Today in history: November 8

1873: Winnipeg is incorporated as a city. At the time, it had about 3,500 residents.  1960: John F. Kennedy narrowly defeats Richard Nixon for the presidency of the United States. 1974: William Eustace, a signal worker helping build the CN Tower, leaps off the top of the structure with a smuggled parachute. Shortly after he landed, he was fired from his job.  2001: Canada 3000, the country's second-largest airline, is granted creditor protection by the courts. The airline ceased operations and cancelled its flights, leaving travellers stranded. It went bankrupt three days later.

(With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press, The Associated Press and Reuters)

 

Today in history: November 6

1861: The inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, is born in Almonte, Ont. 1867: The first session of the Dominion of Canada's first Parliament opens in Ottawa. James Cockburn, MP for the Ontario riding of Northumberland West, is unanimously elected as the first Speaker. 1879: Thanksgiving Day is first observed as a national holiday in Canada. On Jan. 31, 1957, Parliament proclaimed Thanksgiving as a holiday on the second Monday in October. 1984: Colin Thatcher, a former Saskatchewan cabinet minister, is found guilty in Saskatoon of murdering his ex-wife. He was sentenced to life in prison. He was granted full parole on Nov. 30, 2006.

(With files from CBC News, The Canadia

Main Yule Tree

Here is a picture of our main Yule Tree.  It stands about 12 feet tall.  A lot of our decorations are vintage and I make sure that they are wrapped in tissue very year and secured in egg cartons.  We celebrate Yule on the closest Saturday to the 21st of December.  This year December the 21st fell on a Saturday.  My son and I hold an open house each Yule and there are usually anywhere from 20 to 35 people at our home.  It is usually standing room only within an hour.  We provide a buffet meal, ( fruit tray, veggie tray, meatballs, turkey, cold cut tray, salad, devilled eggs  and dessert tray)  and soft drinks,  if the guests want anything else they bring their own.   The piggly was part of my Mothers day gift this year.

My son, Wolf worked at a place called Camp Edgewood as the head supervisor for the summer. When he was leaving, they gave him a mounted fish as a parting thank you gift. I decorated the fish with some pine boughs from the tree, and an extra santa hat.