Blissful, Joyful, Delighted, Gratified

These are all synonyms for 'thankful'. Which I am. My life is rich and full, and I am grateful beyond measure that I have 'all of the necessities and some of the graces' (a quote I love, from this book). My children, my husband, my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, my niece and nephew, my friends, my books, my home, the plants that live, the plants that die, the sun, the wind, the snow and rain, enough food, too many clothes, Tuesday night tea with Patti and Susan, girls' week-ends, bad jokes, good jokes, music, colour, beauty and mystery and zombie stories.

On Saturday we informed the kids that this was going to be our last hockey-free beautiful Saturday for the foreseeable future, and therefore we were going to go for a walk in Gatineau Park. Angus said "can I bring my bike?" We said "um, no." He said "But I hate walking!" We said "we know." I think I've mentioned before, also, that Eve hates the smell of fresh air. So we had no illusions - this was an idyllic family stroll under duress, and that was fine by us. As it turned out, they weren't all that annoying. Eve was bitter that all the fuzzy red-and-black caterpillars seemed to have been commandeered by toddlers, although she didn't go for our suggestion that she offer to wrestle for one. Angus found that playing 'leaf baseball' alleviated the tedium of all the sunshine and beautiful scenery.



On Sunday we went to Brockville to meet my mother-in-law and her husband at my husbands' grandparents' retirement home for Thanksgiving brunch. Nana was her usual cheerful and sharp-as-a-tack self, and Grandpa was much as he has been lately - not entirely sure who everyone is or what's going on, but happy to be surrounded by loving faces. He did snap to at one point, when my mother-in-law told a volunteer to bring him and Nana small glasses of wine, holding her thumb and forefinger close together to demonstrate. The girl left and Nana asked Grandpa if he would like some wine and he said tartly, "yes, but I wish you'd all stop measuring it with your fingers!" That'll be me when I'm 90 - grandchildren come and go, but wine is forever.

Monday we had Thanksgiving dinner with my Mom and Dad, who were nice enough to delay it a day so we could be with them. Angus discovered that he loves pumpkin pie, much to Matt's dismay. The wine was not measured in fingers.



When we were back in the lounge after brunch, I was beside Grandpa and Nana was on the other side. She asked him how he was feeling. He looked up from his wheelchair, on a day pass from the hospital where he's been for three weeks, and said "I don't have anything to complain about."

Word, Gramps.