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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,O ctober 10,2019 theifp.ca VOTE Dr. Lesley BARRON • A price on pollution • Protection for oceans & forests • Electric vehicle incentives • Eliminating single-use plastics • Home energy savings programs A ut ho riz ed by th e offi ci al ag en tf or Le sl ey Ba rr on . Only a Liberal MP will deliver Real Climate Action. WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS lesleybarron.ca THE WAY WE WERE This 1910 postcard was addressed to Miss Mathews (1871-1951), a well-known piano teacher who lived at 113 Main Street S. It was rescued from her house before it was demolished in 2007 to make room for the parking lot at the end of the business district. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the founding of Halton Hills (Esquesing township). EHS photo Here we are, approach- ing Thanksgiving, my fa- vourite holiday on the cal- endar. In a few days, I expect to take up a position in my re- cliner, kicking back with a cup of coffee, preparing for my daughters and their families to join The Side- kick and me, as we cele- brate giving thanks, gath- ered at Brown Farm. I maintain Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year - no pressure to buy greeting cards, no gifts to purchase and minimal dec- orations to put up (unless you really wanna go all out). It's also the final holiday weekend before Christmas, reminding us that the year is quickly coming to a close. Most people consider Thanksgiving weekend the time to close up the cottage for the winter. I don't have a cottage, but Thanksgiving does re- mind me that I have numer- ous "'round the home and farm" chores to get done, in preparation of the coming of winter. Every year I take the week around Thanksgiv- ing to rearrange the driv- ing shed on the farm so the snow removal equipment is accessible, while the lawn mowers are packed away at the back of the shed. It's the weekend I pack up the Mustangs and the "L'il Red Rocket" for the winter, and give the tractors and snowblower a once over, making sure I can face the snow storms of the not-too- distant winter without freezing my butt off. I've already installed the snowblower and tire chains on the big tractor, in spite of the fact some peo- ple think I'm nuts doing it this early in the year, say- ing, "Geez Ted, winter is sooo far away." But I can proudly state that it has been a very long time since yours truly has struggled to install the snowblower or bust a gut slugging the heavy chains onto the tractor tires while wearing encumbering win- ter clothing - as the weath- er outside the driving shed door accumulates the white stuff. I tell ya, experience can be a grand old teacher, if you let her be. I have not-so- fond memories of my dad and me bundled up in snowsuits, struggling to mount the snowblower while a blizzard was blow- ing outside the door of the shed! Thanksgiving is that time when we all sit down to break bread together and give thanks for the wonderful, hot steaming turkey dinner in front of us, eating until we hurt. And later, we will nod off in front of the fireplace in the living room, with more "little people" adding to our numbers every year. In spite of all the warm cosy things I do during my favourite holiday of the year, I always make certain I never lose sight of the real reason we celebrate Thanksgiving. It's a time when we take a moment to appreciate and take stock of all the wonderful people and things around us - our fam- ilies, our friends, the great country we live in, the beauty of the season and the countless blessings which descend upon us this time of the year. It's a time we're encour- aged to help those who are not as fortunate as rest of us, who do not have friends or family close by to enjoy the season, and who must rely on the food banks for their Thanksgiving dinner. So this weekend, wheth- er you're at home or out and about with friends and fami- ly enjoying the final display of fall colours, make sure you do one thing. Take a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath and appreciate all the good things around you. In the grand scheme of things, we're pretty fortu- nate. We live in a great country, province, town and community. And we need to remem- ber that. We should never take things for granted. This is the weekend to solemnly give thanks. Ted Brown is a free- lance journalist for the IFP. He can be contacted at tedbit@hotmail.com. THAT THANKSGIVING THING… OPINION IT'S MY FAVOURITE HOLIDAY, WRITES TED BROWN TED BROWN Column