New Year's Eve party

Year End Celebrations

(Simple Pleasures)

Let’s have a New Year’s Eve party!

What a wonderful idea! A time for games, food and drinks, a setting suitable for friends, for family. A time for the author to slip in a frustration sliver.

In my novel, Baggage burdens., the New Year’s Eve party among young people starts a joyful relationship between Eve and Daniel. It also plants the seed for an even happier development and an unwanted challenge for Jill, Daniel's mother.

At Jill’s family’s New Year’s Eve party a growing bond begins between Eve and Jill. Then Eve’s news suggests an even closer relationship in the future. Because of the antagonistic past between Eve’s mother and Jill, the reader must suspect a storm is brewing. The coming disturbance sucks in other irritating seeds to create hurricane force damage.

“So, do you think last year’s New Year’s eve toast came true?” asks Eve, as she looks at Jill and then Amber. Eve has come over early to help Amber and Jill prepare the New Year’s eve treat trays–– a vegetable tray, a fruit tray, and a meat, cheese and cracker tray.

“It’s been a good year,” says Jill.

Amber agrees.

Jill announces, “We’ll serve one tray after each game. Charade winners will be the servers.”

“Can you handle that?” Amber looks at Eve, remembering that Eve and Daniel won all three games at last year’s New Years Eve party.

“Be our pleasure,” responds Eve smiling. Looking at the bottle of wine, she says, “Same as last year I see. A good tradition.” Eve sets the bottle down. “I think this year was the best. I doubt next year can beat it.” She proudly extends her left hand, wiggling her ring finger. “Today Daniel asked me to marry him.” She bounces up and down like a rubber ball. Jill catches her hand to get a better look.

After they finish admiring the ring and congratulating Daniel and Eve, Amber asks, “Why now?” Amber looks at Daniel for an explanation.

“Exactly two years ago Eve let me kiss her. She made it a special day for me, so I wanted the same day to be special for her this year.” Daniel wraps his arm around Eve’s waist.

“What about the rest of the story?” interrupts Eve. Before Daniel can start she says, “Two years ago a bunch of us from church got together for a New Year’s Eve party. Late in the afternoon Martin Shopka hitched up a couple of his horses and took us for a hayride. I was pushed off the wagon. Half buried in cold, powdery snow I watched the wagon pull away.”

“Everybody was laughing so hard that Mr. Shopka didn’t hear her call to stop,” says Daniel.

“So Daniel jumped off to help me,” cuts in Eve. “Another burst of laughter erupted from the wagon.”

“I think the others thought I too was pushed off,” adds Daniel.

“Anyway, Daniel rescued me.”

“That’s when she kissed me,” explains Daniel. “We walked back to the church,” continues Daniel. “It wasn’t that cold.”

“For the rest of the night Daniel was the target of my affection. I thought I’d make some of the other guys jealous,” says Eve. “How was I to know that Daniel would take me seriously? After that he never quit calling me. Eventually he convinced me he was worth hanging on to.” She looks at him and plants a kiss on his lips.

Hidden in this happy setting a thorn slips in. Anticipate unexpected, unwelcome challenges.  

haiku capsule:        

             Time for fun, food, games        

                               Old year finishes on high note     

                               Now, no better time.

Next blog: Simple Pleasures––A Wedding Celebration    

Love Birthday Parties

Love Birthday Parties

(Simple Pleasures)

Everybody loves a party, especially birthday parties. In writing, humor is often used to lighten a mood. I love to use good times, like parties. Lull the reader into a relaxed state. Then, like a picket pocket expert targeting an inattentive victim, plant seeds of future tension. Characters fail to catch a note of dissention. Readers, too, neglect to note trouble coming.

In the examples below birthday parties is the tool of choice to relax readers.

By the second week of July Daniel is ready to be rescued from helping his father. He has been clipping runners and pulling weeds in the strawberry patch. A birthday party invitation from David, one of Daniel’s school friends, is the perfect excuse to quit an hour before lunch. He can hardly wait for his mother to bring him to the party.

 “Gotta clean up,” he says.

The idea to quit early really comes from Jill, but Joseph knows it’s impossible to compete with the promise of ice cream, cake and games.

Rebecca leads them in singing happy birthday. Then she tells the boys can they pierce the balloons with the nail she supplies. Pop, pop, pop-pop-pop, pop, pop. Bursting balloons sound like fireworks. Cheers ring out. Parents applaud. Jill distributes the ice cream and cake.

After dessert presents are opened. Parents gather forming an audience. Rebecca organizes races, tug-of-war, dodge ball, blind man’s bluff. The kids indulge the parent’s desire to remember games from their past. The boy's reward is the last game––the piggyback pillow fight. This year Joseph filled gunnysacks with dry leaves so no one would be injured.

Rebecca’s role of game supervisor is over. The object of the last game is to be the last team standing. Anything goes. Clobber the rider, the carrier. Rip a sack from a rider’s grip or at least empty its contents. Accidental bumps attempt to spill rider and maybe the carrier.

Loud laughter, cheers, and spectator instructions almost drown out the “I’ll-pay-you-back” threats from the participants.

“Look! Look!” cries Evan Starzak as his son, Stan, carries his rider behind Daniel.

Low groaning o-o-ohs drift from the audience. Stan slightly squats. His rider drives a foot into the back of Daniel’s knee. It buckles, and Stan shoves Daniel, spilling him. Ted, riding on Dave Polluck, charges. Stan is down. The audience roars their approval of a suitable consequence for Stan’s sneak attack.

 “You did an excellent job organizing the party. Thank you,” says Jill.

“Ah-h-h. It was nothing.” Rebecca laughs.

“No. You did a lot, all those invitations, preparing the food, running the games. Really. I appreciate it.”

“She is so modest,” says Gerda.

“It’s the least I could do for my godson. He’s a very special boy.” Rebecca knew that Jill had been paying so much attention to Amber that it was possible that she would forget Daniel’s party. Jill forgot to celebrate Joseph’s birthday in June.

“Well, on behalf of Daniel, I thank you.”

As the women stroll to the house, Rebecca’s word special hangs on Jill. Special is what she associates with her daughter.

Amber’s yawn reminds Jill that her daughter hasn’t had her afternoon nap. “Help yourself to the cider or tea,” says Jill, looking back. “I’m going to put Amber down to sleep for a while.” Jill enters Amber’s room and whispers. “Don’t worry Amber. You’re my special girl. On your birthday I’ll make a party for my very special girl. Yeh. That’s right.”

How many signs of discontent did you detect? 

How do you think they may play out?

haiku capsule:        

             A birthday party!        

                               Excitement for kids, parents     

                               Soil––ready.  Seed strife.

Next blog: Simple Pleasures––

Year End Celebrations    

Play––Not Everything

PLAY Isn’t EVERYTHING

in the Family    

Play is an excellent means of developing bonds of friendship. At the heart of play is acceptance, even in a game where there is winners and losers. The value of a person does not rest upon their success. While participants in a game cheer the winner, the skilled or “lucky” one adopts a role of coach and enhances the abilities of friends. The supportive role may not be readily visible in sports, but it should be in a family.

Working together is an excellent means of strengthening bonds of friendship. In my novel, Baggage burdens., children see how hard their father, Joseph, works. Daniel, Joseph’s first son, helps his father. Joseph’s appreciation builds a strong bond with his son, a bond so strong it withstands gentle teasing. Joseph uses several techniques to communicate his appreciation of his children’s help. Consider how Joseph, giving money for his children to go to the Calgary Stampede, is different from paying them for work to be done.

One might argue that living in a rural setting lends itself more easily to a family working together. Jill’s move to Camrose shows that being an urban homeowner can involve the children in the care of their home.

The photo of Daniel sitting on top of a pile of pruned lilac branches to weigh them down in a trailer as Joseph drives the tractor supports the caption, Dad’s Helper. The following picture shows father and son working together in the garden. Joseph scribed, “My New Thomas.” Jill recalls Daniel beaming when he read it.

Another picture shows Daniel’s head poking out of the side of some tall raspberry bushes. He had asked if he could help. Later Joseph caught Daniel’s red stained mouth, proof he was sampling more than picking. Joseph’s caption, “IN THE BASKET, NOT YOUR MOUTH,” always drew a quick defense from Daniel and laughter from Joseph.

 “Dad? Can you take us to the Calgary Stampede this year?” asks Daniel, as Amber helps Jill clean dirty dishes off the supper table.

Daniel’s request means losing a full day of work. Work on the fields has been piling up, even with help from Amber and Daniel. Jill claims she’s too busy with Sarah and Matthew to help. Joseph wishes he could reward his children for the work they have already done.

“Can I think about it?”

Daniel asks again. “If you can’t take us, can we go with Mr. Wicksberg? He said he’s taking his family for the day. We could go with him if it is okay with you.”

“We?” asks Joseph.

“Yes. I want to go too. I’ve never gone,” says Amber. “Daniel and I promise to work in the field with you in the evening instead of going riding after supper. You won’t have to worry about falling farther behind.”

The next morning Joseph surprises Daniel with the amount of money he gives them to have a good time in Calgary.

After everyone’s finished breakfast, Jill announces that the family day will begin by raking leaves.

“Oh boy!” responds Matt.

“Oh boy?” Jill can’t believe her ears.

“It’s fun,” explains Sarah. “We make a huge pile of leaves in the middle of the garden.”

“And we race our bikes through it,” adds Matt.

“Or we pile the leaves up and jump into it,” continues Sarah.

“Yeh,” says Matt enthusiastically.

“Or we burry you in the leaves,” adds Amber laughing at the prospect of covering her brother up again this year.

“You’re kidding!” Jill’s shocked. “Fun?”

“Dad always lets us do that,” says Sarah.

“How do you think he sucks all of us into helping him,” explains Amber.

Jill puts the breakfast dishes aside for washing. Her children rush outside. When she joins them, they all have rakes in their hand. A growing line of dry leaves shows they need no instruction or supervision.

 “Start by the garbage bags,” yells Matt, when he sees Jill grab the rake leaning against the patio table.

Two hours fly by. Bulging bags of leaves line one side of the garage. A three-foot pile expands in the middle of the garden. Jill’s back hurts. Stretching offers temporary relief. She focuses on Matt squatting at one end of the garden. He’s breaking dry branches and twigs and piling them up.

“What are you doing?” she asks puzzled. Matt stops tossing more kindling in the wheelbarrow.

“Preparing for a little fire,” replies Matt. “We’ll roast wieners and marshmallows.”

 “That’s our lunch,” says Sarah. “Remember. We did that last year.”

How would you describe Joseph technique(s) for making the children feel like they are part of a family team?

How could that work today, or could it?

haiku capsule:

             working together        

                               fun flavors family chores     

                               Creates lasting bonds.

Next blog: Simple Pleasures––Love Birthday Parties    

G E N D E R CONFLICTS

 Gender Conflict

Sometimes relationships don’t click between two people because they are of opposite genders. It doesn’t mean that those two people are antagonistic towards each other but there is a discomfort.

A gender tension is most clearly seen in Baggage burdens. in Jill’s father. He couldn’t relate to his daughters. Because of his poor personal relation skills, Jill learns not to trust men. Unwanted sexual advances from her roommates, Dave and Greg, drive Jill to generalize. Distrust all men. Years later her husband, her oldest son, and her close friend often are on the receiving end of her negative perceptions.

 “Mom told me that, at heart Father had an inferiority complex. It mostly disappeared when he became known as a wizard with engines. That changed a few years after I was born. He doubted he was a good father,” says Kathy, Jill’s sister.

Frank began comparing himself with other fathers at work. The ones that caught his ear were men who had sons, sons who were older and could horse around with their father in various sports activities. In Frank's mind taking his daughter to church, out for ice cream or to the show were non-events. Frank had nothing to share with his fellow workers. Kathy didn’t play piano, dance or sing. He felt like he wasn’t connecting with his children. He had nothing to brag about. Frank’s inferiority complex kicked in. He concluded he was a poor father, like his father.

Jill’s frantic efforts result in Dave releasing his hold. She pulls away. Dave settles back against the counter, his face bright red. A storm of embarrassment, anger and fear engulfs Jill. She searches for a target to release her overflowing energy.

“How dare you?” explodes Jill glaring at a bewildered Dave.

With the real target of her anger gone, Jill summons other reasons to vent her frustrations at Dave. ‘My home away from home––gone.’ She stares at her betrayer—

“You bastard. You said this would be no prelude to some kind of relationship.”

Her words have no effect on Dave. Jill realizes she’s been deceived. Her phony friend leaning against the cupboard stole the only security she had. Thinking of Greg, she decides, ‘I can’t stay here now. Who knows when another attack will come?’ 

“You liar!” Jill slaps Dave’s face so hard her hand burns. Jill recalls. ‘Like when I hit my father.’ “You ruined everything,” she yells. With her other hand she checks to make sure her jogging pants are all the way up. Then she dashes out of the pantry

“I’m sorry,” begins Daniel. “I know you’ve been trying to reach Dad, but he’s asked me not reveal where you can find him. He told me he doesn’t want to talk to you. I have to respect his wishes.”

The best Jill is able to squeeze out of her son is that he will tell Joseph that she called and really wants to meet with him. Jill’s disappointment is tempered by the confirmation of her earlier conviction––men always stick together.

A freezing chill rakes Jill’s whole body. ‘Now I’ll be alone, poor, over worked.’ Jill grabs the bedspread and drags it over her, as if she could hide from her predicted future.

Bill’s position returns. I don’t see much hope. Anger swells. ‘After only one phone call Bill gives up! How could he? When Joseph asked for his help, he called me several times. When I call, he makes only one phone call. You believe Joseph just like that? Why is his request more important than mine?’

Betrayal grips Jill. Then she remembers Joseph’s statement––Bill understands how I feel. ‘So Joseph is justified in leaving me. Really! Men! They always stick together.’

Jill distrusting her father is understandable given his treatment of her. By Jill stretching her suspicion to most men she is like a male driver stuck behind a slow moving female driver, who comments, “Women drivers.”

What does it take to bring about a change in attitude? How can Jill see men as individual people to be judged on their own merits? What would it take for Jill’s father to appreciate his young daughters? Can her changes toward her father and her son work in real life?

haiku capsule:

             a failing parent        

                               scarce father-daughter play time     

                               Gender issues brew.

Next blog: PLAY isn’t EVERYTHING