Ok....although this really isn't a holiday tradition, it's a Flint thing...every time I come back here. Now, just so we're clear...Flint is in horrible shape physically...it's falling apart, the roads are awful, it looks just as depressed as it is. However, there is something there which defies explanation...an energy, a will to live, a determination to overcome....it's the people...well...most of the people and definitely the people I know. They have spirit....they refuse to be what the city looks like. I love these people. No matter where I live or visit....I guess your people are always where you came from and I came from Flint. Doesn't hurt that the Michigan Wolverines are my people....the lakes surround my people or that my people...and only my people know how to make the best coneys in the world.
Now, the best of the best is Star Brothers Coney Island in the old Dort Mall. No one wants to be on Dort Highway at night and there isn't much left in the mall except this little dinner that is killing it with the food. The food is fresh, yummy and the service rocks. The gals taking your order smile and bend backward to help you out. The cook (also owner) is smiling and piling it on behind the counter. You feel like family there and it's always a must on my visits. I know those of you from Flint, know exactly what I'm talking about....and many of my Canadian people know this gift as well.
Note....there is nothing good for you in a coney, you will not lose weight, do not try to justify why you're eating it, just enjoy and finally, a coney comes with everything on it...if you order it plain, you get a hot dog. So go with it...order it and eat it with the wild abandon of a child...worry about the calories later.
Second Note....most of you have not had a coney and may never, and I think that is sad for you....however, if you're in Michigan and driving by Flint, stop in for lunch. The coneys in other parts of the state aren't the same...it's a one shot deal.
Of course....the rest of my people are in Canada...Michigan/Canada....the only real difference is the GST... And for the Canadians making the journey...there is a coney in your future....mmmmmmmm.
Ok...to all of you....Happy Christmas and a new year filled with prosperity, good health, happiness overflowing and peace.....for the world (yes, I really do want world peace), for your family and for you. May you find the peace of mind and heart to smile every day and take time to enjoy the moment before you. Oh, and happy knitting, spinning, dyeing, weaving, crocheting.....happy fibre to you all.
Ok.....so today is the winter solstice.....love it. Here where everything is covered in snow, the world seems quiet....like it's waiting...soon to awaken again. Tomorrow the days will slowly (oh, so slowly), begin to grow longer again as we work our way to a new beginning. What a wonderful way to look at this time of year. I decided to do a little reading about the solstice and what it meant throughout generations, in different countries, today....and two things stuck out for me. Of course we all know there has always been much superstition and ritual involved with a solar/lunar type event, but other than Stonehenge, many of the monoliths I read about that were built in celebration (or so we think) of these events were in Scotland and Ireland....just thinking. Also, I found that many fortune telling events occurred at this time.....not surprising. My favorite....in Scandinavia, some families place all their shoes together, as this will cause them to live in harmony throughout the year. This would be an issue for me....well, maybe not a issue, but certainly a dilemma.....which shoes to choose. Should I put shoes I wear frequently so the luck stays with the shoes? Should I put shoes I rarely wear in the event I will be able to wear them more often? Should I put red shoes...enough said? Wait, this isn't about the shoes, it's about harmony in the family....see, off track....should all my family and friends send me a pair of their shoes to do this....? This is the way I see it, if all our shoes are in the same house, then all is well as far as I'm concerned because we're together. (I will be including the red Pedro pumps)
