It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada — Thanksgiving Day is officially on Monday, but our family, like many others, generally gathers for the turkey on Sunday, so that we have all day Monday to unwind and enjoy the leftovers before the work week begins again. . .
And after decades during which the Saturday before Thanksgiving entailed carting home many bags of groceries and so much potato-peeling and brussels-sprout-trimming and turkey stuffing and pastry-making. . . we have the luxury this Saturday of anticipating a delicious meal at our daughter’s home tomorrow. Six adults and three kids will chow down very contentedly, and then Nana and Granddad will go home to a house where not a pot or pan needs to be scrubbed and there’s nary a wine nor gravy stain to be coaxed from a napkin or tablecloth. . . .There will be a touch of melancholy, perhaps, some nostalgia over those years long gone when little ones still needed their bedtime stories before the dinner clean-up could be tackled. We’ll be a bit sorry not to have the turkey leftovers (sorry enough that we’ll probably buy a small turkey and roast it up sometime in the next few weeks.
But mostly, we’ll be very thankful for our good fortune.
And today, I’m enjoying the time to reflect on our two-day getaway to Victoria, on Vancouver Island. Our son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren live there, and we were missing the little ones. Youngest has recently moved into the bedroom that used to be a guest room, and the basement reno encompassing a new guest space currently awaits bureaucratic approval. So we checked into a nearby spa hotel (that’s sunrise from our room, in the photo above — and you can see the hot-pool from which we admired the full moon one frosty night), and we’re thinking this might become a happy tradition.
Not quite a Staycation, because it does require a 90-minute ferry ride (and then 25-minute drive), but close enough . . .
The weather was spectacular — flirting with frost at night, and crisp sunshine during the day. I’m surprised how pleasurable it was to wear my wool coat again after so many months (and quite sure this pleasure is time-limited).
We went for walks together, admiring local sculpture (the metal wolves are chasing a deer, which I failed to spot until I’d put the camera away — you’ll have to imagine it)
And I did some solitary ambling as well, when the thrower of that long shadow was busy tele-conferencing. . . .
Just across from the hotel is a Native-Plant Garden
a patch of wild-ness in the middle of a gracious residential neighbourhood. . . .
Perfect for forest bathing (shinrin-yoku is the Japanese term for the therapy developed there in the 1980s)
You
really
don’t
need
more words
from me, to understand this. Do you?
And after a spot of forest-bathing, that sensibility is awakened, and I see echoes of the forest . . . as in the hotel hallway, where a shaft of sunshine next to a wood-paneled column recalls patterns of sunlight on a tree trunk. . .
I have more photos to share from our getaway, but I have an appointment with a small flamenco dancer shortly, so I must run. Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers and Happy Saturday to all of you. . . And may there be some forest-bathing in your days, some sunshine too.
xo,
f
Happy Thanksgiving! Will be basking in a Quebec apple orchard next week. We made the mistake of visiting on Thanksgiving one weekend and could not spend any time chatting with the owner. So, next week it will be! In addition to apples, we will pick up pickles, pickled beets, and chow for American T-day. I love visiting the orchard in October because of the color and the quiet. Thanks for the beautiful photos. The trees were striking. Carol in VT
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Beautiful,magical nature captured in your photos Frances
Happy Thanksgiving to you,Paul and your family
Dottoressa
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happily turned over the reins for family Thanksgiving meals (US) to my daughter and daughter-in-law for several years now–though every family brings something for the meal so it is collective cooking. True, no leftover turkey in the fridge, but so worth it to not deal with all the prep and then the massive clean up.
Glad you had your forest-bathing moment. Good for the soul of a now city-dweller.
Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrated last weekend as my son and his partner find it almost impossible to even walk on the ferry Thanksgiving weekend itself!
I know the native plant garden very well but your stunning photos reveal it in a whole new light.
Frances in Sidney
This is my kind of Thanksgiving!! I just finished making a cake for the peeps who are coming to my house this eve – peeps who make me anxious. Already had a fight with Scott on this very topic. Spa hotel is so my jam. And a great restaurant meal would work just fine for me 🙂
Carol, I'd love to visit that Quebec orchard — I'm sure the colours and scents will be wonderful, if the weather cooperates. . .
Susan B: Thank you!
Thank you, Dottoressa!
Mary: It's a treat, isn't it? And yes, I do need some time with trees all 'round, so restorative. . .
Frances in Sidney: We caught the 1 out of Swartz Bay on Friday and it wasn't bad, but I think it's always worse the other direction. Makes sense to celebrate earlier or all the gratitude evaporates in the ferry lineup. You're lucky to know that little patch of wild-ness — I'm sure it's a delight in all seasons.
K: We're still doing a family T-giving dinner, but at my daughter's. The spa hotel was last week. . . So I get turkey but don't have to roast it. Almost a restaurant meal (especially since my daughter and her husband are culinary-school-trained, worked in the industry for years. WinWinWin!! 😉 On no account should you have to feel anxious — I've never tasted your food but I've drooled over enough of your IG. Those peeps are too lucky!
Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful time with your family.
What comes to my mind is that you are finding ways over and over again to bring sights and sounds akin to your island life to this new life in the cit(ies). xoxox.
Happy thanksgiving Frances!
You are in my city in the area where I grew up. I worked at the original OBBH when I was a teen. Enjoy the mineral pool!!!
Lisa: Thank you! And yes, I'm getting better and better at identifying what I loved (and needed) most about my island life (and have missed) and making that happen in my new urban life. Getting there. xo
Hostess: Happy Thanksgiving to you as well — Buon Giorno del Ringraziamento! I thought that as I walked from the hotel to Ivy's Books ;-), that I was in your stomping ground. Didn't imagine you'd worked at the hotel itself, back in the day. We did enjoy the pools — under the moonlight, lovely!
Beautiiful simply beautiful! Thank you for sharing your day with us. Autumn is so wonderful. I just love the changing seasons
Lovely light Frances and no words needed. Happy Thanksgiving ( belatedly ) Margaret
I loved this post. My daughter and son-in-law are now hosting some of our holidays. We recently enjoyed our Jewish New Year at their home. It’s a wonderful feeling to see them continue the traditions with their children.
On another note, you reminded me of the week we spent on Vancouver Island several years ago. Part of our stay was at a hotel/spa on Brentwood Bay. Now I would like to plan another trip to that beautiful area.
Roberta, Marob, and Karen: So glad you enjoyed the post. And Karen, I'm glad you've had a chance to visit Brentwood Bay– my husband's stayed there for work, but I've only driven by. . . .Again, beauty right in the backyard, still waiting for me to discover 😉