THE CHANGING FALL COLOURS ALONG A COUNTRY ROAD

Each week in the Fall, the trees continue to awe with the changing colours. A drive up Dufferin Street a week ago revealed the green with the oranges, reds, yellows.

A busy Thanksgiving dinner on the Sunday then a quiet Monday drive close to home revealed more of nature's beauty.

Along the Vaughan-King Road the avenue of trees was showing nature at its best.

Country images abound with fields, farms and the remainder of the crops to be harvested.

There is always a sense of peace knowing the seasons bring images of work, preparation and hope to survive a cold winter.

Even closer to home there are images to capture.

Like the Fall of our lives, there are many activities and realization of the events that bring us there

to enjoy. What Fall images have you captured? What hope does it bring for you? Does the Fall bring many reflections for you about your life? Does a particular Fall colour have more meaning? The orange? The red? The yellow?

THE CANADIAN THANKSGIVING DINNER PREPARATIONS

Canadians have been making a similar dinner for generations- basically Turkey and all the trimmings! What does it entail! A fresh or frozen turkey, turkey gravy, bread stuffing, and a variety of vegetables. Depending on the family they could include mashed potatoes, peas, kernel corn, a variety of squashes, brussel sprouts,sweet potatoe, turnip! A splash of cranberry sauce flavours the turkey well! My Mom used to make turnip but I do not as no one really likes it. We add a couple of Italian side dishes like rapini and red peppers to the meal as well as a few Italian sausages. I always had to satisfy my Italian born hubbie! The dessert includes pies but usually pumpkin and apple make it to every dinner. There are other cookies, squares or decorated cupcakes that round out this course. Women from coast to coast have been baking all week. I have a sister-in-law in New Brunswick- Edna- who is a terrific baker and I am sure her family will be loving her efforts! By the end of the meal everyone feels stuffed! Newly arrived immigrants of each generation start to find that it is a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends. I never had any recipes from my Mom, I just would watch her cook this meal and learnt how to do do. Since my husband has a food blog, he let me put the Canadian Bread Stuffing recipe there. http://granpalovestocook.blogspot.com
I love the tradition of this meal. It ties in our historical roots from not only the white men who came to Canada but our indigenous people. The cranberry, sweet potatoe and squash are so Canadian. Pumpkins and apples are wonderful harvest crops that have been added to the table. For me another whole generation is discovering it bounty! Thanksgiving- a time to celebrate the Harvest and to be thankful for the many blessings in our lives. Are you having the traditional meal? Have you been baking your pies and sweets? Turkey and all the trimmings is such a wonderful meal. Hope your preparations are going well! Enjoy! Cheers! Buon Appetito! Bon Appetit!

REMEMBERING THANKSGIVING DINNERS

As Canadians coast to coast sit down to their traditional Thanksgiving dinners this weekend, there are bound to be memories made as well as sharing from past years. Growing up, many Thanksgivings included our family as well as my Uncle Norman, Auntie Lynne and cousin Pam. There was always table banter as well as lots of overeating. When I married, Adolph and I would go to his mother's or my mother's home until we started being responsible for the dinners. When my folks retired to British Columbia, there were many Thanksgivings they would come and stay at my house enjoying the company of our family and my sister's family who lived nearby. A dinner table is about family gathering together. Now our table includes the married daughters and families. This year my sister is visiting so there will be a chance to talk about those who are missing and also to enjoy the day- the present. I know there will be several more years where the Thanksgiving dinner will be at my house. But someday the torch will be passed to the younger generation. Don't worry they bring dessert now so the work is not all mine! What is your fondest dinner memory of Thanksgiving? Is it a time to be together to celebrate? Or do you just like the eating?

A LITTLE CANADIAN THANKSGIVING HISTORY

Each year on the second Monday of October Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving. This festive day has many historical roots. Unlike the American Thanksgiving, it has nothing to do with pilgrims. According to history, the explorer Martin Frobisher is credited with the first celebration. After crossing the ocean and landing in Newfoundland, he gaves thanks for a save crossing. Samuel de Champlain, another significant figure in Canadian history had a celebration in 1608 in Nova Scotia giving thanks. Some say it coincides with the European Harvest celebration. I do not know of anyone who immigrated from Europe however that even knew about Thanksgiving until living in Canada. In modern times there were different dates and times Thanksgiving was celebrated. In 1957 the Canadian Parliament made it official- the second Monday in October - thanskgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest Canada has been blessed." So our celebration has to do with celebrating the harvest. Churches will have a cornucopia filled with fall vegetables and fruit in celebration. For my next few posts, I will reflect on various Thanksgiving themes. However the nicest aspect is Thanksgiving is a slow time with a good meal. Unlike other holiday times it is less stressful and a real family celebration too. What are your historical thoughts of Thanksgiving? Do you remember what you did at home and school to learn about the event?

NANA SAYS BE THANKFUL FOR HEALTHY CHILDREN

As Thanksgiving approaches, it made me think about healthy children. It is a miracle every time a child is born healthy but we can take it for granted. Our children are precious to us. However it means they do all the things healthy children do- cry, need attention, whine, learn to say No at two, dressup and use our shoes, become more defiant in their teens and want their independence from us. Knowing that having children then the luxury of grandchildren in our lives is a real blessing. So let me say beside being thankful for the Harvest at Thanksgiving, my husband and I are thankful for our two wonderful daughters, our fine and caring sons-in-law and four grandchildren. We also have family- nieces, nephews, cousins with little children here in Canada, Italy and the United States that we feel blessed to have those inter-generational connections. Our healthy children are our future. Those with Special Needs children, let us honour them and love them for who they are providing a caring society that accepts everyone. Are there precious children in your life? Does Thanksgiving make you want to reflect on the blessing of children and family?

TIME TO DRIVE SOME COUNTRY ROADS

With the colours on the trees providing an array of images, it is time to find those favourite country roads to explore. Driving within one-half hour of my home to the north then a little east or a little west, there are still lots of little woodlots by homes or even Ministry of Natural Resources properties that are interesting to view and even take a photo or two. As the season changes to cooler weather and poorer road conditions, there is the urge to venture on as many little day trips that can be taken in the country. Then it will be back to visits to the city! Country images seem to fill a need in me. Perhaps, since most of us have rural roots  transcending generations, there is a call from my ancestors to rediscover myself. Or my confinement at work makes me want to get out and explore the little corners of my world. Do you ever feel that way? If I can not visit the world, at least I can explore my local places with new eyes and experiences. Travelling the same roads in different seasons does provide those opportunities to link nature with ideas. Do you try to explore the same locales in different seasons? The same ocean or lake or road does give us an opportunity to view with new eyes, do you take time to think and reflect? Do memories come to the surface?

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW

Is the direction I learnt at a younger age. If it is a topic that is comfortable then it would will show in the writing. So this is my 800th post. I have tried to write about the areas of my life that have meaning to me. History with a little research; my postcard collection to reflect on travel stories or ventures;clinical issues taking in my years of social work and counselling experiences;whimsical because I can be silly at times; nana says to capture more clinical parenting counselling and personsal experiences; genealogy; crafts; and using my photographs to demonstrate or be symbolic in my posts to help make them interesting are some of the items I have included. When I check my stats, the posts with picutres and the whimsical ones have more reads. The clinical posts seem to be boring to most readers. I find the discipline of blogging to be helpful in keeping abreast of ideas, themes and photos to use. Readers notice I do not include my family although I do write about some aspects of my family life. If I am busy in another home like this past weekend, I do not post as I find the personal space I have created in my computer room with my notes, contact pages of photos, dictionary and thesauras allow me to write with better clarity. It is my space to think. I tried blogging from work one time and it just felt wrong. So whoever you readers are, thank you for visiting and letting me venture to new heights. I am trying to find some new themes to use. Perhaps you can suggest what you might want to hear from me and try to comment as I will answer your questions. See my postcard from posts to find my email address. So I will forge ahead with my daily routine.