It is hard to believe that we’ve had Thanksgiving weekend already!
My 70th birthday party was a blast. There was a chance of rain but it held off for most of the day. That was a good thing as our small home would have had difficulty fitting in 46 people! The food was amazing, as were all of my friends and family who made it out. My son had surprised me when he came through the door with his wife and two children. He was to have worked that weekend. There were so many of my Forest City Toastmaster group past and present who came out to celebrate with me too. I was truly blessed to have all my friends in one place. Even my best childhood friend made it out and stayed overnight. The trailer and house were full. I will treasure the memories of this most special birthday and all who made the effort to come and celebrate with me. Jim made two of my favourite dishes and was such a big support. Everyone pitched in to help. I had not one but two birthday cakes! Both were devoured in short order. Thank you to all who called or were present for my celebration. This meant the world to me.
The same week as my birthday we travelled up to Barrie with our RV and had our Grandchildren stay with us. What a blast that was. There were so many things for us to do at the KOA just outside of Barrie. They even had a zoo presentation with a bunny, snakes, etc. No pool unfortunately as there had been a leak. Sad as the temperature was in the high 70’s. The girls never got tired of the playgrounds. We even went for a wagon ride around the park. There is a small pond there which just that week had swans fly in. What a gift that was to see them. They were just resting up before the next leg of their journey. We roasted marshmallows and of course we spoiled them. That’s what Grandparents do right?!
I don’t know about you, but I have been enjoying every moment of this wonderful Autumn weather. To have such warm days last into October was truly a blessing. I soaked up every moment. As many of you know this Autumn we had to take down several trees that had been failing. Not sure why they were dying: age, climate? I noticed that many trees in the neighbourhood were not doing well either and the city had removed quite a few. We had over 10 trees when we bought many years ago. We did replace our Norway maple with a Hackberry Tree. The City of London gave out free trees. Because it is native to the area and is resistant to fungus and disease we thought this might be a good choice. The bark is quite ornamental as well. It also has small berries that you can eat, as can all the other wildlife in our back yard.
Interesting fact: Native Americans used the hackberry as a source of food, for medicinal purposes, and for special ceremonies. The bark of the tree was boiled down and used medicinally to induce abortions, regulate menstrual cycles, and cure venereal diseases. Hackberries have a thin, very sweet purple skin surrounding a crunchy shell with a tiny nut inside. Hackberries are almost like a hybrid between a nut and a berry. They are a versatile, power packed food. Flavour will vary from tree to tree, but in general they are sweet, tasty, and crunchy. I am looking forward to seeing what this little 5 foot tree looks like as it gets older. I never even knew about this tree; however, the arborist mentioned it as a replacement tree for our maple.
Yesterday as a volunteer I started teaching with my co-leader, a course called “Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Pain.” This is part of the South West Self-Management Program. I took some training in the Spring to do this. It was great to get back to teaching again. I truly missed this from my Psychiatric/Addiction nursing days where I taught Communication classes. I have found that since being at Forest City Toastmasters my speaking skills have improved and I am no longer nervous in groups. It was a truly fun day and the people present were awesome. This is a 6-week program. I am looking forward to the next five weeks. If you have ever wondered what happens at Toastmasters, come visit us free for our open house on October 24th at the Goodwill Centre, 255 Horton St. There is lots of parking available. Our group is every Thursday from 7 – 9 p.m. Please come early and a greeter will direct you to our room.
My daughter came from the East Coast this past week for a short visit and we enjoyed beautiful Port Stanley. What a treasure that place is. The Buccaneer is my favourite place for perch & fries. My daughter’s gluten-free meal was chicken smothered in melted cheese in a broth with fresh veggies was amazing as well. I know as I had some of the leftovers!
I continue to love having my Reiki clients come to my home office or indeed at Wellspring. It is always wonderful to help people feel better. I love to hear the comments after a treatment about how relaxed and balanced they feel. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces is pretty wonderful. It is especially great to have a new client who goes in feeling tense and in pain to almost floating out. They definitely feel lighter. So glad that Reiki came into my life and that I have been able to give back the joy that it brings me.
I hope you had some yummy turkey and pumpkin pie with friends and family at Thanksgiving.
Always remember to count your blessings. They are so important to get you through those rough days. The beautiful Autumn colours will brighten any day. Sometimes you just have to look to nature to give you some peace and healing.
