Hallelujah! The rain finally stopped, so I lit out as quickly as I could to get some miles walked before it rained again. Lucky for me it remained clear and just started spittin’ as I was heading up the driveway at the end of my journey. It was two weeks today since I last visited Council Point Park so that was my destination. I took goodies with me but did not see a single Park critter the entire time I was there, so I brought my treats home with me and will try again, probably Christmas Day. I walked two complete laps and to and from the Park which yields five miles. I was grateful to reach that marker because 480 miles is the equivalent of a round trip to my grandmother’s house in Toronto. It seems like just yesterday I was ecstatic to have reached 240 miles, or a one-way trip to her home from our house, (https://lindaschaubblog.net/2013/08/31/retro/) and shortly after I wrote that post, I immediately set as a goal to walk the equivalent of a round trip. It seemed like it would be easy, until Thanksgiving arrived, bringing with it not just the onset of the holiday season, but round after round of wacky Wintry weather, thwarting my attempts to reach my goal. Well, I still have twenty miles to go before year-end and my last goal of 500 miles in 2013. I’m thinking of my grandmother today, having reached this milestone, however. Before I wrote about her garden and love of flowers. Today I am remembering her hospitality to all, not just her family. Whenever friends or family knocked at the front door, my grandmother, with a Pavlovian-like response, would rise from her chair, grab up the cast-iron kettle, walk over to the sink and fill it up and snap on the gas burner. This was all one blurred motion because before coats and hats were removed, and hugs and kisses exchanged, my grandmother would say “I’ll fix you a cuppa and a ham sandwich” which was more of a statement than a question, i.e. can I get you something? There was always a big ham in the fridge and huge hunks would get lopped off and slapped on a Kaiser bun, hastily spread with a big chunk of sweet butter, and a swirly dribble of honey mustard. The kettle would hiss, the teabag would be steeped to get it nice and strong, then dunked two or three times for good measure. You soon were holding the cuppa in one hand while a ham sandwich was proffered before it was time to get another hug and catch up. Funny how such sweet memories of my grandmother can be dredged up by thinking about a mere gesture and a meal. Well, I have now walked all the way to 86 St. Clarens Avenue and back home again, spurred on by the memories of many a hug, a kiss and a ham sandwich. Cheers to you Nanny for your gracious ways, for the inspiration and for all the hugs you ever gave me. XOXOXO P.S. Sharing the love in this picture from the 80s are my grandmother, Aunt Frances, my mom and me. I am the tall one. (Smile)