Thanksgiving Weekend

At Thanksgiving dinner this year, I did not get to announce, once again, that I was thankful for not dying in childbirth. None the less, the weekend was fun and interesting, with several highlights.

On Saturday we went to the Pow-wow at the Mask arena in Rama. Despite living so close to--and going to school and work with--Native Americans for most of my life, I'd never been to one before. It was interesting, though not what I expected. It seems that I'd forgotten that a Pow-wow is a gathering and a reunion and not a show. So I went there expecting a show and was greeted with, instead, what appeared to be mass disorganization and confusion.


The costumes on some of the dancers were spectacular, however. I loved the more traditional-looking ones--all feathers and bones and porcupine quills with intricate beadwork throughout. There was a group of male dancers with impressively bird-like headdresses, who also did an impressively bird-like dance. There was an aura surrounding them which I found intriguing--something like mystery and power, like they were tapping into something ancient through their dress and dance.

So we passed part of a rainy Saturday that way. Sunday was largely spent in food preparation. I'd prepared my Mushroom Nut Loaf in advance and so didn't have too much to do. For dinner there was a turkey, my loaf for the vegetarians and everyone else to try, roasted sweet and regular potatoes, asparagus, green beans and brussels sprouts, and Toni's squash souffle-type-thing. For dessert there was blueberry, apple and pumpkin pie. We all ate too much food and mostly had fun doing it.

Sunday night we left Orillia, heading Ajax-ward to get ready for our annual apple picking excursion, which has become somewhat of a tradition. The weather all weekend had been cold and rainy and then suddenly Monday was blazing hot--a record setting temperature day, apparently. We were all overdressed and the only carrier I had for Emeth was lined with a fuzzy blanket for the colder weather! I think we might have all gotten a little bit heat exhausted, but we got some cool apple cider and refreshed ourselves as Istra played around the pumpkins and hay bales. Anne joined us this year and so makes an appearance in Tim's famous apple-picking pictures.