Thanksgiving and Harvest Home

It's hard to believe that it is already Thanksgiving weekend - autumn is almost over. I looked out the window yesterday and with the wind there was a rain of leaves falling from the trees. Here in Muskoka, the colour parade is mostly over and many of the trees are already bare. But the weather this Thanksgiving weekend has been beautiful, sunny with a touch of warmth that is unseasonal for this time of year. It has meant that we have ben able to get out and attend to the last of the garden tasks, like putting away the gazebo, table and achairs for the winter, cutting back the perennials and storing the statuary. But somethings have really surprised me.

Yesterday I purchased a new ice cream maker at a yard sale and today in celebration of the harvest season I made pumpkin and ginger ice cream. I had just told my husband I would have to wait until next summer to try lavender and honey ice cream but lo and behold, when I went out to get some parsley from the garden I noticed the lavender was blooming again. Hurray! Guess what? Tomorrow we try lavender and honey ice cream with locally made Papa Jim's honey - yummy!

It's time for pumpkins and squash, potatoes and turnips. I spent the weekend deocrating the church for Thanksgiving and it looked lovely celebrating the harvest from local gardens. How lucky we are to live where we do and in this time. Others in our world are not so lucky. But it's the rainy season in Wongonyi Village, Kenya and Ronnie is in the village checking up on the banana plantation and delivering seeds we've sent him to farmers in the village. The Lukundo Self-Help Group (a group of young men who are tryiing to improve their lives) have just benefitted from one of our microfinance loans to start a banana plantation too.

So many things we have to give thanks for - a bountiful harvest, good food, family and friends and most of all the ability to share our good fortunes with those who are not so fortunate. So celebrate harvest home - invite some friends or neighbours to celebrate Thanksgiving with you!