A Heart Thanksgiving

On By Dani HeartIn blog fellowship, building a hearty life, love, Nano Poblano, Uncategorized7 Comments

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Cheers Team Tiny Peppers here it is my last post as promised. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving.  We almost never do traditional Turkey and fixings at Thanksgiving, I mean we have, but we like to change it up.  This year we had a lovely Pot Roast.  There is something that we always do at Holiday Family Meals, and that is Best & Worst.  If you were at our Thanksgiving table and were the first to finish your meal we would ask you to begin the evenings Best & Worst. It started as only that, but we have added Funniest, and What you Learned.  It’s a wonderful way to get people talking and enjoy each others company.  So here’s how it works.  The first person to finish is automatically nominated to begin. They must tell aloud to the people at the table the most recent, Best thing that’s happened to them, Worst thing that’s happened to them, something they learned, and the funniest thing that’s happened to them.  Then they get to choose the person who goes next, and so on, and so on until everyone has had a turn.  The only rule is you cannot repeat something someone else said.  So if someone says their best is getting together for this family dinner, no one else can use that as their best.  Theoretically that doesn’t mean this family dinner can’t be someone else’s worst if your family is snarky like that. LOL You get the picture. So I’ll start… Best: Having Thanksgiving day off from work. I work in a restaurant and I almost always work the holidays.  This year I was very lucky to have it off.  Worst: I was sick on my days off right before the holidays and got nothing accomplished. 😦  What I learned:  I learned that a Slow Moving Loris can kill you in seconds with a toxic bite that causes anaphylaxis in a certain percentage of humans. Unfortunately, you don’t know if you are in that percentage until it’s too late.  Slow loris

Funniest: Attempting to squeeze our little Michaels cart between a lady who was at the register and the narrow pathway of the isle on Black Friday as we were making our canvas score. When I realized it was going to brush against her as I squeezed by.. I said I hope you don’t mind if I shave off a little of your behind as I go by. Everyone behind the counter erupted in laughter. It was pretty funny. I wasn’t serious, and I was hoping she would try to scooch in more, and I think she did, but she was laughing too.

So now..it’s your turn. I nominate you. Please tell me your best, worst, funniest, and what you learned recently. I can’t wait to hear.

Thanksgiving the Myth and the Reality

On By Dani HeartIn blog fellowship, building a hearty life, Nano Poblano, Uncategorized4 Comments

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Greetings Cheer Peppers I have a little reality for my 7th Nano post, but I have put a positive spin at the end.

I can’t remember exactly when I became aware that the cute origin story I learned in grade school regarding Thanksgiving was complete bullshit.  I only know that since knowing it has changed dramatically how I feel about the holiday in general.  I now celebrate it as a time to gather with family and be grateful, but I still have ugly sad feelings about it.  I know we are not responsible for what our ancestors did, but the fact remains we stole this land from its indigenous people and it feels very wrong to celebrate that in any way.  Couple that with how many in our society are acting now about not wanting to share that which we have claimed as our own, knowing full well it was never ours to begin with, leaves me bitter and angry.  How are we supposed to feel about this holiday when we know the truth?  I guess most people just don’t think too much about it.  What ever Thanksgiving was intended to be, I am not happy with what it’s become either.  The heavy commercialization of our holidays takes the fun and purpose out of them.  Now stores are opening on Thanksgiving in hopes of spurring on the shopping frenzy that feeds their bottom lines.  People that aren’t well to do that have to work with the public are forced to work and participate in the madness.  They are calling it Brown Thursday which is somewhat apropos considering the shit show that it is.  I try to write happy upbeat things and participating in Nano this year I think I have done that.  The last couple of years I have been too bereft to even participate.  It’s hard because there is so much unpleasantness going on in the world right now. I feel like posting only happy stuff is ignoring the elephant in the room.  That said, I know we would all like a break from the elephant so to that end I choose to celebrate love every day.  I will choose to celebrate the good things that are happening and be grateful for the gifts in my life.  Whatever our ancestors did I know we can do better going forward and we must.  Perhaps we define what Thanksgiving is for ourselves.  We don’t have to celebrate the lie we’ve been sold.  We can make it something better and celebrate that instead.  Happy Thanksgiving whatever the day means to you.  Enjoy!

Fai

On By Dani HeartIn Assholery, blog fellowship, Nano Poblano, UncategorizedLeave a comment

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Cheers team tiny peppers today I have for you another chapter from my upcoming book. This chapter will follow directly after Char’s chapter.  (TRIGGER WARNING) This chapter deals with domestic violence.  I have chosen not to chronicle the violence itself, but instead what follows and some flash back.  I have also chosen not to describe the abuser Mitch because his character is of no significance and does not deserve description.  I had a hard time choosing that characters name because it felt like I would be maligning someone undeservedly.  I just ended up choosing a name I don’t care for.  Post # 5 for Nano Poblano done! Enjoy.

Fai

Through blood streaked golden blond strands and tears Fai fingers the raised numbers of the card she was given and contemplates making the call that might save her life. She wrestles with the guilt, shame, and hopelessness of the situation.  No one knows. Who would believe her?  She remembers the good times and wonders how it has gotten this bad? He slowly and insidiously turned up the heat, giving her just enough crumbs of good to keep her clinging to the belief that it would get better, or go back to the way it was in the beginning. She’s been gas lit for so long that she believes half the crap he feeds her, and has a difficult time trusting her own judgment. The call could end her life too if they don’t get there in time.  Even if they do he promised to find her and kill her should she ever try to leave. Paralyzed with fear she returns the card to its hiding place, cleans herself up, and commences with the household chores and dinner in preparation for his arrival.  Tonight will be better she tells herself. She’ll make everything just the way he likes it and things will get back to normal.

Fai comes to in the kitchen several hours later. She’s bleeding from her nose and mouth, and her head aches fiercely. She does her best to recollect what happened. How long had she been unconscious? She listens for Mitch’s where-abouts in the house but hears nothing.  He’s either passed out or has left. He was already toasted when he came home which was unusual.  It doesn’t take long for the images to flood her brain of the perfect dinner gone wrong.  She wore his favorite dress, soft blue like her eyes he said. The modest cleavage he had previously adored was suddenly the reason for him calling her a whore, and accusing her of fancying herself up for someone other than him.  It didn’t matter what the truth was, it never did. He just needed an excuse to strike her.  There were broken dishes and pieces of his favorite fried chicken dinner strewn about the floor.  She ponders if she can get to the card in its hiding place, and where she might hide until help arrives. When she attempts to move searing pain in her ankle stops her from standing.  Mitch appears to be gone. She crawls to where the card is hidden and with shaky hands dials the number to the shelter hotline.  She doesn’t remember the conversation, it is all a blur. She waits terrified on the floor by the door for help to arrive. When a non descript white van pulls up in front of the house, she opens the door and a shelter team carry her to the van and they speed away toward safety.  A kind woman on the shelter team assesses her condition and suggests they get medical treatment, but Fai is terrified to go to the hospital because Mitch will find her.  They clean her up and wrap her ankle. They have a doctor who comes to the shelter but he won’t be available till the following day.  Fai is wheeled into the shelter just as the evening staff is arriving.  When Fai looks up and sees her sister Char, she is simultaneously horrified and relieved.