All things Canadian

Another guest entry from cousin San.

Another summer in the Maritimes is about to end.  On my way to Ontario then home to Tucson, AZ.  I find myself reflecting on the joys north of the border.  I am a dual citizen but mostly Canadian.  My parents and grandparents were from the Saint John, NB area so our family spent every summer down east from our home in Quebec.  When I come back to visit, the calming spirit fills me for as long as I am here.  Wish I could import the feeling but …guess I just have to come back each year.

It is the little things that I will miss.  Walking in the park in Dartmouth, NS hearing Oh Canada over the loud speaker from the Naval Station across the harbour.  Meeting people at the same park and they apologize for me stepping in their way.  The politeness of people who actually let you go first when you only have 2 items and they have 10.  Drivers who let you merge.  My love of dulse, winegums, good jujubes, mars bars, butter tarts, Harvey’s hamburgers, Swiss Chalet (swiss chick) chicken and always having the french side of labels out in grocery stores it seemed.  I had to remember the translations for harcourt (beans), betterabs (beets), pain (bread), biscuites (cookies) etc.

The friends both new and old as well as relatives, I will miss the most.  What a special feeling to be so welcomed as only Maritimers do.  Thank you all for helping me thru a summer that started out with such difficulty and ended with such love.

A new friend dropped over yesterday at my cousins to drop off a present of painted stones.  Thanks Michelle.  The stones below will always be cherished as a remembrance of that wonderful spirit that surrounds me above the border.  Americans just don’t get it…with some exceptions.

They certainly love their Mam

Thursday evening I had the pleasure of dining with my grandson Addison and my “love to go shopping with you” granddaughter Sarah.   We ate at McGinnis Landing in Fredericton.   The food was good and plentiful but the seating service left a bit to be desired.  At the restaurant entrance you have patrons trying to pay and leave while others are attempting to be seated, all in a very limited area.

Addison thanked me for buying dinner and added, “Mam, you gained a few more points.”  When I asked points towards what, he and Sarah replied, “Your nursing home.”

Then Sarah exclaimed, “We saw a really nice nursing home in Tracadie last weekend. We figure you would like that one.”   I was touched that they took time during their weekend of celebrating at the Acadian Congress to think of their grandmother.

The truth be known, they are living in fear that I just might move in with one of them when I grew old and feeble.

Home again

We have all been traveling this week.  I’m back from a visit to Fredericton to finish “to school” shopping with my eldest granddaughter, my DH is back from Cape Breton and cousin San is back from a visit to Dartmouth.  A big thanks to my brother for keeping my house and cat in order while we ran the roads.

As I’m too busy cooking and catching up to post, here’s something to enjoy sent to me from my friend Win.

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he’s 97 years old and we don’t know where he is.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,before my brain figures out what I’m doing.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks.
Haven’t lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word ‘exercise’,I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they’ll say,
‘Well, she looks good.’

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years… just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older, because there’s a lot more information in our heads.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

What more is there to say?

At this moment there are six billion, four hundred and seventy one million, eight hundred & eighteen thousand, six hundred and seventy one people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are now just facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls…and all you need is one – OTH

Dulse

Long considered a source of vitamins and minerals by Maritimers, dulse are just down right tasty.  Any one who grew up next to the ocean,  has memories of drying dulse next to a bonfire while cooking a can of periwinkles.  Every time cousin San visits the east coast,  she stops at the Saint John City Market for a feed of dulse.

A few years back we sent a large bag of dulse to her in Arizona as a surprise Christmas gift.  We were surprised when the parcel was never delivered.  I suspect the package is still sitting somewheres in a customs warehouse.  Can’t you imagine a U.S. customs officer scratching his head wondering why anyone would mail sea weed as a present.

On Saturday she was very happy to find freshly cured dulse for sale at the Moncton Farmer’s market.

We dined at Harvey’s, our favourite hamburger place, but didn’t order poutine.  Maybe next time

Saturday’s food fest

Now that Hurricane Bill is out to sea, we can all breath a little easier.   My DH survived the storm in Cape Breton, but nearly passed out due to the boredom.  High winds equals no power  equals no internet.

Although the weather was the main topic this past weekend, we did do other things.

Cousin San is keeping me company and agreed to a shopping spree in Moncton.  As all good Maritimers know, the first stop on any trip is Tim Horton’s for the breakfast of champion shoppers.   Renown for their coffee, Tim’s is a favourite in the Maritimes due to steeped tea.   No warm water sloshed into a paper cup, this is real tea made properly with boiled water and allowed to steep.

Our first stop was the Moncton Farmers’ Market.  Despite the humidity the market was a buzz with people.  If you visit New Brunswick, take the time to stop at a farmer’s market, you won’t be disappointed.  All the food was delicious looking but we settled from dulse, new potatoes and peaches & cream corn.

Like all good shoppers we had a plan – market, Costco, Harveys and Value Village (with a few shops in between).   We managed to stick with our plan and had a great time.  Thanks again San!

Maritimers are troopers

When there is a hurricane warning in Florida, people board up their windows and head inland.  In the Maritimes, we grab the family and head to the beach to watch the waves.   Despite numerous warnings since early yesterday, people are still flocking to the shores of Nova Scotia.

My daughter received a message on twitter today from a friend in Halifax who is at Lawrencetown Beach watching the tides.   He got as close as he could before he met up with the RCMP and their road block.  The weather channel is broadcasting live from Halifax.  The weather announcer is amazed at the amount of people out walking or driving by on bicycles and motorcycles, despite the torrential rains and water flooded streets.

My husband is on a job site in Cape Breton today.   Five hours before the storm is scheduled to hit Sydney, his hotel is already without power and trees are snapping in the area.  Keep him in your prayers please.

Calm before the storm

The temperature today is 30 degrees with 98% humidity as the Maritime provinces await the arrival of Hurricane Bill.    Once again it is just too darn hot to think let alone post anything intelligent.

This is the first photo stitch my brother took yesterday of the Miramichi Centennial bridge.  The river was as flat as glass. Not sure it will be the same tomorrow when Hurricane Bill brings wind and rain.

Here’s a travel log picture of the same bridge

Meaghan and macrame

What do you do when you want a hammock swing?  If you’re talented like my grand daughter Meaghan you simply make one.   Meaghan has added yet another skill to her long list of talents which include writing, photography, candle making, quilting and baking.

The end of summer

For the past few weeks the evenings are getting shorter and the darkness of the morning lingers a bit longer.  Our garden is bursting with cucumbers, beans, peas, carrots and lettuce.  Supper is easy to prepare when your “store” is just three steps away from the house.   The local festivals are winding down, school supplies are on the grocery store shelves. Slowly the summer is coming to the end of it’s phase.

To me, nothing tolls the end of summer like the closing of the local outdoor pool.   This Saturday the pool closes for the season.  Tonight I went for what will probably be my last out door swim as rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week.

I love the water! I’m not a good swimmer by most standards, but give me a water belt and a pair of goggles and I become a fish.  This summer I’ve practiced swimming under water each time we went to the pool.  My friend Michelle taught swimming for years and is a very patient, considerate instructor.   Through her instructions on proper breathing and under water swimming my overall breathing has greatly improved.  Any one with asthma can appreciate that.    Our plans for the fall include at least one night a week at the indoor pool.

And I have pictures and the neon goggles to laugh over until next summer’s pool opening.