Wednesday, November 21, 2007

I'm back, again, and my village is finally up and running. The Christmas countdown is on!


This is Peterson's Park. See all of the kids skating and building snowmen? It looks like fun, doesn't it? I can almost smell the hotdogs that the little vendor is selling....



Here we are at the post office. This is a small town, and there aren't any mailer carriers. You have to go to the post office andpick the mail up. That's life in a small town.



Now we're at the flower shop. It looks so warm and inviting, doesn't it?




The barber shop. All of the oldtimers hang out there.





The pet shop. Of COURSE my village would have a pet shop. TMOC and my sil bought me this for Christmas a couple of years ago. I think that every town needs a petshop. When I was growing up in Smallburg, the closest thing that we had was BW Feed and Seed. It's just not the same.






Ah....my very favourite piece. The theatre. I think that Hairspray the musical is playing there now. I LOVE the way that the marquee lights change colour.






The grocery store. This is a little mom and pop operation, not a big box store. None of those in my town.









Now we're in the residential area. This little house reminds me of our house in Smallburg. Dunno why, really. Must be the small town feel.









This is the mayors house. It's so bright that it almost looks like it's on fire. I hope not. I haven't gotten around to putting up a firehall. Oops.










Now we're on the outskirts of town. This is Heidi's place. I'm not sure who the guy is doing the chores. He looks nothing like Jethro, and not much like The Boy, either. Maybe he's a hired hand?
I know that I have been gone for a week, and I know that I haven't even really been visiting any blogs, either. I have been sooo depressed. I am just going through a bad spell, I guess.
I did have a good time with my long lost friend last week, even though she was about three hours early. Yup, you heard me. Three hours. She got here about 2 minutes after my last post. The house was trashed. No, really, I know that you all think that I am exaggerating, but this place looked like Fred Sanford's living room. Seriously. I would not have been surprised to see Lamont coming strolling out of my kitchen. At least the place didn't stink. I mopped the floors before she got here, thank goodness. I am not sure if that covered up MY smell, however. I was all sweaty, and still in my jammies when she got here.
That's a real nice how-do-you-do after thirteen years.
Anyway, I don't think that she was TOO offended. She stayed for about three hours.
Shawn lost his job last week. I am not too worried, because he has a lot of working coming up in the next while. Paying our back rent every week is killing us, though. This past week, we had NO money for groceries. Shawn asked his mom if she would ask around and see if any of his (5) sisters could help us out. No money, just some food. Well, to my surprise, his dad comes by two days later, with a bag of food from his sister, A. She gave us some meat, and some bread, and coffee....I was shocked, but also very touched. I thought that it was very sweet thing to do.
So, last night, Shawn phoned A and thanked her for the food. He said something like ...I don't have any money, but if you need help moving, or with anything, give me a call. I would be happy to help.
Her response?
I want you to retile my bathroom.
WHAT!?%#@
She donates a bag of food and wants her freaking bathroom retiled? That is a HUGE job, and she would pay someone about $2000 to do it. I KNEW that it was too good to be true. Shawn has fixed her cars (s), drywalled her house, and done landscaping for her - for free - soo many times that I have lost count. I thought that maybe, just maybe, she was thinking of all of those times.
I guess not.
Anyway, another sister sent over a bag of dog food, and a couple of other things, and has asked for nothing in return.

I am feeling a little better. I have some good friends out there, and I know that they are pulling for me. That more than makes up for everything else.









30 comments:

dilling said...

I'm a little bah humbuggy still... better get me a Christmas village.

Biddie said...

dilling - I am feeling humbuggy, too. I am TRYING like heck to find the spirit of Christmas.
Still looking.
How is the little guy doing? Any news?

Michael Colvin said...

Oh the village is open! Yay! I don't know about the rest of you guys but I'm in the theatre singing along to Hairspray.

I am sorry things are so hard for you all at the moment, and that is a bit of a pisstake to expect Shawn to do the tiling! Bloody Hell! I hope things get better soon.

Biddie said...

tod - I haven't seen Hairspray yet, but it is Kayla's favourite, so that is what is playing there.
I am just feeling down, but I know that things will pick up soon. Am I wrong to be pissed at the tiling thing? It seems like she had an agenda when she sent over the food. That kind of thing really pisses me off.

Gabriel said...

Biddie, that Village looks beautiful!
Do you organize tours? :-)

I need to get me one of those!

Great to see you back online and visiting my humble place as well. I seem to have so few English spoken readers that sometimes I say "and now the English version for Biddie" when I'm posting.

But I always start by writing the version in English!

Biddie said...

gabriel - It has been a rough week, but I am back. I missed everyone.
I read your birthday post for Jaun, and I had tears in my eyes, too.
Glad that you like the village. It always perks me up and makes me feel more Christmasy :)

Biddie said...

corky - I actually feel good about paying off this debt,and we are not homeless, so that is a bonus.
It is killing us right now, though. Some weeks, there is nothing left after paying the church,and that is depressing.
WHY did you pay your ex wife $500 a month? I do NOT believe in alimony. Maybe, if you were a rock star, or a movie star, but some on? For the average everyday person? No way. It's not fair.
Isn't the village awesome?! I am so happy to finally have it up.
Oh yeah.

Chellie said...

Welcome back, Biddie. I have missed you. ;)

I'm sooooooo not in any holiday mood. I cannot wait for them to pass this year. It's one of those years.

Love ya!

Biddie said...

chellie - It seems like everyone is feeling that way this year. What's going on, anyway? I think that you need a village to cheer you up. Always works for me :)
(missed you too)

CindyDianne said...

Biddie - will you email me your snail mail address? I want to send you a Christmas card.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Biddie said...

cindydianne - absolutely! Happy Thanksgiving! I see that you made it out of Wal-Mart alright :)

Gardenia said...

Hey - I'm glad folks pitched in to help out - it does sound like that one though is someone who wants a pound of blood for a pint of food.

The village though must have been very cheering! I always wanted one of these - but probably a good thing I didn't have one - I've lost so much stuff from moving around. Anyway, it looks really, really nice.

Heidi the Hick said...

Yay!!!!!!Christmas village! I love those pictures, everything looks so warm and glowing and inviting! Love it love it love it!

BW Feed and Seed was great but it wasn't a pet shop. Have you ever been into their pet shop? It's on Huron. It's in the original feed store before they moved the store to the mill, in like, 1953.

I think the dude doing chores is my hired hand. you know, cuz I need to have PEOPLE.

haha.

Ok, I guess it's time for me to start getting my little Christmas scene set up...give me a week okay? Good to see you blog again. Missed you.

Heidi the Hick said...

Fred Sandford's living room. SNORT!

Stick out you caaaan here comes the gaaaaaarbage man!

Biddie said...

gardenia - Thanks :) I love my little village! It is very cheering, makes me feel more Christmasy every time I see it.

Heidi - I haven't been to Smallburg in years...well, just driving through to get to Mom's or whatever. They have a real pet shop?
I knew that he must have been a hired hand. Cuz, you know, you need people.

Coffeypot said...

A bag of food is worth at least taking the tiles off half a wall. Sounds like a fair trade.

FOUR DINNERS said...

mmmmmmmmmm....hot dogs.....

I want to visit your village...

It's magic by the way x

Heidi the Hick said...

By the way, I'm up with Coffeypot's suggestion!

that is the suck!!! Here, have a gift of helpfulness! Now spend five days working yuor butt off to pay back that $50 worth of charity! NOT!

Screw it. Your village is set up and that's happy.

raine said...

I love a Christmas village!! It's beggining to look a lot like.... :o) we don't put ours up until the 1st, but then, watch out!!!

Canadian flake said...

loveddddd the christmas village. Thanks for sharing the pics. Hang in there hon...I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Biddie said...

coffeypot - I think that demolition is a wonderful idea! Shawn loves swinging a sledgehammer! Oh, that might be overkill for a job like this, huh? Maybe...

4D - Thank you. I think so too :)

heidi - You know, the thing that pisses me is the fact that she had an agenda when she gave us the food. Shawn has never asked for anything in return for all of the thousands of dollars worth of renos that he has done for her.
I really thought that she was doing this b/c she cares about her brother, or maybe the girls. That's what hurts the most.
The village makes me SOOO happy.

Biddie said...

rain - I usually have mine up way earlier, but I was late this year.
My village is nothing expensive, it's just a labour of love :) I can't wait to see yours!

canadian flake - Thanks. I've been thinking of you, and keeping you in my prayers, too :)

Heidi Grether said...

DON'T do it. It is usury. It is not right. Have him do an estimate and discount the estimate for the bag of groceries. Look her straight in the eyes and ASK HER, "Do you really think it is fair or right to ask me to do $2000 of labor for one bag of groceries?" Confront it.

He cannot afford to do free work when he needs to be finding a job and making money to support his own family.

Village is darling, magical, charming. How very lovely.

Rick Rockhill said...

Biddie- love the pics of your christmas village...makes me feel all good inside!

btw- don't ge taken advantage of...

katy said...

soooo glad to see the village is up and running, can i come and stay please, i want to stay in the pet shop, only trouble is i am afraid i wouldn't earn you much money as i just would not be able to part with the puppies!
i second what hattigrace says
great to have you back x

Biddie said...

hattigrace - He's not going to do it. He should be back to work by next week (fingers crossed). That's a great idea, though. I think that if she presses the issue, I'll get him to do just that. Take the discount off of the estimate. I love it :)

palm springs savant - Thank you :) Shawn is the youngest of 10 siblings and they have always treated him this way. For years he took care of his parents bills, put a sister through college, and paid the rent for 2 sisters. He has done this without complaint.
It seems like now that he needs help, there are strings attached, and it just makes me so angry. I was really hoping that maybe somebody in that family would do something for him out of the kindness of their heart(s).
Boy, was I wrong.

her indoors - LOL. I would be the same way! I woulld never be able to part with the pups, or any of the other animals.
It's good to be back :)

Phoenix5 said...

Great shots, Biddie! (yes, I know, I'm late yet again! LOL!) My mom has gotten into the Christmas village hobby and sets up a small one each year. I've never been interested in setting one up myself, but my wife got a lighthouse from one set one year and it is really neat, so, now that the kids are older, maybe we might start...one of these years...

Good job on yours! I like the back story you have. Very creative!

Biddie said...

phoenix - Better late than never!
Shawn and I love our little village. He just added some snow tonight, and some lights, and now there is a tower...I dunno. It just makes me smile :)

Anonymous said...

Your village is amazing. Love it.

* (asterisk) said...

Your village reminds me of "It's a Wonderful Life", with Jimmy Stewart. Lovely! But it can't be Christmas any time soon... I'm not ready!