"Oh my," she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, "it's fruitcake weather!"

The person to whom she is speaking is myself. I am seven; she is sixty-something, We are cousins, very distant ones, and we have lived together—well, as long as I can remember...*

I've opened a new calendar "window" for you every day throughout Advent. Each one shares a light-hearted meme, with helpful hints and tips on how to develop more Effective, Persuasive Communication.

You might like to think of each one as a mini fruitcake, in the tradition of "Buddy's" cousin - and Truman Capote (see title, above). Each is a small gift, lovingly prepared, that will keep on giving - long after Christmas has passed. But maybe you were unlucky and missed (some of) them.

With that possibility in mind, I gathered the first eight together and re-shared them yesterday. See: https://www.dhirubhai.net/article/edit/7142573230094970880/

I'll be making the final eight available daily, over the next few days. Before gathering them up together, too, in a final Christmas Eve collection. What could be more Festive?

For now, here are individual links to each of your middle eight hints and tips, again. You lucky thing!

Day 9: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7139362671316897793/

Day 10: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7139594920243159040/

Day 11: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7140004838771191808/

Day 12: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7140349846237913089/

Day 13: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7140708249158197248/

Day 14: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/desharney_president-obama-sings-amazing-grace-during-activity-7141014581790887936-ln5V?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Day 15: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7141535490544996352/

Day 16: https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7141773173590564864/

* For those who like to know such trivia: our opening quote is taken from near the beginning of Truman Capote's seasonal short story, 'A Christmas Memory', 1956 - a poignant old favourite of mine. What's that? You want MORE poignancy, in the style of Oliver Twist? Well try this for size, then. It continues:

'We are each other's best friend. She calls me Buddy, in memory of a boy who was formerly her best friend. The other Buddy died in the 1880's, when she was still a child. She is still a child...'

It is a story ALL about memory. If you don't know it already, try getting to know it this Christmas. It could so very easily become a favourite mini-fruitcake of yours, too. His name is NOT Buddy.