SENIOR SCAPE: Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

October 19, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Christina Doyle

Ah, the beautiful month of October…of color, of family get-togethers, of taking precious moments to enjoy the magnitude of art outside your window.
May this month bring you joy, health and much laughter.
If your life were a book, what title would you give it? If I may, I think my own book would be called Enough Whining Already, or even Ripley’s Believe it or Not.
Like you, there sure hasn’t been a dull moment in my life, but in the end I am truly grateful for all that I have learned and continue to learn about myself and others.
October never fails to remind me of the time when I was a newlywed and trying to impress my mother-in-law with an incredible dessert for the Thanksgiving family dinner at her place.
The recipe was similar to Sex in a Pan, for those gals who remember such a desert during the 80s. It was delicious and full of chocolate! Well, I had made the mistake of adding salt instead of sugar into the recipe as I had inadvertently put salt in the sugar bin.
Here come my excuses — I was rushing for our trip to Marmora, Ontario (husband’s hometown), and husband was just about ready to go; also, I was refereeing yet another fight between my young children over a toy. I finally managed to get the dessert in the fridge to solidify.
Upon arrival at mom’s house, and much anticipation of waiting during dinner, and, of course, my endless bragging of the dessert that I had prepared had everyone waiting impatiently.
Do you remember an episode of I Love Lucy, when Lucy had to try sipping a spoonful of a type of vitamin liquid for a commercial she was doing? Her face said it all. Well now, in my case, I have never seen so many shades of green, and the onset of specific terminology being said about my dessert. Ahem, a little too colorful for this paper!
As I stood there watching people up chucking my desert onto their napkins and even running, not walking to the bathroom sink, I was looking for a rock that I could hide under.
My mother-in-law, God bless her soul, was a real farmer’s wife and an amazing cook, so this experience of my cooking set huge doubts on her face as she looked at her son, thinking, “that poor boy must be starving. What the heck does he eat?” Which may explain the huge doggy bag of food she gave us as we went home that evening.
Well, 37 years later, I finally mastered the art of cooking (somewhat) thanks to the incredible number of cookbooks I had bought over the years. Oh yes, October certainly has us reflect and ponder and hopefully a few laughs along the way.
With the many festivals and fall fairs upon us, there is no reason for us to stay home and wait for the white stuff to come. Keep busy but in a healthy way.
Remember: every day is a good day. Of course, when we’re sick, worried, grieving, depressed or frantic, we aren’t interested in the day’s quality, we just want our misery and pain to end. It does end, so just enjoy each moment that you are blessed with, and say to yourself “and this too shall pass.”
Remember that mantra, so that mountains can become molehills for you. Enjoy a slice or two of pumpkin pie, get outdoors and smell the autumn leaves and the fresh smell of grass being cut for the last time of this season. Wear autumn colors, save the black sweater for winter, and come to the greatest place of fun and friendship, the Aurora Seniors’ Centre and meet up with old friends and even some new ones along the way.
Buy a good book and turn off the TV and make a nice cup of tea and relax. Life is a paradox, but we don’t have to make it any harder than it is already. So, don’t worry —be happy and love one another.
If I may quote from William Cullen Bryant: Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.
May this October bring a smile to you, may you be surrounded by people who care about you and love you just as you are. With a grateful heart, I want to thank you for allowing me to share a part of my life with you each month.
May it bring you comfort, peace, a smile and much love, knowing that I care about you too! See you next month.
Seniors’ Centre News
Learn Bid Euchre is held each Monday at 10 a.m. You don’t need to know how to play and you don’t need a partner — just pay your $1 activity fee and show up.
Improv Group is a new activity. If you enjoy lots of fun and laughter and don’t mind making a bit of a fool of yourself, then come out and enjoy. It is held every Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Creative Colouring is something fairly new. If you have one of those adult colouring books and crayons, then join the group on Thursdays at 1 pm.
For more information on the Aurora Seniors’ Centre and all it has to offer, drop by 90 John West Way, visit the web site www.auroraseniors.ca, e-mail asa@auroraseniors.ca, or call 905-726-4767 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.