Cayuga Street This Afternoon

Caledonia Christmas Light Show

The Caledonia Light Show runs until Sunday, December 10 inclusive. If you have not had the opportunity to see it, there is still time!

Bundle up, take along a hot chocolate from one of the Caledonia businesses ~ French vanilla cappuccino would be good ~ and settle in. You may want to watch the sequence more than once. Kids and adults alike can appreciate the arguing snowmen.

Showtime is 5:30 P.M. until 11:00 P.M. (See our December 20 post.)

Photo: Compliments of Joel Smith Photography

Literary Hour Alive and Well

In a used bookstore ~ where the coffee pot is always on ~ we regularly hear the most interesting book reviews. Just by suggesting Thursday afternoons as a good time to meet someone other than the crazy book lady, we created an informal literary gathering. The discussions are never limited to any one topic ~ or book.

Local historian, author Cheryl MacDonald ~ professor of creative writing ~ left a telling email, "My goodness. What a place! Complete bedlam but so much fun." [We should add, It isn't always bedlam.] Cheryl goes on to say, "You have created this wonderfully vibrant, comfortable place for people to gather and talk about books and writing. (and costumes for dogs, lining up for celebrity writers, finding a husband...) Complete with hockey team members. I just grinned all the way to Caledonia."

Graphics by Amy and Megan, former storytime readers/regular visitors

Post Script: The usual Cast of Characters are currently in Kingston, Florida and Grenada for the holidays or at home reading a book. Everyone welcome. Drop by any Thursday after lunch. Bring your crocheting, rug hooking or whatever it is that you do. Enlighten us.

Your Smile for Today ~

"Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are" is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you reread."

~ Francois Mauriac, French author, laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1885 - 1970

Caledonia Mill

The mill in Caledonia has presented a spectacular light show during the holiday season drawing people from miles around.

Built in the 1850's by postmaster, James Little, the mill was supplied its power from an existing dam on the Grand River built earlier in 1835 by Ranald McKinnon.

Throughout the decades numerous individuals made their living milling local grain. Under the name, Balmoral Mills, J.B. Holden and John Scott ran the business from 1861. Donald McQuarrie and James H. Thorburn bought the mill in 1869. Wm. Munroe later joined the business known as McQuarrie, Thorburn and Munroe. They ran a flourishing business in flour operating under the name Grand River Mills and in 1875, they purchased and repaired the dam.

In 1879 the mill was sold to Samuel Scott and later the Scott brothers. In 1892, Wm. Scott organized the Caledonia Milling Co. with about a hundred shareholders. It was the last operating, water-powered mill on the Grand River.

The light show begins at 5:30 each day. (See our December 20 post.) When the date-ending becomes available, we will post.

Photo: courtesy of Joel Smith Photography http://www.joelsmithphotography.ca/
Information from The York Grand River Historical Society

Gratitude and Optimism

"Looking forward.., moving forward..." You have heard the expression. Everybody is using it. The words have almost lost their original effectiveness.

Looking at this indomitable kid's face, I cannot stop laughing. Truly blessed with three sons, we look forward with gratitude and optimism. I am wrenched from my complacency, my relatively peaceful existence back to the sleepless nights, chaotic events and the prevailing sheer fear of the next crisis ~ if not a calamity ~ that raising three well-adjusted males entailed.

For a while, I am just going to glance at this laughable photo and look forward...

Moments

"We do not remember days,

we remember moments."

~ Cesare Pavese, Italian poet & author (1908 - 1950)

It is only of late that I am observing that children naturally live in the moment. I am not a psychologist but it appears that children are not distracted by cumbersome past and future thoughts. Yank them from their immediate activity and one quickly learns how important the moment is to them! They will protest.

Living in the moment is a skill that adults may be able to relearn with practice. I am working on it.