Giving Thanks Twice a Year

I remember in my youth helping Mom set up the Thanksgiving dining table display, fall leaves, fruit and vegetables, “Indian corn” and carefully chosen gourds tumbled out of the cornucopia basket.  A three inch high Pilgrim couple were placed beside it.  They were actually candles but reverently packed away each year and never burned.  Family, feasting and consciously giving thanks for all we had in our lives.  Our family often spent Thanksgiving weekend at a cottage, hiking, canoeing and telling stories around the wood stove, something to be extra thankful for; and it all took place in my favourite season, Autumn. 

In our fifth year of travelling to the US in November, we are lucky to participate in the American Thanksgiving.  Here, the day is a gigantic holiday focusing on family and food followed by Black Friday shopping and the hype of Christmas commercialism.  We will be joining a room filled with other campers here at the park.  Turkey and gravy are prepared in the community kitchen and the ten guests at each table bring the many accompaniments to make the tables groan.  We are contributing mashed potatoes and spiced pumpkin cake.  It should be fun and as it takes place at 2:00 pm, we will have daylight left for a bike ride afterwards.  We will watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which will have extra interest after visiting New York recently in August.

Here are a few sights we are thankful to see every day when we walk Dixie around the park.  We have had a mixed bag of weather with lots of rain and a good quantity of sun and fresh breeze.