Pioneer Spirit

Sandy and I have been feeling a bit sorry for ourselves lately. The Christmas season is upon us, yet in recent weeks, the sound of jingle bells has been drowned out by the sound of computer keys tapping.

So on Saturday night, we took a trip back in time, with our moms and my husband, to clear our heads and remember what the season is really about – friends and family.

And food.

Our destination: Toronto ’s Black Creek Pioneer Village, which holds a “Christmas by Lamplight” event every year. The site replicates a typical village of Ontario ’s settlers with actual buildings from the late 1700’s to the mid 1800’s.

Bundled up in our woolies, we strolled along the wooden plank sidewalks with our lantern. We sang carols in the church, danced a jig at the inn and misbehaved in the schoolhouse.

(Aside: In case you can’t read it, the slate shamelessly promotes Girl v. Boy, which came out in paperback TODAY.)

While munching on mince tarts, shortbread, Turkish delight and roasted chestnuts, we also learned something: Pioneers had it hard.

Imagine long, cold winters in a one-room cabin with your parents and six siblings.

Imagine visiting the town doctor to have a tooth pulled with what appeared to be massive pliers. (The same doctor, by the way, had to run a second business on the side because he couldn’t make ends meet on treating patients.)

Imagine waiting a full week for “news,” because that’s how long it took to set the type of a newspaper.

Still, Susanna Moodie and her sister, Catherine Parr Traill—pioneers in the Ontario backwoods—managed to write books by the light of a smelly oil lamp, with their children (14 between them!) sleeping nearby.

Suddenly, tapping away at a computer in my nice, warm house doesn’t seem so bad.

Time to stop complaining about my life. Instead, I’ll put on some cashmere, fire up my coffeemaker, and get back to work! (Can you roast chestnuts on a space heater?)