Rabbit Rabbit! OMG! It's December!

Rabbit rabbit everyone! I hope you have good luck all month.

Last weekend, my house was a hussle 'n' bussle of Xmas decorating. I was having friends over Monday evening for potluck and cards, so what better excuse to decorate early. 

It was a lot of work! I'm in a new place, so I had to rearrange furniture (and re-rearrange!!) in order to find the best possible location for the tree. Then it was "Where will this particular item go?" And "What would look nice in this particular location?" Phew! I was extra pooped by the time I was finished. But it does look soooo pretty! Much prettier than last year's apartment. I love the way the tree lights reflect off the walls and create a kaleidoscope effect!

Last Xmas, everything was upside down; my Mom was very ill in hospital and the family was consumed with that worry.  I'm grateful that this Xmas will be different from last. I'm grateful for my daughter hosting  Xmas dinner so those of us without partners will be with family. And I'm super grateful that she wants my help with dinner; we all need to be needed, right! 


Xmas has always been my favorite holiday. In NS, the children and I created Xmas traditions we all loved. And then each international daughter added to our special brand of Xmas. Being all alone now and inserting myself into other people's Xmas means, of course, that everything is different. I especially miss our Xmas Eve and Xmas Day meals together; no matter how old the girls became, we all loved to be together to feast! Now I'll be creating new memories and, I hope, new traditions. 

Another one of the hardest things about decorating was tree. I now have a small, artificial tree, so only the most special ornaments are chosen. Some were given to me by my lovely Ex before the children were born. A few came from my girls; and many were given to me by my international children. And I have a wonderful collection of ornaments that I purchased on the very few, very special vacations the girls and I were able to take. But each ornament that went on the tree holds a special memory: I decorated alone and there were many smiles and some tears shed. It was a happy/sad event! 

Yes, as I've said before, change is hard!


But I shall forge ahead with hope in my heart ... which brings a (tentative) smile to my lips .... and sometimes adds a spring in my step. 


Happy December to you all! 

I have a Man in my Mountain!

Autumn is in full swing here in Western Newfoundland. And even though Friday night's heavy rains brought a lot of leaves down (especially the gorgeous reds), my world is still ablaze with color. It's no wonder so many people love this season.

I took part in what may be my last hike of the season. I climbed the "Man in the Mountain" trail just outside Corner Brook. I've hiked worse (Hello Coppermines!), but this one was still quite challenging. You began by climbing (lots of roots, rocks, fallen trees and rotting leaves underfoot), then mercifully it levelled out. We hiked round #1 of 3 ponds that we'd pass until we reached the biggest challenge, an area called The Switchback. This was a steep, hillside climb (as opposed to hill-slide down into that pond); it was slippery and there were no ropes to grab; you had to hope that tree branch would hold! But look where you came out at the top.  

See the parking lot in the center?
We're only half way there!

 But this is just the top of a small mountain. We have to continue hiking .... and climbing .... and thankfully, stopping to rest at conveniently placed benches and natural stone seats. There were partridgeberries growing along the way -- a tart, cranberry-like berry which is a favorite with Newfoundlanders. 

The path was sometimes a riot of fall colors; and then there was this small clearing which was surrounded by beautiful red foliage. And the smells were unbelievable! It almost smelled like partridgeberry jam cooking, this sweet, tart, juicy fragrance! Yum!  

But finally we reached the top -- 984 feet up! Wow!

On my right is the Humber River and the highway leading to Corner Brook and the outer Bay of Islands.



And on my left is again the Humber River (showing Shellbird Island) and the TCH (Trans Canada Highway) which leads across the Island, past Marble Mountain Ski Resort, through the lovely Humber Valley.  

There's only one man in this mountain. The smaller circle shows the location of the "Man"
 and the larger circle shows the "man" in greater detail. 

Yep! We were at the very top of this mountain. And if I had been dangled off the side, I could have seen the actual "man in the mountain"!

 ..... but I just took my hiking guide's word for it! 

I defeated the Man in the Mountain, 

and I have battle wounds to prove it!

Was this your last summer "Hurrah" Newfoundland?

Last week, my friends and I took a mid-week day off work and drove the 6 hr return trip to one of the ONLY sandy beaches on the west coast of Newfoundland. We have miles and miles and miles of rocky coastline; my childhood swims always included wearing a pair of worn sneakers to walk into the water. So sandy beaches are much revered.  

We travelled to Burgeo. First you're on the highway, then you're driving through the forest; but the last third of the trip takes you through the barrens which are quite beautiful; every corner brought a new, magnificant vista --- mountains and hills, fjords and ponds, boulders and meadows; and so many shades of green!


When we reached the village of Burgeo, we headed straight for the beach which is part of Sandbanks Provincial Park. The map showed 6 separate beaches divided by rocks, dunes and an interwoven 7 km trail: we visited 3 of these beaches. 

It was a lovely day; sunny, with temps around the 22 C (72 F) mark. I was reminded of beach walks in Nova Scotia with my international students. I didn't realize how much I missed that until I saw the long expanse of sand and heard the waves. I must confess, I did tear up a little. I miss my second home. :( 

Off came our sandals and into the cold north Atlantic went our feet as we waded through the waves.  We walked and walked and walked. At one point, I just lay down on the sand and let the warmth of the sun and the sound of the ocean envelop me. Heaven! 



Up and over dunes; climbing the rocks was a little more difficult, especially coming down. But we did it rather than climb the wooden stairs. I felt like a kid again. The bay was full of rocks and islands; you can actually take a ferry to one of the larger islands, Ramea, where people still live. And because it was a mid-week September, the area was almost entirely ours. 

We drove around this pretty little village and found a steep, high set of steps leading to a lookoff where you can get a 360 view of Burgeo. Spectacular view!


By this time, the day was getting late. We found a little restaurant and ate a relaxing dinner of fish 'n' chips (local cod, so fresh, I almost slapped it!) Yum yum!


Then we headed back to Corner Brook, tired and satiated.  On the return trip, we saw a moose eating dinner in one of the bogs; we saw an eagle in flight; then we met this little guy. 

We slowed the car and pulled over. Mr Fox walked to our car and said (Yes, I'm sure I heard him): "Please sir! I want more!" 

So, I gave him the leftover pieces of fish to take home to his family as I'm sure they needed it much more than I did. 

I want my Mamaaaaaaa!

My Mama (and Papa) should be at my house; but because of Hurricane Eric, they are here:

Passenger ferry - MV Blue Puttees

Eric was down-graded to a tropical storm but still left a mess in his path.  Mainland Nova Scotia got a day of heavy rain; but New Brunswick, PEI, Cape Breton and the Cabot Strait were directly in his path.  So although Mama and Papa got on the ferry Wed night, last night at 10 pm they were still just outside the Port aux Basques Channel (#1 in the circle) -- unable to get off but unable to move forward because of 50 m high waves and high winds.    

Poor little ole 75 yr old parents!  But at least they have a cabin, tiny as it is.  The NS/NL ferries are quite comfortable, with 2 restaurants, a snack bar & gift shop, a bar with live entertainment, games room, playroom for the children, cabins, reclining chairs and booths.  But the food is expensive and the cabins/recliners are few.  Gone are the old days when I travelled the ferry twice a year.  

Travelling on the ferries in the 70's was an experience that I've not forgotten.  The rich had their cabins .....  and the rest of us had the floor!  My brother and I would leave his car and go upstairs to find 

 a space on the floor for our sleeping bags -- next to a wall, under a table -- it didn't matter as long as there was a path left for the crew to walk.  All around us would be families having picnic lunches on blankets, little kids chasing each other & making new friends, old people playing card games, tired Moms drinking tea with other tired Moms.  There was lots of floor space to share; and there was always a good honest person willing to watch our overnight bags so that us "young fellers", as they called us, could head downstairs to the bar.  

The bar was on the lower level so the noise wouldn't disturb people trying to sleep (something us "young fellers" needed very little of).  There would be happy bartenders, and if a passenger had a guitar or 

an accordian, there'd be happy music .... accompanied by lots of bad singing, lots of good natured imbibing and perhaps even a dance or two (sometimes on a tabletop!)  Think Rose and Jack on the Titanic without the punching or the disasterous ending.  When the bar closed down, we'd wander upstairs to our corner, but some would just curl up on the benches in the bar.  

Now-a-days, there are rules to be followed!  No more of that wanton, spontaneous ferry life.  And given the changes since the 70's and the people you could possibly meet, I think it's a wise 

choice.  But my heart goes out to those people who either couldn't afford or were too late to get a cabin or a reclining chair.  Those parents of young children; anyone over 50; or those who thought they could easily withstand 6 hours of relative discomfort.  What should have been a 6 hour trip across the Gulf has turned into a 31 hour wait.

But there's good news!  The ferry left Port aux Basques at 4 am this morning:  so Mama and Papa should arrive before noon.  I was able to re-schedule her specialist appointment for Monday, and we'll be able to have a chance to spend some time together before they head back home to Newfoundland.

Hmmmmm?  What day next week will Hurricane Leslie hit us?

A 1st Day of Summer Walk down Memory Lane!

I believe yesterday was the official first day; but for me, it's always the 21st because it has such significant memory attached to it.  When I was a budding young woman, on the first day of summer, you put your shoes at the foot of your bed, and that night, you'd dream of the man you'd marry.  (Some faceless male showed up in my dream that night.  But in my excitement, I didn't see the capless toothpaste tubes, rolled up undies in the corner or the sofa crotch-scratching!  If I had, I might have thunk twice about putting my shoes there the next year!)

And on June 21st 1967, I started my period for the first time.

Oh joy, oh bliss!

Not because I started my period in 1967, but because those days are over now!  I'm a much happier, little bit rounder, slightly hairier, Kotex-less version of the Sandy of old.

But I remember those younger days and what it meant to start your period in the '60's.  Do you remember those pamphlets they gave us in school after we watched "the film"?

Do you remember the belts that dug into your back and the diaper-sized napkins?  And all those silly ads telling us that it was okay to swim, play sports and wear tampons when we showered (Ewww!).  And of course, there were all those reminders to clean our nails and wear our prettiest dress on those "special days".

I'm not sure what they do in school these days.  My girls are all over 20; and I took care of telling them all about becoming a woman.  (And unlike my sister, I didn't tell them that those "things with the strings on the end" were for nose bleeds!)  I don't know if the school system still assumes a level of responsibility for informing our young people.  

But I would imagine that with today's hussle and bussle, they'd probably try to simplify even this topic.  So, I can see them showing this video which condenses the whole thing rather nicely!

For me, freedom from my monthlies comes at a cost:  I can no longer ride my bike and I've nothing to blame my bloating on.


Plus there's this unhappy fact:

PS -- I wouldn't change things though.  The money I save on sanitary products and Midol can now be spent on cheesecake and chocolate!

Eating ala Orient Express

A weekend adventure in eating, Asian style!  

Friday's shopping was momentarily paused for lunch at Sushi Nami Royale.  We all started with green tea, and the 3 bento box meals also included Miso soup.  (First time for me, and I loved it.)  The bento box meals came with rice, salad (with a delicious ginger dressing) and your choice of tempura or sushi, which was my choice.  I had shrimp teriyaki (yummy);  Natsumi and Chinatsu had unagi (eel) which was very tasty (1st time taste).  Elly had udon which are noodles in a soup-type base with veggies.  

I refused the offered spoon & fork and attempted chopsticks; and I'm proud to say that I did not go hungry.  And although I love wassabi, this stuff should have come with a warning label!  Whoohoo baby!

We continued our shopping and picked up a picnic-style dinner for back at the motel from Pete's Frootique in Bedford.  We had delicious spanokapita & chicken samosa, spicy pakora, an ok crab cake and a so-so Scotch egg; we also had 3 very good salads.  Desserts included deep, dark chocolate brownies, a raspberry coconut square and my choice -- the decadent domed beauty!  

It had a chocolate cake base, mocha mousse with a passion fruit centre and was covered with a citrus glaze and the cutest little candy flower.  As pretty as it was, it was certainly not too pretty to eat:  it was delicious!  (And I was hardly haunted at all that night by the Ghost of Weight Watchers Present!)

Breakfast the next morning was also a treat; we ate at Cora's.  Elly and Natsumi shared an egg & bacon crepe with fruit on the side; Chinatsu was the owner of that huge waffle with vanilla coulis, strawberries & whipped cream.  That tiny little Japanese girl made a very big dent in her meal!  
After last night's debauchery, I was sensible and had a poached egg and one lonely pancake which was made better by the girls sharing some fruit and my sharing half of my 4 strips of bacon.  Cora's is always delicious!  



Fortified by our huge breakfast ... and my 2 cups of REAL coffee (watch me buzz and zip through those shops!!!), we continued our shopping and said goodbye to Chinatsu who was staying in the city with friends.  


Before we headed back home that evening, we had dinner at Seoul Restaurant in downtown Halifax.  Elly was so excited!  And I must say, this meal was my favorite of the trip.  Everything came with Korea's version of Miso soup -- again delicious.  Elly had bulgogi deopbab, marinated beef on a bed of rice (and some lovely looking veggies which were ignored).  (But she always eats her veggies at home; what a good little girl!)  Natsumi had galbitang;  the beef ribs were removed to a side plate and the rice was put into the broth; the dish also included seasoned soy sauce, seasoned, cubed potatoes and kimchi on the side.

My meal was beebimbab and OMG!  It's served in a very hot stone bowl so the rice on the bottom gets brown and crispy; on top of the rice there was tender, delicious marinated beef, very thinly sliced & stir-fried carrots & zucchini, spinach and kimchi (1st time taste); and the whole thing was topped with a fried egg. You add gochujang (spicy red pepper paste) to your own taste and mix it all together.  A lot of Korean dishes seem to include an egg; and I've often though "Why add more protein when the dish already includes beef or pork?"  But now I understand why.  It tastes gorgeous!  I tried the kimchi before I mixed it, and I liked it quite a lot!  But mixing everything together created this gorgeous melange of flavors and textures.  I added the perfect amount of gochujang -- just enough to make my lips burn and clear my nasal passages!  And although I was ready for it, this time the meal was to be eaten with a spoon.  It was soooo good!  Just telling you about it now is making me drool.

How fortunate am I, huh!  Two wonderful girls living with me who like to thrift shop and eat exotic meals.  We had a weekend full of laughter, great food, good purchases (check out Thrifty Thursday) and tired feet.

We can't wait to go again!

Groundhog Day Musings

February 2nd - Groundhog Day.  I never pay much attention to Punxsutawney Phil, Wiarton Willie or our very own Shubenacadie Sam.  I figure that we will get as much winter as we will get.  

But it's a fun exercise and a good excuse to wish you an especially good day.


What I do like about February arriving is that it means January is over and done with.  I like the fact that February is the shortest month and that the middle of the month brings Valentine's Day .... and that, of course, is another great excuse to hang red hearts all over the house and eat something chocolate.  (Did you also know it's Condom Day?  Not much call for those in my house!)


The 21st is  Pancake Day as it's known in our house.  That brings back such sweet memories of my childhood and looking for the "prize" in your pancake.  Would it be a toothpick? (I'd marry a carpenter.)  Button? (I'd marry a tailor.)  Money?  (I'd marry a rich man.)  

And while I was reading through your posts this morning, bj at Sweet Nothings got me thinking of molasses cookies; and that brings back sweet memories of my childhood and being at my Nanny's house next door.  Nanny always made the best molasses cookies:  big, flat discs that were full of gorgeous tangy, spicy ginger/cinnamon/cloves flavor ... and even better when you sandwiched two of them together with butter!  I think I'd better make those very soon!  

Before the 22nd comes (Ash Wednesday) and Lent begins and I do something foolish again this year like giving up cookies or chocolate or ice cream!