No news on the real estate front. I'll let you know.
First storm of the year. First snow day of the year. For those of you in sunny climes, that means the school buses are canceled and lots of kids are very happy. Not only do you not have to go to school, you get to make a snowman. How perfect a day is that?
The trees are coated with ice and the air is full of tiny snowballs bound together with ice, falling and bouncing and making ticking noises against the window.
It's also garbage day. Put on my long bundly coat and spent a few minutes outside organizing the recycling and stuff before I realized, hey. This coat has a hood. I should put it up.
I put up my hood. Which was full of tiny snowballs bound together with ice. Which all promptly melted and ran down the back of my neck. Sigh. Someday I'll be smart.
One bus that won't be canceled (knock wood) is ours.
About a month ago, we were looking at the amazing J.'s calendar full of churches who'd be cooking over the year end and were concerned to see that there was one week not accounted for. Oh dear. That would mean we'd have to cook.
Having been completely spoiled for the last 6 months, we figured it was our turn after all and started planning.
Some time that week, J. got a call from a guy with the local Rotary club. They wanted to do a Dinner sometime in December.
Perfect!
They were thinking roast pork with all the trimmin's.
Perfect!
They could do it on the 9th of December.
Perfect!
They wanted to hold it at the Knights of Columbus hall downtown.
Um!
What?
Where?
So the amazing J. called me and I said, "That's not how we do it. Tell them we'd love to have them do a Dinner, but it has to be at the Motel."
It is at this point that I hang my head in shame. I can't believe I said that. I can't believe I actually told someone, "It's nice that you want to help, but that's not the way we do things around here." I can't believe that I fell into the trap and uttered "the 7 last words of the church". (see title)
Of all people, I should know better. I offer no justification. Just humble repentance.
Fortunately, the amazing J.'s friend was persuasive. She brought it up again, and this time we all had a chance to talk about it. The consensus that emerged was that transportation would be a problem and if they could figure that out, we'd go for it. (Yeah, right. We'll be cooking.)
The amazing J.'s friend asked, "Well, couldn't they just walk there?"
A bunch of hungry, anxious people walking, some limping, 1.5 km in the dark and cold, like a post-apocalyptic Make Way For Ducklings on weed, and then back again uphill afterwards?
We replied, "(hollow laugh) No."
We left the ball in their court to see what would happen, and - no freakin' way - the amazing J. called a few days later to say that she'd arranged for a bus and negotiated a cut rate price and it would be big enough to hold everyone that wanted to go.
Game on.
So that's tonight. We've done our best to make sure everyone knows that there'll be no Dinner tonight in the 'church'. Told everyone the plan, explained the bus.
One guy said he might not be coming. He doesn't want to take the bus over there because he doesn't want to be seen getting off it. Funny the things you don't think of. I hope we can convince him to come.
A few people won't be able to, and we'll have to make sure we get care packages back to them.
But, what the heck. It'll be an adventure.
r
First storm of the year. First snow day of the year. For those of you in sunny climes, that means the school buses are canceled and lots of kids are very happy. Not only do you not have to go to school, you get to make a snowman. How perfect a day is that?
The trees are coated with ice and the air is full of tiny snowballs bound together with ice, falling and bouncing and making ticking noises against the window.
It's also garbage day. Put on my long bundly coat and spent a few minutes outside organizing the recycling and stuff before I realized, hey. This coat has a hood. I should put it up.
I put up my hood. Which was full of tiny snowballs bound together with ice. Which all promptly melted and ran down the back of my neck. Sigh. Someday I'll be smart.
One bus that won't be canceled (knock wood) is ours.
About a month ago, we were looking at the amazing J.'s calendar full of churches who'd be cooking over the year end and were concerned to see that there was one week not accounted for. Oh dear. That would mean we'd have to cook.
Having been completely spoiled for the last 6 months, we figured it was our turn after all and started planning.
Some time that week, J. got a call from a guy with the local Rotary club. They wanted to do a Dinner sometime in December.
Perfect!
They were thinking roast pork with all the trimmin's.
Perfect!
They could do it on the 9th of December.
Perfect!
They wanted to hold it at the Knights of Columbus hall downtown.
Um!
What?
Where?
So the amazing J. called me and I said, "That's not how we do it. Tell them we'd love to have them do a Dinner, but it has to be at the Motel."
It is at this point that I hang my head in shame. I can't believe I said that. I can't believe I actually told someone, "It's nice that you want to help, but that's not the way we do things around here." I can't believe that I fell into the trap and uttered "the 7 last words of the church". (see title)
Of all people, I should know better. I offer no justification. Just humble repentance.
Fortunately, the amazing J.'s friend was persuasive. She brought it up again, and this time we all had a chance to talk about it. The consensus that emerged was that transportation would be a problem and if they could figure that out, we'd go for it. (Yeah, right. We'll be cooking.)
The amazing J.'s friend asked, "Well, couldn't they just walk there?"
A bunch of hungry, anxious people walking, some limping, 1.5 km in the dark and cold, like a post-apocalyptic Make Way For Ducklings on weed, and then back again uphill afterwards?
We replied, "(hollow laugh) No."
We left the ball in their court to see what would happen, and - no freakin' way - the amazing J. called a few days later to say that she'd arranged for a bus and negotiated a cut rate price and it would be big enough to hold everyone that wanted to go.
Game on.
So that's tonight. We've done our best to make sure everyone knows that there'll be no Dinner tonight in the 'church'. Told everyone the plan, explained the bus.
One guy said he might not be coming. He doesn't want to take the bus over there because he doesn't want to be seen getting off it. Funny the things you don't think of. I hope we can convince him to come.
A few people won't be able to, and we'll have to make sure we get care packages back to them.
But, what the heck. It'll be an adventure.
r
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