What I'm Thankful for This Holiday Season…..

[miws]

…and other times other times of the year as well…. ;-)

As pretty much everyone knows, my life took a significant turn earlier this year when I was about to be officially served with eviction papers and had to vacate my apartment. I ended up in Nickelsville.

I’m thankful for the limitless generosity of so many people and local businesses here in the WSB community. So many of my long time WSB friends, as well as ones I’ve made since this change in my life have not only been very supportive of me on a personal basis, but Nickelsville as a community as well.

This support has gone way above and beyond the generous donations of hot meals, other food, clothing and other personal needs, to hiring people out of Camp for odd jobs, providing gravel and bark mulch to help alleviate flooding during heavy rains, to providing smokeless stoves for heat/cooking, to rides to appointments, to taking a great interest in doing so much more to help, and literally asking, “What do you need? What more can I, or others, do to help?“

Not everyone in the WSB community is able to financially or physically help out as much as they may like, but their generosity comes in other forms whether it’s challenging naysayers that may make negative comments on WSB articles on Nickelsville, or popping in on a Forum thread where somebody is giving away/selling something, and saying;”Hey, Nickelsville could probably use that!“, to contacting the Mayor’s Office and City Council urging them to support Nickelsville. (I have a hunch that a lot of that goes on unmentioned by those doing it.)

Others down at Nickelsville, over the months, have recognized my connection to the WSB community, and thanked me personally for the generosity and support of our Donors. I can’t in good conscience take credit, as other than putting up the occasional “Nickelsville Needs” list here on the Forums, I have not gone directly to our Donors and asked for help. These generous folks have done this all on their own.

What I don’t mind taking credit for is being the link between Nickelsville and the Donors. I’m proud to be that connection, and to be associated in that manner with the WSB community. Without Nickelsville coming back to West Seattle, three days prior to my moving in, I don’t know where I would have ended up, at least the first few days. I was in such a scramble to get rid of all my stuff and vacate the apartment, the thought of checking out NV, or one of Tent Cities hadn’t even crossed my mind. It wasn’t, literally, until much more than 24 hours before I moved to NV that a good WSB friend informed me they’d moved back. I literally felt a great sense of relief upon hearing that, and feel that since NV “came back at just the right time”, my connection to the WSB community is something I can give back to Nickelsville. But, obviously, I couldn’t have done that if it weren’t for the folks here taking it upon themselves to help.

Of course, none of this would have ever been possible if not for Tracy and Patrick hadn’t taken the huge step and risk in turning WSB into a full-time hyper local news source, which resulted in this community being born and evolving into what it is today. I appreciate WSB’s ongoing news coverage as well, as it keeps Nickelsville in the spotlight as we try to get the City to officially recognize us, and on to hopefully getting basic services such as water/sewer/electricity.

Of course, along with those articles, come the inherent anti-Nickelsville comments, which (using one of the favorite phrases of a good friend :-) ) oh by the way, I consider many of which to be more troll-ish rather than being a legitimate, constructive, concern but I know that our supporters have our back there as well.

So, a huge thanks to this wonderful, generous WSB community and Happy Holidays to all!

Mike

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[JanS]

Mike, you know it’s difficult for me to give lots of my time , but…you know that I support you, and, while unhappy that you have to actually be living in a tent, I’m also happy that you landed in a place close to us, where you are safe. This is a wonderful community, both West Seattle itself, and the WS Blog…it’s also been very giving to me, and supportive of me. And who knows, maybe it will even save my life one of these days as I look for a new kidney. We are lucky to be a part of this. It was good seeing you yesterday, even if we didn’t talk much. You are looking good…and I like the haircut :)

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[miws]

Thanks Jan.

I appreciate all of your support, and how readily you speak up when others start posting negative stuff about Nickelsville, and especially how you urge them to simply visit the Camp and perhaps change their opinion some, or allay their fears.

And yeah, I know that you too are well acquainted with how generous the West Seattle/WSB community is.

Good seeing you yesterday too! :-)

Mike

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[JoB]

This holiday i am thankful for my home,

for the space to garden,

for my loving husband,

for my family,

for my four legged best friends,

for my friends

some found in the most unlikely places…

online and in a homeless encampment …

and most of all..

to be in a place in my life where i can help others.

It’s too easy to forget in the midst of all of the holiday bustle that our worldly treasure is more accurately measured in our connections to one another than in our worldly goods.

As George’s brother toasts in “It’s a wonderful Life”

“To George Bailey.. the richest man in town!”

and to miws ..

One of the richest men i have ever had the privilege of knowing.

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[miws]

Thanks, JoB.

I feel very rich this holiday season.

Mike

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[Betty T]

miws

Don’t now why I never saw this before now. We’re having a lot of difficulty with the wireless in our building, sometimes comes and goes.

I love the green spaces all over Seattle. Coming here from a more rural area I really appreciate them. I’m lucky enough to be close to a walking trail on Longfellow Creek in High Point. I thankful I’m able to walk near the creek in the woods even though coming up hill to come back home is a little difficult, but at least I can do it.

I’m thankful for the place I have to live in, feel so lucky every time I go to Nickelsville. I’m thakful for my neighbors who are good to me, just answered a knock on my door and received a gift from one of them. Some have been so good about giving me food items that help me cook for Nickelsville and donating whatever little they are able to for me to take there. We collected a little money among us to purchase a gas card for use for water pickup. I just haven’t been able to get it to Nickelsville.

I’m thankful for my health which is better than most in this building. I,m still able to cook for others in need. I’m able to get out and about but sometimes need transportation. Because of being near to Christmas I wouldn’t ask anyone to drive me this Saturday. They’re busy or going out of town. I’ll miss seeing familiar faces at Nickelsville. I’ve had somme tough times in my life years ago and friends and neighbors stepped up to help, totally unexpected. I so enjoy what little I’m able to do to help those at Nickelsville, your neighbors.

I wish everyone there were in better times and hope they are coming again for all.

Nice to know you Mike. Strange how we connect with people who are connected to others we know isn’t it, Mike?

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

BettyT: Do you want/need a ride to N-Ville on Saturday?

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[miws]

Betty, nice to know you too. And yes, it’s a small world!

And by no means is your preparing. bring down, and serving hot meals to us on Saturdays, (and sometimes Sundays too!) a small task. You put a great deal of time and energy into doing it.

TVB, thank you for your offer to Betty!

Mike

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[karen]

What I’m thankful for:

friends and family

warm heat and indoor plumbing

my car holding on for another year

healthy and happy kids

caring neighbors

coffee and chocolate

music and art and libraries

birds in my yard

winter break with my kids

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[westcoastdeb]

Guess I should add to this, as well.

Thankful that my planned move back east failed this spring. Ah, I think this place is home after all!

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[JanS]

westcoastdeb..yes, it is…glad you’re staying :)

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[Betty T]

The Velvet Bulldog

So nice of you to offer, wish I’d seen it sooner. There is a schedule for people who take food regularly & I had me taken off for that day. Is this a one time offer? If as a fill-in could I have your phone number? People are so busy and it will be Christmas Eve. They do have others who take food.

My daughter and I were at Nickelsville a couple hours ago. Mike, who was on security then, said donations had been coming in all day. He was very pleased.

We got a few “Merry Christmases” as we walked through the camp. That was so nice.

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[The Velvet Bulldog]

Hi Betty:

Good for you to take a day off too! I’ll have Mike connect us for future possibilities.

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[Betty T]

Take a day off? Well, only from the lunch. I’m preparing for my annual Christmas morning brunch for my friends and neighbors in my building. I make 3 egg casseroles, a bread of some type for toast, mainly and others bring what they want to contribute. I ask for fruit or juices but we have many Asians that like to bring their food, which is great. It all gets eaten. Makes everybody happy. I love all the smiles it brings.

I’m waiting for my daughter to take me to Nickelsville to deliver 2 $50 gas cards to Nickelsville fom donations I collected, mostly from those who contribute to me in some way. One is to be for the generator to be used christmas so they can charge whatever they need, maybe cell phones to call someone special. The other is for gas when they get stuck without water again as they did recently. Our Christmas gift to Nickelsville.

We stopped there yesterday but the persons I’m to give them to weren’t there. I want everyone who sees this to know we got lots of “Merry Christmas greetings” when we walked through the camp. A wonderful thing. Talked to some happy people who have plans to be away for the holiday or longer. Great!

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[miws]

Thanks Betty.

And I’m thrilled that you and TVB got to meet when you came down!

Mike

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[Betty T]

Yes, anice surprise to meet TVB. We forgot to get your phone number.

How did she like the Nickelsville Christmas tree?

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