Snowy Speculations

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If I could paint, I would have tried to replicate the landscape very early this morning. Illuminated by the faintest hints of light and hours before sunrise, the cold, stark landscape lay completely still in its snowy blanket. Naked trees stood proudly and quietly against this backdrop, this palate of pure white an unforgiving place for any creature, big or small, to attempt to cross without drawing attention to its existence at this time. Even our ancient tire swing looked sleepy and droopy, suspended precariously close to the ground, as if the effort of hanging from a tree limb was too much for it. To the east, the only rays of light visible were the ones coming from the across the river, and even those seem hushed and muffled, like a child tired and murmuring not to wake them up just yet.  The young families down the road have gone all out with Christmas lights this year. Bright colours adorn the night skies and my neighbours even have a Christmas Cat and a Christmas Dinosaur th...
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Thanksgiving Dining

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We are celebrating our eleventh Thanksgiving at our home today. We moved in late October in 2009. At that time, there was no access to the east side of the house where most of the property is although we changed that shortly after we moved in by taking out some windows and installing a sliding door and deck. It offers some of my favourite views - the escarpment in the distance, views of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the serenity of endless vineyards dotted by the occassional home or barn. What's not to like?

I have always loved paging through magazines or watching shows where they feature outside dining spaces across the world. They can be simple little cafe tables or long elegant rows clad in formal white table cloths featuring the most beautiful dishes and glassware! That type of setting speaks to me and I love arranging something similar for our dinner guests when the weather permits.

A few years ago, my mother was off on holiday in Germany and my father was by himself for Thanksgiving. Knowing how quickly the natural light fades and the temperature drops later afternoon, I decided to invite him and a few other family members for a small Thanksgiving lunch. 

The day dawned bright and sunny, although on the cooler side. Once the turkey was in the oven, I dragged some tables out of our back garage and whatever chairs I could find and placed them around the tables. We weren't a huge group, but when you're eating outside, you don't want to constantly make the trek back into the house to get something you've forgotten. So I made sure there was plenty of room to place the dishes and drinks, along with the appropriate coverings to keep any unwanted visitors away.

While waiting for my family to arrive, I went on Facebook to relax for a few minutes. As I scrolled through the standard Thanksgiving wishes and greetings, a picture of the table I had just set outside grabbed my attention!  Someone driving by toward the Parkway had stopped and posted a picture of my little Thanksgiving set-up.  The compliments and the dialogue this photo started made me laugh. It was a nice feeling. 

We've hosted many outside dinners at our home. For my father's 80th birthday, we had over thirty people dining on one long row of tables set up with the foliage of the green forest in the background. There is something rustic and beautiful dining al fresco. In these Covid times, it's not unusual to pass people eating their meals outside while wearing their jackets and warmer clothing to ward off the elements. People are eating under umbrellas while it rains and no one seems to be bothered by this change. It's a more relaxed dining time that we are living in. In fact, one could even go so far as to say that dining out has become a privilege. So why not celebrate this time of Thanksgiving under the blue skies and autumn sunshine that we live under in rural Niagara-on-the-Lake?

Lolita Schimann Hale


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