Funeral home half a block away, active church across the street, entertainment venue at the end of the fence – everybody interested in parking across the driveway.
Early on I scrounged an orange metal NO PARKING sign from some student trash which I put out now and then in a pinch. Knowing where it came from, I realize it could always be swiped again so I’m careful. Basically you just have to make your peace with the cars and drivers. We’ve only had to tow twice.

There’s my orange sign, looking entirely official but wholly my own, undoubtedly swiped by the students from whom I got it.

Not apparent in this picture of my house is the big crack over the front door after a passing trucker lost control and plowed into the front (before I bought it). Hence the covering vine.

Not just car traffic but foot traffic too, (usually inebriated). Some of it inclined to vandelism (hence a new windshield on the car). Others brought along a shovel and dug up some Bergamont. Increased traffic means a larger percentage of lawless types.
However, it also means more stories. As a writer, where I live is invaluable. If I have a column due, someone will usually do something worth writing about before the deadline. Living on the corner with my front door aimed at the intersection says it all. Thanks, downtown.

Tune: No Place Like Home For the Holidays

Lots of better places than home
for the holidays
Maybe best to stay far away and roam
If you usually have a hard time there
on holidays
Think twice before you call that place your ‘home.’

2)Sure everyone deserves a home but media
Have snuck schmaltz in where reality should be
Nobody’s home’s a picture perfect paradise
Check the Christmas misery site – you will agree

3) Grieve that home that never was (without self pity)
You survived now you can make one of your own
Find a friend and then a brand new way to celebrate
Mean something special now when you say ‘going home.’

These perils aren’t in any particular order though once I’ve got a list, I may go back and rearrange them by annoyance level. Right now it’s this doorsign being swiped. Passersby, used to gawking at shops see something in your yard or on your door worth swiping. Queen’s university is nearby and sometimes the students are doing scavenger hunts with my former bookshop, now my home, prominently marked.
For naps and deep thoughts, these doorsigns matter but must be replaced regularly. I could consider their swiping a compliment as to my wit but I’d rather have the sign.
When we find one gone, my husband says, hopefully; “It’s just the wind.” But we never find it lying around against the curb or in the neighbour’s yard. No, it’s the souvenier hunter-lightfingered walker who wasn’t properly brought up. A hazard of being too close to the street. But given the stories of the street which I may encounter on my doorstep, I wouldn’t move for the world!
Mostly I think they regard a sign asking them not to swipe it, as a challenge.

What a Christmas present for a retired bookseller! The gracious individuals who know me well sent this magnificent tapestry just before Christmas. I took it down to the pool and hung it up in the locker room to photograph the details.
It was woven in the Blueridge Mountains of North Caroline by an Association of Mutual Wordworkers and Weavers, according to the tag. I’m going to look them up on line and post their address here on my blog. They deserve recognition for a tremendous idea, well-conceived and executed, which I would never have seen had not extremely insightful individuals found them and put us together!
By the way, it is also warm and cozy. Today here in Canada on the shore of Lake Ontario it is minus 15. In the city.

Tongue 10 from Laurel Reed Books is out in all its profundity and entertainment. This brilliant 26 page starkly black & white chapbook begins with a quote from Joe Louis on the inside page: “Everyone has a plan until they get hit.”

Much of the text is Letterplay. There’s a proper poetic name for this sort of beautiful word dance which Kemeny himself surely knows. All I can do is admire the way certain pages are put together. Especially the way Derek Beauliu’s work cavorts.

Matthew Frederick George’s Typographical letter is memorable.

There is a lengthy list of contributors. It is an honour to be in a Kemeny Tongue, among such company.

Babineau makes contemporary work accessible and a pleasure to read. Tongue 10 is a keeper to put beside your Atwood and your Ignatiff, telling yourself that fun, literacy and the poetry scene can intermingle and give you the sensation of a great party on the page.
On the back is the program for the 2nd Louis-Schmeling fight.

You’ll always have a good time in a Babineau Tongue. Order one for yourself at 2011 Laurel Reed Books, 206 Ellis Ave, Mt Pleasant, On N0E 1K0. I don’t know the price. Be sure to include postage for a 26 pager.

This is the hem of my red dress and the holly decorations I fastened to my green rubber shoes with two-sided tape for the last Christmas push. I wore them to lead the singing of my peace & justice carols down at city hall on Friday, the day before Christmas Eve.
On Thursday, carolers came and sang my cat & dog carols to me on a fine but snowless winter night.
I posted sobriety carols on as many AA websites as I could find and spread out my stress carols wherever I could. In between I made shadow box cards. On Saturday I made Shirley Poupres lemon and ginger sweet potatoes and the next day a turnip souffle with celiac bread crumbs on top (much yummier than it sounds).
Even though I was as distressed as ever by the season, it all helped. I shared how I felt with anyone I thought might be having the same problems while encouraging those who simply LOVE the season to go on enjoying it without feeling guilty. Then I read up to #258 on the Miserable Christmas site, sobbed a bit and made it through. The only scratches are internal. I was much helped and supported by my Santa-looking husband wearing his lovely grey gnome hat who was there holding me up at every turn.
It is possible to survive the season and perhaps even do some good here and there. I shall reread this next Christmas and remember…

Tune: Silver Bells
City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks
Been replaced by the mall
Where the parking’s just awful and ba-ad
Fights will break out
Cops are called out
O the mall is the place
Where corporations all strut their stuff!
O their malls
They appall
Nothing about them says Christmas
Only ding-a-lings bring
Themselves to shop there today
2) If you must shop
Then you should shop
Craft shows, church bazares
Where the sellers made all of the presents
Or some online third world giftings
Like a goat or a well
That’s the sprit of giving – that’s SWELL!
But the mall
It appalls
Do not take part in its furor
Ding-a-lings buy their things
But Christmas day doesn’t mean THAT!

Tune: Have A Holly Jolly Christmas
O the Grinch has joined our Christmas
Just like Frosty, Rudoph, Scrooge
Characters from TV specials
Ah, the cast is getting huge
Homer Simpson’s in the lineup
Wearing Santa’s hat with glee
Christmas is more confusing now
From the way it used to be
O ho the media
Got ahold of you & me
It’s those animated specials
Hoggine my TV
2) Have a less confusing Christmas
Start by sorting out the crew
Old Spongebobby Squarepants
As a Christmas guy won’t do
Charles Dicken’s has the message
All of his must stay, I see
But those cartoon guys animated eyes
Won’t ROLL around anymore for me!

O come all ye fearful
Fretful about Christmas
O come ye
O come ye
To reason once again
Come and behold them
All the TV specials
That say it isn’t presents
Or everything just perfect
But who you are and what you do
That mak-kes the day
2)O Sing a little bet-ter
Christmas isn’t madness
All stressed out and chewing out
Your loved ones around
Your TV has nailed it
Calm down and embrace it
They want you sane and happy
And take a little nappy
This really is what’s wanted
On Chri-ismas day.
3) ‘My miserable Christmas’
Website tells the horrors
But all these are just about
How adults behave
Depressing reading
But they teach a lesson
We can improve so easily
Patient and kind so breezily
It’s attitude not plentitude
That makes Christmas day!
4) Whatever we’ve got then
Absolutely will content us
A messy house
Partner louse?
They’re ours and we’ll cope
We’ll look for the fun parts
Stretchify our grinch hearts
Relax don’t sweat the small stuff
What we’ve got will be en-ough
The atmosphere at ours will be
Comfy and kind!