THANKSGIVING

     Tomorrow is  Canadian Thanksgiving. Traditionally it was a time to consider the harvest of fruit and vegetables and animals. People produced their own food and they had to produce enough to last a whole year. No sneaking over to the store when you run short of things. 

     As time went on Thanksgiving became a time of general thankfulness for what we were given in that year. 

     So this year I am thankful more than ever for my life. Next week sometime I will be 84. As my Irish twin says. "The numbers are getting big."

    I am fortunate now to have very good health. Yes, I have aches and pains. I can live with them. I have no big health issues. I do not have any of the usual problems the elderly have. I don't have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any of the usual senior issues. I am very thankful for my good health. After I finish this post I'll go out for my nightly 3 km walk. 

       I do all my own yard work because I can and I like it. I dig my vegetable garden by hand.

    I don't think I'm sliding into any of the age related conditions such as dementia. 

   A friend and I discussed yesterday our short term memory challenges . We admit it but decided that we can live with it.

   So I'm thankful for the good things I have at this age and look forward to more good things. 

    So Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian pals. 

THANKFULNESS

    Since it's Thanksgiving say there is a tradition to take some time and list what you've been thankful for over the last year.    I sometimes try to think back and remember what I said last year that I was thankful about.

    Now usually we name things that are large in our life. Such as , Mom and Dad. Mom had to put up with me for 34 years and Dad 68 years! My parents gave themselves very little credit for raising and providing for me. I'm sure I've expressed thanks for the Micro Manager in my life. Most of the time the Micro Manager is just that...someone who looks after the important details. I'm thankful for my son and daughter and granddaughters.

    However, this year, I can't help but think about all the little things that go into a year. The chat with someone. The joke shared, The warm smile. The help holding a door. The good books I read. The dogs that are walked by each day and who visit me. The birds that visit my yard. A cloudy day. All of these things are small. So I am thankful for all the small things that make up daily life.

    Daily life is what it's all about. We move through life one day at a time. There are no big gulps. Just small sips. Little things make up our life and that's what I'm thankful for.

    So Canadian friends, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving

     I wish to say Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadian followers, but I also want to say more than that.

    So , not wanting to show my tremendous ignorance about Thanksgiving, I decided to do some research. Wow! Did I learn a few things.

    Thanksgiving has a very long history. It's gone through many changes, but the basic sentiments are still there.

    Our Thanksgiving originates from European harvest festivals. Since most of the population at that time were farmers, they were very thankful for a good crop and once it was harvested they celebrated. I would guess that the harvest festival goes much further than Europeans.

     The first North American Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Arctic explorer, Martin Frobisher somewhere around Baffin Island.

     Canadians drew upon their European roots for Thanksgiving celebrations. Dates of celebration were different in each region. The dates also change. In 1957 the Canadian government set Thanksgiving to be noted on the second Monday of October. Since that time Thanksgiving has become commercialized and has very little to do with being thankful for a good crop. We are making an effort to stop and note what we are thankful for. Churches do celebrate Thanksgiving.

     Why the difference in dates between Canadian and American dates?  Probably our harvest is complete before the American harvest. Our weather deteriorates earlier so we set the date earlier so that we have better weather for activities.

     Today we had a high of 20 C (69 F) so it's very pleasant. So yes, I'm thankful for very pleasant weather. Many times it can be very unpleasant with cold and snow.

    I am thankful for many things on a personal level. However, I would like to be thankful for many changes around the world but that doesn't seem to be happening. We have a major refugee problem which only seems to be getting worse.

    So folks, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving

      This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. To all my Canadian followers, Happy Thanksgiving.

      Thanksgiving here is a somewhat moderate long week end. There are a few exciting Canadian foot ball games, but foot ball is not a big deal except for those few who like it. Mostly families get together for some visiting. The big turkey feast is all but gone. We had roast turkey breast with the trimmings. If the weather is fine , outdoor activities are enjoyed. If we have rotten weather well inside activities take place. 

     So yesterday was a fine fall day. We had a high temperature of 21 C (72 F) with lots of sunlight and calm. I wish I knew how to take a photo of a nice fall day.  We didn't set any high temp records ,but it was very nice.  We are looking forward to a pleasant weekend weather wise.

     Now it is tradition for one to identify what one is thankful for. Usually we pick one thing that has been a major influence in the past year. I'm not good at selecting one thing that is above all others. I am thankful for all the usual: family, good health, good friends, peace, hope, excellent community, fine neighbors, blogging, bloggers... My hope is that as many people as possible can be thankful  for what I am thankful for.

    And to my American followers, have a great Columbus day week end.

Happy Thanksgiving to My American Daughter

     My daughter's life fits nicely into four sections. First, she lived at home until she finished High School. Second she spent 11 years attending university and working. Third, she came back to the city and taught for 7  years. Fourth, she moved to Chicago.

     When my daughter came back to town she was a well established adult. She insisted on having Thanksgiving at her house every year. She's a rebel and would not do the traditional Thanksgiving feast. She liked to try other things. So we had leg of lamb, steak, chicken, duck ... a variety , but never turkey. Thanksgiving at her house was always a good time. It was something to be thankful for.

    Now she does thanksgiving at a different time with different folks. She still has a great celebration. She still shares with everyone what she is thankful for.

    So Happy Thanksgiving to my American daughter! Happy thanksgiving to all my American readers. I am thankful that you follow me and share your blog.

The Thanksgiving List

     I was introduced to the thanksgiving list a few years ago where we would say what we are thankful for. It's a good exercise. It puts some meaning into Thanksgiving and leads us to stop and  appreciate things .

  Since this is the blog world I thought I would keep my list connected to the blog world.

   1. I'm thankful for the people who follow my blog. You are the ones who put meaning into what I write. I very much appreciate that people stop by and visit Hiawatha House.

   2. I'm thankful for all the great blogs that I get to read. I go for variety . So some blogs publish excellent photography. Others are humorous. Some blogs are very descriptive other other places. Other blogs relate daily life. Many blogs have very attractive layouts. Some blogs stick to a very narrow topic that is covered in depth. I have to be thankful that you work so hard on your blogs and that I benefit from it.

    3.I'm thankful for comments. Comments do many things. Comments make me think more about what I wrote. Comments often gently show another point of view. Comments are always enlightening for me!

    4. I'm thankful for the genuine friendship of fellow bloggers. You have to really care to read and comment on what I write. You pick up on things that you like and things that I struggle with. Thanks for the help and support.

     5. Some of you are great huggers! So thanks for the hugs. They are most appreciated. 

     I look forward to more high quality blogging.