Autumn & Thanksgiving

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Last year the Captain, Roo, Mum and I travelled to California for a holiday. It was autumn in the US and very beautiful everywhere we went. Even though it was close to Halloween, there seemed to be more focus on the celebration of autumn and thanksgiving than Halloween.

I had always associated pumpkins with Halloween but it seemed as though pumpkins were a popular decoration for autumn and celebrating harvest. I suppose because in Australia Halloween decorations always include pumpkins that was my association. However in California (which is a farming state) most decorations and events focused on autumn and harvest. Most of the houses had beautiful autumn wreaths on the doors and doorsteps covered with pumpkins and different types of squash, bales of hay and even sweet corn.

Everywhere we travelled we seemed to pass harvest festivals, pumpkin patches, houses decorated for harvest and farms selling fresh produce, home made goods and hot apple cider. There was also lots of focus on being thankful and preparing for thanksgiving. Mum and I really loved all of it and decided that we should celebrate autumn as a festive season too.

Although autumn is nearly over, I have currently decorated my kitchen with some bright orange pumpkins from a friend, spent much time making spiced apple cider (the American, hot, non-alcoholic kind) and made plenty of pumpkin soup. I had planned to do a thanksgiving dinner with my family, however that is yet to happen as we have had so much going on lately that we have not found the time to organize it. I do know what I am thankful for though, and that is family.

My family are the most amazing supportive people I know. Recently Roo was really sick, which isn’t a big deal, as lets face it, kids seem to get sick all the time. But this time Roo’s sickness coincided with my brother being interstate, my sister working away, my in-laws were overseas, mum had the shingles, and dad had an infection. I am super lucky as my siblings and in-laws are pretty much walking distance to my house. Mum and dad are also about 15 minutes away, but this time I actually had no one, well, not my usual supporters around.

It really made me think how lucky I am as many others I know live a greater distance from their family. Between my siblings and I, we can mutually support one another on a daily basis. It might be feeding a cat when someone is away or dropping by to make lemon ginger tea when they have a cold, asking them to pick you up when you don’t want to catch a taxi or dropping something at the post office for them when they don’t have time, bringing fresh flowers to brighten their kitchen or making them dinner when you know they have had a long day.

Anyhow until my thanksgiving dinner comes to plan, I will keep adding to my list of things to be thankful for.