Capybara Magic

WARNING: this piece is not safe to share with Santa believers.

There are so many parts of the Santa Project that I wish I could share with you.  The sounds of the kids being excited as they sit and write their letters at the red desk.  The grins as they put their letter in the mailbox to go to the North Pole.  The anticipation of which gifts have arrived when the Amazon delivery comes.

 

Of course, there are parts of this massive undertaking that I would NOT want to share with you…  The hard decisions of what to choose from the letters.  The scheduling nightmare of how we will get all of these wrapped.  The exhaustion that will most certainly hit at the end of it all (just let me get through to that point please).  And what may be the worst part – our already too full and messy house getting inundated with toys and clothing and shoes and boxes and tissue paper and ribbons and books and everything else that is associated with the Santa Project.

 

So, I cannot share it all with you.  But I would like to share a magical moment we had tonight.

 

There is a little letter writer who comes every year.  We don’t know him from the neighborhood, not sure how he got started writing to Santa here.  But every year, without fail, this boy comes.  And also every year, without fail, this boy asks for something odd.  He has an unusual name so we remember him and we are always excited to see what this year’s request will be.  This little sweetie is now 10.

 

And this year he is obsessed with capybaras.

 

I shared his letter the other day on Facebook because I love it so much. 

 

As you can see, he very thoughtfully wrote a description of each capybara he wanted, plus drew a picture (plus specified size – all small).  We were delighted with his new obsession of capybaras.  I chose as his gifts: the capybara with the flower, an adorable stocking hat with a capy on the front, and I forgot what else but it was definitely capy related.

 

Then I found it online.  A CAPYBARA ADVENT CALENDAR!

 

There could not be a more perfect gift.  I added that to the wish list and a sweet friend granted that wish lickety split.

 

Fast forward a few days and there is a knock on our front door.  That’s not uncommon around here, so I answered it.  A woman asked if I had received her texts about her child’s Christmas gifts.  Ummmm – nooooo… 

 

Ahh, I realized that perhaps it had not been ME she was texting, but our board member Ixi who has been helping a lot by texting with the adults who speak Spanish.  “Was the text in Spanish?” I asked.  No, no, English.

 

Hmmm.  She asked if your phone number xxx-xxx…  Nooo, not my number.

 

Wait!  New phone!  We now have a business phone and that is what I used to send out the invitation to parents to bring their children!  YES, yes that is my number, but I have been using that phone to play Christmas music at the Santa station and haven’t read the texts on it.  Oops.

 

I checked and she had texted and left a voice mail.  And now she was on our porch.

 

“Listen, ummm, my son. He is OBSESSED with capybaras.  Please, please, do NOT get him all 3 of those capybaras he asked for!!  He has too many capys!  They are taking up his whole bed.  Please get him the things I texted you instead.”

 

Oh, I was disappointed.  I knew nothing about capybara before this request and was quite looking forward to giving him the animals.

 

“Umm, ok…  Well, how about just one capy and we got him a very cute little hat with a capy on it…” I said.

 

The mom looked frazzled. 

 

“We will get what you texted, too!” I told her.

 

“Ok, maybe not the hat?  Some other kid!  Surely someone else asked for CAPYBARA!!” she said, maybe not knowing that not all 10 year olds talk non-stop about capys.

 

“Ummm, no, no other capy requests yet.  But that’s ok!  We will figure out his gift,

“ I reassured her.  “BUT – he is getting a capybara ADVENT CALENDAR.  When it arrives, we will wrap it. Can you please come for it when I text you?  It will be by December 1!”.  The mom agreed.

 

The advent calendar arrived.

 

I was psyched.

 

I created a whole back story, which is something I often do with the Santa letters and I really enjoy.  Each child who participates gets a letter from Santa, but this year, this year is special.  This year this boy would get 2!

 

Here is what the letter said:

 

"Dear xxx,

 

SURPRISE!

 

Bet you didn’t expect to hear from me this early, did you??  But your letter arrived at the North Pole and I got all excited to see that you fell in love with capybaras this year!!!

 

Guess what?  I fell in love with capys, too!!!  Mrs. Claus and I took a much needed vacation to Bolivia and we got to see capys.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  They are so cute!  Don’t you just want to pick them up and snuggle them??

 

When we got back from vacation I was doing a Powerpoint presentation to the elves, showing them all of our photos from Bolivia and teaching them about the country.  We do that after all of our vacations.  It’s good for the elves to learn about places other than the North Pole, and they do not get to travel as often as we do.

 

Anyway, one elf, Fredrick, saw the photos of the capybaras and got obsessed…  He talks about capys ALL.  THE.  TIME.  He talks about them at breakfast.  He talks about them at lunch.  He talks about them at dinner.  And I suspect he even DREAMS ABOUT CAPYBARAS!

So, Fredrick’s friend, Nicolette, decided to make a very special treat for him.  She made him a CAPYBARA ADVENT CALENDAR!  Shhh though, he has not seen it yet because it is not December 1^st.  When I read your letter I knew right away that I must ask Nicolette if she could make another capy advent calendar – one for YOU! 

 

Only – how could I get it to you on time???  I can’t take the sleigh out until at least December – it is still getting tuned up and polished and everything to get ready…  Plus, I am super duper busy right now…  I was discussing the problem with Mrs. Claus and she had the answer (as she often does).  She said, “Santa, simply MAIL Thiago the advent calendar!”.

 

Ahhhh that sweetheart of mine!!  She is a wise one!

 

So Thiago, I hope this special early gift reaches you in time.  You can open one door of the advent calendar each day (but not MORE THAN ONE, no cheating!!).  The elves are still busy making your other gifts so I will bring those closer to Christmas.

 

Talk more soon, fellow capy lover!

 Love,

Santa"

 

Well, today is the last day of November.  I wrapped the gift.  I printed the letter.  I texted the mom.

 

And we waited.

 

Finally the doorbell rang.  It was our capy friend with his mom.

 

“Hey, this is WEIRD.  This GIFT arrived for you.  But it isn’t Christmas…  We don’t understand what’s going on, but look, it has a note that says OPEN NOW!”.

 

The trap had been set.

 

His eyes gleamed.  He grinned.  And he took the package.

 

And said thanks.  And started to walk away with it.

 

Well drat.  We wouldn’t get to see the big reveal, but that’s ok.

 

“Do you want to open it NOW?” his mom said.

 

YES!!  Thanks mamma!!

 

“Well, it DOES SAY “open NOW”…” I added.

 

And with that he ripped into the paper.

 

He saw a capy on it right away and was excited, but I don’t think he knew what it was.  Then he opened the envelope and pulled out the note.

 

And that little boy stood out there in the freezing cold and read aloud every line of that letter.  And grinnnnned.  He was happy.

 

His mom told him to thank us and give us hugs (not sure why – WE didn’t give him the calendar, it just oddly got delivered to us…).  And off they went.

 

I know for a fact that kid is gonna dream about capybaras tonight.  And he is going to want to RIP door one open tomorrow morning right when he wakes up!!! 

 

24 days of teeny tiny capys.  Ahhhh, holiday bliss.

 

Happy holidays, all!

 

P.S. – there are no capys on the wish lists (right now, but the lists change multiple times a day as letters come in), but if you would like to grant some wishes we would be very grateful.  200 children will join in the magic and right now we are half-way there.  If you ever check the wish lists and they are empty, come back in a few hours.  We still have 100 letters to come in so things will be added often.  Thanks!  

Anything ordered from these wish lists ships directly to us:

Amazon Santa Project Wish List

Target Santa Project Wish List

World Kindness Day 2025

Well, World Kindness Day was this week.

And people. It.  Was.  Spectacular.

I went into it not feeling my best.  Last weekend I had a 24-hour bug, and I still have a cold that just will not go away.  So, my nose was running, I had a cough, but y’all, I could not let that get in the way of this holiday.  I mean, come on, it only rolls around once a year, right?  So, it was a “fill your fanny pack with Kleenex, put on your Kind is Cool hoodie, and let’s roll!” kind of day.

First up – put the big sign out.  I loved the artwork this year and was very excited to display it.  There was a prompt asking passersby to leave a note saying how they would make the world a kinder place.  We got some sweet ones, including this:

If I see somebody being left out I will talk to them or invite them to join me.

Sign encouraging passersby to leave notes

Next – GIFT CARDS!  We had 25 gift cards, 5 each to:  Home Depot, grocery stores (Safeway, Giant, and Trader Joes), and Starbucks.  Kind neighbor Christy rang our doorbell at exactly 10 am, the time we had set for meeting.  I wasn’t quite ready but that worked – she had time to add her note to the board!  10:05 am and off we went to find CONSTRUCTION WORKERS!

But first – a stop at the high school down the street, the Career Center.  That was Christy’s idea.  You see, very recently she was out jogging and got hit by a car! Not to worry – she is ok.  The car was going very slowly, but it hit her and then KEPT GOING.  Grrrrrr.  That is not legal or kind, nor is it the “Arlington way”.  But here is the kind part:  a teacher from the Career Center saw what had happened and rushed over to talk to Christy and make sure she was ok.  He had been sweet to her, and now we were going to return the favor by giving him a gift card and wishing him a happy World Kindness Day.

Only one glitch…  She only knew his first name…

That’s ok – we knew we could find him!

We got buzzed into the school and while we were waiting for the receptionist to get to us, another employee asked what we needed. 

“We are looking for a teacher here.  We have a present for him.  His name is Jason,” Christy explained.

“OH!  Jason the PE teacher??”.

YESSSSSSSSSS – that’s him!! 

Got it in one try!!  Just a couple of minutes later there came Jason.  As soon as he saw Christy he seemed to recognize her. 

“Hey!  How ARE YOU??” he asked.

She explained that she was well and why we were stopping by.  He was very happy to get a gift card, a bag of candy, and a postcard of the World Kindness Day art.  And I think he was even happier that Christy had taken the time to come to say hello and that he could see her healthy and not shook up – the opposite of the day that they met a couple of weeks ago.

Since the library was next door, we decided to pop in there.  We handed out bags of candy quietly (it’s a LIBRARY, you have to be quiet 😊 ), and as we were ready to leave I noticed a woman at a corner table on her phone.  We approached her and held out a bag of candy.  I could see she was crying.  Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe she had just gotten bad news on the phone, I don’t know.  But I DO KNOW that I have been the person crying in public before.  I have cried walking down grocery store aisles.  I have cried in airports.  I have cried in coffee shops.  And I have had the experience of people seeing me – people NOTICING my tears – and making a conscious decision to pretend they didn’t see.  I decided years ago that any time I see a person crying in public, I will not look away.  I won’t pretend it is not happening.  I will acknowledge the sadness and pain.  I will relate.  So, I quietly asked, “May I give you a hug?” and her eyes said, “Yes, please.”  Christy also gave her a hug.  I hope that the hugs and the candy helped her day get a bit better.

Next we headed out to find construction workers, which is an easy task in our neighborhood since they are building a huge new high school and there is major road construction on Columbia Pike.  Each time we saw a construction worker we approached with a handful of gift cards and gave them their choice.  It was so fun!!  They were happy and thankful (and also loved the candy bags).

Take a quick break from work for KINDNESS.

Happy construction workers. They have been doing construction on "The Pike" for a very long time and I am sure get many complaints from angry drivers for the delays. 
It was fun to THANK THEM for their hard work.

It took us about an hour to hand out 25 gift cards.  As we walked back, we handed out the rest of the candy bags in our basket.  We passed the local grocery store as a woman was coming out with her cart.  “Hey, that was nice what you did.  Giving gift cards to construction workers – that was really kind,” she said.

What a perfect example of how kindness affects more than just the person receiving it!  It affects the person GIVING the kindness (in this case, Christy and I). And it even affects the person WITNESSING the kind act.  We had no idea that anyone was watching or noticing us as we talked to the construction crew.  But not only were they watching, they were being inspired to go out into the world and spread kindness, too.

It was a great day to be outside in the sunshine (even though I was not feeling 100%).  I spent some time painting new chairs for the upcoming Santa Project and working on things for the Little Yellow Free Pantry, and then it was time for the next event – A BRIDGE BRIGADE!

I had never been able to join a bridge brigade before but I love when I drive under them.  What happens is:  people stand on an overpass and hold huge letters up to spell something out.  Drivers passing by can read the message and honk approval.  I had been on the driving by side, but never on the holding signs side. 

But all that changed on World Kindness Day!!

We met up at 3:30 pm and got to work.  Our letters spelled JUST BE KIND.  One person also made a cute heart to add to the display.  It was so fun!!  Each time a car honked it gave us more energy!!  We got waves!  We got headlights flashed!  It was fabulous!!

JUST BE KIND! When we started, we didn't have quite enough people to hold the letters but we
made do!

This is what a bridge brigade looks like from behind :) 

We also had a basket of candy bags to hand out to people walking by and stopped in cars.  I tried that task for a while but after a few rejections I gave up.  But Charlotte, oh Charlotte was NOT afraid of the rejections!  While we held letters and waved at cars whizzing by underneath us, Charlotte handed out candy bags to cars stopped at the red lights. 

Bridge Brigade crew hard at work (that's Charlotte with the big heart - literally and figuratively)

“Hey, I got a $10 donation!!” she reported as she handed over the money.  “And only ONE PERSON flipped me off!” she said (as if that was a good thing 😊 ). 

We stayed until the sun set and it got chilly.  By then I was feeling pretty crappy.  I had been going, going, going all day and my energy was zapped.  My nose was runnier and my cough was worse.  But we had one more task for the day – a run to the grocery store.  I still had the basket of candy bags in the car, so after we were done getting what we needed, my partner David suggested we take candy back in and hand it out to the Trader Joe’s staff.  What a great idea!!

We walked around giving each employee a bag of candy and a World Kindness Day postcard.  It made them so happy! 

“Hey, you were kind to us, we want to be kind to YOU!” two employees said as they handed us a bouquet of flowers. 

Kindness begets kindness.  Kindness ripples.  They are everywhere!

World Kindness Day.  A day set aside to remind us all that being kind is important.  It is needed.  It is imperative. 

I like to think that everyday is “World Kindness Day” at the Big Yellow House.  But even so, it is good to have one special day marked on the calendar.  So, MARK YOUR CALENDARS, friends.  November 13, 2026 will be World Kindness Day again.  Let’s celebrate it together.

P.S. – As I was writing this, someone knocked very quietly on our front door.  I answered it even though I am still dressed in my red flannel pajamas and saw someone I didn’t recognize was standing on our porch. 

“Good morning, can I help you?” I asked.

“Hi.  Yes…  Ummm, I am new to Arlington.  I lived in DC but just came here.  I am a substance abuse counselor.  Just got myself a job here.  But I need some food,” they said, standing next to a wagon full of amazing donations that someone left on our porch while I was still sleeping.

I welcomed them to Arlington and asked about food likes, dislikes, allergies, how many people needed to eat, etc.  I learned that the person did not have housing yet but did have a vehicle.  “Got a can opener??” I questioned. 

“Nope.”

“Go into 7-11 and use the microwave?” I clarified.

“Yes ma’am.”

“I got you,” I told them.  “And hey – do you want hot chocolate or coffee??”.

They sat on the porch as I ran down to gather food.  Because we have had so many donations lately, it was easy to find super tasty options.  I came back out to the porch with a basket so overflowing that I had to get a back-up basket.  They gasped when they saw how much food there was.

“Here.  You look through this while I make the hot chocolate,” I told them.  “Whatever you want - put in this bag.  What you do not want leave in a pile here.”

Oh, my goodness they were happy.  Thankful for the hot chocolate.  Grateful for the food.  Happy to get deodorant, wipes, and lotion.  And a can opener.

“You don’t want this RICE?  Don’t like rice??” I asked when I saw the cups of rice in the “do not take” pile.

 

“No ma’am, I do like rice.  But how would I COOK it?” they asked.

“IT IS COOKED!” I told them excitedly.  “You can heat it and eat it right out of the cup, or you can just eat it cold!  Hey – this pasta is already cooked, too!” I showed them.  With this new information that the items were pre-cooked, they decided to take them.

“But how will I EAT it?” they wondered out loud.  “I don’t have a bowl… I will figure it out.”

“Wait!  I have that!  We got it for another guest but they haven’t come for it yet.  Let me grab it.”  And with that, they now have a plate, cup, bowl, and 2 dishtowels that we had grabbed at Ikea.

I asked how they had found us.  “Well, I needed food.  So I decided to ask my phone.  And it showed me THE YELLOW HOUSE and said I was only 5 minutes from here,” they explained.

“Ahhh, you found us online!  You know, we tried to keep it quiet and not get online…  We are really busy and have a lot of people coming and we didn’t want tooooo many people to find us.  But hey – someone put us online and now we have 5-star reviews!” I laughed.  Seriously though, we have 5-star reviews!

I showed them the pantry (which they had walked right past to get to our front door but hadn’t noticed).  I explained that they could come anytime day or night, and that the system is to take what you need and leave enough to share with others.  “We all have to take care of one another,” I said.

“Yes ma’am.  Yes, we do.”

This person is a substance abuse counselor.  Had a good job in DC, but lost it when the administration cut funding for vital programming.  Now they are starting over.

“Thanks for your work,” I told them.  “I have loved ones who have addictions.  What you do is important.”

“Thank YOU,” they said. 

“You are welcome here anytime.  Keep coming back.” 

Kindness Activist funds used for World Kindness Day 2025: $272.70

Kindness Activist funds raised in a totally unexpected donation:  $10

Hearts warmed by kindness spread - too many to count

Postponing the To Do List

It was a sunny, warm autumn day.

A day that started slowly – catching up on emails, playing “my games” (Connections, Wordle, Strands, and Wridges – gosh when I write that out I see I play a LOT of games).  Moseying around the house.

But when it came time to get busy, I was ready to GET BUSY.

I even wrote a to do list (and managed not sit it down somewhere and lose it!).  On the list:  Walgreens, bank, post office.  Three tasks that can be completed on foot – perfect for a nice day.  List in hand, bag on shoulder, off I went.

Walgreens was the first stop – fail.  The product I wanted was triple what I knew it would cost other places.  No thanks.

Bank – slow as molasses, but got what I need to do done.

Next up was the post office.  Only, instead of walking the short way, I backtracked a block to walk the long way.  I did this because I knew that walking that direction, I might well pass a person experiencing homelessness who I am intrigued with.  They write notes and tape them onto buildings and I have only been lucky enough to meet them once – usually I just stop and read the myriad of cryptic notes.  Anyway, I knew if I went the long way I might see them.  It was lunch time and I planned to ask if I could buy them lunch.

But before I could get very far, I spotted something.

A cell phone in a pink case sitting on a bus stop bench.

Oh my…  I felt weird picking it up.  I didn’t want anyone to think I was stealing it.  But I looked around and the only person nearby was a man who was already talking on a phone, so obviously the one on the bench couldn’t be his.

I picked it up and opened the case.  There were 2 old photos inside.  The phone was locked with a PIN, so I couldn’t just open it up and see the contacts list to find “brother” or “boss” or “friend” to call. 

 

But then I saw the paper…  A little recipe/notecard was tucked inside the case.  It was filled with handwriting – name, then number.  Name, then number.  I recognized it as the system many older ladies use (we have a friend who does the same exact thing). 

Hmmm, this recipe card held the clues I needed!  I stood at the bus stop a while, hoping that the owner would come rushing back to get their phone.  When they didn’t, I got to work.

First – examine the card.  Is the first name the person she (by this time I felt the owner was a she) was closest to??  I didn’t know how to pronounce that name though.  I was not sure what nationality the name derived from, but I was hoping that whoever I called would speak English so I could explain the situation easily.  I scrolled down to a female name and dialed…

No answer.  Of course no answer – the incoming call was from a strange number!  They thought I was spam or a telemarketer.

So, I left a voice mail.

Called another number on the card, no answer.

Left a voice mail

Called another number, no answer.

Left a voice mail.

And in between my calls, the mysterious cell phone kept getting TEXTS.  Text after text after text.  A new text popped in every 90 seconds or so!  Texts about car insurance.  Texts about a home owners insurance policy.  Sales texts.  Random texts.  This poor woman gets a lot of texts!!

I could see the texts pop in but couldn’t click on them to read them.  But I did notice that they were all addressed to the same person:  Faina.  “Dear Faina” this and “Dear Faina” that. 

I left basically the same voicemail each time.  “Hi, my name is Susan.  I found a cell phone at a bus stop in Arlington, Virginia.  It has a paper inside with a list of names and numbers, and you are on it.   I think the phone belongs to someone named Faina.  Do you know her?  I have the phone.  I don’t want to leave it at the bus stop because I am afraid someone will take it.  Please return my call.  Thanks.”

In between leaving voicemails, I came up with a new tactic:  FACEBOOK.  I posted the photo above in 2 local Facebook groups and asked if anyone knew a woman named Faina and that I had found her cell phone.

This sweet comment came in on one of the posts: “If it's the same lady I am thinking about, she walks up and down the Pike a lot. She comes to our restaurant (The Celtic House) a few times a week. You can leave it with us if you like and we can pass it on to her, I see her almost every day.”

Ah-ha!  Celtic House!  That is near the bus stop!!  I felt like a Private Investigator piecing this story together bit by bit.  Faina.  Woman.  Senior Citizen.  Popular with scam texters.  Takes the bus.  Likely lives near Celtic House…

More phone calls to numbers on the card.

More voicemails.

As I was deciding which name to call next, my phone rang!  A call back!

Only, the man said he did now know anyone named Faina.  Boo!  (Why did Faina have him on her list??)

I left 11 voicemails. Yup – Faina had a LOT of names and numbers on her little card, she wrote on both sides.

Finally, another call back!  And this woman KNEW Faina!  And was very, very thankful I had found the phone and kept it safe.  She gave me Faina’s address.  I was right!  She lived only a few blocks from where she got off the bus.

I took a minute to tell the woman that Faina was getting texts.  A LOT of texts.  And it seemed like they were trying to scam her.  I wanted to make sure someone knew and could help the woman so she didn’t get tricked into sending money somewhere.

I told the woman on the phone that I would walk home and get in my car, then drive to drop off the phone at Faina’s apartment.  On my walk home, Faina’s granddaughter called on FAINA’S phone and I answered it (didn’t need a PIN to answer).  I explained the situation and she, too, was very relieved.  She explained that her grandma has some memory issues, and I warned her about the texts, too.

When I got home, I found some tiny cupcakes that a kind donor had left for the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  Faina needed some cupcakes!  Poor woman was probably having a bad day, what with having lost her phone and all.

I drove down Columbia Pike toward her house, and that’s when I saw her:  FAINA!

She was walking ON THE PIKE because the sidewalk was torn up with construction.  I do not know HOW I knew it was her, I just DID!  I felt it!!!  I wished I could pull over and holler her name, but because of the construction I couldn’t, so I parked at her apartment and went in.

I explained the situation to the ladies at the front desk.  “Oh, FAINA??” they said, “She JUST left!”.

I KNEW IT, y’all!  I just knew that had been her!!  I confirmed what she looked like, left my car parked in the apartment lot, and headed off on foot to find Faina!  I was on a mission!  Me, the pack of tiny cupcakes, and Faina’s phone, hot on her trail!!!

But I didn’t see her.  So, I rushed back, jumped in the car, and drove down Columbia Pike looking for her.  I thought maybe she was at the bus stop checking to see if her phone was there.  Nope.  Couldn’t find her.

But…  I had the clue about a restaurant she frequents…  I pulled into the Celtic House parking and went in.  I asked if they knew her and if she was there.  They did know her, but she wasn’t there at the moment.  DRAT.

Defeated, I returned to the apartment, still hoping maybe Faina had gone home while I had been out hunting.  But the front desk ladies said no, she was not back.   I wrote a little note for her (including my name and number) and left the phone and cupcakes with the staff.  They said she often stops to talk with them and they are friends with her, which made me happy.

That was all around 2:00 PM. 

Then at 7:19 PM, my phone rang…

You guessed it, FAINA!

Just as I had been afraid to mispronounce the name on her handwritten note, she mispronounced mine.

“Slisa??” she said.

“This is Susan,” I replied.  “Is this Faina??”.

YESSSSS IT WAS!  She called to thank me for finding and returning her phone.  She was so sweet!  She wants me to come visit.  “I am not working, I have time,” she said.

I have time, too, Faina.

The laundry may not get done.

The sheets might not get changed.

Several items may not get checked off of the eternal to-do list.

But I have time.

Time to connect.

Time to make a new friend.

Time to be kind.

Because if I do not take time – no, if I do not MAKE time for moments such as this – how meaningful will my life be?

I am grateful to have a perspective of kindness.

Of caring.

Of slowing down when the opportunity presents itself.

I will make time to go meet Faina.  I will talk to her, maybe bring her more treats.

Because that is what life is.  A series of moments.  Of strangers.  Of tiny cupcakes. 

And of connections.