unto others (part III)

[saturday december 14]

when it's -31˚c with the windch-ch-chill, even the five-minute walk between one's apartment and the coffee shop -- in spite of the scarf-hat-mitts, the chapsticked lips, the canadian upbringing, and the personal resolve to brave the elements *triumphant horns* -- is painfully long. and then, even the insides of the coffee shop require said scarf to remain snugly in place.

so it seems especially lucky that today (unlike yesterday, with its "friday" and its "13th") should be one of the days that knox church hosts its out-of-the-cold dinner, serving up pork roast, herbed potatoes and glazed carrots to anyone who might need refuge from the hurts-when-you-inhale air.

it's also a lucky day because, once the veggies and cheddar have been cut up and the crackers, pickles and dip have been put out, Joan -- the cheery woman who's been at the helm of this to-do for nearly two decades (as compared to my mere two months) -- turns to me and asks, perfectly innocently: would you like to be in charge of the hot chocolate? HA! eleven litres of boiling water, four litres of milk, and a costco-sized container of chocolate powder that shimmers like gold dust, like snow in the night light? seventy-six servings' worth of warm liquid chocolate, bubbling frothily in a giant metallic cylinder? all at the mercy of my ginormous witchcrafting whisk? the answer is yes. yes, Joan, i would like to be in charge of the hot chocolate. and the sublime pleasure of brewing the drink is only amplified -- some seventy-six-fold, i daresay -- when one of the guests enquires with is there any hot chocolate tonight? and i'm able to immediately plunk down two filled-to-the-brim pitchers for the pouring. few things warm the heart (or the stomach) like sharing hot chocolate does. but here are twelve more, to round out this month of five-dollar donations:

dec 20: nelson house, in honour of abused women and children. (hats off to friend Annick for this recommendation.)
dec 21: rideau addiction and family services, in support of those dealing with addiction in whatever capacity.
dec 22 (a twofer): 1) last chance horse and pony rescue, in honour of cousin Kate, her love of horses, and her big heart; 2) ref4rett, as per cousin Carlee's special birthday request. (happy birthday, C!)
dec 23: JUMP math, in support of education, in honour of Mom (who got me involved in this program once upon a life in toronto), and in honour of an acquaintance who regularly -- and rightly -- proclaims that math is everywhere.
dec 24: ACORN canada, in support of low- to moderate-income households, with a shout-out to my legal-eagle friend Jena.
dec 25: ottawa food bank, in support of empty stomachs on xmasday.
dec 26: canadian association for disabled skiing, in honour of friend Creed's birthday and his many years of volunteering with CADS.
dec 27: windreach farms (centre for inclusion and personal achievement for people of all abilities), in honour of Dad and brother Greg, whose dutch masters construction services built their facilities and has supported their programs.
dec 28: united way st. catharines, in honour of Uncle Joe's birthday.
dec 29: youth services bureau, in honour of friend Craig.
dec 30: matthew house, in support of refugees who come from all over the world to make canada their new home.
dec 31: translators without borders, in honour of (duh!) translation, because "access to information is critical," and "language barriers [can] cost lives." hear! hear!

happiest of ho-ho-holidays, and ho-ho-hottest of chocolates to you!

and now back to translating...

unto others (part II)

not only have several people joined me in donating to one or more of the not-for-profit organizations named in last week's post (i'm raising a mega-mug of hot chocolate to Jenna, Renée, and Rory!) but i've also received a number of suggestions for additional not-for-profits to give to. here's the next installation (*drum roll*):

dec 9: the canadian skin cancer foundation, in memory of friend Scott's father.
dec 10: sick kids foundation, in honour of all kids, who -- as cousin Erin rightly reminded me -- are a fundamental part of the wonder and joy of xmas.
dec 11: the canadian red cross, in honour and memory of all those affected by typhoon haiyan.
dec 12: the ottawa humane society, in honour of friend Jenna's cat (Oliver) and our dog (Willow).
dec 13: the salvation army, in honour of Santaclaus (from late last november) and others deserving of dignity they aren't receiving.
dec 14: colon cancer canada, in memory of friend (and blog devotee) Sherry's mom.
dec 15: the arthritis society, in honour of both of my grandmas.
dec 16: canadian contemporary dance theatre, in honour of the art of dance -- one of the loves of my life. in particular, dance among young people who, in this case (versus those where wee ones are smothered in make-up and phony smiles, and encouraged to perform like robot-princes or -princesses *cringe*), bring heart, soul, skill, range and magic to the stage.
dec 17: danny grossman dance company, in honour of the pioneering dance giants, who set the stage decades ago and still forge on.
dec 18: the learning disabilities association of ontario, in honour of friends and family members who have become well-acquainted with adhd, dyslexia, etc.
dec 19: big brothers and sisters, in honour of good friend Alison and her clan, who still prove that "family" is also defined beyond blood ties.

kindly keep your recommendations coming and your generosity flowing.

and now back to translating…

unto others

not unlike many people of my generation and subsequent cohorts, i have a certain disdain for organized religion. the roots and ramifications of this societal trend have been debated elsewhere with more oomph and insight than i could ever hope to offer, so let's not get into (all of) them here. what's nagging at me this december is that this discomfort (to put it more lightly) with churches, synagogues, mosques, etc., and with the various figure(head)s and tenets they house and espouse, can lead to the misconception that religion isn't still informing our day-to-day lives, our worldviews, our decision-making.

after all, for many of us there are certain biographical truths that can't be denied. i, for one, am a caucasian of dutch-irish descent, who was born in canada in the late seventies, attended a french catholic elementary school (despite never being baptized *gasp*) and has always been enthusiastically involved in december's decorated evergreens, "silent nights" and after-eights (*licking of lips*). add to that the fact that Mom and Dad repeated and put into very regular practice mantras like don't take your luck or luxuries for granted and do unto others as you'd have done unto you. suddenly, claiming that religion (and christianity, more particularly) hasn't been shaping me since the womb becomes awfully asinine.

(i can hear you now: blah blah blah! this has nothing to do with coffeeshopping. well, just hold your horses!)

with xmas fast approaching and my visits to the coffee shop generally intact, i've been thinking more than usual about luxuries and luck and Others.

it began last week when i realized i hadn't seen Cherub -- the older man who, on three separate occasions, gave me a gift in honour of his february birthday -- in a long while, and subsequently learned from the café manager that he has very likely passed away (the result of his rather massive brain tumour, chances are). the unhappy absence of Cherub made me think of Paco, whose whereabouts remain unknown, if only to me. which made me think of Luigi, whom i haven't seen since the spring. remembering Luigi's trembling fingers then made me think of Frances's quaking walk and of a couple of other regulars who seem to face more than their fair share of challenges.

it's not shocking that you then perceive your own set of circumstances in a differently coloured light. among the numerous luxuries, big and small, in my life is an almost-daily hot chocolate. absolutely delicious and -- for reasons i don't pretend to understand -- motivating! but it's $3.60 a day. hardly chump change, especially when you multiply it over the course of a month, not to mention a couple of years. indeed, my admirably-if-not-aggravatingly frugal mother is surely rolling in her grave over this (even if i like to think she's simultaneously smiling because she sees how far those delicious frothy mugs go in propelling my work)! my point: if a $3.60 hot chocolate can make it into my daily budget, there must be a little extra cash to spare for other, less self-indulgent purposes. and, despite my disdain (please see above), i don't mind one bit if Religion-Infused December feels like an important time (vs the only time, let's be clear) to share.

so, for the duration of the month, i'm instating a second daily ritual. in addition to a hocho, every day will include a $5 donation to a different not-for-profit organization, each of which is inspired by a particular individual. the line-up thus far:

dec 1: the brain tumour foundation of canada, in honour/memory of Cherub.
dec 2: the parkinson society of canada, in honour of Frances.
dec 3: the alzheimer society of canada, in honour of the gentle, elderly italian man who regularly wanders rather lost through the coffee shop, repeatedly showing off photos of his grandchildren and asking people to help him use his cell phone.
dec 4: out of the cold, in honour of Paco.
dec 5: the post-traumatic stress disorder association, in honour of Luigi.
dec 6: simcoe community services, in memory of my brother Graham.
dec 7: the breast cancer society of canada, in memory of Mom and Aunt Linda, and in honour of Aunt Tricia.
dec 8: wikipedia, in honour of anyone (laypersons and academics alike) anywhere doing research about anything at all.

i'm accepting recommendations and requests for the remaining days of december and will report back throughout the month. you are also welcome to partake, in whatever capacity suits your own budget and/or heart strings.

and now back to translating…