Childhood Traditions

There weren't a lot of traditions in my house as I grew up. We always hung our stockings up and left out cookies and milk for Santa. Don't worry, we didn't forget out the carrot for Rudolph. I remember my mother working on Christmas a fair bit. In the mornings, we were allowed to open our stockings, but had to leave the other gifts for when my mom got home.

One of my most favourite parts of the holiday season was driving around with my parents looking at the houses that were decorated to the nines. They used to print the best houses in the paper for the Christmas light tour. A couple of the houses were interactive where you could get out and go in the backyard, have a cup of apple cider, and there was even one with a Santa.

Also, later in life, I liked wrapping presents with my mother and sister. Patricia would sit on one side of the bed, me on the other and my mom across from me. Each of us would have a different person's gifts to wrap. There was something hectic and awesome about that evening. Something I really enjoyed.

On Christmas Eve we'd have macaroni and cheese, my mom used Cheese Whiz and would cut up canned meat in it. That might be weird to hear coming from my vegan fingertips, but I loved it. And there was always a big dinner on Christmas. I suppose my mom's stuffing is a great way to end this blog. It's the same stuffing I still make. Of course, I don't stuff it in a turkey's butt. Neither does my mom! Still one of the things I look forward to about the holiday.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Some people might not know Canadian Thanksgiving takes place in October. In fact, today's the day, though most people have their big dinner on the Sunday, not the Monday. We're doing it tonight. It's just the five of us, the four boys and I - Mr. Sidekick, Oliver, Dixon and Bruce. Small and perfect. It'd be nice to have a bit of family around, but it's three o'clock and I don't have to spend all day in the kitchen for just the two of us - an added bonus of keeping it intimate. And I made our dessert yesterday, an apple-cranberry crisp. Turned out wonderfully and allows us to have dessert two nights in a row. It's the little things in life.

Thanksgiving was originally a time to give thanks for a prosperous bounty for the harvest. These days, it's an opportunity to gather with the ones we love and, ideally, reflect on what we are grateful for. Americans have Thanksgiving in November but has been rendered pointless by Black Friday - the most greedy of all days, where people purchase things they don't need right after being thankful for the things they do. Then people ask me why I'm not a fan of Christmas, as if they haven't noticed it's degraded into a consumer driven gimme-gimme fest.

That's why I am happy Thanksgiving takes place in October here, the most perfect of all months. Even the torrential downpour can't get my spirits down. In fact, it lifts them up. I have candles lit, knitting to do, and boys to cuddle. My hair is a mess. My clothes are comfortable. There are no judgments here. And I'm happy. But this is just a regular Monday. Pretty much the same as last Monday, and the one before that, expect there's going to be stuffing. Stuffing doth make an occasion special. Still, I try to be grateful every day, at least over something. The scent of the woods in the morning. The sound of the ocean. Good conversations. Lush bath bombs. Vegan treats. Turning yarn into wearable items. Collecting seashells. Fuzzy bearded kisses. Helping others. Showing acts of kindness. Working hard. Writing words. Sipping teas. Hot baths. Cool beds. New dresses. Scarves.

And the list goes on.

Some of us need a day to remind us of what we have. And some of us are reminded every day of it.