In Good Company (Patreon)

I have been asked several times how I spend Xmas eve. Well, I'm not a christian. I have been one, baptized as child (I couldn't help it) and went to religion class, but as I realized over the years how contradictory this religion behaved, how many people had been killed, in the name of the lord, how corrupt that system was and partially still is, I left. I know that there are people which still behave as a christian, real good people. They are called... exceptions from the rule. There are still good people on this planet, so many believing in other religions or even are not religious at all, slowly becoming a minority. Some of them are right here and I appreciate their help what they give to me and others. 

All that is left around the Xmas time are the memories of my young childhood, so long ago, even before I went to school, as the world still was good, great and wonderful to me, as there was still a lot of snow at each Xmas. I still love to listen to Xmas music from the 40s up to the 80s and I'm very disappointed when there is no snow at Xmas eve. But that's all. Fate wasn't good to me, I lost my health at the beginning of the new century, lost my house as there was no income anymore. Now I live as a lodger in a bad environment, a loud place, with lots of traffic on the road and in the air, ruthless neighbors that love to slam their car doors in the middle of the night, they love to let their dogs bark the day long and at nights and let them run free in the woods, where they kill little creatures and nobody cares. Many in that neighborhood like to use a furnace in the cold season, to save some money in heating (to spend it for nonsense), burning moist wood with a terrible stench as result, combined with poisoned gasses, so that I can't let my window open. That had a bad side effect on me, because the rented room is furnished with cheap furniture, any exhalations caused new allergies on me. Since this year I have a food intolerance to nuts and cinnamon. In other words, I have to be very cautious with cookies, especially with Christmas bakeries. And because I know what palm oil causes, in a human body (because of the wrong way of production) and to the environment (killing rain forests), I don't eat chocolate sweets anymore. Only if there is no palm oil in it, like in cocoa powder. Yep, I can be quite stubborn sometimes.

Since years I'm trying to get away from the place where I live, but it's hard to find something else when you are old and have a bad back (also called disability). It fells like people are afraid, as if they could get infected, or if I could suddenly drop dead. I get rejected because I'm too old, disabled, not a female, not a student, not a weekend-home-driver. I can't do more than carry on to seek for a better place to live. I collected information to emigrate, but at that age nobody wants you, especially not if you are disabled.

Thanks to you, my dear patrons, I'm still alive. I even can afford a tiny escape from my lousy place, into a guesthouse at a mountain site, with lots of woods around and a little more peaceful surroundings with way less noises, just for the Xmas days until the next year. But without snow [sob]. Thank you for this little vacation. But I'm in good company, you are with me, even if you are on the other side of this planet and not sitting next to me. I had a Christmas dinner, fish out of the can, bread with butter, yogurt, kiwis. The inn owner came by and she gave me cookies (without cinnamon and nuts) and mandarins, a very nice surprise. A mug of hot cocoa (instant coffee with cocoa) to make the meal perfect. Teddy joined me.

I owe you a lot, my dear patrons. You make my livelihood. I can pay my rent, afford my old car (15 years old), have a fast PC and even have a camera (the tripod broke yesterday) for my hobby, the landscape photography. All in all I can't complain. Because my laptop broke last year, I took my PC with me, so I can carry on working. If my health lets me, I go for two hours into the woods a day and if the weather lets me (it's raining here since days), I make some shots of the woods. Whenever my health lets me, I will carry on working for you. Thanks for your endless patience and that you are still supporting me. Bear hug to all of you, you are an exception in these days, you are good people, I'm in good company.

I wish you a wonderful time, happiness and healthiness. Bear hug!

With kind regards

Gagala