FALL 2012 IS HERE!

As the real Fall season begins, it is a time to harvest, enjoy the last warm days as they occur, clean up the garden and prepare for the colder weather. Lots of opportunities for short drives and little day trips with the changing colours of the trees providing nature's canvas at its best. There are many country roads close to home for me to meander.The last of the crops such as pumpkins, apples, squashes to name a few to be bought at small and larger markets as well as a few road side stands. As a season it has a lot to offer in terms of events. How do you feel about Fall? Is is a season to embrace?

IS YOUR HOME A CASTLE?

We all know a house is not a home. A house is just a structure with rooms, a roof and a basement. A home is where the heart is. It contains love, support and a place to be away from the world. It could be a one bedroom apartment, a large home or a castle on the hill. Home is often equated with family and the connection needed to feel safe. People get home sick if away in a foreign country. The feeling after a long work or school day- time to go home! It is a concept not a structure! Yet all the decorating shows dupe us into making our home better and worth more money. They are really talking about a house! Sometimes home is just a thought, an idea we carry in our hearts and thoughts. What do you think? Is your home your castle? Do you care how decorated it is? Is it your sanctuary from the world-clutter and all?

NANA SAYS " YOU'RE A HAPPY PERSON MOM!"

Children observe who we are and know our faults and strengths better than anyone else. My daughters paid me a great compliment recently by saying- " You're a happy person Mom!" There are times that adversity occurs in all our lives but I present happy because I make the effort for myself, my husband and my children and of course now the little grandchildren to try to be happy. Not the woe is me or as the Italians would say Povera Me! Poor me! By enjoying the little moments in life and just being, I guess brings the happiness. Happiness does not happen to a person but comes from within! It is not the things we have or the great vacations, although they can contribute to the mix that brings happiness. So how did my children discover this about me! What did I do? I wish I could tell you so you can decide if you want to be a happy person. If there were descriptors of you as a parent or grandparent, what would you want it to be? There are children that find the grownups in their lives as  miserable people. Angry? Resentful? Victims? Who wants to be around them? My grandchildren will tell their parents they want to see their Nana and their Granpa if a time has passed without a visit. Is it because we are so happy to see them- making eye contact, smiling, saying their name and giving a favourite treat when appropriate- after a nutritional one first! So what would your children say about you? What word would they use? What word would you want them to use?

LIFE IS A GAMBLE

Do you ever think how many gambling references are made to Life? " You have to play the cards you are dealt!" When did your mother give you a deck of cards to get through life? Marriage is a gamble! Trying to get a new job is a gamble. Like the Kenny Rogers' song- Know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run! He was not really talking about a card game, was he? Life can be a crap shoot! Roll the dice and see what you get! I will bet on you to get the project! I am sure there are many more phrases that will come to mind, I will lay odds on it!

WHAT IS COURAGE?

In our modern world we often mistake courage for people that want to climb Mt. Everest, sail alone around the world or go skiing in high mountain places. Those people will say they do not want the average boring life but adventure and to say they did something courageous. Personally I do not think it is courage but self centered. There are too many risks that often end in tragedy. Recently the woman from Canada who died on Mt. Everest who was untrained and unexperienced risking her life unnecessarily. It made me think about courage. There are little situations every day where we face adversity. Rush hour on a major highway. Running afte a child bolting into a dangerous spot! Dealing with daily conflicts with compassion and assertiveness! The courage to get up every morning and face a day that is unwelcoming. Driving on a snowy day to work in order to earn a paycheque to put food on the table! To me, courage to try to be a good person, a good parent, a good spouse, a good friend when we may be surrounded by others who are needy and can take advantage of us! Yes, there are times you could save someone from a burning car or building or do CPR and really save a life, winning an award, getting your picture in the paper. God Bless those people who have done it! Having the courage to keep going! Facing a day! A week! A hard time! It takes strength and perservance! Daily courage is a real human value and virtue. For those of you reading this post, good for you to keep going! Like we say in English- the tough keep going when the going gets tough!

MAKING GOOD OLD FASHIONED CANADIAN GRAPE JAM

I used to make more jams and preserves and pickles for many years. Then there were jars left in my cold cellar from year to year that were left uneaten that it just stops. Periodically I will have the urge to make something. This year it was grape jam. Adolph loves it! So on one of our trips to the country and farm markets I bought a basket of Canadian grapes.

And some cauliflower! The cauliflower was not in the jam of course!

The grapes were cornation grapes. Usually I would use concord grapes like the ones I grow in my backyard.

I actually had a few bunches to add to the grapes bought. I would have had more if Adolph had not eaten so many of them!!

I pulled out my booklet that I have had for years.

Stained, it is my little bible for preserving and making jam. It came in a box of new preserving jars I bought over 40 years ago.

Grape jam is a little more work than your average jam. Washing the grapes well, you separate the skin from the pulp-has seeds.I had my helper Adolph for the job. The pulp is boiled until it is soft enough to put it through a sieve or collander to get rid of the seeds.

When the pulp mixture has been squeeshed and squeeshed so you have all the pulp, it is added to the skins and measured. In a large pot or a jam pot, add the grapes and sugar. Two cups of grape mixture to one cup of sugar is the norm. Too much sugar will make the jam runny.

The process is to boil the mixture and sugar for about 20 to 30 minutes, skimming off the white on top until it is jam. Since I am not entering my jam in any contest, I do not mind if it is a little runny but actually this batch was a good jam texture.

Voila! Some jars of jam. Actually I made 4 and 1/2 jars with a plate for Adolph to sample. It did not last long. The jam is a little tart with the use of the cornation grapes. Concord grapes are sweeter in the jam.
Do you get the urge to make jam or pickles or a chili sauce? It is fun to have some homemade items.

THOUGHTS FROM A MID SEPTEMBER WEEK

It has been an interesting week. Why does our energy level go down with the start of school? Is it because we are busier than we think? Work has had its ups and downs. Families with issues and some sad cases kept me challenged clinically. Going to a Madonna concert in Toronto with my married daughters was fun on Wednesday. Coming home after midnight- catching the last subway train that turned at Eglinton so we needed to take the Shuttle bus to the Finch station to retrieve Natasha's car, getting home at 2 a.m. and managing to survive the next day on 4 hours of sleep was interesting! Of course, babysitting two grandchildren on Thursday night for a couple of hours then heading to bed for an early night helped to restore some needed REM sleep brought me to Friday! Where did the week go? The weather is holding with warm days and cool nights- ideal for sleeping! The trees are just starting to turn colours. The vegetable garden has a new surge of crops of beans and tomatoes! The frost has been kept at bay! I have all the summer pictures- 800 plus scrapbooked! Actually the photos go back to my grandson's B-Day in April! Natasha is right- I do take pictures of everything! So why do I feel a little sad? Are the events of the last few months catching up to me? Do the change of seasons and transitions have more of an effect than I care to admit? Am I looking down the road too much? Sometimes it is as if the other shoe will drop! Too much thinking and reflection! Perhaps I just need to grab my camera this weekend and begin the next round of photos! What do you think? How is your September going?