All aboard

When the kids were younger we would take the train to Halifax to visit with my sister Wanda and her family.  I love traveling by train, especially during the winter.  It does not matter how windy or snowy the weather is outside.  Inside you are safe and warm.   You see the world differently from a train window.

Some day my DH and I will take a trip through the Rockies.  For now I would settle for a trip to Halifax.

My DH told me that Via are offering a free train ride for anyone who is talented to entertain their fellow passengers during their travels. I don`t  think either one of us will be getting a free ride anytime soon.

But if you have children between the ages of two and eleven, they can travel with you for only $10.00 more.  Check it out here.

This is cool

I spent the last two days in Fredericton at a Record Management refresher course.  To quote one of my co-workers, “There  is nothing sexy about records management.”   To someone like myself who loves systems and order, it’s not a bad way to spend a couple of days especially when you throw in a visit with my grandson and his little family.

We viewed  this video clip on the second day. Although the video is mainly about electronic discovery law, it certainly makes you think about the information explosion and advances in technology.

Now isn’t that special

I just can’t imagine.

And so it begins

We spent yesterday wandering around the Moncton Home show. For two solid hours we looked at windows and doors.   As soon as I spied this beauty I knew the search was over.   It is the Craftsman by Barrington,  which comes with a choice of  three different glass deigns and a dentil shelf.    The door is fibreglass as wood would be too difficult to maintain and prevent from bowing in our cold Maritime winters.  We are considering the same design for the interior transoms over the bedroom doors.   The Arts and Craft style has always been my favourite so this door is a perfect match.

While my DH and the glass company salesman went through the house plans, I just sat and stared lovingly at the door.    We will put our present home back on the market soon and keep our fingers crossed.  Meanwhile, slowly we are organizing everything so that the building of our new home can start the moment the old home is sold.    This is the first time I have been involved in building a home.  I find it a bit overwhelming, but the home show was a good chance to see what options are available.

Mike Holmes was the star attraction for many visitors.  I was surprised to see that the women were outnumbered 4 to one by men waiting in line for Mike`s autograph.  I walked past with just a glance, after all now I have to consider counter tops and cupboards.

Snow Day

According to my DH,  shoveling out from this storm is as bad as  shoveling sh*t.   He was  raised on a farm, so he knows his sh*t.  The snow is wet, heavy and difficult to move.  For the past hour he has been out in the yard shoveling as the snow is too heavy for the snow blower.  He punctuates his labour  with short breaks to bring me the status of the storm.   Everything is covered with a thin layer of ice, topped with a thick layer of snow, and we are not out of the woods yet.   Parts of the province are without power, and might be so until 6:00 o`clock tonight.  The storm will combine with a another storm front tomorrow, so we will have nasty weather until Tuesday.

While my DH is out in the cold, wet, snow I am indoor fondling fabric.  I intend to spend the rest of the day sewing, with brief intervals of cooking.  Sounds fair to me.

Today`s menu will be made from recipes I found on the web. Chili and southwestern drop biscuits from Yes, we cook!  for lunch.    Saturday nights` dinner and a movie will be baked egg rolls from Under a Blue and Moon and our all time favourite carrot and pork dumplings from Retorte, and chicken and pork lettuce wraps, thanks again to Yes, we cook!

So if you`re hungry come on over, my DH should have the driveway shoveled by then.

‘Free’ lobster, anyone?

There is a silver lining in every storm, or in the case of the weekend storm, free lobster. Here is an excerpt from the January 5th Times Transcript.

The surging tides that ripped across New Brunswick’s shores this weekend transformed this small coastal community into an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet.

The Chaleur Bay overflowed as the weekend’s heavy rains pushed the high tide up beyond the usual shoreline.

As the water began to recede in the early hours of Sunday morning, local residents were treated to an abundance of lobster sitting exposed on the shore.

“There were hundreds and hundreds of people who were there with flashlights filling pots,” said Kennedy Lewis, a local fishermen who could see the scene from his house.

“There was lobster for everybody, anybody who wanted to put on rubber boots and a raincoat could pick some up for a good lunch.”

Lewis said the mood in the community has been great since Sunday morning when people began to gather with flashlights around 7 a.m., and he noted that he could still see a few gourmand scavengers picking up some remaining delicacies yesterday.

Lewis described a free-for-all that left most people grinning ear-to-ear.

“Today everyone is boiling lobster, I went to the general store and you couldn’t get any salt,” he said. “Everybody was happy except the fishermen.”

Lewis said the situation won’t help a fishery that has been working hard at conservation efforts at a time when prices have collapsed, and he said he isn’t sure how it will affect the local fishing season that will open in the spring.

But not even the fishermen could resist the tasty crustaceans, albeit somewhat begrudgingly.

“I would rather have been eating hot dogs today and have this not happen, but if the lobster is there, it’s there,” said Lewis, who filled up four five-gallon pots.

“It is Mother Nature who did this. There is nothing we can do about it.”

The storm left more than lobster in the village. Residents were also busy mending fences and replacing shingles that had been torn from their roofs by the strong winds.

Let it snow

My DH has been working out of town this week. This evening he made a special trip home so I will not be on my own in the impending storm.

Tomorrow after the storm he will drive back to the job site.

I know he loves me …….but I also know he can not wait to use his new snow blower.

Sad news on the street

Coronation that is.  Veteran actress Maggie Jones passed away while recovering from a recent operation.   As I was listening to the announcement on CBC radio this morning the telephone rang.  It was my husband calling from the road to express his sympathy, although not as heartfelt as it should have been.   He doesn’t watch Corrie Street with me as he doesn’t understand what most of the characters are saying.  Little does he know, that’s how I got hooked.  Watched to laugh at the accents, got addicted to the story line.   Oh well, there’s worse addictions in the world.

October 24th is the Global Day of Climate Action.  Events to mark this day are taking place all over the world.  For more information visit the 350.org site.

Here is the list of some of the New Brunswick events.

four letter words

Cold

wind

snow

this

soon

ooh