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  11. I was a runner and on the trails in the morning we'd have amazing conversations. Snippets are wonderfully stimulating to overhear!
    XO
    WWW

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    1. P.S. It would be fun to throw out a snippet, and have some here make a story. See what we get, the different places each writer takes it.

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  12. You're a runner!! Please, a post about this. I have made early NY resolutions maybe not exactly running, but moving more. Tell. Tell. We can all use the motivation I'm sure.
    xxx

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    1. Not anymore due to ill-health anon. I miss it.

      XO
      WWW

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  13. The second one is sad. And the woman who lets her ex sit at the head of the table - why? I think she is indeed allowed to send him on his way.

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    1. I admire her fortitude and peace but I don't think I could be this generous and forgiving.

      XO
      WWW

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  14. For all it's worth - Happy New Year, WWW.

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  15. Happy New Year Wise - I wish you lots of 2017 laughs. Actually I am specializing in giving laughs in my old age [83 in 3 months! its a big dam lie,] - doing pretty well with them too. I figure it is about all I have left - or at least all thats close to hand. Yes, I still miss my sweet Josie like hell [she says as the tears well up]. I too wish my offspring and their offspring were 1/4 as attentive. Glad you have a very good one.

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