Category: Nova Scotia

Canadian Thanksgiving 🦃🍁🍂🌰

The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are more closely connected to the traditions of Europe than of the United States. Long before Europeans settled in North America, festivals of thanks and celebrations of harvest took place in Europe in the month of October. The very first Thanksgiving celebration in North America took place in Canada when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, arrived in Newfoundland in 1578. He wanted to give thanks for his safe arrival to the New World. That means the first Thanksgiving in Canada was celebrated 43 years before the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts!

And somehow…I just think it’s better celebrated in October…when the summer’s hardwork pays off with a bountiful harvest of various produce and the leaves are all in brilliant colour. We are so blessed!

Today is a rainy day for Thanksgiving. It’s supposed to rain all day BUT this year I am so thankful for the rain. I think everyone is. It has been the driest summer in 40 years and the water in the lakes and rivers is so low going in to the Fall and Winter months. So we are especially thankful for this steady rain today!

Cranberries are made. Turkey is in the oven. Desserts are made. Table is set. Just waiting for the family to arrive…

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img_8454 img_8433 img_8435 img_8437 img_8438 img_8449 img_8447 img_8448It was a wonderful time spent with Family. So blessed, so thankful!

The CHURCH at Grand-Pré

Today is Sunday. Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday and I wish I was off to church with James and David but I’m not able to this morning. There is just so much to be Thankful about living in our beautiful country. Days like yesterday when you see the beautiful “Colour of Fall” on display against a gorgeous blue backdrop is one of many reasons.

One of our stops yesterday was Grand-Pré in the Annapolis Valley. Grand-Pré is a rural community in Nova Scotia. Its French name translates to “Great Meadow” and the community lies at the eastern edge of the valley on a peninsula jutting into the Minas Basin surrounded by extensive dyked farm fields, framed by the Gaspereau River and Cornwallis River.  Grand-Pré was made famous by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Evangeline. On June 30, 2012, the Landscape of Grand-Pré was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The church and statue at Grand-Pré are beautiful to photograph.

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And a quick stop at Evangeline Beach before leaving Grand-Pré

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Happy Thanksgiving Sunday!

I’m Smiling!

World Smile Day Falls on the 1st Friday of October.

Today I am full of smiles. You see next week my sweetie has a week vacation BUT what I didn’t know was that he starts that vacation TODAY! Yes, he’s home today having coffee this morning with me while we both do our morning catch up on the computer and then…

a trip to the market for some Fall decor.

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A delicious lunch…chicken apple soup with a hint of curry and biscuits, we picked up at the market

and maybe…a little adventure today.

It’s such a gorgeous day for the long weekend and start of our vacay.

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David even got out on the bike…

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And Abby was all smiles because she went in the car to spend the day with Nana & Papa

A perfect day!!! 😀 Keep Smiling!

 

Advance Polls

It’s not only election time in the USA this fall, BUT it is Municipal and School board elections in Nova Scotia this month, October 15th to be exact.

TODAY the advance polls open! It’s time to vote!

And before I did anything this morning, from the comfort of my living room in my Pj’s…I voted!

Oh, and by the way… my Abby Girl is 9 today!

Hard to believe this little one fit in a Timbit box…

 

 

Community

I live in a small town on the east coast of Canada. Bridgewater is on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Bridgewater is surrounded by interesting communities and special places, I think so anyway. I never get tired of exploring. All through the year there are special events, suppers, auctions, festivals, markets, and just fun things to attend…community things. Things that bring people closer.

Next week we have some time to explore and we plan to do some fun day trips. But what I really enjoy is being able to drive just 15-20 minutes to enjoy some of these great things.

Like… the “Annual Visitors” that come to Mahone Bay this time of year

Or a stop in Lunenburg for a quick walk along the waterfront and to get a treat one last time before this sweet shop closes for the season

And a home cooked meal at a local firehall in the community where we used to live and chance to catch up with some old friends

This is community and some of the many things we enjoy.

Have a great day!

Leaf Watch!

I am officially on leaf watch! The colours are really starting to pop in our part of Canada. It probably is helped by the frosty mornings we have been having the last few days ( I don’t want to put the heat on yet)

Just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend and…David just needs to get through this week and he has a week vacation. A perfect time for us to do some day trips and chance to capture the beauty of the leaves!

canada-day-ws img_7596Stay tuned…