Pumpkins - for Decoration and for Food

I love pumpkin pie and squash pie - but I've also enjoyed pumpkin as a vegetable in Moroccan-style "couscous" stew. 

(The Moroccan friend whose mother made the couscous couldn't imagine using pumpkin in a sweet dessert. It was so deeply entrenched as a vegetable in her mind.)

While traveling around in fall, I've noticed pumpkins for sale in many places.

Most will end up as decorations - something that partly makes me sad. I hate to think of an edible vegetable tossed after its use as a decoration is over.

When my children were young, we'd carve out jack-o-lanterns -  but when Halloween was over, we'd scrape out the melted wax inside the pumpkin - then chop the pumpkin up and cook it... for pumpkin pie.

Thankful

My mother died four years ago today... It was a sad day for all of us who knew her. But, looking back, I am thankful for all the good in the midst of the sadness of that last day.

Thankful that she spent only one day - a Sunday - in the hospital. We had seen her the night before in the nursing home. She had a fever. Was she coming down with a cold? I remember wondering. It was unusual for her to be sick.  Then at 5 am,nursing home staff called to say she had been sent to the hospital by ambulance. Her blood pressure was low and her heart was racing... We headed over to the hospital and were waiting in her room when she arrive back from tests...

I did not expect this to be her last day, so I was in shock...

But looking back now, I am appreciative of so many good things the day included:

• Because it was a Sunday, our son who lives in Ottawa was off work, so he was able to spend the day at the hospital with us. 
• One of my cousins (from Edmonton) was in town taking a course and (because it was Sunday) she wast able to spend a few hours at the hospital with us, too.
• I didn't say much to my mother because I had a hard time understanding her speech. (She wasn't wearing her dentures.) But when I called my brother and he spoke to her, her speech was clear. Later my two nephews phoned from Texas and she spoke (clearly) to both.
• One of our friends, who is a nurse, was working in a nearby ward. She dropped in from time to time...
• The hospital staff were kind and compassionate.

Now her ashes lie in a columbarium  niche in a church near our home, so we can visit whenever we want. 

She had regularly attended the weekly religious service that this church's pastoral team held in the nursing home. They knew her. They were her last church community. So it seems appropriate to me that her ashes have been laid to rest in a chapel in that community. 

New Pumpkin Carving Technique

After carving my pumpkin last year, I noticed a new pumpkin art technique:

Peeling!!

I'd like to try that sometime! It's probably harder than it looks...

Then, at the same pumpkin carving display (at a Scarborough Boys and Girls Club) I saw this cute pumpkin...

I guess not everyone likes scary pumpkin faces!

Carving a Pumpkin

I hadn’t carved a pumpkin in years...

But last year, I carved one with my granddaughter at her home. She was 3 - now she’s 4... I had joined their family to wait for her brother’s birth.

It’s always more labor intensive than it looks!!

My father used to wash the seeds, mix them in salt water, then roast them in the oven.

He had grown up on a farm, where every treat you ate had to be produced by hand. He enjoyed preparing seeds - sunflower as well as pumpkin - for winter snacking.

Memories!

Delicate Beauty

Wandering around Galt, a few weeks ago, I was in awe of this delicate fence around a churchyard... 

So many stones! How many hours did it take to make this?

Most stone walls are made of large hewn rocks...

In comparison, this delicate fence looks like lace.

Beautiful... and awe-inspiring, when I think of all the planning and work involved!

Appreciating Guelph's Beautiful Autumn Leaves

Before leaving Guelph, on Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (October 10-12), I took a stroll around Exhibition Park near my daughter's home.

The leaves were changing colors...

Fortunately they don't all change at exactly the same time, so the season of change is lengthened.

The red maple trees are especially beautiful...

But I enjoy other contrasting colors as well.

At times like this I wish I were an excellent painter...

I wish I could capture the stunning beauty of nature that I experience when I'm outdoors...

But I can't. I always fall short.

One of my early art instructors described painting and drawing as "optical illusion": Artists attempt to draw and paint the illusion of three dimensions on a flat surface...

 

Attempting to draw or paint nature has made me so much more aware of the grandeur of God's living, breathing art work in nature, in comparison to my feeble attempts. Nothing in nature is an illusion. It lives and breathes, changes from season to season, rising up in the spring, dying down in the fall.

Every season, every object in nature is beautiful. Nothing is ugly... Nothing!

It’s Hard for Grandparents - in a Pandemic

It’s hard for grandparents, in a pandemic... 

We may see our children and grandchildren outdoors, but only from a distance...

No hugs...

Wearing face coverings...

But if we all do our part, hopefully this pandemic will end soon!

Fun-Filled Days

We didn’t have any set plans for things to do when we visited our daughter in Guelph a few weekends ago. We wanted to enjoy going out - but still avoid crowded places. For the most part, we succeeded. (In spite of the pandemic, Niagara Falls was still a busy place.)

But - even with our haphazard planning - every day was interesting. And (of course!) food was a big part of it!

We enjoy farmers markets - so we were happy that Kitchener’s weekly market was open the day we were there. I bought baked goods - Empanadas and European-style poppy seed cake that I can no longer find in Ottawa, ever since the Rideau Bakery shut down.

One day, we headed for a cheese shop in the country, not realizing it was located on a working farm.

The Gouda cheese produced there has won prizes...

Despite the rain and a long gravel driveway, a steady stream of customers came to buy Gouda cheese in this out of the way shop.

Before leaving the farm, we wandered over to see two calves near the barn. One was bleating for its mother in the barn - who returned the call every time her calf cried. Amazing that she knows her young one's voice!

The day we headed for Niagara Falls, en route we discovered a wonderful park in Port Dalhousie, near St. Catherine’s. 

We took a lovely walk...

Leaving the park, we came across a vineyard where wine tastings were being hosted...

So we stopped in.

(I should really add that impulsive last-minute planning is much easier when we have access to tourist information and maps on our cell phones!)

Galt

One of my favorite places to visit - and walk around - in southern Ontario is the former town of Galt, now part of the larger city of Cambridge, Ontario. The town is full of old churches, like this one...

I asked my daughter to take some photos with my phone - while I used my camera. 

(I’m using her photos here... This is a "panoramic" shot taken from a bridge.)

The river walk is stunning! We often see fishermen next to the water.

Whenever I come here, I feel as if I’ve been transported to old Europe!

Each time we come, we explore a little farther down the path. 

This is definitely one of my favorite Southern Ontario towns to visit!

A Peaceful Place to Live

Canada has two well-known young men named "Justin" - one, a politician; the other, a singer. I'm proud of both .. but I don't envy them. It must be hard to be so well-known...

“I don’t know much about Stratford,” I told Terry and our daughter as we headed there for first time (the topic of yesterday’s blog). “All I know is that people go there to see Shakespearean plays - and that Justin [the singer] grew up there... I wonder if the home he grew up in is a museum...”

(Perhaps I should mention that I'm refraining from writing out either of their full names because I don't want a search engine to link either of their names to my blog!)

I checked online, but didn’t find a museum! However I did discover that the singer was born in London, Ontario, the city where my youngest son and his wife met at university. I’ve been there a few times, though not since my son's university days.

I also discovered that the singer still has a home in the region. A few days later we happened to be in the vicinity... 

We didn’t see the house, but the area looks like a peaceful place to live! 

First Visit to Stratford, Ontario

Terry and I recently visited Stratford, Ontario for the first time.

Stratford is best known for its vibrant live theatre.

I don't know how many theatres there are in Stratford, but the main one (pictured here) is surrounded by a beautiful park.

I'm not sure what actors are doing these days of pandemic... Outdoor theatre?

We weren't aware of any plays happening while we were there.

We wandered around the park enjoying the lovely scenery... 

With colorful autumn leaves, it was an especially beautiful place - and time - to visit!

Niagara Falls in Autumn

A few weeks ago, we were in southern Ontario visiting our daughter.

We planned daily outings - one to Niagara Falls...

The day was sunny but cool...

Walking near the falls, we were occasionally surprised by wet, cool spray hitting us.

There were a surprising number of visitors at the falls - though no tour buses. Possibly families - like us - enjoying a "stay-cation," visiting local sights.

Wakefield, Quebec in Autumn

With winter slowly but steadily approaching, I'm finding it harder to stay indoors on a sunny day...

This is why, last Saturday, instead of staying home to do laundry or read, I suggested a drive in the country. 

Who knows how many more beautiful days we'll have before winter?!

I left the destination up to Terry. He chose Wakefield, a scenic village across the river in Quebec, where a former railway track that runs next to the river is now a walking path... 

We hadn't been to there in a while.

It's not that far...

But early in spring, the border between Ontario and Quebec was closed to stop the spread of COVID - and now there's talk of closing it again.

So off we went!

The day was beautiful - but a little cool.

I was surprised to see surfers riding the waves in the river. To avoid being carried away by the current, they were attached by rope to someone sitting on a rock.

Hope they enjoyed their day.

After marveling that anyone would be in the water in this cool weather, we continued walking into town - then back to the car.

We were only gone for a few hours - but the change of scene really brightened my day!

Thankful (for the Flu Shot)

I get the flu shot most winters. I remember the first time I got one. I was teaching in a large school. One day, after classes were over, public health nurses set up vaccination stations in the cafeteria for the whole community to come for flu shots. I went down to get one...

That was easy!

I like things to be "easy" - especially where my health is concerned. I don't like to spend time waiting in crowded places, especially places where people may be sick.

So today I'm THANKFUL that I was able to get a flu shot - without much planning - a few days ago... They are offered for free in pharmacies and doctors' offices... 

As soon as I heard that the flu shot was available, I headed over to my usual drug store - where they were already out of flu vaccine - though more was on order...

That being the case, I crossed the street and went to a supermarket with a pharmacy section. There I met with success! Thankfully, they had the "regular" shots - though they were out of the "extra strength" ones for seniors...

No problem! I'll take a "regular" one...

That was easy! Now I'm #fluless according to the bandage they put on my arm...

Glad to get that done, this year in particular - when we have more viruses around. I may look into getting a pneumonia shot as well - something my doctor recommended a few years ago. It seemed like an unnecessary hassle at the time - it needs to be ordered - but this year I should really get it done.

Back at Andrew Hayden Park

Andrew Hayden Park has become a favorite walking destination for me the past little while. 

It’s not far away...

The fresh air near the water is invigorating...

The scenery stunning. 

But the river does bring a breeze.

The weather is colder. Time to dig out my winter hat and gloves! Fall is truly here...