ALL THINGS OCTOBER

 It's been a weekend filled with All things October!

Like raking leaves.....Lots of leaves....

And since I was raking leaves might as well have a fire going

And since I had a fire going, I thought I would try my hand at roasting chestnuts! You have to score them first because your options are a gentle bursting or a possible chestnut explosion!

They come out, after about 20 minutes on the fire, to look like this:

And, since I was raking leaves, and roasting chestnuts on an open fire, might as well toast a few marshmallows (cause there was an open fire)! Even better, let's throw those toasted marshmallows into a chocolate chai!

Now we are talking All Things October: raking leaves, fire-roasted chestnuts  and a chocolate chai with toasted marshmallows! 

But wait, there's more...it just happens to be October 31 

aka Halloween! 

So, let's throw in a few adorable grandchildren in costumes:

Caleb as Donald Duck (the cutest ever)

And Soren getting his first real Trick or Treating experience as one of the Paw Patrols (the cutest ever).

Crunchy leaves, trick or treats, jack-o-lanterns, fires, chestnuts and chocolate chai - time to head inside and bake up a batch of gingerbread cookies.

All Things October!

GRATEFUL

 

If I were to ask you what "grateful" means, what would you say? It's a feeling, a deep sense of thankfulness; it's an emotional experience to feel grateful! In the world today, it's important to cultivate and identify things that produce the oil of gratefulness to help you with the rough patches. 

Sheldon and I are back (and presently quarantining) from a trip to Vancouver to meet our second grandson, Caleb, and spend time with our son Adrian and his wife Carolyn. 

Here's the new Little Prince!

He presently excels at smiling, general chit-chat and has mastered the "B" sound!

I'm so grateful to be able to meet and hold this little precious bundle. 

Adrian and Carolyn are working through all the joys, all the surprises and all the struggles of figuring out how to raise another human being.

I'm grateful for them and their deep love for Caleb. I know they will do an amazing job. 

Travelling is not something we are doing a lot of right now so it was a privilege to visit Vancouver and take in its beauty. 

Mighty towering trees

And mountains kissing the clouds

The gardens still hold flowers, long gone in Ontario. 

Even the statues are trying to capture a pic!

We did not have any sushi this time round but the coffee is amazing and there were always treats to go along with it.

Does this cinnamon bun look delicious? It was, believe me!

I'm back home now and got the greatest, wiggliest welcome from Lulu. 

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to travel to Vancouver. I'm also very grateful to be home. Life has its share of frustrations, pain and roadblocks, but searching out the many things I have to be grateful for makes my perspective balanced. 

DINNER FOR TWO

It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada and really one of the most beautiful times of the year in this part of the earth. The air is crisp and the leaves take centre stage

It was a very quiet one for me! Thanks to the second wave and the plan to soon take a trip to Vancouver and meet our new grandson,  we are limiting our interactions. So no raucous family dinner this year!

But still, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a walk in the woods

How gorgeous is that!

We have much to be thankful for here even under the current circumstances.

This wagon load of carrots caught my eye

As did this decoration of flowers and corn stalks

And even though there were just two of us for dinner, I still wanted to make it special. 

Cornish hens with fresh herbs in a lemon garlic sauce

I accompanied these babies with potatoes, roasted squash, brussel sprouts and the last of the fresh corn to be had.

Dessert was my first attempt at a pear almond tart

Which was not too shabby, if I do say so myself!

Thanksgiving is a time to take stock of all the blessings we have. Like beauty and peace, good food in abundance, warmth, colour and love. Even in the middle of a pandemic, we can still find much to be grateful for. 

TREASURE HUNTS

One of the first games babies love to play is peek-a-boo. Nothing better than mom or dad's face being hidden and suddenly PEEK-A-BOO! Their treasured face reappears. The joy of finding them is reflected back with a rewarding baby giggle. 

I'm positive the art of finding things that are lost, seeking out treasures  is part of our DNA. Why else are we so curious? Always searching for new discoveries, always asking "why". 

One summer morning as I was enjoying my coffee in the back yard, I could hear a bird song I did not recognize. "Lord, could you bring that bird a little closer, so I can look at it and figure out what it is?" (no harm in asking...). But God was busy it seems and no random bird showed up. Then, after about 20 minutes, a strange bird did show up however the song was different than what I heard earlier. I pulled up my bird app and narrowed it down according to the shape. Eventually I determined it was a Black Billed Cuckoo (also known as a rain crow as they often sing before it rains). And as I read up on the cuckoo I discovered it has a couple of different songs and one matched what I heard earlier that morning. The answer to my question didn't just land in my lap; I had to do some research to figure it out. Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of Kings is to search things out."  

Wisdom is considered a treasure of great value and one worth seeking out. Sometimes we're stumped and can't figure out a solution. "If any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." James 1:5. 

Our job is to hunt down the treasures: ask, seek, investigate, research. If you are really stuck ask the teacher. He will give you the wisdom and insight to lead you in the right direction. 

Of course, there are a few mysteries we can't figure out. I certainly have a few pointed questions for the Big Guy. But I believe the answers are there waiting for me, just maybe not in this lifetime. 

Meanwhile the treasure hunts continue. I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see. 

THE FINE ART OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

 The term "social distancing" was basically nonexistent this time last year. Ah 2019....you seem an easy breezy fond memory to me now. But I digress...

According to Wikipedia, Social Distancing is:

"a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other."

It occurred to me this is what we do every year when we go interior camping. Maybe not so much to prevent the spread of a contagious disease, but we definitely got the physical distance thing and reduction of close contact with people going on. 

Nothing but wind, water, woods and sky.

We had some of the best canoeing weather I've ever experienced.

When it wants to, Joe Perry Lake in Bon Echo Park can whip up a wind that makes for a very grumpy lake with frothy, angry whitecaps.

But not on this trip!

Turns out Lulu is no Lemon when it comes to camping. She is a very happy camper!

And a Beach Baby, but, not much of a swimmer!

What's social distancing (and camping) without roasted marshmallows???

I realize camping is not everyone's cup-of-tea. But if Social Distancing is the newest craze, I'll take it with a canoe in the Canadian woods!

WELCOME PRINCE CALEB!

A new Little Prince has arrived!

Allow me to introduce Caleb Theodore, born on July 23/20! He's pink, fat, bright and perfect. 

And my heart is full of gratefulness for this new addition to our family.  

I'm so very proud of my daughter-in-law and my son. They are smitten with this little babe and I know he is going to be lavished with love and raised well.

It's a little strange to see your "baby" holding his baby!

The bond between a mother and her son is unique and precious!

This will be a different grand-mothering experience for me; one that involves a lot of FaceTime and photos. 

I can't hold him, or smell him or kiss the bridge of his nose or his rosebud mouth. 

You see, Caleb is in Vancouver and I'm closer to the other side of Canada, in Ontario. Throw a pandemic into the mix and hopping on a plane just willy-nilly is a little difficult. 

Still, I'm so grateful.

Grateful for the safe arrival of Caleb. 

Grateful for new life and the blessing of another grandson

Grateful for technology that allows me to connect in a virtual way.

I was reading today in Chronicles 2:6 about King Solomon dedicating the Temple. Here is a man standing before his people and this beautiful temple. This was his Father King David's heartfelt desire to build. I can almost hear his voice crack as he acknowledges he was able to fulfil his father's wish. Not only his Father in heaven, but his earthly father's. 

He is overwhelmed with gratefulness. And God, who searches hearts, knows this man and the depth of his feeling.

 I haven't built any ornate temples gilded in gold lately..

But I do have this legacy. And for that, I'm grateful.

 

SENDING OUT SOME LOCAL LOVE

It's raining outside. A good, solid, steady rain applauding on my window. The dry, parched ground is soaking it in; this much needed love from above! 

Our economy is also dry and parched and in much need of some love - not from above (though I wouldn't turn my nose up at it), but local. 

Doors are cautiously opening with masks as protocol and sanitizing stations in place. The community begins to gather again and enjoy face to face connections. 

Where I live, my downtown has been working hard to safely draw people out. And I get the sense the goal is not so much to spend money, but to build our sense of community. A sense of connection,  belonging and a healthy culture. 

I biked downtown on Friday night to send out some local love. There were numerous places to sit outside for a drink and listen to local musicians like our homeboy troubadour Andy Forgie.

At one local shop, Kate's Kitchen, I snapped a pic of this lovely vignette outside. Inside I was smitten by a pair of blue and white china mugs now a part of my morning coffee routine.

Another one of my favourite haunts is Boretski's, a vintage store whose owner has a flair for decor.

These prisms are on display and add a sense of fun and whimsy

On Saturday night, we went for dinner with friends at Paulo's.

There is a lovely courtyard and the food is authentic and fresh. I enjoyed the Pasta Primavera

And a special dessert of meringue with gelato and a splash of espresso.

Now, how pretty is that??

COVID is a part of our life now, with its' risks, tragedies, confusion and confines. We are all adjusting in our own way. Let's send out some local love to rebuild our communities in this new world.