If we were having coffee – July 27/2014
Of butterflies – of happiness – of aircons –and raccoons
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi there, my name is Paul. Willow has graciously asked me to serve up tea and coffee here today– and that’s new to me, so I’m a bit nervous. I’m hoping that you, her readers, will drop by to chat and have a cuppa while we share stories.
Welcome and come on through to the garden – we’re having our coffee and tea back there where we can enjoy the flowers, watch the butterflies and have a biscuit while we chat. What is your favorite kind of tea or coffee? We have quite a selection, so just name your brand and I’ll prepare it. The cream, sugar and honey are on the table.
Beautiful day isn’t it? Where I’m from – Ottawa – we’ve had some hot days this week, over 30 Celsius, but it’s cooled down now and is quite enjoyable. That is significant to me because you see I’m pretty clumsy and when I tried to install my window air- conditioner recently, I accidentally dropped it out the window down two stories. No casualties except the air con but I think I can fix it. I’m sure it would have been amusing had anyone been watching.
Well, what has been happening in your world this week? No topic is off limits. Me? Well, quiet for now (except for the crashing of an air conditioner) – the way I like it for the time being. Are you ready for another cuppa?
I’m often taken aback at where I get good life advice when I’m open and listening. Does that happen to you sometimes too? Just Wednesday this week I was resting for a moment on a concrete bench outside the hospital before I went in for dialysis and a young woman of about 16 years asked if she could sit beside me. I moved over to give her room and she sat down. She had a round and cheerful face and was dressed in a pink hoodie with matching sweat pants and sneakers. She told me that she was 17 days sober today and I congratulated her. There is an addiction inpatient program there as well as a mental health inpatient facility. Most are allowed out around the grounds when they are deemed
safe (for others and as a flight risk). She introduced herself as Karen (name changed) and then asked if people as old as her could learn to speak French.
It is Canada’s other official language and around the capital here much is bilingual and some is uni lingual French or English.
Karen told me that she had been accepted into a rehab facility but it was French. She also told me that she had a learning disability. From her logic and conversation I had suspected she might be challenged. I assured her that she could learn French a long as she practiced it – and that she could learn a new language with practice no matter how old she was. She then turned to me and said; “You know it really doesn’t take much to be happy does it? I’m happy with a safe place to live, people who will help me, enough food to eat, and some sunshine.” I agreed with her and then had to say Good-bye and go in for my treatment. Life really is that simple isn’t it? What do you think? What makes you happy?
Can I refill your cuppa? Another biscuit perhaps? You know one of my English friends described meeting a hedgehog recently. I’ve never seen one – they don’t live here in Canada. We do have a small woodland creature though that causes some havoc and survives well in urban areas – the raccoon. I understand that they have packed their little suitcases and emigrated to the European mainland but haven’t gotten to England yet. I suspect they’d enjoy the British countryside. They are very cute read about them here. but terribly curious. They are quite smart, can get into any containers, and are a pest. One of our major retailers –Sears – has produced
a commercial using a raccoon to sell their glasses. It is hilarious (and only 33 seconds)
The moral is: Don’t forget your glasses. Raccoons generally don’t get that aggressive but if they are used to humans they can. When my ex and I were still together, we had a raccoon family of four arrive on our back step one evening. They discovered a tub of jujubes that the kids had left there and were busy chomping and slurping the candies. We tried to shoo them away but they were not going until the jujubes were finished. It was too funny watching them get the chewy candies stuck between their teeth.
Well, it’s been great having coffee and tea with you today. I enjoyed our chat and hope you’ll come back again. Any comments or suggestions or just a “Hi!” are greatly appreciated. I will respond to them all. And a special thanks to Willow for providing the forum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘”The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:…”’ – The Walrus and The Carpenter, Lewis Carroll
If we were having coffee I’d ask you : would you like another cuppa, or a biscuit . I’d tell you I have really come to enjoy these chats and I’d love to here what you would tell me , If we were having Coffee Original idea from http://parttimemonster.wordpress.com/
willowdot21 
