Every weekday morning, except Monday, a group of about eleven ladies are at their table at the Great Wall restaurant in Tisdale and every morning is a celebration of sorts. The ladies chat and laugh while sipping their coffee and tea, but mostly they celebrate their morning meeting with each other.

I go for breakfast at the Great Wall every Thursday morning and enjoy seeing the group assemble then one by one depart for their day's activities. Each sits in their usual spot and follow a sort of ritual.

One lady always arrives at just before 9:00, carries a plastic bag and sits at a single table across from the group but before she sits down she always shares with the group her line of the day which always results in laughter. She then sits down and a few minutes later a man and woman join her at the table followed a few minutes later by another lady.

A few minutes after 9:00 Owen Eaton and his friend for coffee arrive and take up their normal position just before the four to six laughing and friendly folks from the Bank of Montreal come in to have coffee and toast before they dash away at 9:30.

This morning was extra special because once Margaret LeGrand, seen at the top of this page took up her usual corner of the table seat the group broke into a muted version of "Happy Birthday" and a couple minutes later a half donut with a sparkler was brought to the table to recognise the occassion. This recognised her eighty-sixth birthday and definitely warranted a picture for Ensign.

The Great Wall opens at 8:30 and I get there a few minutes after and the normal count is about 14 as people come and go with a high of around 30 when a large contingent from the Credit Union make their way up the block to spend their twenty to thirty minutes with coffee, tea and some have toast.

This morning the propietor was busy whipping up breakfasts in the kitchen when I came in and his wife was out on an erand. A customer sitting near the front windows got up and brought me coffee. That's the kind of atmosphere at the Great Wall each and every morning. No matter how cold or how miserable the weather, its warm and friendly and every day is a celebration.