I'll have you know that it's precisely 9:00 p.m. on Saturday night and I had no intention of writing a post for Sunday but then I decided to quickly write a really short post so I just hope you aren't expecting anything great because you're not going to get it. What you will get is run on sentence.
Before we get to David, a brief synopsis of how the rest of my week has gone. Fine. My week has been fine. Actually, our city got shoved into the next highest COVID category which wasn't very fine.
I'm no authority but I would make a bet that we're shut down completely again within the length of time it takes to move your clothing from the washer into the dryer - which translates to approximately 2 weeks for me which is why sometimes I smell musty.
That means ZOOM Christmas. In other Christmas news, I went to Dollarama today and managed to leave without buying any tacky-yet-comforting cheap Christmas chachkas. I left only with a salt shaker, the only 3 packages of fire starters left in the city and cheesecloth. And yes, I do make my own fire starters, but I like to have some of these on hand.
Now what were we talking about? That's right, David.
When last we met, I had made my new friend David. If you haven't met David yet, you'd better go read this post first. As you know, I had big plans to give him a few logs to chop. I rethought those plans. The truth is I'm out of kindling and have been so busy that I haven't had time to chop any. I thought if my new friend hinted that he needed something to do I'd have him chop kindling because - I really do need it and really don't have time to do it.
So I watched out the window. I'd check out the front door. I wasn't obsessive about it but I did do it every 7.5 minutes for 168 hours. No dice. My new friend had disappeared into the wind - or maybe into one of the many superhero sized piles of leaves I haven't raked up.
Then this morning as I was walking to my car to get groceries (one of the few things we're still able to do) up walks David.
We met in the exact same spot we encountered each other before and had a talk again. David is the perfect conversation companion. We are interested in the same things, we hold similar opinions, and he doesn't stand and talk for hours.
The conversation headed towards wood immediately because it is the fibre that bonds us. He asked if I'd been having fires and I said, Yes, I had actually, now that the temperature has dropped. Here we go. My opportunity I thought.
You know, I haven't had any kindling though, I haven't had any time to chop any. David, as it turns out, had just chopped kindling the day before. All kinds of it from dry scaffolding wood. David did not offer to chop any kindling for me, lol.
Which I saw as a good sign. I don't think David needs to be needed. Or pretend needed. I think David's life is probably pretty full and happy. It's now my opinion that David is just generous. Nice.
After we had exhausted kindling we started talking about fire starters and chimney cleanings. He mentioned he had just picked up a few fire starters at the local hardware store. I told him, I get mine at Dollarama, that I really like them and they're safe for chimneys. David has tried the chimney cleaning logs you can buy and deems them crap. So do I. I told him that I get my chimney cleaned once a year and maybe I should up it to two.
He thought No, once should definitely be enough. I agreed, I thought so too, the only reason I thought I should up it to two cleanings is that I had a terrifying chimney fire one year.
Oh! Me too! said David At 10 o'clock on a Sunday night.
Really? I blinked. That's weird. Me too. My chimney fire was at 10 o'clock on a Sunday night.
David didn't seem to think that was as cosmically charged as I did.
And then he asked, How's your mom?
Ohhhhh David. Betty is fine, lol.
She should come for coffee.
But Coronavirus, she can't! And you aren't supposed to even let anyone else in your house right now.
We'll sit outside.
When he saw this probably wasn't going to happen today we moved onto discussing Trump, the Red Lobster and shopping locally.
After 10 minutes or so we were both done and went our ways. Before leaving, David told me he liked talking to me, that it was a nice break. I told him I liked it too and then I got invited for coffee. Suck on that Betty.
The rest of the today consisted of digging up my dahlia tubers, getting a few groceries, possibly killing my sourdough starter by accident, going to the garden to pick lettuce and as I said, going to Dollarama.
Add in cleaning up the kitchen, washing pots from what I think is probably the entire week and making a coffee and we land here. Now 10 o'clock at night.
I forgot to mention. After running around all day, ruining my sourdough starter and lugging in the groceries something caught my eye on my front porch. It was a box.
David had left me a box of kindling.
I emptied the box, left it on the porch and placed 2 of my fire starter packets in it.
You have yourselves a good remainder of your weekend. Please excuse any grammatical or spelling errors, but I did warn you this wasn't going to be a very good post.
What I did this Week
Just some of the stuff.
How to Divide & Store Dahlia Tubers.
I got them dug up (in the dark) but I still have to wash and split them which I'll do tomorrow.
Heirloom Tomato Soup.
I know. Weird. I have all kinds of tomatoes that have ripened from green to red in my mudroom (these tomatoes are good, but typically don't have as much flavour.) So instead of turning them into sauce I think I'm going to make Heirloom Tomato Soup with them. Is that weird at this time of year?
The Best Christmas Gift Guide with Ideas for Everyone on Your List!
In case you missed it, I released my Christmas Gift Guide on Monday!
Grammy
I am up late baking a birthday cake for my son, who will be 55 tomorrow morning. While the cake is cooling, I decided to take a break and check my mail, and whatever passes for news nowadays, and saw that David was back. I'm so happy about that.
I don't get the impression from all you've said about Betty that she's looking for a hookup. And if she was, she could find that on her own. But David sounds like such a great guy, it's lovely that you and he have found one another. Because friends who share your interests and do nice things just because they're nice people are the best.
Clearly David needed to meet you. Living through this pandemic is hard on all of us, but it's much worse for someone who lives alone and doesn't have someone who regularly calls on the phone or drops by when possible, just to smile through a mask and say "hi". Imagine what a nice evening he had after meeting you the first time. And he's not creepy desperate, or he would have been stalking your house all the time after that first pleasant encounter. I hope we get to hear about him again.
Karen
Hi Grammy! I also discovered that David has plenty of visitors. He's doing O.K. :) ~ karen!
Jenny W
Being Kind.
Always worth the effort.
You two were supposed to meet for whatever the reason.
ecoteri
THANK YOU for posting so late on a Saturday night, I am reading early on a Sunday morning (no, really, it is just freaking late on Saturday night, it is still Saturday night if I haven't gone to bed yet, right?)
I have thought of David a number of times. I like the Hallmark story idea. I love David. This is a great story. a Vignette, as it were. I will now go to bed. because Tomorrow is Sunday. not now, nope, tomorrow..
TRAVIS McNeil
Karen, If I may be so bold, your hatchet head needs to be cleaned. A clean hatchet head reduces friction which tires you out making wood chopping more time consuming. Love your posts. Travis
Karen
Hi Travis! Oh, I know, lol! I actually need to replace the handle too. After 20 years it's pretty bashed up. ~ karen!
Emie
There is KINDNESS in the world. I've been wondering if there was any left..... TFS These stories mean the world to me.
Sande
Aw and awe! Thank you for sharing David stories with us.
Are you sure you’re not in a Hallmark holiday movie?
Karen
No, because my hair isn't curled. But if I find out that David is a former surgeon turned artisan Christmas ornament maker, then it IS possible. ~ karen!
Susan
In these unsociable times, the smallest encounters and gestures lift our hearts. We are blessed to have a neighbour who manages to touch us with kindness as well as share big laughs. Towards the end of October, our usual wood supplier had not yet delivered and it was a cold and rainy night. The doorbell rang and there she was with a wheelbarrow heaped to the brim with nicely chopped wood. We were both almost brought to tears in the best possible way.
Karen
:) That's a good story. ~ karen!
Rktrixy
Well. Alright. My job at this point would be to babble on incoherently until the male of my attention starts backing away slowly. So whatever you are doing - keep doing it!
Karen
Well, David's 92, soooooo. :) ~ karen!
Nicole
What happened with the starter?
Jane
My question exactly! How do you ruin a sourdough starter?
Karen
You keep it in the oven with the light on so it's like an incubator and then preheat your oven to 400 degrees to make quesadillas. With the starter still in the oven. ~ karen!
Molly
Been there! It almost looked like bread, if only the plastic hadn't melted into in.
Angela Cheesmond
Suddenly all is coming right with the Western world (Excepting the pandemic of course). Lovely post. We all need these little acts of kindness. A special Thank You for this post. Xxx
Deb
The best post!
Mary Anne
Okay, these 2 David stories pretty much sums up all that is right in the world. Thanks for sharing. Made my night!
Sarah
Me too ! Wonderful !
Karen
I know. And the thing is - it's really just the story of a human acting like a good human. That's it. That's all there is to it. :) ~ karen!
Jorie Kramer
Oh my heart. What a beautiful story from start to finish.
Karen
Thanks Jorie! ~ karen
Erin Prohaska
I was about to go to sleep and leave my mail for tomorrow when I saw the David title, who could go to sleep without knowing what happened? For a ‘not very good post’ you made me laugh (as you always do) and warmed my heart! Thank you and stay safe over there! ❤️
Karen
:) Thanks Erin! ~ karen!
Janice
I love David.
Karen
Amen. ~ karen!
Tina
Oh yes, me too. Ask him if he’d like to immigrate to Boston.
Sally
Don’t be daft! - I’ve already posted him his ticket to the U.K.! 😉
Lynn
I liked this post...the first *David* post was such a cliffhanger, and I am relieved. Thanks for this! I’ll sleep better (really! I love your blog - it’s my escape from drudgery, and who knew a chimney could catch on fire?)
Karen
David and I knew. ~ karen!
Cherie
A few years ago, during a particularly blustery night, the power was out, I was alone and cold. My dearly beloved was a ferry ride away (we lived on a Gulf Island then) and I was in charge of keeping the home fires burning. We had a pretty red Pacific Energy wood stove, BUT, and herein lies the tale, I knew there was something amiss when the chimney was bright red, too. I'd been going on the theory that if a nearly full wood stove was giving off a nice warm heat then a really full wood stove would be even better. WRONG! So I called Dearly Beloved, told him what colour the chimney was and, well after a few well chosen words "You did what? " being the mildest, he told me to stop putting wood in the stove (heck, even I had figured THAT out) and whatever I did not to go to bed until the chimney was black again. Dang! It was already 10:00 or so and it was for that reason that I had stoked the fire. Yup; I was preparing for bed, instead, I got a book, hunkered down in front of said stove and waited -- with the phone handy in case, well, you know, in case I had to phone the local fire department. That could have been embarrassing given that, given we lived on a small island, all the volunteer fire department folks knew me, and, heck, to make matters worse, I was blonde (white now). About midnight I finally dragged my now exhausted bod up to bed, tossed another blanket or two on top of it, prayed for a resumption of power before morning and for the bliss of electric heat.
Karen
Your story is coming in just as I'm preparing my house for a possible power outage due to a wind warning, lol. I'll be sure to keep an eye on the fire. ~ karen!
Em
Fake news, Karen; that was a charming post!
We had a chimney fire last spring... (9 on a Saturday). Unfun.
Your new friend is gracious, as is his. (The world could use some gracious.)
Dorothy McCaleb
So glad you have made a new friend. I just hope Betty won’t be jealous!!!
kat mannix
I think David sounds like a gem.
Leah
Omg. I can’t tell you how obsessed I am with David meeting your mother. In fact, I had to stop myself from adding another comment to your first David post, begging you to encourage them to get together (in a safe, socially-distanced manner.) Your running into him and then introducing him to your mother would be like a disjointed meet cute. The box of kindling sealed the deal. I would date David after hearing that - even tho he’s a bit out of my age range.
We need more David like Saturday Night Live skits need more cowbell.
Karen
:) Betty is pretty independant and happy on her own, she'd be pretty hard to convince. ~ karen!
Danni
I also am pretty happy and independent on my own, but a cup of coffee and socially distanced chat outside with someone as interesting as David would be a treat right about now!
Lynfa
I agree. Danni is right. A good cup and conversation with a true gentleman is what the world needs.