Monday 11 October 2021

It's Thanksgiving!

 


The kids wanted to come over Saturday for Thanksgiving dinner. They are hosting their respective brothers for dinner on Monday. Saturday/Sunday were our days! It reminds me of the Thanksgiving dinners Jesse, my middle kid out in Vancouver, who would host an orphan potluck dinner for his single friends when he was in Toronto, and those away from home. 

I toodled on down the road to grab our turkey, and some more squash and a pumpkin from Diane. Once home, I washed it, prepared it, and got the turkey into the oven.

We planned the menu... Caitlin brought stuffing, but forgot the pie. One year she forgot the stuffing! She made a fresh one from scratch that year. This year she forgot the cranberries. JB planned for this and we had a can of cranberry sauce. He doesn't like turkey, but can tolerate it with cranberry sauce.

The kids arrived, and all the way here Josephine was hoping to find a snake. As soon as they parked their electric car, Caitlin got out of the car and found a wee Northern Ribbon Snake. Jos was thrilled!

They unpacked. I helped the girls blow up the bed in the basement, and then we all sat and chatted. It was good to see them. The girls have been doing well in school. We anxiously await the vaccine for kids Isabelle's age (11). that will make us all feel safer.

Isabelle is doing a cross stitch for Girl Guides. Caitlin held it up for a photo-op!

I popped the turkey in the oven at noon. I didn't have to truss it, as there wasn't room! Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the beautifully browned, yummy finished product. We'll be eating it for days! I shall freeze most of it!

I have some gourds from down the road, as well as a pie pumpkin and did my usual turkey centrepiece.

Caitlin brought a yummy dressing. We didn't cook it in the turkey, since they eased themselves into the weekend Saturday morning, arriving after lunch! 

We had a lovely visit. It was decided that we should pass on JB's Effy desk to Caitlin. I thought, since he was standing up in the kitchen to use his laptop, that it would help his back and his arm. It did not. Then, his laptop (my old one) gave up the ghost. 

 It wouldn't fit in their car, but it did fit in our car. The kids loaded it up after breakfast, and took off for home before lunch. We had lunch, and then I drove us into the city. We unloaded it, and life was good!

Caitlin is still working from home most days, looking out her front window! It fits perfectly. With the push of a button, it raises and lifts if you want a standing desk.

JB drove home, and I took photos. The geese were ubiquitous!


The trees are magnificent.

In Nepean, there were a few decorations!

They've added turtle fences, having redone Moodie Drive. 



The golf course was busy, and the river was high!


There were more decorations nearer to home.

JB spotted this sign on the way into the city. He thought it advertised Muskoka's Santa's Village, and it does! It's in Bracebridge, and we used to go, but it is a five-hour drive away from here. 


Santa's Village back in the day. It's now all high techie, and has bigger rides, and a zip line at the aerial park! Here we are at Santa's Village, back in the day!


The starlings are getting ready to migrate.

🐻SNUGGLE Bears

14 comments:

Tom said...

...I hope that you are having a wonderful day.

RedPat said...

You have had a busy weekend! Happy Thanksgiving.

DrumMajor said...

Lovely preparations for your weekend. What is a turtle fence? To keep turtles from wondering onto the road? Is it paid for by the local government or private land owners? Why does Canada do Thanksgiving before the U.S.? What is the history of Thanksgiving in Canada? I'm pretty sure the Plymouth Rock pilgrims didn't wander up to Canada... Linda in boring Kansas.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I keep forgetting that the Canadian Thanksgiving is earlier than the US version. It looks pretty similar. I think I'll start celebrating it also. I love smoked turkey but my MIL can't eat it so I can get my way on the Canadian day.

It looks and sounds like you guys had a great time!!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Happy holiday to you all - and oh those colours! YAM xx

Gaelyn said...

A great family gathering. Berta used to make Thanksgiving dinner for the singles. I miss that. Love the up and down desk and now trying to figure out how to put one in the 5th-wheel. The fall colors are gorgeous! Happy belated Thanksgiving!

Jenn Jilks said...

Linda, the turtle fences keep the turtle off the highways. Most of our Ontario turtles are endangered and at risk. Habitat loss, traffic, etc.

Re: Thanksgiving est. 1578
I don't know why American Thanksgiving is so much later than ours. I find it much nicer in the warmth of October, rather than November. But we are farther north than many Americans. The leaves are falling, and it is beautiful.

There is a <A HREF="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/thanksgiving-day>long history of harvest festivals in Canada</A>, especially by First Nations. We tend to get ice rain in November. This keep a certain distance from Christmas and December holidays, as well. It's nothing to do with your pilgrims.

Cloudia said...

I so enjoyed this wonderful holiday with you. Happy Thanksgiving Day and a beautiful season to you and your family

William Kendall said...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lowcarb team member said...

Lovely post and photographs.
Happy Thanksgiving Wishes.

All the best Jan

The Furry Gnome said...

Nice to see the kids.

Red said...

You had a fun thanksgiving with family.

Anvilcloud said...

We had the kids over yesterday. It was much better than last year's TG.

Jeanie said...

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. It looks wonderful. How nice to be together again. And you have quite a lot of color there!