So Christmas has come and gone again.
A time when people think about giving. Charity organizations find their coffers refilling, some hoping for enough to get them through to the next wave of generosity a year from now. Churches, service groups and schools host free dinners, open to all comers.
It can actually be a bit difficult for people like the ones who live at the Motel to keep track of where the next turkey dinner is and how they're going to get there. According to the amazing J.'s book our town and the town next door boast:
Dec 5 - Turkey dinner, 4:30 pm, hosted by an anti-poverty group
Dec 7 - Turkey dinner, 12 noon, hosted by the Sally Ann and one high school's culinary program
Dec 9 - Roast pork dinner, 6:00 pm, hosted by a service group
Dec 12 - Turkey dinner, 5:00 pm, hosted by the other high school
Dec 19 - Turkey dinner, 12 noon, hosted by a church
Dec 23 - Us
There may be others, but that's all I've got written here.
Which is all very nice. Probably. I can tell you for sure that if half of those dinners were served in late January, the recipients would be much happier.
But, hey. It's Christmas! Christmas dinner is what you do. It feels good to give at a giving time of year.
We had our Christmas spread this week. It was an impressive production. "Quite remarkable, actually" as one person said.
Our ecclesiastical contributors (in no particular order):
Christ the Servant - Desserts and finger foods
1st Baptist - Turkey, cranberries
Grace Church - Cole slaw, dessert
St. John's - Turkey
St. Paul's - Dressing
United - Peas and Gravy, finger foods
Plus a long list of individuals who brought ham with pineapple rings and cherries, hot cider, coffee and accoutrements, shrimp rings, pork roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, sandwiches, cakes, pies, shrimp rings, cheese and cracker platters, relish, rolls and butter - I have no idea who all brought what.
The Pentecostal church was also represented, and another Baptist church.
The leftovers were refrigerated and served on The Day for anyone hanging around the Motel on their own. CL cooked a couple of turkeys that had been donated.
Between 5, when we opened the doors, and 6, when we served the meal, I figure the number of people in the room got up around 80. Some people started scrounging in the "donations" for extra tables and chairs. After I said grace, a few contributors left without eating and the usual group took their take-out and went home to eat.
There were about 60 sitting and eating, I figure.
M and M were there, and Tidy G., H and CL and E and all of the usual lovely faces. Our frightened friend, instead of sitting with his head in his hands frowning at the table, sat smiling off to one side and actually laughed during TB's announcements. That was a keeper.
W and her man were there. I'm starting to like her more and more.
One of the things we did between 5 and 6 was a carol sing. A few of us gathered 'round the poor old piano and I played and we belted out a few songs. It was a lot of fun.
The Deacon offered to go out to her car and grab a hymn book, lyrics only, that the singers could share. When she came back in, W was standing by the piano and the Deacon handed her the book. Asked her to pick a Christmas song she'd like to sing.
So W leafed through the little paperback book 'til she found something she liked. I asked her what song she'd picked.
"You have to guess."
"Silent Night?"
"No." (grin)
The Deacon told her that she had to at least give me a hint. So W said, "It starts with "The G"".
"Um. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?"
"NO! THE G!" (grin)
"Um... Er... The-e-e-e- Um. Hm."
W decided I was hopeless and handed me the book.
I took the book from her, set it on the piano's ledge and said, "I'll see what I can do."
So I made something up. Played some D chords and invented a melody - any resemblance between verse 1 and verse 3 was purely co-incidental - and sang W's new favourite Christmas song.
And she did what she always does. Said, "Thank you."
She moved behind me as I sat on the piano bench, put her arms around me in a kind of wrestling hold, pinning my arms to my side, put her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you." We stayed like that for rather a long time. Then she let go and went off to get some snacks.
The perfect parable for what we do at the Motel.
Singing songs we don't know. Making it up as we go along. Every verse a little bit different. Getting it right sometimes and - let me tell you you hain't never been hugged quite like you can get hugged at the Motel.
The new year is a completely new song. We have no idea what's going to happen.
Probably the purchase will be finalized and the 'restoration' will start and people will scatter.
Probably. We hear things now and then. One email told us that after the inspection, one of the prospective owners "couldn't sleep" for days because of what he'd seen of the conditions and safety concerns. We heard that "his people" were telling him to "run for the hills".
Another email told us that the purchasers are doing due diligence and waiting on a couple of reports to be finished before making their next offer.
So we wait. Dangling at the end of the rope with our friends to see what happens.
Singing songs we don't know. Occasionally getting it right.
Happy New Year!
r
A time when people think about giving. Charity organizations find their coffers refilling, some hoping for enough to get them through to the next wave of generosity a year from now. Churches, service groups and schools host free dinners, open to all comers.
It can actually be a bit difficult for people like the ones who live at the Motel to keep track of where the next turkey dinner is and how they're going to get there. According to the amazing J.'s book our town and the town next door boast:
Dec 5 - Turkey dinner, 4:30 pm, hosted by an anti-poverty group
Dec 7 - Turkey dinner, 12 noon, hosted by the Sally Ann and one high school's culinary program
Dec 9 - Roast pork dinner, 6:00 pm, hosted by a service group
Dec 12 - Turkey dinner, 5:00 pm, hosted by the other high school
Dec 19 - Turkey dinner, 12 noon, hosted by a church
Dec 23 - Us
There may be others, but that's all I've got written here.
Which is all very nice. Probably. I can tell you for sure that if half of those dinners were served in late January, the recipients would be much happier.
But, hey. It's Christmas! Christmas dinner is what you do. It feels good to give at a giving time of year.
We had our Christmas spread this week. It was an impressive production. "Quite remarkable, actually" as one person said.
Our ecclesiastical contributors (in no particular order):
Christ the Servant - Desserts and finger foods
1st Baptist - Turkey, cranberries
Grace Church - Cole slaw, dessert
St. John's - Turkey
St. Paul's - Dressing
United - Peas and Gravy, finger foods
Plus a long list of individuals who brought ham with pineapple rings and cherries, hot cider, coffee and accoutrements, shrimp rings, pork roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, sandwiches, cakes, pies, shrimp rings, cheese and cracker platters, relish, rolls and butter - I have no idea who all brought what.
The Pentecostal church was also represented, and another Baptist church.
The leftovers were refrigerated and served on The Day for anyone hanging around the Motel on their own. CL cooked a couple of turkeys that had been donated.
Between 5, when we opened the doors, and 6, when we served the meal, I figure the number of people in the room got up around 80. Some people started scrounging in the "donations" for extra tables and chairs. After I said grace, a few contributors left without eating and the usual group took their take-out and went home to eat.
There were about 60 sitting and eating, I figure.
M and M were there, and Tidy G., H and CL and E and all of the usual lovely faces. Our frightened friend, instead of sitting with his head in his hands frowning at the table, sat smiling off to one side and actually laughed during TB's announcements. That was a keeper.
W and her man were there. I'm starting to like her more and more.
One of the things we did between 5 and 6 was a carol sing. A few of us gathered 'round the poor old piano and I played and we belted out a few songs. It was a lot of fun.
The Deacon offered to go out to her car and grab a hymn book, lyrics only, that the singers could share. When she came back in, W was standing by the piano and the Deacon handed her the book. Asked her to pick a Christmas song she'd like to sing.
So W leafed through the little paperback book 'til she found something she liked. I asked her what song she'd picked.
"You have to guess."
"Silent Night?"
"No." (grin)
The Deacon told her that she had to at least give me a hint. So W said, "It starts with "The G"".
"Um. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen?"
"NO! THE G!" (grin)
"Um... Er... The-e-e-e- Um. Hm."
W decided I was hopeless and handed me the book.
The Gift Of Love
1. Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain;
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
2. Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within,
The profit soon turns strangely thin.
3. Come Spirit, come our hearts control
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed.
By this we worship and are freed.
I had to tell her I'd never seen that song before and I couldn't play it. I handed the book back to the Deacon and she closed it.
W frowned as only a person with very few teeth can frown, and she said, "Why not?" Didn't ask it. Said it.
"I don't know that song and there's no music in the book. So I can't sing it."
The Deacon said, "And it's not really a Christmas song, is it?"
W took the book back and found the page again and showed it to us.
"Yes it is. Look. The Gift of Love. It is a Christmas song."
And she stood there holding the book and staring at me and frowning and looking fiercely disappointed.W frowned as only a person with very few teeth can frown, and she said, "Why not?" Didn't ask it. Said it.
"I don't know that song and there's no music in the book. So I can't sing it."
The Deacon said, "And it's not really a Christmas song, is it?"
W took the book back and found the page again and showed it to us.
"Yes it is. Look. The Gift of Love. It is a Christmas song."
I took the book from her, set it on the piano's ledge and said, "I'll see what I can do."
So I made something up. Played some D chords and invented a melody - any resemblance between verse 1 and verse 3 was purely co-incidental - and sang W's new favourite Christmas song.
And she did what she always does. Said, "Thank you."
She moved behind me as I sat on the piano bench, put her arms around me in a kind of wrestling hold, pinning my arms to my side, put her head on my shoulder and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you." We stayed like that for rather a long time. Then she let go and went off to get some snacks.
The perfect parable for what we do at the Motel.
Singing songs we don't know. Making it up as we go along. Every verse a little bit different. Getting it right sometimes and - let me tell you you hain't never been hugged quite like you can get hugged at the Motel.
The new year is a completely new song. We have no idea what's going to happen.
Probably the purchase will be finalized and the 'restoration' will start and people will scatter.
Probably. We hear things now and then. One email told us that after the inspection, one of the prospective owners "couldn't sleep" for days because of what he'd seen of the conditions and safety concerns. We heard that "his people" were telling him to "run for the hills".
Another email told us that the purchasers are doing due diligence and waiting on a couple of reports to be finished before making their next offer.
So we wait. Dangling at the end of the rope with our friends to see what happens.
Singing songs we don't know. Occasionally getting it right.
Happy New Year!
r
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