Thanksgiving

It rained last night. The autumn has provided us with enough rainfall to refresh the trees and plants, so much so that Attila is cutting the lawn. The last time the lawn was cut was just before Labour Day (first weekend in September), and before that it was in June.

This morning I had a few strawberries, fresh from the garden, for breakfast. Attila covered the plants on the nights we had frost, so they are still producing. Most of the work in the garden since the frost is focused on removing frost killed plants, and composting the greenery. Soon Attila will empty the rain barrels and prepare them for the winter months.

We are still hanging our laundry out to dry. As the sun’s strength weakens the process requires more time, so we need to wash the clothes early in the morning to give them time to dry properly.

For the moment Attila and I are entertained solely by the offerings of Prime Video. Most of what is offered is either violent (murders, murders, murders… so little imagination, so much violence), or so silly as to seem insulting. There are gems there though. Right now we are watching (for the second time round) Sherlock Holmes starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freemen, and enjoying it very much. Although it deals with crime, it uses story development, rather than graphic violence, to entertain the audience.

I have developed an interest in Asian dramas, relying on subtitles to understand the dialogue. To this end I subscribe to Rakuten Viki. I find the historically focused series much more complex and interesting than the contemporary offerings, which usually focus entirely on very young adults and romance… not my thing. I think part of the attraction for me is that the stories do not relate to my personal experience or history, so that I can easily suspend disbelief. I also enjoy that most of the series I choose to watch promote balanced personality traits, such as honesty, compassion, kindness. Those may not be in any greater supply in those cultures, in reality, but I appreciate that those traits are promoted as desirable and admirable.

Currently I am reading The Law of Dreams, written by Peter Behrens. I have been reading Canadian authors of late. So far the novels have been very dark, very compassionate, and without elements of humour. I shall see if the Law of Dreams differs in this regard.

Attila and I keep a jigsaw puzzle on the go. It takes up a lot of space in our small house, which it earns by entertaining us for brief moments during the day, and a relaxing half hour before bed time. During the day we wander over to work on it when we have a few minutes to spare, such as waiting for the kettle to boil, or a timer to go off. Some are fun and easy, others are of an antagonistic persuasion, as is the one we are currently working on. Eventually even the most challenging puzzle is completed, and we move on the the next. My Mom also enjoys a good jigsaw puzzle, it runs in the family, as does the pleasure in reading.

I have been adding new data to my genealogy database, not a lot, but some. It is a pleasure to know more about “my people”, those who have influenced who I am at the very core of my being. Their contexts, their strengths, which are part of the family lore, and their challenges and weaknesses, which are avoided in the family lore. It is one thing to love someone for their strengths, it is quite another to love them despite their weaknesses. I fall more deeply in love with my ancestors the more I know about them, the good and the “bad”. It helps me to understand them as complex whole people, gives depth to my experiences with, and memories of, them. As a result they give me insights into myself, a fascinating gift from the past. Sometimes knowledge is not for the feint of heart.

And so another peaceful day is passing here at Mist Cottage.

It is Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. Attila and I will spend it quietly and happily together. We plan on baking an “Impossible Turkey Pie” for ourselves, and I might just bake a mincemeat pie, or mincemeat squares. I have not had a dessert since tasting my sister’s Carrot Cake at a dinner she hosted, it was delicious!

I am thinking today about the Thanksgiving dinner I hosted for family back in the early 1970s, at my cottage. My Granny and Grandpa came, my Mom and most of my siblings, and some of my cousins, everyone was invited, but it was a long way to come so not everyone could attend. We set up a huge homemade table made from two 4 by 8 sheets of plywood, and brought every chair we owned, including lawn chairs, to the cottage so that we could seat everyone. Days before the celebration I roasted several turkeys at home, with all the trimmings: dressing, mashed potatoes, baked squash. I baked six pies to bring for the meal. The food only needed be reheated to serve. It took a lot of organizing, and kept me busy for a few days, but it was worth every minute.

My Grandpa brought his chainsaw, because we had two forty foot high hemlock trees right by the roof of the cottage. The trunks were about a foot from the edge of the roof. Grandpa, who had felled trees all of his life, assessed the trees, then went to work. He dropped those trees expertly, right along that roofline. It was amazing.

I have some wonderful Thanksgiving memories.

Worldly

Weather

16°C
Date: 2:00 PM EDT Saturday 11 October 2025
Condition: Partly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.2 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: 15.8°C
Dew point: 8.5°C
Humidity: 62%
Wind: SSE 13 km/h
Visibility: 24 km

Quote

“Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it.”
J. K. Rowling
1965 –