What do you get when you fill a house with people from the four corners of the earth? Some great food! Joe and his ESL students made quite a feast for lunch today: chicken satay, lamb kebobs, fried noodles with barbequed pork and vegetables, an Asian salad with peanut sauce and a Vietnamese dessert served at special occasions like weddings, funerals, etc. Joe ended up with two birthday cakes – both chocolate – but then you can never really have too much chocolate cake! And while a lot of that still sits on our counter, I’ve just baked a third cake – this one pumpkin cheese cake – for a crowd that will be here tomorrow night for dinner.

 

As for Halloween, it’s been pretty low key. We have had very few kids, and when I went out for a walk a short while ago, the streets were almost empty. It was a gorgeous night for a walk – mild, with the snow glistening on the trees. I couldn’t help but marvel though at how much my life has changed in the blink of an eye.

Flashing back 10 years or so, Halloween was a hectic time where I’d try my best to get some semblance of a healthy dinner into three very excited kids before they jumped into their costumes and raced out the door. Tonight I was on the phone with my daughter who’s at the other end of the country, in her own house, giving out her own candy. My oldest son was likely doing much the same thing from his own place in Victoria.  It seems so strange, and I can’t help but feel a bit melancholy. I’m starting to understand why people enjoy their grandkids so much (not that I’m looking for those any time soon). They get a second chance at partaking in all the fun stuff they did with their children.

So who knows…in another 10 years I might find myself once again trying unsuccessfully to feed some little ones before they head out for an evening of trick or treating. I look forward to that day. In the meantime, Happy Halloween everyone.