YUMMEE! It's that time of year, lobster everything. Lobster Rolls. Lobster Cold Plate. Lobster Sandwich. Lobster in a Chowder. Lobster slathered with Mayo. Or simply, Lobster hot right out of the pot, dipped in melted butter. Is there really a bad way to enjoy it? For those out there with seafood allergies, I get it. And I sympathize. A few years ago, after several episodes with bouts of flu-like symptoms, sick stomach and spiking a temp, I finally mentioned it to my doctor.

Summer is fast approaching and many families enjoy that age old sport...........the Sunday drive. Now to be clear, I had precious few of those as a child or teenager. Not until Mr. Jamie appeared on the page did it become of my favourite activities. A few years later with kids in tow, we would pair up with old friends and family and their kids and take in the local sights, here and also on Cape Breton and in New Brunswick. Back in the early days there was a nature park in Rus

Is "pantihose" making a comeback? I think so, and I hope so. In fact, for some of us ladies, we've never stopped wearing them. A friend and I were having lunch at a restaurant last week. It wasn't busy and I quietly drew attention to the nice attire of our waitress. I said discretely to my friend, "Are those pantihose?" She discretely answered, "I think they are." She looked comfortable and perfectly put together. When did wearing pantihose fall from favour, and who makes th

Where would you start? Our Fire Insurance bill came this week, (ouch) and it started the conversation. And it sparked a conversation not long ago with an online friend. If your house was on fire.........in your panic, what would you grab first to get out? Everybody says the same thing, the photo albums. Plus those odd boxes of mismatched photos from different eras, all slammed together in no order at all. You know, the ones your kids pulled out of your organized albums, to ma

I think I heard that line on an episode of Friends, or something like it. Someone looked in the fridge and held up a tub of sour cream, and asked the question, in a sardonic voice, " How do we know when the Sour Cream goes sour?" Fair question. Who knows? Are you willing to take a chance? Does ketchup go bad? I wouldn't know, it doesn't last that long at my house. And how would you know anyway........... And don't get me wrong, I was preparing to make a batch of Buttermilk Bi

Has anyone else out there paid any attention to the large number of budgets on the go? Spring Budgets. Speeches from the throne with lots of empty promises? Politicians hanging on by a thread, as their parties scramble to give us promises, balance the budget, and get us on the road to financial recovery. And don't get me started on the latest money transfer scandal.............or the hockey patronage deal, which someone should be paying for, but not me. And how about the lat

A day for smooching and bum-pinching and serving decorated heart shaped-cookies, if there ever was one. Jamie and I have exchanged Valentines every year since 1973, so that's a lot of cards! For some people it's no biggie, in the same way that celebrating birthdays is no biggie. We should celebrate love and caring each and every day. To thine own self be true. It's a major part of the gift card industry to be sure, along with flowers and chocolates. And it does happen along

In a few days, CBC Gem will be up to the eyeballs, 23 hours a day coverage of the Winter Olympics. What a great way to shorten the winter! Since we are the True North, Strong and Free (so far) our athletes excel at winter sports. Who among us didn't learn to skate on a back field, or a patch of March ice in a ditch? I learned in a pit on St. Catherine's road with my Mooney cousins, wearing an old pair of skates that would have fit the Friendly Giant. I've also had more than

You know, we like to say if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute, it'll change.............well maybe, but it's winter in Canada, what do you expect? This hard frosty cold air might help kill off some earwigs, beetles and mosquitoes and mice, one could only hope. And more snow? Well, I never met a farmer who would say no to rain, and this is our winter rain. Af ter a summer of crushing heat and drought, we should be thankful for the snowfall. It's not biblical propo

Maeve sat in silence, in her pretty kitchen, comfortably listening to the steady ticking of Da's old clock. She'd gotten a pretty good night's sleep, considering the topsy turvy developments of the last week or so. Just when she'd gotten used to a brand new half sister, it looked like a brand new half brother was about to be delivered. So to speak. Since he was living in Scotland, it was easy to pick a time and place. Maeve reached down and sipped a little more tea from her p

"Penny." A secret that my father had alluded to in conversations with my mother. Hidden in plain view. He told her of a fondness for pennies. He sure left out a lot. The attic walls began to close in on me, then blow out. Was I in shock? Was I having a stroke? Was my mind having trouble accepting this? It was all so unexpected. My father had had an affair while in the Army. I wasn't shocked at that, they were all so young at that time. But he'd had a child with someone overse

It was over. The ham sandwich made earlier sat untouched on the counter. A woman in her late 70s stood at the window just mindlessly looking out, waiting for the kettle to boil. She had no real appetite or interest in food, but a good hot cup of tea might hit the spot. And it was something to do with her hands. Da was dead, the funeral over, her mother settled back into her long term care facility, and in a way, Maeve felt strangely liberated. She pulled the kettle off the bu

As the title suggests, the jig is up. The cat is out of the bag. The horse is out of the barn. Nova's book has been written. I've gotten a lot of encouragement over the years to write a book. (Thanks, Ethel) Sounds easy, doesn't it? And I suppose it is. I love to sit down and put words together. I have absolutely no formal training or education, I would put that right out there. My words are just that. My words. But when I started my Blog a couple of years ago, I named it "Ev

Christmas time, is anything more exciting? Not when you’re eight years old and in love with Santa Claus! In just a couple of days, all the waiting would be over. Mum and Dad had put the tree up, and how pretty it was, all shiny and sparkling. There weren't many presents under the tree yet, but hopefully that would change soon! We were at the end of the last day at school, and we all know what that means……….Christmas vacation! The bus ride home seemed long on this day, and I

No matter what it's called, it was a huge part of our growing up. Innocent, healthy fun. My cousin Nancy out in Wetaskiwin suggested a Blog on one of our favorite winter pastimes, so I was happy to oblige. I have a lot of fond memories of learning how to skate on a frozen patch of water out in St. Catherines. I never mastered skiing, nor did I care. But coasting.........now there was a great sport if ever there was one. It required no skill, nor expensive toys. A there was a

It's a windy, blustery November Sunday. It seems a good day to write a Blog as supper simmers in the oven. The tree is lit and all my outside lights are on, even at this early hour, the traffic never stops on the Lower Road, so why not have drivers enjoy their trip? The lights on houses are so cheerful. 'Tis the season, after all. And soon enough, we'll be doing it all in reverse, taking decorations down. I've watched lots of movies, some good, some great, and some I wouldn't

Yesterday was Remembrance day, and although I posted some thoughts on it last week, I guess there's still gas in the tank. On a sunny windy Wednesday morning last week, the Grade 6 class from the French School were organized to have a little ceremony in St. Alexis Cemetery. Judy Chaisson was one of the organizers, and the idea was to pay tribute to some of the soldiers who were buried there, and also to educate those students on how important remembering those Veterans really

Hallowe'en is over, with every half empty bag of chips and teeny weeny chocolate bar put away. One way or another.....yumyum. I was at the Pharmasave yesterday morning, listening to a tale. Apparently more than one family has their home fully decorated for Christmas already. And I get it. The lights and decorations are cheerful and twinkling and bright. Hard to resist. The world is dark enough at times. And no one loves Christmas more than me. We live in a society that allow

Look at those colors, and that's a small sample. What a splendid time of year! The air seems clearer. Cleaner somehow. The sky is even blue-er, if that's a word. The path is wide open, safe, and carpeted with crunchy leaves that are still fun to scuffle through, even as an adult. Those gorgeous colors, and this is but a small sample, as Jamie and I took a stroll out on the trails between Bear River to New Zealand. It's about an 8 km hike, so what a wonderful way to spend a co

What's a nickel worth, really? Almost nothing now, just something to "round up" our purchases. Since we did away with pennies, in someone's infinite wisdom. I mean really, how is anyone supposed to balance a ledger with dollar$ and no cents? Coins are something to peck through in change, if we happen to use cash. (And personally, I am rarely caught without cash. Just an old habit.) But once upon a time as a kid, a nickel would buy lots of things, and I clearly remember gettin