The Blog has Moved!

Hello there, friend!


Just so you know, we have moved the blog to an entirely new website! The site is Atangard.com. This old site will be live until I figure out how to redirect the traffic to the new site.

See you all at atangard.com.


Sincerely,

Casey Kowalchuk
Director of Media

Ode to Atangard

In heavenly hefts

you carry forth; intoxicating

like a star, who guides strangers into the sky

to become part of a constellation.

When I return, broken hearted,

or covered in the dust of solitude

my heart races, as if

anything less than a million hugs

would greet and feed me soup.

In drawing near to every detail

my eyes are met with life,

like blades of grass in the desert

hinting at a nearby spring—

where windows carved in wall are made

or gardens grown by liquor stores

and splinters in the hardwood floor

—contain the tiny stories

of a wild project aging like fine wine.

My nose recalls a poem

walking down the hallway,

fresh rosemary and cheese

adding adjectives to aroma,

as I am taken by a nostalgia unfit

for such small hands.

Your modalities (wise and true)

and je ne sais quoi,

shake out individuals,

and form them into the next generation,

who will one day leave,

and one day return,

to find a piece of their

hearts stitched in a community

that dazzles and guides so many home.


- Dalton Jones

Slow & Steady

Summer has come, which often brings many changes as people transition from school to work or head out tree planting. This summer, however, the change is fairly subdued. Only 2 housemates went planting, and only one new friend is subletting.

Last summer brought a slew of new residents. There is always air of excitement in those new times of discovery. At times the energy and changes can be a bit overwhelming, as your home, the most intimate of places, changes shape. After some months the dust settles and routines emerge.

This summer, though, has been lazy. Relaxing. Many of our housemates have been here for at least a year now. There is a comfort that comes in the consistency, and a subtle security from the depth of having lived together for a substantial amount of time now. 

I told one resident upon moving in, "It takes time to get to know people, and a year for things to really get good." He didn't believe me at first. He told me later how he keeps being surprised by people as relationships mature and grow. I'm sure it is also in part, that life changes us too. As housemates we get to journey with people through these exploratory times.

Of course it is not all flowers and roses. Many times we may not feel that connected to one another. But when I take a step back from it all - I realize the beauty of it. I feel privileged to be a part.
Thanks everyone!

5 Year Anniversary

September 1st of 2014 marked our Five Year Anniversary. Many thanks to all who have made this place possible. This blog was started during the development process. It was a forum to share our journey, our thoughts, and our progress on this 'project.' What was once a goal, a dream, and a challenge has now transitioned into everyday life - full of the mundane and the beautiful.

Atangard Art Exhibit

We had our first art exhibit this weekend at the Arty Awards. We created a series of abbotsford-centric portraits, and then also displayed some work that we already had up in our halls. It was great to have some motivation to create again. It was also really awesome to see the work that people produced. Looking forward to what the next one will be. Here's some photos, and the Abby News article.

The History of Atangard

In one of our directors meetings, it was brought up that a lot of people now residing were not involved in the development process and do not know the story of our home. I put this presentation together for our housemeeting. Thought you might enjoy. -Soph

Changes

Your twenties can be a tumultuous segment of your life. From school, to relationships, to work, goals, plans and desires, trying to find things to hold on to can be difficult. I think for a lot of us here at Atangard, the idea of living in community comes with the hope that we will have something to hold on to: friends, a place, a home. It is what attracts many here, and also what keeps people here much longer than they anticipated. No matter how often a housemate is away, unable to participate in the group, or unavailable, the things that always keep them here are the warm, encouraging people living in the other rooms. It's why it's so difficult to see people move on, seeing life pull them away from something they want.

This year has been one of many changes here at Atangard. Almost all the faces have changed since the project started four years ago. Even for someone who, in the greater context, hasn't lived here very long, I've seen an almost complete turn-over of residents. Since moving in a year-and-a-half ago, there are seventeen new faces. Six people remain from that time, only two of which are from the original group that moved in in 2009. And that excludes those who came and went while I lived here. We are a shining example of the transience of our generation.

This is not unique to Atangard. Whether through graduating from college, moving cities to start careers, or forming relationships that pull us from our hometowns, people our age end up moving around a lot. A well known preacher and speaker commented on this recently, saying that our generation desires community, but is unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to create it. I think that although some truth can be found in that, it is not that we are unwilling to make the sacrifices. We are often forced, through no fault of our own, to sacrifice community for the opportunities presented to us. Especially for those with post-secondary degrees, who are looking to begin careers in the fields of their studies, it can be very difficult to find meaningful work. Growing up in our culture, so many of us were encouraged to go to college or university, that now the job-market is over-crowded with BA's. Almost any given job now requires years of experience, that can only be found in the very jobs that are asking for it. In order to find work in our disciplines, we chase opportunities, which often pull us away from our social groups, whether that be family, friends, churches or others. To not work for minimum wage or wait tables, post-grads must either jump deeper into dept for masters degrees or move to where the jobs are. Both options tend to strip people from their communities. The millenial's sacrifice of community is less of a choice and more often a necessity for survival in our culture.

For someone who believes in committing to a community, I can have trouble not taking it personally when people decide to sacrifice it for the opportunities being presented to them. I need to consciously step back and realize that some day I may need to do the same thing, and that their need to find their own place in society does not necessarily reflect on their ability to commit to the here and now. Their need to follow their life-goals does not mean they have commitment issues. It is possible to love something and let it go.

Calgary Herald talks "Intentional communities"

Beth and Mark our old roomies talk to the Calgary Herald about living in community. Read "Intentional communities" 

Vancouver Sun Article Jan. 1st, 2013: Notorious Abbotsford SRO becomes community living experiment

Atangard Coat of Arms designed and painted by: 

Tessa Suderman and Beth Freeman 

Online Link to article: Click Here

Text:

One of Abbotsford’s most notorious single-resident occupancy hotels has been transformed into a creative experiment in community living.

The Fraser Valley Inn is a long, red-brick building at the corner of Essendene and West Railway with a sign promising “cold beer to go at rock bottom prices.” A pub, a nightclub, an Indian restaurant and a liquor store occupy the ground floor. Until a few years ago, the upstairs was a single resident occupancy hotel (SRO), with cigarette burns on the walls and a reputation for drugs. In 2005, the city of Abbotsford ordered it closed and rezoned the building as commercial space.

But the lights are on again upstairs. There’s a coat rack in the entrance. The halls are lined with paintings. One room is full of bicycles and another is furnished with vintage couches.

Atangard Community Project is a not-for-profit society registered with the city of Abbotsford. Residents must be between the ages of 19 and 35, either employed or enrolled in school. Rent is $375 per month for a small room or $500 for a larger one. Dinners are communal and everyone is expected to cook two meals a month. The community operates a car share and grows beans, blackberries, strawberries, zucchini, corn and chard in a community garden nearby.

On the evening I visit, the kitchen is hopping. People are helping themselves to Mexican bean stew from a row of crock pots on the counter. Two musicians wearing skinny jeans and plaid shirts have just come home from a month-long tour. Everyone gets up from the table to give them a hug.

Sophia Suderman, 29, has curly red hair and lots of energy. She’s the visionary who started the project in 2007. She had just returned from a backpacking trip to Latin America where she was impressed by a culture that valued community and relationships. “When I got back I was feeling so disconnected from people. Here everyone’s so busy with school or work,” she said.

Suderman noticed that the second floor of the Fraser Valley Inn was vacant and she had an idea. She, her sister Tessa, and their father Dave, a masonry contractor, invested their own money in leasing and renovating the hotel. It took two years of red tape to register the organization and get the hotel rezoned as residential.

By the time the city approved the project, a group of about 20 young people had gathered around the idea. It took them five months of work to clean up, sanitize and renovate the old hotel. Volunteers filled three Dumpsters with soiled mattresses, stale carpeting, needles, porn magazines and even a blow-up doll. Dave Suderman headed up the renovations, installing new plywood flooring, solving plumbing problems, replacing ceiling tiles, painting and rewiring. In September 2009, about 20 people moved in.

Jordan Todd, a bearded 27-year-old sociology student with an elaborate cross tattooed on his forearm, says Atangard is ideal for young people who are ready to move out of their parents’ basements but who can’t afford to rent or buy their own homes.

Todd thrives on the social energy of Atangard. But it’s not for everyone, he says. Even though the rules are few, living closely with others involves giving up a certain amount of autonomy. When 26 people share a kitchen you can’t leave dirty dishes on the counter.

Another drawback is the noise. By 10:30 on a Friday night, the floor is literally trembling with the thump of dance music from the nightclub downstairs.

Although many of the residents are Christian, that’s mainly because Abbotsford has a large Christian population. There are no religious requirements for living at Atangard.

Todd gets odd reactions when he tells people where he lives. Walking his dog in the neighbourhood has given him a chance to get to know the names of a handful of homeless people who live downtown.

Occasionally someone will say, “You live up there? I was there 20 years ago. It’s a lot different now.”

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

[Posted by Jordan Todd]

Atangard Movie Trailers - Christmas 2012

Footage Provided By: Tessa Suderman Levi Binder Jordan Todd Video Edited By: Jordan Todd [Posted by Jordan Todd]

All I want for Christmas

TESSA SUDERMAN - Director/Producer/Editor
ELIZABETH ASHTON - Actress
JENNIFER BORN - Actress
LISA MARIE - Actress
BENOIT BULOT - Rockstar [Posted by: Jordan Todd]

Don't worry. As long as you hit that wire with the connecting hook at precisely 88 miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine.

Archived photographs of the Atangard Hotel/ Downtown Abbotsford.

Abbotsford Times Article

 

[Posted by Jordan]

Atangard Group Shot @ Mark and Beth's Wedding

[Posted by Jordan]

Atangard Community News Article

 

 

Former Abbotsford hotel rooms turned into ‘intentional community’

By Vikki Hopes - Abbotsford News
Published: September 20, 2012 8:00 AM 
Updated: September 20, 2012 2:38 PM

Levi Binder tends to get the same reaction when he tells people he resides in the Fraser Valley Inn.

They usually get a look of distaste on their face.

Binder, 21, loves the opportunity to inform people about the transformation the facility experienced more than three years ago.

No longer is it a hotel renting rooms to some of the city’s most down-trodden citizens. New owners purchased the rooming facilities, renovated them and turned them into an “intentional community” for students and young professionals aged 19 to 35.

The Atangard Community Project, a registered not-for-profit society, now occupies the entire second floor of the building at the corner of Essendene Avenue and West Railway Street in downtown Abbotsford.

There, residents pay affordable rent – between $375 to $500 per room – in exchange for a communal living situation, including shared chores and group dinners.

Stained carpets have been replaced by dark-hardwood floors. Colourful artwork lines the walls.

Each room has a unique character as determined by the resident’s decorating tastes, and doors to each suite are often left open. Currently, 24 residents occupy 19 single- and double-occupancy rooms.

The lack of privacy is not for everyone, but the openness, and the sense of family it creates, is what draws people to live at Atangard, said Lisa Ottevangers, 22, a resident who is also a member of the project’s board of directors.

“If I need someone to talk to, there’s always someone there. I love the idea of sharing life with people,” she said.

Interested tenants must complete an application form and undergo an interview. The goal is to include like-minded people who believe in the strength of building relationships, as well as environmental and social responsibility.

They must sign a contract, agreeing to certain responsibilities such as cooking dinner for everyone twice a month, helping with the household cleaning, or caring for the community garden.

Many have an artsy side, resulting in impromptu jam sessions or additions to the makeshift art gallery lining the walls.

About 60 per cent of the current residents are students. For example, Binder is studying to be a teacher, while Ottevangers is working towards a career in social work.

Others have jobs. Mark Freeman, 26, is a flight attendant for WestJet, while his wife works at a plant nursery.

They live at the Atangard – named after the hotel that first occupied the space – partly to save money to pay off debt, but mainly because of the atmosphere.

“I live in the same house with all my friends. It’s almost like you’re getting away with something,” Freeman laughs. “My life is in this building, and it is awesome to me.”

Ottevangers acknowledges that there can be the occasional issue over, for instance, dishes left in the sink, but the residents are good at communicating with one another and working out their differences.

The benefits of having a group of people to lean on far outweigh these small issues, Binder said.

“You’re losing personal space towards the betterment of other people,” he said.

Adam Roper, 27, said the Atangard has provided him with something that might otherwise be missing in his life.

 

“I found myself a home here.

“Over the years, it’s become a family in the true sense,” he said.

 

Article link:

http://www.abbynews.com/news/170518706.html?c=y&curSection=/&curTitle=BC+News&bc09=true

[Posted by Jordan Todd]

“The Good” of Community

 “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. It is one of the hardest to define. A human being has roots by virtue of his real, active and natural participation in the life of a community which preserves in living shape certain particular treasures of the past and certain particular expectations for the future.” – Simone Weil

If I would have written this entry just six months ago, I would have probably titled it, “The Value of Community”. Given my more recent spiritual, relational, and academic journey, I have chosen something different, and for good reason. The popular definition of value which would be implied by such a title would generally be received as meaning, “relative worth, merit, or importance” (ripped from Dictionary.com). The significant part of the definition of value is that it is understood as being relative. How value is generally taken to be relative is in a subjective sense: that values are compared to other values (relative to) and that since each individual possesses different sets of values, objectivity cannot be claimed. Values held by individuals and groups of people are seen this way in modern societies (including ours) and they become problematic when applied seriously. They become problematic because the ‘worth, merit, or importance’ inherent in a value statement is treated much like indigestion or a delicious piece of steak. Regardless of whether or not it is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, painful or enjoyable, the significance of a value claim is often restricted to the opinion of the individual and can easily be crossed off as irrelevant to anyone else.

                                                                                                                                                   

In this post, I wish to talk about my experience in community more seriously than the modern conception of ‘value’ can allow. For if I was to use the term ‘value’ here, it would be assumed by most that I was meaning ‘what I, and some people like me appreciate about living together’, instead of what I really mean, ‘what I believe is good for everyone about living together’. This is why I decided to title this post, “The Good” rather than ‘The Value’ of Community. What is meant here by ‘the good’ implies that there exists a non-subjective conception of ‘the good’ that can be understood along with certain ‘objective-values’. And further, it is not only our duty as people to pursue ‘the good’, but that in doing so we are journeying towards what is best for our very being. The element of ‘the good’ that I wish to touch on here is commitment.

“The word ‘commitment’ brings up notions such as a ‘binding’ course of action, allegiance, dedication and loyalty... re-committing ourselves to respecting the personhood of others by overcoming any ways we have slipped into unthinking habits...” -  Fr. George Morelli (Antiochian Orthodox)

It would be worth first to make clear what I mean by commitment. One can say that they are committed to a job or to a cause, but this is different than the context from which I wish to speak. Being committed to something obviously implies a one-way orientation or act. Someone can be committed to a job, but the job cannot be committed to the person. The commitment that I am referring to is one between people. This type demands support and investment from both/all individuals involved. Without a multi-partisan element to commitment within a group of people its fruits cannot be realised. It is a mutual, relationship-based type of commitment that I believe is objectively good for anyone to pursue. The most important part of being committed to others has to do with our willingness. Often what causes conflict between people, groups, organisations, and even nations is rooted in our tendency to be willful. When we hold above all else our own will, our own agenda. When this is done at the very least people are hurt and at the very worst people become inhuman objects. We must first strive to become people who are willing rather than willful. When this happens we become open to others and their concerns. We keep our own perspectives in check and we more immediately understand how we affect others. To be willing is to be open to recognizing the other.

“Some people flee from commitment because they are frightened that if they put down roots in one soil they will curtail their freedom and never be able to look elsewhere. It is true that if you marry one woman you give up millions of others--and that's a curtailment of freedom! But freedom doesn't grow in the abstract; it grows in a particular soil with particular people. Inner growth is only possible when we commit ourselves with and to others”. – Jean Vanier

A perfect manifestation of willingness can be seen in Christ. He was willing to do what his father required of him and die on the cross. Both in the garden and while being crucified he expressed that he did not want to be there, but of course he would be faithful to his father. Even throughout his life he did not force or manipulate others to accept his own will, but instead he called people to follow him. The willingness of his people to consider something outside of themselves, to pursue their father’s calling, was of utmost importance, and a first step to a divine relationship.

In a similar way, willingness is an important part of how we are to be committed to each other. First, willingness to engage in a relationship. If the bottom line was whose will took precedence, then God would not have called us to be in relationship with him, but instead to just accept his will and end it there. Willingness also requires us to meet each other where we are at. God met his people in slavery and Jesus met his people in sin as tax collectors and prostitutes. Our willingness to meet with each other is a not only a starting point, but something that is continually done as we learn more about each other and grow as people.

My own experience living at ‘the hotel’ has been one which can be characterized by commitment. Often, how I have committed to others and vice versa has been part of a process of willingness. However, it has also been a more forced reality. Living here, so close and so involved, often demands that I commit to working through things with others. If I choose not to, it can become very awkward and sometimes even a painful place to be. I have had seasons here where I have chosen not to hold my side of the covenant, and trust me when I say, that those times were the hardest of my entire life. Either through being willing or being forced to stay (because this is my home) here and face my demons I have experienced more healing than if I were able to simply retreat to a tiny basement suite or apartment.

In closing, commitment is not a given. Becoming a resident and member of this community has not allowed me to take it for granted. Commitment is a mutual agreement between people, which cannot be realized if it is not pursued by all. But, if it is taken up by those involved, I believe it to be something that transcends the idea of modern ‘values’, placing itself firmly in what is good.

~jord

The journey of living here has been so much more of an experience then language could ever define.

Since moving in, the roots of my soul have been uplifted and replanted in many different ways and over countless times. It has become very difficult for me to speak in an unadorned manner. At times I have felt like a tiny weed growing amidst a beautifully orchestrated garden. There have also been moments when the spread of my leaves may have provided others with shade from the sun’s burning rays - just as others have protected me.

If Atangard were a garden: all who have and still do live here, as well as those who are a part of our essential extended family, began as little seeds and have grown like the trees, upwards and onwards. Momentarily some have reached greater heights, while others have struggled to bloom. But just like any other ecosystem, we grow together. And just as a garden does, this community has grown with time and changed with the seasons. Yet still together we yearn for the warmth of the sun, reaching out for life and comfort. And as we stretch out our roots, we begin filling our veins with the nutrients of a home. For some residents our community might be more of a social undertaking and for others a personal endeavour. But I believe we all have the potential to make it both and everything in between.

The question of what sets this place apart from other communities has always been asked. Part of the answer, I believe, can be found in what connects us. We have our traditions, rituals, and expectations - eating together probably being the most obvious. But what truly binds us, regardless of how much or how little we may actually know of one another, is the love we share. That we can recognize the good in everyone. Though it may be unseen at times, it is a love which transcends these old walls and creates a maze of bridges we are all free to cross. The bridges are built on the fact that we cherish and care about each other, even if at times just through our own silent thoughts and prayers. Sometimes, the depth of our words and actions may not always run as deep as our intentions. Yet honour exists in our ability to love one another, which gifts us the opportunity to grow in this place. Though this home of ours stands as a unique model to the outside, many find themselves not recognizing any difference after a time spent here.

By living in close quarters with one another, I have learned that within all the inspiration, conflict and instances which occur, we have the ability to partake in a healing process. That by living in this particular community, the lasting changes we endure as individuals allow us to flourish in the world we join hereafter. We are all products of our experiences: the millions of moments, thoughts and conversations we have make us who we are. We all impact one another more than we could really realize or fully understand. This experience has significantly made my life better... made me better. Though I am not always able to understand or express my love, or my keen admiration, I am overwhelmed by it always. I count myself blessed and honoured to be among such inspiring and remarkable people. Living together is an experience that demands each one of us to be challenged and forgiving. It also enables us to share in the intricacies, complexities and profound depths of our human existence with others.

The only regret has been my own inability to cross over some of these bridges. You could say that I have a fear of heights. While I’ve suffered in wondering how to love those who surround me better and deeper, I’ve simultaneously failed to yet fully accept the love and acceptance that has been present the entire time.  Sometimes openness can be a matter of pealing skin off the heart. Old wounds, however, make for many thick layers which take longer to uncover. I fear there is no real way I can express my gratitude for the forgiveness, patience and understanding of where I lack and fall behind.
For me Directorship has been a journey wrapped in humility. In fact, probably most of my experience here has been that of humility. Being the weed I am at times, I take great pleasure in the beauty that I am surrounded by in this garden. Despite some frustration evoked by personal challenges, along with some trying moments during Director Meetings, it has always been striking to witness the creativity, care and endurance put forth in making this place work. I love and admire everyone here so deeply. I only hope that I can do half of what I see and feel others doing for this place, Directors and Residents.

I look forward to what is to come, though the loss of those moving on can feel almost too significant. This summer comes with many anticipated fears, dreams, hopes and expectations. For many others the same could be said I am sure. So I’m sending out my good energies in loving form. I deeply believe that everything and everyone is interconnected through the One we live and breathe in. As long as we continue to keep our hearts and thoughts directed towards one another and let grace be our rule, the Atangard will continue to produce so many fruits of the soul. The eternal gratitude of those who worked these soils, planted us, and bled willingly for this place to flourish, must always be realized in our hearts. I owe so much to the creators, the builders, and the faces that have given me a space to be free and loved. Let us always be deeply rooted in the floor of this place because just like the earth, it is trustworthy. But let us also employ a strong spirit in our tribe, which for many may be gazing upon one another with the eyes of God’s heart.

Lia

Change is in the air

Summer is coming, maybe that's a little optimistic. Let's just say that winter is coming to an end.

With that change is coming. People are getting married, people are moving, going to school, grad school, tree planting, on tour etc.

All that to say we have some rooms available. New house-mates are always exciting. If you are interested please email:

atangard @gmail .com

Christmas at the Atangard

It's been quite festive here this holiday season. We've had more charlie brown tree's than you could hope to wish for, a retro movie night, a gift exchange and stocking sweatshop. Not to mention a christmas recital for our parents where the mens sextet battled the atangard family band. In the end they were equal in entertainment and charm. The evening was packed with music, readings, carols, parents, and friends. Thanks for sharing the evening with us. Thanks to Joanne for the photos.

The Christmas Marshamoo

Written by Daniel Bryce

Some people say that Christmas has lost all of its charm

And commercialist consumption does LESS good than harm

The concept of gift giving has gone right out of the door

Gift getting is the only thing people think of anymore

The food is rich and fatty and unhealthy at its core

While hanging out with family is either fights or being bored.

And then there’s global warming to wipe White Christmas from the Earth

And no one seems to recall that we’re celebrating birth.

Well all this Christmas un-cheer tends to put us in a bind

And plant anti-Christmas sentiment deep within our minds

BUT WAIT! Hold on a minute what about positive things

All the Cheer and Joy and Warmth and Love that Christmas often brings?

So before you give up on Christmas, before Christmas concedes defeat

There is some one very special that I think you all should meet

I am the Christmas Marshamoo A-Kalawalla Parsen Loo

And I am here to entreat you to not give up on Christmas

May head is made of turkey the most Christmasy of birds.

It’s stuffed with garlic, onion, bread and butter mixed with herbs

One leg is a Christmas tree with presents underneath

The other is a winter sleigh festooned with Christmas wreaths

My right arm’s tattoo’d with Wisemen following a bright and morning star

While my left is full of flutes and drums and a choir with Guitars.

I have a Poinsettia on my head and big white Santa beard

But my ugly Christmas sweater makes me look quite weird.

My heart it is a fireplace and always burning bright

It keeps you warm and toasty on those long cold Christmas Nights

(Except of course for those who live in the southern half of the hemisphere…)

I am the Christmas Marshamoo A-Kalawalla Parsen Loo

And I am here to entreat you to not give up on Christmas

When Timmy was a little boy

Christmas always brought him joy

It wasn’t just the clothes and toys

It was something much more special

When Tessa was a little girl

She valued Christmas more than pearls

And wouldn’t trade it for the world

It was something very special

When Ash was just a little pup

He hoped that Christmas wouldn’t stop

Wait dogs don’t understand that stuff

But then again Christmas is Magic

And I am the Christmas Marshamoo A-Kalawalla Parsen Loo

And I am here to entreat you to not give up on Christmas

So with last things last and first things first

Christmas can not come out worse

In fact it is the time of year

When we should all be filled with cheer

With friends and family drawing near

And gifts are given, songs are sung

Heartfelt caring things are done

Christmas can be so much fun

When we remember why we’re here.

So the last thing I have to say to you

Is remember what is tried and true

And keep me in your thoughts this Chirstmas

I am the Christmas Marshamoo A-Kalawalla Parsen Loo

And I am here to entreat you to not give up on Christmas

The night before Christmas at Atangard

Adapted by Sophia Suderman

Twas the night before Christmas, all through the hotel

Not a creature was stirring, not even Yunal.

And downstairs at Airfair the lights were down low,

Not a person on Essendene, not even a hoe.

And the fireplace - what fireplace? We didn't even have heat,

But we sat at the table to drink and to eat.

Mark came out in his snuggy and Chad joined along,

And we all warmed our hearts with a Christmassy song.

Until up on the roof there arose such a clatter,

That gave Len a call to see what was the matter.

Chad ran to his window nose pressed to the pane,

When dropped into the atrium our familiar friend Shane.

This time he looked different, he did not wear black, but instead dressed in red complete with a hat.

His eyes were not glazed in fact quite the contrary, his beer belly had doubled and he now seemed quite merry

Like deja-vous he opened the door, his heavy black boots footprinted our floor

He walked into the pantry and set down his sack, "Here's a bottle of vinegar I want to give back.

One of balsamic, another of cider, rice vinegar, white vinegar, even one lighter!"

This time he did not come to take he explained. In fact, he very much wanted to bake.

In the kitchen we gathered and Shane went to work, we told him we were sorry we'd called him a jerk.

Jen and Marissa brought gluten free flour, we made gingerbread and constructed a tower.

The evening passed and the clock struck eight, Tess started yawning, it was getting late.

We thanked Shane as he told us he must get back to work, there were plenty more rooftops on which he would lurk.

Then he left in a flash, just as quick as he came, this time we won't call the cops we exclaimed.

And as Shane wandered away out of sight, I'm sure I heard him mutter

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night..."