Last week, I asked you if you were a cold or warm culture person— or maybe you’re a bit of both wherever you live. A reader responded with his memories, and now I think I want a map for a tablecloth too.
*****
Open house, warm and warmer
Living in the tropics in a severely underdeveloped country meant that we had beggars at our door every day. Not lazy people, just starving children, and poor unemployed people with no education or means of support.
These folks were our constant reminder of how nice we had it. But figuring out how to help them, and still keep control of your life was a constant exercise.
Then on every Sunday we would have someone from another country in for Sunday dinner.
People from Ghana, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Germany, China, Canada, Australia, and others. Our constant parade of people from other countries kept every Sunday a learning day. We even collected various maps from National Geographic and would get the map of the home country of our coming guest, then place the map, face up on the dining table, under a clear plastic cloth. You can’t imagine the fun of having the guest point out where they used to live, where they went to school, etc. Learning about other cultures was so fun. We had a warm house in a warm climate for 10 years.
Bob, Roseville, MN
*Has My Blonde Life inspired or entertained you? If you wish to toss a tip into my writerly coffers, here's how you can do it: @Tamara-Schierkolk (Venmo), @TamaraSchierkolk (PayPal), or $TamaraSchierkolk (Cash App)
*Names in this blog have been changed to protect my family, neighbors, and friends in the neighborhood, and in a nod of appreciation to the beloved Swedish author Maj Lindman, I’ve renamed my three blondies Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka and their husbands, Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr.