More Than a Simple Exchange (Six Sentence Story), Holiday Decor (Good Fences), At the Mall (Sammy’s Poetry Day) and Brian’s Thankful Thursday

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With it being the holidays and all, sometimes she received more from her clients than just the simple exchange of payment for her services, and there was a predictable pattern to these extras that followed an odd logic of their own, and it was simply this:  The wealthier the client, the less she got.

The ones to whom she gave a price break because she knew they were desperate for help and really could not afford it tried to give her bounteous remembrances of the season, if not in monetary cost, then in number of items, many taken from their own homes.

Those in the middle gave a sum of money, generally a generous percentage of the wage they paid, commensurate to their means, and sometimes just a bit above what she knew they should be spending.

The more affluent gave money that was not at all commensurate to their means nor anywhere near the “one full day’s wage” that the experts in the tipping community said was the normal amount (and she wondered who in the world made that up anyway, she didn’t expect that much), but which percentage wise in comparison to her day’s wage was less than what those in the middle gave.

Her wealthiest client always gave something small and often a bit tacky; one year it was a pad of paper and pen set with the logo of a local team, a coupon good for 20%  off your entire purchase at a thrift store, and sample size bottles of shampoo and conditioner.

Yes, this played out exactly the same way every year, and every year she simply laughed and accepted what came her way, grateful for any gift and the spirit behind it, as well as for the bit of insight into human nature that this yearly ritual afforded.

Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Exchange.       

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Gosia at Looking for Identity has taken over Good Fences, and it's now Good Fences Around The World.  Post a picture of a fence or gate, link back to her blog, and go visit other blogs to see what interesting fences there are out in this big world.      

More Christmas fences:

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It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day!  This week's image and my poem:    

I lost her about 3 stores back,

I’m pretty sure we are on track

To spend more than ever before

She loves to give gifts galore.

The parents, grandparents, siblings and aunts,

Uncles and cousins and children all dance

With anticipation, they know her delight

At giving each a gift that is just right.

Meanwhile, I stand here looking a bit goofy,

Holding all these bags, so girly and floofy,

Every man shakes his head as he passes by,

Probably thinking, “I’m glad I’m not that guy!”

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Brian of Brian's Home hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.   It's time to share something for which i am thankful.  

The Big Boss, for whom Sweetie still does odd jobs, bought us a Christmas gift.  It was tickets to a very exclusive jazz band concert, which we attended last night.  Talk about a treat, and i am very thankful for his kindness, as well as for Ms. R, my client, who loaned me clothing so i would be dressed appropriately.

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Today is:

Build a Snowman Day -- occupy your mind, as Christmas seems too far away still; if you have no snow, make snowball cookies

Chocolate Pizza Day -- if you’ve never tried it, do so!

E-Mail Santa Claus Just in Case He Didn't Get Your Letter Day -- you can sent it over here    

Festival for Juventas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of youth, protector of young soldiers)

Icelandic Yuletide Lad of the Day, Skyrgamur -- Curd-glutton, who loves skyr (milk curd) so that he sneaks in the pantry to try to get it all

I've Got My Big Fat Guy Pants On Day -- someone tired of tight clothes started this, a day to wear whatever you like, so long as it is comfortable -- and roomy

Look for an Evergreen Day -- although if you haven't bought your tree by now, you may have waited too long

National Hard Candy Day -- this time of year, it probably means candy canes

National Heroes and Heroines Day -- Anguilla

National Oatmeal Muffin Day

Opalia -- Roman Empire (feast of Ops, goddess of abundance; 3rd day of the Saturnalia)

Riddle-Making Trials -- Fairy Calendar

Robinson Crusoe Rescue Day (1686)

St. Bernard Valeara's Day (Patron of Teramo, Italy)

St. Samthann (Samantha) of Meath's Day (Patron of the spiritual life)

Thorn Cutting Ceremony -- Glastonbury, Somerset, England (a sprig from the tree supposedly planted by Joseph of Arimathea is cut, with great ceremony by the eldest child of St John’s Infant School, and sent to the Queen, to decorate her table on Christmas Day)

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation -- UN

Anniversary Today:

First radio broadcast from space, a Christmas greeting from President Eisenhower, 1958

Birthdays Today:

Jake Gyllenhall, 1980

Alyssa Milano, 1972

Tyson Beckford, 1971

Amy Locane, 1971

Kristy Swanson, 1969

Criss Angel, 1967

Jessica Steen, 1965

Jennifer Beals, 1963

Kevin Edward McHale, 1957

Janie Fricke, 1952

Robert Urich, 1946

Richard Leakey, 1944

Alvin Lee, 1944

Tim Reid, 1944

Cicely Tyson, 1939

Al Kaline, 1934

David Susskind, 1920

Leonid Brezhnev, 1906

Ralph Richardson, 1902

Carter Godwin Woodson, 1875

Minnie Maddern Fiske, 1865

Mary Ashton Livermore, 1821

William Edward Parry, 1790

Debuting/Premiering Today:

Titanic(Film), 1997

The Man with the Golden Gun(Film), 1974

"Homecoming A Christmas Story"(TV introduction of "The Waltons"), 1971

"The Music Man"(Musical), 1957

"A Christmas Carol"(publication date), 1843

"American Crisis"(publication date of the Thomas Paine essay in which he wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls."), 1776

"Poor Richard's Almanack" (publication of first issue by Benjamin Franklin), 1732

Today in History:

Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor, 324

The Seldjuken under Toghril Beg occupy Baghdad, 1055

The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery depart England carrying settlers who found, at Jamestown, Virginia, the first of the thirteen colonies that became the United States, 1606

The Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts Bay, and Connecticut colonies combine forces and attach the Great Swamp Fort of the Narragansetts during King Philip's War, 1675

Benjamin Franklin, under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack", 1732

Thomas Paine publishes his first "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote that "These are the times that try men's souls," 1776

Chinese troops occupy the capital Thang Long Vietnam, 1788

The US state of Kentucky becomes the first to appropriate money for road building, 1795

The US state of Georgia becomes the first to pass a birth registration law, 1823

Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents a sewing machine that can sew a curved seam, 1854

Albert L. Jones patents corrugated cardboard, 1871

The first black US Catholic priest, Charles Uncles, is ordained in Baltimore, 1891

The first city ordinance requiring separate neighborhoods for blacks and whites is passed, in Baltimore, 1910

Robert Ripley begins his "Believe It Or Not" column in the NY Globe, 1918

The British Broadcasting Corp begins transmitting overseas, 1932

The US Earth satellite Atlas transmitted the first radio voice broadcast from space, 1958

The last manned lunar flight, Apollo 17, returns to earth, 1972

The Sino-British Joint Declaration, stating that the People's Republic of China, in 1997, would resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, is signed, 1984

Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, releases Andrei Sakharov and his wife from internal exile in Gorky, 1986

A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia, 2001

Russian spacecraft, Soyuz TMA-07M, is launched in Kazakhstan, with cosmonauts Roman Romanenko, Chris Hadfield and Thomas Marshburn for the ISS Expedition 34 and 35 crews, 2012