[size=24]November 23rd[/size]



Happy Thanksgiving USA

American Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November.

The custom of celebrating Thanksgiving, an annual celebration held after the harvest began around 1621 when the Pilgrims fulfilled a successful and bountiful harvest in the New World. 

(Canada's was 1578!)

The first Thanksgiving Proclamation was made in 1675.

In the late 1700's a day of national Thanksgiving was proposed by the Continental Congress.

In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom. By the middle of the 19th century many other states also celebrated a Thanksgiving Day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a national day of thanksgiving. Since then each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation, usually designating the fourth Thursday of each November as the holiday.

http://www.kidsturncentral.com/holidays/usthanksgiving.htm

Which is what we in Ontario call 'The Prairies". This is from my son in Saskatchewan:

Or, as they call it in the US, Veterans Day. I think it is similiar to ANZAC Day (25 April) celebrated in Australia and New Zealand.

A time when we remember. And we must remember and say 'thank you'.

Last year our Scouts Canada put out a badge in honour of our Veterans. These were given to Veterans all across Canada with our thanks and our appreciation. Here is what it looked like.



(I hope you can see the whole picture)

Here in Canada Bell Telephone has a wonderful tv ad they air every few years. It is of a young man in France. He uses his phone to call his Grandpa. When Grandpa answers and discovers his grandson is in France his eyebrow raises, a grin on the face appears and he says "Checking out the girls?".

The grandson replies, "No, Grandpa, I am not in Paris. I am in Dieppe." At this point there is a change of expression on Grandpa's face. His eyes (camera) immediately goes to a framed photo on the table. It is of Grandpa and 3 buddies, in uniform, probably taken during the war. The grandson continues, "Grandpa, I just called to tell you Thank you."

I get tears every time I see that lovely ad.

Here in Canada we wear the Poppy. This was inspired by a poem written by during the WWI, copied here (We all memorized it in grade 5!):

In Flanders Field

In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

(further info on the story behind the poem can be found at http://www.greatwar.nl/frames/default-poppies.html

I discovered that the selling of the poppy started in England when the then government - like the governments in other countries - refused to help the veterans and unemployment was very high. So the women (YES!) started selling these and the tradition goes on here in Canada with the Legion selling them every year.



And finally, unfortunately not all people will respect the Veterans.  One case in point was a recent experience in Shopper's Drug Mart, a national pharmacy here in Canada. The incident inspired a song. You can upload the video here (I hope!). It will probably take a couple of minutes - but well worth the wait. The music video is about 4 minutes long.

Well, I did not get to Nova Scotia. Sigh. Today I would have been flying home. Instead I am photocopying completed forms to get a refund for my Mom's and my air fare. Thank God for Cancellation Insurance! Mom went to see the doctor and has to go for blood work and such. But the doctor, at this point, is not concerned.

My son Adrian had a whirlwind trip from the west coast to the east coast and back again! He and 2 of his buddies thoroughly enjoyed themselves. He stopped in to see his niece and nephew going east but didn't see them again going back.



(Kieran Nicholas is 2.5 months in that photo and Avery Maria just turned 3 years)

The beard - I loved it on him! - he shaved when he stopped in enroute back to British Columbia. He had a wonderful visit to Nova Scotia (God's country! I'm homesick!) and I enjoyed seeing his pictures. I even recognised some of the places he went to.

The snow keeps threatening. It comes, melts, comes again. Cool - very cool - at night. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, it is the end of October after all!

Yahoo member directory is still giving me a pain. But I gather there are millions of people having problems with it so they (yahoo) are working long and hard on the problem. That will be nice. I am looking forward to continuing my business, using the internet to find new busines partners/friends.

In the meantime our choir is getting ready for a small part for Remembrance Day concert with the Chamber Ensemble on November 11th. We are singing 2 songs: "Sunrise, Sunset" and "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". We enjoy doing them both.

Then our Christmas concert with the full orchestra will be Dec. 9th and we are doing 'heavy' songs: Hallelujah Chorus, Jesu Joy and a couple of others plus the standard 'sing a long' with the audience. Hard to believe 2 months to Christmas!

Thats it from me for now. Look forward to your comments.

   This past weekend was one of celebration and support.

In December of 2003 my older sister, Norma, died on the operating table, just before Christmas. She left her husband of 18.5 years, Don. He was devastated. Lost. Didn't know which way to turn. He did sell the farm house and moved in with his sister about 8 hour drive away and she and hubby helped him in his journey through grief.

He was involved in a church in Kitchener and while there met a lovely woman. He and Kerry were married on Saturday (September 16). It was a pleasure for most of his in-laws to show up to celebrate with him. My Mom - his 'former' mother-in-law - was listed in the bulletin as "Mom MacKinnon". I had the privilege of singing during the ceremony (while they signed the guest register) and my husband looked after the sound machine. A great celebration of joy.

Then on the way home we stopped in the city of Barrie. Our late son, Graham, called Barrie 'home' since 2000. There we met with a number of his friends and had supper together and they shared memories of Graham with us. It has been over a year since he died and we all needed this time together. It was wonderful - over 3 hours together!

So we finally arrived in our driveway after having driven over 1700 km (over 1000 miles), tired, but happy.

For more details on the above sculpture, check
http://www.thelibby.com/IC.html

Hats off to the people of Gander, Newfoundland & Labrador, and area, who took into their home the passengers on 100 different planes while they were stranded, awaiting clearance to complete their journey.

This Canadian says thank you to the fishermen and families and all others who gave even though you had not much in material things, to share with your neighbours.

President Bush may have neglected to thank you in his famous speech, but those who were recepients of your generosity will never forget and are eternally thankful.

Peggy Bendell

This is the beginning of what became the most memorable week for me. This time last year was my son, Graham's, last week with us. Rememberint the time - of course there are many things I wish I had said and/or done had I known.... Makes me more aware to make each day count.

A number of Graham's friends want to come up this weekend to celebrate his memory. (They started planning this as they were leaving after his funeral last year!) So we are having a 'come and go' at the church on Saturday afternoon. It will be a time of sharing, laughter, yes, tears, and pictures.



It has been an interest 2 months since I last wrote. My 90 year old Mom and I went to a women's conference together - she was the hit! Here is May MacKinnon sitting while we were standing and singing.



Mom and my husband, Ted, had a wonderful 2 + week in Saskatchewan and British Columbia this past April/May. Now
Mom and I will be flying to Nova Scotia in October. The church where I grew up is celebrating its 50th anniversary - and we started going there 49 years ago. An 8 day whirlwind trip with both of us trying to visit friends and keeping tabs on each other.

Mom will be 91 on August 29th. Last year Dad was still alive and we had a WONDERFUL surprise get together for her 90th. Turned out there were exactly 90 guests!

My grandson is growing like a weed. His big sister has finally 'accepted' him (lol). Still haven't met the lad yet, one day.

That is my blog for now. Love getting messages.

Peggy Bendell

Ted & I are VERY pleased to announce the safe arrival of our 2nd grand child. Our first grand son!

Shannon was scheduled for a c-section at 12.30 mountain time but she went into labour lthe night before. So that bumped her surgery up and the baby was born at 10.26 am

Here are the details:

Name Kieran (a name they liked) Nicholas (a form of Colin)

Date 2006 June 01

Weight 10 lb 12 oz (4890 gm)

Length (will be height soon enough!) 22.75 in (58 cm)

Mother, Baby, Dad (Colin) & big sister (Avery Maria) are doing well.

Well, tonight the two happy travellers (my husband and 90 year old Mom) board ViaRail - the train with the dome car, and travel through the prairies and the Rockies to Vancouver.  Mom's ticket says she has the top bunk and Ted the bottom but I think Ted will switch ha ha!

This is the son they are going to visit - holding his 2 year old niece Avery Maria whom Grandpa has already read many stories to!

 WHITE STUFF on my front lawn. Clean white stuff. AWFUL white stuff.

It went to -7 C last night (okay 19.4 F) and the rain didn't have a chance. Ugly ugly ugly.

BUT it is to go to + 7 C today (44.6 F) so that SHOULD get rid of it.

The only 'nice' thing one can say is it makes the place look clean and it hides the fact we haven't raked our front lawn yet. Tomorrow, right? My story and I'm sticking to it..

Today, in honour of what would have been Eric's 21st "coming of age" birthday, I am posting 2 photos of him.

AGE 2

AGE 15, his last Christmas, 2000 (he was annoyed with the photographer at Sears because she made him smile! lol)