Vol 37 • No 07
$4.99
December 2024
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Letters to Santa
Christmas Memories Are you a Regifter?
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins
Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters
Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Heather
Advertising Sales Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett
Stuckless, Destinee Rogers, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Claudia Hartery, MaKenzie Aylward, Adriana Hann
Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Jennifer Kane Founding Editor Ron Young
Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $49.44; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of
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60 christmas downhome
Contents
DECEMBER 2024
48 I’ll Be Home For Christmas From Berlin to Bonavista, Tim Baker gets into the holiday spirit. Dillon Collins
60 Our Readers’ Christmas Memories 88 Downhome Recipes Season’s Sweetings
114 The Chimes of Sacred Heart
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An old familiar sound echoes through the town of Bishop’s Falls Sean Ennis
sweet season www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
DECEMBER 2024
homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers Kids’ Letters to Santa
16 Downhome Asks Some of our favourite callouts and responses from our readers on social media.
18 Downhome Tours Central Europe 20 Then & There Recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and more from across NL and beyond.
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meet the GOAT
22 Why is That? Where does the term “regifting” come from? Linda Browne
24 Life’s Funny Silent Night Orville Cole
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25 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
26 Lil Charmers Feeling Festive
away in a manger
28 Pets of the Month Furry Festivities
30 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews books celebrating Christmas in Newfoundland and Labrador
32 What Odds Paul Warford concocts a Winter Wonderlist Buyer’s Guide
34 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Kelly McMichael’s After The Sting Of It 4
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a festive time
38 humble beginnings
38 Adventures Outdoors It All Began with Daisy Gord Follett 42 The Labrador Current The Spirit of Christmas Nathan Freake
features 54 Comfort and Joy The Newfoundland She Shed Elves send parcels to soldiers overseas. Nicola Ryan
explore
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70 Christmas at the Commissariat Where the ghosts of Christmas past are present and pleasant. Dennis Flynn
santa’s helpers www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
DECEMBER 2024
80 designing Christmas
home and cabin 78 Stuff We Love Kit and Kaboodle Nicola Ryan
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sweetly simple
80 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions.
84 Everyday Gourmet Crave Cruciferous Andrea Maunder 96 Down to Earth Tis the Season Kim Thistle
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Christmas back then
reminiscing 102 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
103 This Month in History Harvey Road fire of 1992
104 This Month in Downhome History About the cover They say that home is where the heart is, so surely the holidays at home are filled to the brim with warmth, love and cheer. Our December issue cover features a photograph by Beatrice Powell of Happy Adventure depicting an eye-catching Christmas tree made from lobster pots in Salvage, Newfoundland and Labrador. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Downhome family!
108 Christmas in St. Jones Without Recollections of the
Cover Index
124 Puzzles
Sweet Yuletide Recipes • 88 Comfort & Joy • 54 Sounds of the Season • 48 Letters to Santa • 10 Christmas Memories • 60 Are You a Regifter? • 22
136 Colouring Page
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Christmas season in Trinity Bay Lester Green
118 Christmas 1941 School concerts, pig’s bladders, and Mom’s special pudding H. Joseph Seward
138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish December 2024
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between the lines
What does the Christmas season mean for you? Is it purely economical? Dollars, cents and tightly wrapped gifts? How about gastronomical? All aboard the gravy train to Turkey Coma Land! Are you a collector of moments? Selfies in front of the tree or mistletoe kisses with that special someone? Cute or cringe, we all know those folks. For this writer, the holiday season has evolved in impact and importance. From childish whiteknuckle anticipation to lock down that sought-aftersomething, to mild anxiety mixed with reluctant acceptance at the idea of hours-long sat around a table (those who know me know that one of my nonsense phobias is dinner-table gatherings), age and experience have evolved, hardened and later softened my feelings on the red and green season. Nothing has impacted my yuletide outlook quite like marrying into a family of nurses. Underscoring the essential in essential workers, many in the healthcare profession – much like my significant other, mother and sister-in-law – are not always afforded the saving grace of time off on Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and the rest. Illness and the need for TLC know no off days after all. While you and I are having a white Christmas, they’re facing 6 a.m. wakeup calls, often trudging through kneedeep snow drifts, fuelled by coffee and a let’s get this bread and save a life along the way mindset. There are not enough words of thanks I can offer to the nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals of all stripes. They sacrifice turkey dinners and Christmas morning milestones for the greater good while I don odious pyjamas and stuff myself to uselessness. With that in mind, our December issue of Downhome is dedicated to those experiencing the holidays a little differently this year. From those displaced who won’t make it home for Christmas, to the workers keeping the cogs and wheels of infrastructure and societal norms spinning, thank you. Dillon Collins Editor-in-chief 8
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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules
You could WIN $100! Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*
Submit Today! Send your photo, story, joke or poem to
Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at: www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material.
Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.
Can you find him? Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.
Send your replies to: Corky Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the 25th of each month.
Congratulations to Dave Morash of St. John’s, NL who found Corky on page 27 of the October issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
www.downhomelife.com
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We may not be the North Pole, but we here at Downhome like to think we have a link to the big guy in the red suit. Earlier this fall, our team called on kids and kids at heart to submit their letters to Santa, which we generously pass on here for Kris K’s approval and your reading pleasure. Merry Christmas! *Note: Submissions may be edited for length and clarity
Dear Santa, My name is James and it’s my very first Christmas. I will be 10 months old. My mommy and daddy tell me I’ve been a really good boy, and that I’m definitely on the nice list! For Christmas this year I would like some toys for the bath, and a slide, so I can go sliding with my friends Cordelia and Sadie. Please don’t forget all the little boys and girls who have to spend Christmas at the Janeway. I will leave some milk and cookies for you and carrots for the reindeer. Thank you, Santa. Love your friend, James Lee (submitted by Julie Weir)
Dear Santa, My name is Madelyn Walsh and I am two years old. I have been a good girl all year and this year will be an exciting Christmas. We recently moved and now I have my three older siblings and grandparents right at my fingertips. For Christmas this year, I would like a Red Rider Rocking Horse and an Art Easel. Please bring something special to all the kids and seniors who are in the hospital, and the pets at the SPCA also deserve some treats. I will leave some milk and cookies for you and the reindeer and will try to keep Dad away from the eggnog. Love your little friend, Madelyn Walsh (submitted by Norma Walsh)
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Hi Santa, I’ve been a very good girl all year and I’m so excited for you to visit. I have had my Mom and Dad playing Christmas music and shows since September. What I would like for Christmas is some clothes for my baby dolls and a few pots and pans to go with my kitchen set. I will be leaving some homemade cookies and milk on the table and a carrot for the reindeer. Love Always, Brea English (submitted by Reesa English)
Dear Santa, My name is Sadie and I am two years old. My mommy says I’ve been a very good girl this year. This year for Christmas I would like a Barbie and some surprises. Thank you for all the presents you gave me last year. Love, Sadie Mahoney-Mills (submitted by Nikita Mahoney)
Dear Santa, My name is Addison King and I am three years old. Thank you for all the gifts you gave me last year. I loved playing with them all. This year for Christmas, I would love a Gabby Dollhouse. I have been trying very hard to be a good girl! Don’t forget my baby sissy Marcy! Sissy and I will leave you some cookies and carrots for the reindeer. Your Friend, Addison King (submitted by Hilary Keeping)
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Dear Santa, This is Cordelia Culleton writing to you for the very first time. I will be 10 months old on Christmas Day! My Mommy and my Opa tell me all the time I’m such a good girl. This year for Christmas I would like a pelican baby slide like I saw at my poppy Jimmy’s favourite store Canadian Tire (I’m sure the elves can make a replica for me), new bath toys and some surprises! P.S. I will leave milk cookies for you and carrots for the reindeer. And don’t be scared of my big kitty cat, Tompuss. My Mommy says he’s a bad boy, but you can give him a treat anyway. Your new friend, Cordelia Culleton (submitted by Amy Culleton)
Dear Santa, Thank you for all the presents that you gave me last year. Mommy and sissy are helping me write this letter as I am only 14 months old. This year for Christmas, I would love some new Little People play sets and some new clothes, as I am growing so fast. Please don’t forget my big sissy, Addison. She’s been such a good sissy to me. Sissy and I will leave out some cookies and milk for you and some treats for the reindeer. Your Friend, Marcy King (submitted by Hilary Keeping)
Dear Santa, This will be my second Christmas! I’m very excited! My mom is helping me write this because I am still very little. I don’t need much for Christmas at all. A new soft blanket would be nice, they are my favourite. I have three other siblings, two dogs and two cats. Please remember to give Hailee, Hunter and Katie a little present because they have been very good this year. Better than last year! All my pets would love some new treats if you have time to fit them in. I will get my mom to leave treats for you and the reindeer! Love, Georgie Spence (submitted by Karla Gould)
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Dear Santa, My name is Jack Jones and this is my very first Christmas! I love reading books with my mom and love bath time, I also love to be on the move. I’d love it if you could bring me some great books to read as well as some active toys! I’d like a surprise as well. Please don’t forget my cousin Bailey in Newfoundland. She just turned five and started kindergarten. She also loves reading and would appreciate some books. I also have fur siblings – a German Shepard, Taz and a cat, Mia. Please don’t forget they like toys and treats! Santa, please don’t forget all the families who are in need this year, bring them clothes, toys, books and food to make sure their families are as happy and healthy as my family and I. Love, Jack Jones (submitted by Charmaine Critch)
Dear Santa, My name is Brooks Russell, from Conception Bay South Newfoundland. I am two years old and this will be my third Christmas. This year, I have been a good little boy. I make sure I tidy my toys and share my toys with my friends. Mom and dad said they are incredibly proud of me for being good. I hope I made you proud as well. This year I’m not asking for much, but I would love to get a Pixar Cars piston cup racetrack so I can race my favourite racecar, Lightning McQueen, on a real track. Also, please don’t forget about my cousin Ellie in Alberta as well. Have a safe journey on Christmas Eve, Santa! Please say hi to Mrs. Claus and the reindeer for me. P.S. Merry Christmas! Love, Brooks Russell (submitted by Jennifer Russell)
Dear Santa, Hi! My name is Lucas, and I am two years old. I have been really good this year! I love playing with my toys and spending time with my family. For Christmas, I would love some fun toys and a train set. I promise to share it with my friends! Thank you, Santa! I can’t wait for Christmas! Love, Lucas Tompkins (submitted by Jared Tompkins) www.downhomelife.com
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Dear Santa, My name is Teagan and I will be 19 months old on Boxing Day! Mommy says I’m a bad boots, but I think I have been a really good girl this year! For Christmas, I would like some new toys and clothes and whatever surprises you would like to bring. Please don’t forget my big brother, Jacob and my big sister, Freyja. They are my favourite people! Also, don’t forget all of the other kids, especially the sick kids who can’t be home for Christmas. I will leave snacks for you and your reindeer! Please give Mrs. Claus a giant hug from me! Thank you, Santa! I love you! Xoxo Teagan Crocker (submitted by Krystal Peyton)
Dear Santa, I want to say thank you for all the amazing toys you brought me last year. My mommy and daddy said I was a good girl this year. I would really love a new Gabby dollhouse and a new baby doll for Christmas this year. I would also really love it if you could bring a special toy to all the little boys and girls who are sick this Christmas. Your friend, Macie Critch-Langdon (submitted by Michelle Bursey)
Dear Santa, My name is Oliver Barnes. I am very excited for Christmas this year. It’s only my second one, so I’m still learning what it’s all about! My mom and dad get me everything that I need but I would love to open a nugget couch this year because I love to climb! My mom and dad are teaching me all about donating and giving to those who have less than us so I hope you bring lots of presents to the sick girls and boys in the hospital and the less fortunate. I will leave carrots for your reindeer and cookies and milk for you Santa! Safe travels and watch out for the moose! Oliver Barnes (submitted by Hayley Barnes)
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Dear Santa, Hope you and Mrs. Claus are doing well. I try to do my best to be a good girl. For Christmas this year I would like Legos, makeup, nail polish, and a special surprise, please. My dog Cooper would like some new chew toys because he has hidden all his in the backyard over the summer. Please can you visit my special friend Carter Johnson White and bring him a special surprise. Thank you for my gifts last year and hope you have a safe trip back to my house. Your little friend, Jenna Hicks (submitted by Corina Drake)
Dear Santa, I’m not really sure how this works as this is my very first Christmas! Mommy says I have to write you a letter of some stuff I would like then you fly down and bring them to me late Christmas Eve! So here it goes… For Christmas, I would love a water table! I love playing in the tub and splashing around so I think that would be fun. And maybe you could get me some baby puffs and a can of milk? Mom says you like milk so I will save you a bottle in case you get thirsty. I would also love some Elmo toys! I love watching Elmo. My mom turns it on for me every morning. If I’m up when you come Santa, we could watch it together! My big cousins are coming out for Christmas, so please don’t forget their presents! Anyway, I would love to talk more but Mom and Dad said it’s time for bed. Goodnight Santa, safe travels! Nash Warren (submitted by Hayley Warren)
Dear Santa, My name is Cami and I live in Robert’s Arm. I started Kindergarten this year and I really love it. For Christmas, I would like a Galaxy Furby, a mermaid LOL doll, and a Barbie airplane. I also like clothes and treats. Don’t forget my big sister, Cassie. She would like a Polaroid camera, a Harry Potter Lego set and some clothes. I hope all the boys and girls will have a great Christmas. Love, Cami & Cassie Croucher (submitted by Jane Croucher)
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Asks How do we learn? From you, dear readers. Downhome routinely takes to social media to pose all manner of questions to our followers. From favourites to memories, opinions and everything in between, Downhome Asks, and you answer. Here are some of our favourite callouts for questions and responses from our followers.
What is the first thing you’d buy or do if you won the lottery? Share it around and make a lot of people happy. Peggy Burton Leave Ontario and move to Newfoundland. Marisa Mazotta Book a trip...not even that far away. I’d go to Halifax and outfit my daughter in a new home and all the trimmings. I’d need a lotto win too with the prices of homes up there. Susan Short-Gallant Donate to animal rescues. Nicole Emb
I would go back to sleep because it was only a dream!! Sharon Ings I’d arrange a trip for all the kids, grandkids and great-grandkids to come visit for their first time here. Then take a big family trip to Ireland, Scotland, the UK in general and then off to Australia where I’ve always 16
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wanted to go for a visit. While we are away, I’d have our house remodelled and top up our precious family’s bank account so they would never have to worry ever again. Marilyn Burton Snow Buy a saltbox house in my hometown of Twillingate in Newfoundland! Verna McDonald Pay bills, share with family, buy a house on a cliff looking over the sea. Janet Locke
What’s your BIGGEST pet peeve? People who flick their cigarette butts onto the ground. Anne-Maria Gionet People who shut the bathroom door after using. Yes, bar the stink in, why don’t ya lol. Gail Afenyo When you give someone a break while driving and they don’t wave to say thank you! Bobbie-Jo Hartery 1-888-588-6353
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People in a fog at the grocery store. Can’t find anything, lost in the middle of the aisle with their cart sideways and talking with the other lost souls. Randy Jenkins People letting the door slam in your face and not returning your greeting when you say hello. Patsy Chafey Humby Not washing their hands after using the washroom and not removing outdoor shoes before entering my home. Irene King Benoit The Federal and Provincial Government ruining our province and our countryside along with the fishery with these stupid monstrosity of eyesore of windmills. Cecilia Ann Dodge
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Ignorant people. Some people really need to stay home most days because when in public they like to be seen and heard. Especially true of people frequenting fast food outlets who have young people learning, they tend to prey on them watching for an error. Oh, but I wonder their reaction if it were their son/daughter or grandchild being made feel like nothing, brought to tears. They’re talking in line up about how slow the servers are, and why do the businesses put them on busy shifts. How else are these people supposed to learn? Everyone has to start somewhere. No one is born knowing all, even if they think so. Edna Ezekiel
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homefront Downhome tours...
Central Europe
Switzerland Carolyn Walsh of Fort McMurray, AB and Georgia Shields of Calgary, AB visited Grindelwald in the Swiss Alps in February 2024.
A Yule Log Cake (see more in our recipes, page 82) or bûche de Noël is a festive favourite in Switzerland. It’s made to look like the branch of a tree, but it’s really a spongy cake with a buttery cream filling. In olden times, farming families gathered around the fireplace at Christmas and burned a large log then scattered the ashes on the fields for good luck in the coming year. 18
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Austria Daniel Dober of Beau Bois, NL visited Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna, in March 2023.
Vienna’s Rathausplatz Market is a magical stop during the Christmas season. Treat yourself to a delicious Germknödel – a light, fluffy yeast dumpling steamed to perfection and filled with spiced plum jam. Served warm, these delightful dumplings are often topped with a sprinkle of poppy seeds and sugar then drizzled with melted butter or creamy vanilla sauce.
Czech Republic Paula, Daryl, Meagan and Alex Walsh made the trip to Prague for Christmas in 2023.
The traditional Czech Christmas dinner is carp, or kapr, typically served fried with cabbage soup and potato salad. The custom dates back to the Middle Ages when Catholics would avoid eating meat on Christmas Eve. Save a scale from the Christmas carp and place it in you wallet to ensure you’ll become rich and wealthy in the new year!
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homefront
Then&There
Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.
Running with the G.O.A.T. He’s not Rudolph, but Joshua the goat is the goodest boy of this and any recent holiday. Joshua was a surprise entrant in the annual T’Railway Trek Half Marathon in Conception Bay South earlier this fall, turning heads and capturing hearts when he left his home at Taylor’s Pumpkin Patch and joined runners on the course. Reunited with his owners, Joshua and company made their way to the finish line, where the G.O.A.T. was issued an honourary medal, becoming the stuff TikToks and local legends are made of. Merry Christmas Joshua, you stone-cold beauty.
Entering the Order
Eight deserving recipients have been named to the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador. During the 17th ceremony which brought the number of recipients to 151, the following names were added to the distinguished list: Everard (Bud) Davidge, Clifford R. George, Liam Hickey, Sagmaw Mi’sel Joe, Andy Jones, Patrick O’Callaghan, Guy Poole and Andrea Rose. Congratulations to all on the immense honour. 20
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Saluting Seniors of Distinction
Kaetlyn Osmond
Stars on Ice
It’ll be a white Christmas at the Mary Brown’s Centre when the stars of the figure skating world take centre stage on December 5th. Headlined by Newfoundland’s own Kaetlyn Osmond, the must-see holiday extravaganza features twotime Olympic Medalist and threetime world champion Elvis Stojko, Kaitlyn Weaver, Andrew Poje, Keegan Messing, Satoko Miyahara, Nam Nguyen, Jeremy Abbott, Gracie Gold and Elladj Balde. Tickets are available at the box office and online.
www.downhomelife.com
The province of Newfoundland and Labrador recognized National Seniors Day and International Day of Older Persons earlier this year by paying tribute to outstanding seniors in our communities. The 2024 Seniors of Distinction Awards in St. John’s recognize the contributions, achievements and diversity of seniors and older persons throughout the province. Nine recipients were chosen among nearly three dozen nominations, with the winners including Leo Churchill Bonnell, Sharon Brown, Alvin Cluettt, Harold Druken, Carl Parsons, Robert Charles Parsons, Joyce Leah Rogers, Linda Ryan and Kaberi Sarma-Debnath. Congratulations to all.
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Where does the term “regifting” come from? For many of us, the ramp-up to Christmas Day is more exciting than the big day itself and full of fun little rituals, including scouring the stores for just the perfect gift for that friend or family member who seems to have everything (followed by warming up with a sweet beverage in a cosy coffee shop or cafe). As the saying goes, it’s better to give than to receive. And some folks like giving so much they re-wrap their presents and give them to others! Or perhaps, rather than letting a gift they don’t want or need sit and collect dust in a closet, they “regift” the item to someone who can put it to better use. While the popular ‘90s sitcom Seinfeld is often credited with making “regifting” a thing, the concept goes back much further than that. Ryan Paulsen, co-host of the etymology podcast “Lexitecture,” points out that while the earliest citation for “regift” in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) dates to 1658, “It’s almost impossible to say when a word started being used because it’s almost always the case that a word was being used in conversation before anyone got to 22
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writing it down in a book or article,” he notes in an email to Downhome. The OED actually gives two different time periods for the word “regift,” points out Grant Barrett, co-host/coproducer of the radio show and podcast “A Way with Words.” “The conflicting dates reflect different parts of speech. ‘Regift’ as a noun dates to 1658 and ‘regift’ as a verb dates to 1837,” he explains via email. The latter, notes the OED, comes from volume two of E. Thompson’s The Rector of Auburn: “Not even repentance can repair the breach in modesty made by the remorseless libertine, or re-gift the frail one with that inestimable jewel with which the Almighty has adorned the female sex.” The OED also contrasts the earlier meaning of “regift”, “To gift (a person) with 1-888-588-6353
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something again; to re-endow” with its later meaning “To give as a gift again; to give an unwanted gift that one has received to someone else as a gift” – which is usually how we use the term today. While some folks view the concept of “regifting” in a less than complimentary way, Paulsen says it’s worth noting that “the earliest uses of regift either as a verb or a noun have positive connotations.” “It’s a lot of figurative uses (‘a beautiful sunset day after day is a regift from god,’ or an idea of requited love being a regift of that love…that sort of thing), but also some literal, like referring to family heirlooms as being regifts because they’re passed down from generation to generation,” he says. But while the term, and concept of, “regifting” has been around a lot longer than Seinfeld, Paulsen adds, “it does seem possible that Seinfeld was the first time that the word had been really widely used to describe ‘regift’ in a negative light.” “The transcription of a 1995 episode is the first citation the OED has for the more negative, snarky sense of the word, and after that, all the following citations are examples of that sense,” he says. In that episode, titled “The Label Maker”, Dr. Tim Whatley gifts Jerry a label maker as thanks for Jerry giving him Super Bowl tickets, with the label
maker originally being a Christmas gift to Tim from Elaine. George later suggests Jerry try to get his Super Bowl tickets back after the wedding Jerry was to attend that same day is cancelled, telling him, “Well, didn’t he regift the label maker?... If he can regift, why can’t you degift?” When Elaine discovers this, she accuses Tim of being a “regifter” (included in the OED as the earliest derivation of “regift”). While some consider the practice gauche or tacky, more have come to view regifting as an economical and environmentally friendly way to pass along an unwanted item. In the U.S., “National Regifting Day” is even celebrated on the third Thursday of December every year. But if you want to give the gift that keeps on giving (literally) in the most etiquette-friendly way, The Emily Post Institute’s website has some helpful hints, including making sure the gift is in its original packaging; is not unique, home/handmade or personalized; and that you genuinely believe the person receiving it will appreciate it.
Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate?
Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us. www.downhomelife.com
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homefront life’s funny
Silent Night “When I was teaching in Northern BC in 1969, in December, I asked the grade 5 class to draw a Christmas picture. One boy drew his version of the Nativity Scene, but in the corner he had drawn what looked like a snowman. I said: “Ernie, I don’t remember the Bible talking about a snowman with the wise men and shepherds.” He replied: “No sir, but it is in the song we sang at church; you know, “Silent Night”. It says: ‘Round John Virgin, Mother and Child’. Well, sir, that is Round John Virgin.’” Orville Cole Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories? Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details.
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r “Psst, do youe a mudder hav ?” big 42 bra n Robinso – Loretta
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Jordan Rowsell) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what little mummer might be saying. Loretta Robinson’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: Whaddaya mean, who knit me? If I tells ya dat then you’ll know who I is! - Robin Fry Please guess me, I’m dyin’ of heat with this rig on. - Patricia Thomas Goobie The jig is up, wanna dance? - Kathy Savoury
Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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homefront lil charmers
Special Delivery Sweet Brielle’s on the Nice List. Rachel Winsor St. Lawrence, NL
Feeling Festive Santa’s Littlest Helper Baby Slade is spreading Christmas Cheer. Nicholas O’Dea via DownhomeLife.com
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Home for the Holidays
Amy and Clara are as sweet as sugarplums. Maggie Courish St. Philips, NL
A Christmas Wish Eric can’t wait to unwrap Christmas magic! Charlene Durnford Burgeo, NL
www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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homefront pets of the month
Santa Paws Marley’s the cutest gift under the tree. Darlene Thornhill via DownhomeLife.com
Furry Festivities Meowy and Bright Maple and Strawberry can’t resist tinsel temptations. Melissa Edwards Paradise, NL
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Holiday Hounds Ruby and Harry wish you a Christmas filled with wagging tails! Alanna Mesheau Fort McMurray, AB
Sleigh All Day Decked out Scout is definitely on the nice list. Angela Strickland via DownhomeLife.com
www.downhomelife.com
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
Stories Season for the
There are many books celebrating Christmas in Newfoundland and Labrador. If you’re looking for something to get you in the proper spirit here are a few of my favourites. Kevin Major’s classic, The House of Wooden Santas, tells the story of nine-year-old Jesse and his mom who have moved to a small outport after falling on hard times. Mom is trying to establish herself as a wood carver and every day during the month leading up to Christmas she carves a new Santa. And every day the new Santa helps Jesse and his mother come closer to finding home. The book is a kind of literary advent calendar and begs to be read aloud. But it’s also a good book for curling up in front of the fire (or the Christmas tree) and savouring alone. Speaking of reading aloud, is there a Newfoundlander anywhere who wouldn’t happily sit back and listen to the dulcet tones of the late Gordon Pinsent? It can be done with the recent audio release of Ron Pollett’s short story, The Dicky Bird Dish. Narrated in Pinsent’s distinctive style and set in a simpler time, it tells the story of a boy who must choose between the skates he longs for and a present for his mother.
Bruce Templeton and Santa Claus go way back. Templeton spent years filling the big guys’ shiny black boots in appearance after appearance leading up to Christmas every year. For many people, he is Santa Claus. His experiences have been captured in four books he’s written about his mission to brighten Christmas: The Man in the Red Suit, The Man with the White Beard, TwentyFour Teddy Bears and In Search of St. Nicholas. Be warned before reading. The tears will flow. 30
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Heartwarming would probably be the best way to describe Mike Martin’s two books of Christmas tales. Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries Books 1 and 2 are collections of short stories about Martin’s popular RCMP officer Sgt. Windflower and his ever-increasing circle of family and friends. They also include tales of the author’s Christmas memories growing up in St. John’s. There’s very little drama between the pages, but there’s a lot of Christmas spirit.
Nellie P. Strowbridge is one of the treasures of the Newfoundland literary world. Her book, The Gift of Christmas, is a collection of short stories, memoirs and poetry culled from her writings over the years. Strowbridge doesn’t shy away from putting Christ back in Christmas. Her story about Mary’s trepidation over breaking the news of her unexpected pregnancy to her boyfriend Joseph sheds an interesting new light on the old story. But there’s plenty of other fare to keep the reader curled up until the very end.
Finally, to go off on a completely different tack, there’s Barbara Burke’s The Key to His Heart: A Steampunk Christmas Fairytale. This riff on Beauty and the Beast features the clash between a merchant with a heart of gold (literally) and the aeronaut who just wants to get back home in time to spend Christmas with her father. Full disclosure – Barbara Burke is yours truly’s romance writing alter ego. Maybe including it is cheating, but here you go anyway. After all, it’s Christmas. This marks my last review column for Downhome after being on the job for many years. It’s always been fun but now it’s time to move on. I can think of no better way to end it than by wishing “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”
www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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homefront what odds
winter wonderlist buyer’s guide (vol.1) By Paul Warford
If you feel Honestly, I don’t know what to tell you. Every year I nestle myself into a coffee shop compelled to give corner among skeletons and severed heads to them something, write you a nice Downhome What Odds for and every year I lament that I have I recommend a Christmas, fewer and fewer yuletide topics left to cover. new Robin Hood I vocalized this concern to my editor, but his was, “Just get me 800 words on Christmas flour sack reply or it’s your ass!” So here we are. for the baby of Therefore, I suggest we all staple the lights to eavestrough while Junior holds the ladder, the family… the set the timer for the sugar cookies before they burn, and settle in for a nice struggle through my deadline together. That’s what Christmas is all about! This year I thought maybe I could offer a buyer’s guide as a change of pace. Let’s call it the What Odds Winter Wonderlist Buyer’s Guide (Volume 1). Since we are still in a bit of an economic recession (“humbug!”), and with Amazon outpacing Santa at every Pole, there are endless options but only so many dollars to go around. I’ll try to help you navigate the icy pitfalls of this year’s shopping, and since I have no children or money, I probably have very little insight and won’t be much help. Let’s get started! First, let’s begin with the family members who can’t read; babies and pets. You’ll be relieved to hear that these loved ones do not require gifts of any kind. Due to their limited cognitive abilities, babies and pets have zero expectations. They’re just excited to be involved. I recommend taking advantage of this fact so that you can really throw around some Christmas cheer when we get to those complicated teenagers. If you feel compelled to give them something, I recommend a new Robin Hood flour sack for the baby of the family (just cut out some holes 32
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for the child’s arms, legs, and noggin), and table scraps for the dog. Some of you may purchase “Bark Boxes” and elaborate leather recliners for your animals. This is unnecessary when the family dog would prefer mashed potatoes and gravy. Keep it simple, Santa! Cats love used paper towel rolls, which are even cheaper. At the opposite end of the spectrum are Nan and Pop, another group you can really cheap out on. The grandparents are brimming with love and, honestly, that’s enough for them. Many grandparents have comfortable retirement pensions and houses that are entirely paid off. What do you get the loved ones who have everything? The simple answer to this is nothing. They’re with the family, watching the youngsters unwrap gifts, and getting a plate of dinner, that should be enough. If you want to get something tangible for this cherished generation, I recommend a nice greeting card – get the kids to make one! Granma and Granpa can share this between them. Okay Mr. and Mrs. Claus, pay attention cause we’re up to the trickiest members: the kids. Unlike the babies and dogs, your children understand that you do in fact have money, and around this time of year, they also understand that they’re entitled to some of it. However, don’t let this deck your halls because I have some pointers! Younger parents, even without children I understand what you’re going through. You hate Fortnite and you can’t understand why your child keeps playing it. As a lifelong gamer, I honestly couldn’t tell you, but I sadly only have one piece of advice, which also applies to other subscription www.downhomelife.com
games like Roblox, Digimon, et al.: just buy the cards. The renewed subscription or special edition...Whatever it is, just bite the bullet and buy it because it’s what they really want. A wise Santa always goes with the flow because fighting against the tide is fruitless for the festive fiasco. On the bright side, your kids don’t need a laptop for school. I don’t know who propagated this lie – the students, the school board, or Staples – but don’t fall for it! They’re children, not accountants. Buy them some pencils and notepads and put these items in their stockings. Finally, we’ve come to the end of the wishlist, the spouse or partner. Now that you’ve managed to pinch some sugar plum pennies, you may find yourself with a few extra coppers in your coin purse, and this was my intention all along! This is because you and your loved one work hard to keep this family on the sleigh all year round, and you deserve a treat. When it comes to that special someone this year, I’ve got one word for you: Uno. Uno is a wicked game, and it can be surprisingly romantic when employed properly. Take Uno with you and your better half into the hot tub, jacuzzi, or hotel suite! You’ll thank me in 2025. Best of luck, and as always, have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on X @paulwarford December 2024
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fresh tracks
new music talk with Wendy Rose
After The Sting Of It Kelly McMichael
BEFORE WRITING THIS REVIEW I HAD A DREAM about Kelly McMichael and her new record, After The Sting Of It. I dreamed that Downhome magazine emailed me and told me not to bother writing this review – I had been replaced by Tony Ploughman of Fred’s Records, mine and Kelly’s former colleague from our years working at the record store together. Though bummed, I respected their decision – Tony has been working at Fred’s for longer than I have been alive, and his musical knowledge is so deep and expansive that I couldn’t even be mad about this new development. The basis of this dream (or nightmare?) came about logically, as I had read Tony’s review of Kelly’s new album on the Fred’s Records Facebook page the night before. Realizing that my dream was not reality, I felt renewed enthusiasm in penning this piece. Tony’s review was like an amuse-bouche, and I was excited to savour each track of Kelly’s newest record like a 13-course meal. After The Sting Of It opens with “You Got It Wrong,” with delicate piano, choppy vocals, and a somewhat jazzy atmosphere kicking off the record. Fun and funky, with percussive clapping and layered instruments, this short song gives this album an impressive start. Next up is “Open (Hurts To Have A Heart).” Piano leads us in, with guitar 34
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and keys swiftly joining. There’s a 1980s pop feel – a decade Kelly McMichael would have surely thrived in, musically – but the recording sounds modern and crisp. The percussion thankfully doesn’t have that common hollow ‘80s sound, while catchy synth riffs give a Japanese city-pop vibe. “[This song] was going to be a big single in my mind when I wrote it,” Kelly told Downhome. “It has a big sound, catchy and a good blend of the retro pop-rock sounds people know of me and exploring a bit further into ethereal sounds which is a great intro to the rest of the album.” For “Dreamer,” vocal effects give this groovy song a slight edge. Saxophone provides that ‘80s feel that 1-888-588-6353
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Kelly excels at creating, with some experimental noise showing this is still very much a modern pop song. “I’m still a dreamer, and I like to dream with you, ‘cuz you’re a dreamer. There’s no limit to what you do,” she sings repeatedly, uplifting listeners with these happy lyrics.
Acoustic guitar leads us into “All Over Again,” a pretty little love song with a slight country/western vibe with lap steel guitar. The guitar tones shift dramatically for “Bomb,” giving this tune a punkrock tinge – “I’m a bomb exploding and trying to hold it in, I’m a bomb underwater, screaming,” Kelly sings on the chorus. I’m reminded of late 1990s Sheryl Crowe, and I love it. Full of sparkly synths, vocalizations, www.downhomelife.com
and hazy lyrics, “Spell” is a short interlude ahead of “Too Soon To Tell.” Light jazzy percussion and piano lead us through this song, its lyrics showing a healthy dose of skepticism based in reality, in regards to processing big feelings, like love. “Wipe those hearts from your eyes because it’s too soon to tell,” the opening lyrics warn. “Don’t trust those belly butterflies you feel like you felt, but it’s too soon to tell,” Kelly continues. “Standing Out” gives off that ‘80s alt-pop vibe that I associate Kelly with, especially knowing that her own record collection is full of Liz Phair, PJ Harvey, and Kate Bush albums. There’s a riot grrl edge in there too, and I can also hear Kelly’s love of R&B coming through. For “Fog,” the song encapsulates its titular weather phenomenon perfectly – it’s moody and mysterious, yet magnificently magical. That same feeling continues on “Ballad of Moody Green.” This track is a personal favourite, showcasing Kelly’s impressive songwriting and storytelling skills as she creates a complex and relatable character and plot line in just over five minutes. Piano leads us into “Nature Man,” a tender pop song with lap steel adding a slight country twang. We slide into “After,” a 40-second instrumental interlude, before the closing track, “Tour From Hell,” a fastrockin’ toe-tappin’ instant banger with its humourous lyrics hitting hard for any regularly touring artist like Kelly. The artist herself described the album as “personal and whacky,” December 2024
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explaining that the album art “represents how I have felt a lot of my life – not easily blending in, being too loud, messy or different. I’m proud of my originality and resistance towards conforming,” Kelly shared. “Some people would like to tone me down, but I get to let my flames really burn bright with my music.” Hell yeah, sister – It’s been a pleasure to bask in the glow of After The Sting Of It. Keep that fire burning.
Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: The last time we chatted was in mid-2021, after the release of Waves. What have you been up to since the last time you graced the pages of Downhome? Kelly McMichael: Time is strange since
the pandemic and since life became more built around album cycles and touring schedules. To sum it up, I’ve just been trying to figure out how to maintain my new solo career! Waves was released independently but I have since signed to LHM Records. Trying to catch everything that was thrown at me when I was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize, and while I was on a heavy tour schedule with Sarah Harmer was an intense experience but aside from the stress, I’m lucky to have the traction that I did with Waves, and that I have become a nationally established solo artist. Some highlights include going to some very cool places, from Cow Head, NL to touring Europe, to discovering how awesome and beautiful rural NS and NB are. My first show after the record came out post-pandemic at Lawnya Vawnya 2021 was a very memorable one, and there was this one amazing show in Sackville, NB at the Legion where a lot of students came out. The energy was great. Selling out my hometown of Peterborough at the Gordon Best was 36
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cool. Realizing that I have fans in other cities now is pretty amazing. It is huge to be in a good position to release another album, knowing some people will listen to it is nice.
WR: At the time of this interview, you’re days away from launching your new record. Can you tell us a little about the writing and recording process of After The Sting Of It? KM: It’s a deep dive into the processing
of an extremely painful personal event in my life – the sting. Stages of grief, anger, finding myself again and building myself up all whilst having a breakthrough career moment during a pandemic. It’s been a wild ride! I wanted to bring people through the stages and lean into recovery and resilience until we see the light at the end of the tunnel and get to experience joy, independence, and new beginnings … It’s a passionate and intense tour of the senses, more sensual and experimental than the last record. I hope the takeaway is cathartic, uplifting, and refreshing in sonic playfulness. According to some friends who have heard it, this one is ‘weirder’ and ‘more artsy’ than the last one … Knowing what Jake Nicoll and I can accomplish together gave me the freedom to set the bar very high and go full Kate Bush in terms of 1-888-588-6353
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WR: Your tour kicked off in Corner Brook on September 21 and wrapped up in St. John’s, your home base, on October 19. Who joined you on this tour, and what inspired you to start on the West Coast, then head to NS, NB, QC, and ON before finishing up on the East Coast? KM: Toured with John Moran, Raine
Alick Tsui photo
imaginative production … I recorded many of the vocals myself at home, which makes for more raw and intimate performances uninhibited by other people in the room.
WR: A few singles from the new record have already been released – “You Got It Wrong”, “Too Soon To Tell”, “Bomb”, and “Open (Hurts To Have A Heart)”. What kind of feedback have you heard about these songs so far? KM: “Bomb” got some good radio
traction on the alternative and indie charts, and made it to #6 on the CBC Top 20, as well as being in regular rotation on “The Verge” satellite radio, which is very cool and actually results in decent royalties for the first time in my life! The first two singles are more representative of the arty, almost jazzleaning and keys-based work on the album. There are some surprising bold choices that lead into rich sounds and textures full of joy; musical moments that are very pleasing to listen to, and just really fun recordings that Jake Nicoll helped achieve. www.downhomelife.com
Miller and Clare Follett from St John’s, then Raine and Clare headed back after the east coast stuff and I got Marc McLachlan (from St John’s living in Fredericton) to fill in on drums and an old friend, great musician/songwriter Geordie Gordon (US Girls) to fill in on synth for the Ontario shows. I wanted to have the final show in St John’s so that we could celebrate at home after the hard work had been done. I incorporated some special guests who played on the album for a grand finale (Lucas Rose, Maria Peddle, Jake Nicoll, Mara Pellerin and Krista Power). The big stage at the Rock House helped present this music in a triumphant fashion!
Jeff Harris photo
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homefront adventure outdoors
It All Began With Daisy By Gord Follett
It never packed much of a punch and the shot barely penetrated a piece of cardboard, but unbeknownst to my parents or even curly-haired Gordie at the time, that Red Ryder Daisy BB gun I received from Santa as a 10-year-old back in the late 1960s would eventually lead me on a career path. Mind you, there were a few lengthy “hiatuses” along the way, such as years of sporting activity, girl chasing and working as a sportswriter with local newspapers. But in the back of this downtown corner boy’s mind, thoughts of being a hunter were always there, even while nobody in my home or even the neighbourhood ever showed the slightest interest in shooting wild game. 38
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Unlike today, it was not at all uncommon in the ‘60s and ‘70s for 12 and 13-year-olds to be outside for most of the day without parents knowing where they were every minute. Oftentimes I would head off alone to a gully or wooded area just outside St. John’s to “hunt” for frogs and small birds. By that time I had “graduated” to a more powerful pellet gun air rifle, which I was proud to have paid for myself by doing odd jobs for neighbours and shovelling driveways of “rich people” in the Circular Road area during the winter. Whenever Mom and Dad took my siblings and me to the Dymond family cabin on Bauline Line for a week or few days here and there, I was off in the woods with my pellet gun before they had our few groceries brought into the tiny structure. I also spent a fair amount of time shooting at targets I had set up around the cabin property and sometimes convinced my younger brother Jeff to shoot with me, but he wasn’t interested in straying too far from the grassy driveway, so off I went, time and time again. There were occasions when I’d take my fishing rod and reel instead and spend hours at a pond down the road trying to catch a few Brook or Rainbow trout for Mom, and I would feel so proud anytime she was frying up “the fish that Gordie just caught.” Birds and frogs, however, were never on our menu, so for the most part, I’d keep those kill records to myself. Well, actually, I did tell Dad’s two youngest brothers, Randy and www.downhomelife.com
Walter, about it a couple of times because I knew they’d be proud and wouldn’t tell on me. Many years later during my first gig as a 19-year-old sports reporter with The Daily News, I purchased my first shotgun, a single-shot 12-gauge for $96 at Canadian Tire. Now, you wanna talk proud?
Oh, the joys of small game hunting. I couldn’t get into the woods often or long enough, and the fact that my shift was primarily nights, afforded me plenty of opportunity to hunt during the day. Sleep was not high on my priority list back then. Oh, how times have changed. Fast forward to 1990. I took on parttime editing duties with the Newfoundland Sportsman (fishing and hunting) magazine while still working in the newspaper business, then a decade or so later the position became full-time. I also co-hosted the December 2024
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Sportsman’s TV show for parts of 14 years, beginning in 2005. Since the closure of the Sportsman in 2021, I have continued to write monthly outdoor-related articles for the Downhome magazine and CBC. I also wrote my book of memoirs, Track Shoes & Shotguns, in 2021 and have been involved as editor of three outdoor anthologies since then. I continue to fish and hunt on a fairly regular basis, though it’s far more relaxing these days. I’ve also been offered positions as a professional fishing and hunting guide during my semiretirement, but I’ve witnessed these guys at work over the years and, to be completely honest, I probably wouldn’t be able to handle it, physically or mentally. All in all, though, the great outdoors has served me well. Besides earning a living from it – and believe me, I did “earn” it – I have met thousands of wonderful people from all over Newfoundland and Labrador, many of whom I consider good friends, some my very best. As I’ve said numerous times before, this has been the most satisfying and enjoyable part of all my years in the great outdoors. And it all began with Daisy.
My grandson Dylan loves heating up the barrel of my 12-gauge over and under.
Somewhat ironically, it was Gord Jr. who got his father, Gord Sr., involved in hunting when he was 60 years old.
Gord Follett was editor of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine for more than 30 years and co-hosted the Newfoundland Sportsman TV show for 15 years. Email gordfollett@gordfollettoutdoors.com.
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homefront
the Labrador current
The Spirit of Christmas
By Nathan Freake
I remember when the idea of “Christmas Spirit” became clear to me. I was in the backseat of my parents’ little Chevrolet Aveo with the heat was on full blast, warming our cheeks from the bitter cold outside. We had just left the packed grocery store on Christmas Eve. I was about twelve years old, and it was the first time I remember being struck by the sincerity of the smiling faces and waves of hands to wish the season’s best. As a child, the Christmas season was always exciting, what with the traditions, days of relaxation, and time away from school, which for me consisted of playing new video games non-stop and eating endless amounts of “haystacks.” Since that day, sitting in the backseat of that egg-shaped car that could, Christmas for me had become something entirely different. My folks and I sat in silence. Dusk was closing in on the overcast day, and the sky blanketed our town. Thick snowflakes melted onto the windshield while the Vince Guaraldi Trio twinkled on the radio. Michael 42
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Bublé’s Christmas wouldn’t have come out for another year or two. “Guys,” I remember saying to my parents when we got home, breaking our contented silence. “What is it about Christmas? Why is everyone so happy?” I recounted how it was the first time I really noticed the bright faces in the grocery store. “I suppose Christmas just brings out the best in people?” one of them said in a statement that sounded more like a question. “Or the food?” The other added in jest. Oddly, I accepted both answers as plausible. In truth, the answers are too 1-888-588-6353
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numerous to define what “it” is about Christmas. Christmas to me is rising early and sipping coffee long before the rest of the town is awake. It’s sitting around with family and reminding myself who’s important in my life. It’s brunch on Christmas morning, and breaking bread with family and friends. It’s, coincidentally, the only time of year that I take naps without hesitation.
glow. Snow was falling outside while brunch dishes for the morning baked in the oven. Dad and I nodded in agreement. In a weird way, we both knew exactly what she meant. In that moment we were not worried about work, concerned about the future or what big event – good or bad – came next. We were here, present, and together. It’s all of it: who we are, the
Christmas to me is rising early and sipping coffee long before the rest of the town is awake. It’s sitting around with family and reminding myself who’s important in my life. Christmas may look and appear different to everyone, the snow falling on the windshield, decorations on the streetlamps, ugly sticks smacking the living room floor, carols at the door, mummers in the streets, and glorious food on the table. Despite our differences, no matter where we are from or who we spend our time with, whether it rains or snows on Christmas day, we all have that difficult to explain feeling inside. “I don’t know, Nathan,” Mom said to me, “it’s just all of it.” She waved around the room, Christmas lights illuminating the space in an ethereal
traditions we hold, the food we eat, and the company we keep. There’s no way to describe it. It can only be experienced moment by moment. I have been lucky to have shared my life with people who have made Christmas special year after year and to live in a place that spreads the spirit freely with the sincerest smiles at the grocery store on a busy Christmas Eve. Now, with a family of my own, the one thing I look forward to the most at Christmas time, far above and beyond the gifts, is spending our time together and letting all of it – everything – linger for as long as possible.
Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City. For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com
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life is better Christmas lights brighten up Manuels River Trail Bailey Parsons, Stephenville, NL
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Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, wildlife, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons. This is your chance to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2026 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.
What are you waiting for? Submit today, using one of these ways:
by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, file sizes of about 1MB. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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From Berlin to Bonavista, Tim Baker gets into the holiday spirit with his new album Full Rainbow of Light By Dillon Collins
We all have sounds,
sights and smells that tether us to the holiday season. The albums that blanket the moments, the lights that brighten the gatherings, the aromas that transport us through space and time. But what would happen if you became a part of that holiday fabric? An underlined etching on the Christmas to-do list?
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For Tim Baker, travelling troubadour and longtime frontman to beloved ensemble Hey Rosetta! – as well as a self-described Dickens’ A Christmas Carol obsessive and hopeless yuletide romantic – entering the Newfoundland holiday zeitgeist has become a stranger-than-fiction reality. “What a great thing. I mean, I can’t imagine anything better. It’s so humbling and exciting that someone would want to have something that I’ve done gain that sort of significance. It sort of snowballs memories and emotions into it and it becomes greater than it ever was or ever intended,” Tim says during a sit-down with Downhome, reflecting on the weight of his annual holiday home province performances. From the Hey Rosetta! days to present-day sold-out gatherings alongside his Juno-nominated solo group, Tim’s holiday-centred showcases – this year taking place in 50
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Bonavista, Twillingate, Corner Brook and St. John’s – have become appointment festive fare. “Christmas is very meaningful to me as it is, I think, to a lot of Newfoundlanders. In the Hey Rosetta! years, we played our biggest shows of the year (during the holidays). The population of young people, with everyone coming home for Christmas, would blossom and grow. So we played these big Christmas shows that were much bigger than any shows we did at any time of the year. And it was not just a show. It was like this whole scene of people, like a reunion, people coming back together who hadn’t seen each other,” Tim says reflectively. “We used to complain sometimes that the crowd would be so loud chatting because of course they’re chatting. It’s like seeing your cousin you haven’t seen all year. It’s a scene. That had an impact, for sure. Feeling that energy, that excitement, that feeling of reunion, the joy of being 1-888-588-6353
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reunited with people you haven’t seen in so long. It’s a powerful feeling. And being at the helm of it, playing the music, they were very powerful shows. And I have continued to do these Christmas shows ever since. It’s a real tradition for me. I read a lot of messages and people say to me that it’s never really Christmas until this
Kindness Yet has become an annual staple for fans, with the singersongwriter doubling down on seasonal offerings with his upcoming album Full Rainbow of Light. But simply labelling Tim’s latest collection a Christmas album would be an oversimplification of its depth and emotional complexity.
“I ended up writing a bunch of songs at Christmas that just ended up being about Christmas. A lot of big feelings, a lot of nostalgia, thinking about your past, thinking about your childhood, thinking about your future or your future family or what have you.” show happens. So it’s become a tradition for other people too, I guess. That’s pretty central to my experience of Christmas and even just the arc of my year.” Adding to the merriment, Hey Rosetta!’s 2012 holiday EP A Cup of
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From the overarching trio “Saint Tibb’s Suite” to the infectious and moving lead single “It’s Tonight” and a classically Tim Baker rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, Full Rainbow of Light is less a shoehorned holiday cash-grab and more capsule of
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a time, place and feeling, all overflowing with the heart and nostalgic warmth of its architect. “I didn’t set out to make a Christmas record,” Tim admits, diving into the genesis of his latest work. “Two Christmases ago, I had a bit of time. You have a time at Christmas, not as much as you’d like, but you get a bit of time. No one’s expecting you to write them back (laughs). “I spent a lot of time just sitting at the piano at my parent’s house, or sitting in my house taking an afternoon off. If I take any time off, I’m usually writing. I ended up writing a bunch of songs at Christmas that just ended up being about Christmas. A lot of big feelings, a lot of nostalgia, thinking about your past, thinking about your childhood, thinking about your future or your future family or what have you. It’s a big marker of time in the year and whether you’re
missing people who are no longer around or you’re wishing your Christmas was better, the stakes can be high. Everyone has high expectations. It’s this time of big emotion. It’s like fraught, and whether it’s good or bad it has an impact. I just took to writing about it. “You can hang it on the wall at Christmas, you know? Hopefully, it will fit. Some of the songs are just kind of set at Christmas, and some of them are set in winter. It’s kind of a window onto my own Christmases and the time that I cherish, really, of my childhood and now, too.” The now that is a Tim Baker Christmas consists of food, friends and, of course, music. Alongside the likes of Tom Power and The Dardanelles, Tim has been known to journey from dwelling to dwelling in a roaming carolling troupe, where good tunes and great times are expected.
Noah Bender photo
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“That’s a tradition that might explain some of my love for Christmas that some people don’t always appreciate or understand because that is an amazing night,” Tim explains. “I mean, it’s a bit like mummering. People just welcome you into their house and give you food and drink and everyone’s so jolly, you know? It really does bring out the best in people in
“It’s the story of Christmas everywhere, families coming together, people coming together. But I think the extent of it is a uniquely Newfoundland thing, the extent to which we feel it being held apart by opportunities or whatever. It is real. And I think it’s maybe one of the reasons I used a lot of traditional Newfoundland instruments on the
Tim’s art is mirroring life when it comes to the Newfoundland expat heading home for the holidays. “I guess in a way it is sort of full circle. I’m the one who gets to come home now and feel that. Yeah, that’s cool.” these moments. I’m sure they’re all hung off and worried about the credit card the next day, but in the moment it’s beautiful.” Recently uprooting from St. John’s to Berlin, Germany, Tim’s art is mirroring life when it comes to the Newfoundland expat heading home for the holidays. “I guess in a way it is sort of full circle. I’m the one who gets to come home now and feel that. Yeah, that’s cool,” Tim remarks, pondering the pull of home, particularly at Christmastime in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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record. Most of it, I think, was just because it’s kind of a window onto my Christmas. That’s part of it, taking in a session at The Ship or Erin’s or whatever, hanging around with Tom and The Dardanelles and it comes out, listening to The Chieftains record, probably my favourite Christmas record, The Bells of Dublin. It feels right to me. And I think I also wanted to set the album in a setting of tradition in a context of nostalgia. That to me is the context that Christmas really lives in and works in… it’s from another time.”
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features
Christmas
is a time of warmth, togetherness, and celebration with loved ones. However, for many soldiers serving overseas, far from family and the comforts of home, the festive season can be tough. Kelly Luffman, a retired military veteran with 25 years of service, understands this better than most. After experiencing the challenges – and delights – of being deployed during the holidays, she was inspired to start a group dedicated to sending Christmas parcels to Newfoundland soldiers serving overseas.
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Kelly’s military career spanned over so she decided to take action. “I retwo decades, with deployments to tired in 2011, and five years ago I places like Kosovo in 1999 and started this. I thought, let’s do some Afghanistan in 2007. The sacrifices of parcels and send them overseas to solmilitary life, including spending holi- diers because it boosted our morale so days away from home, are experiences much,” she says. that have left a lasting impact on the Markland, NL native. Kelly recalls one Christmas in Afghanistan standing out as particularly special. Despite the harsh conditions of the deployment, it was a moment of joy and camaraderie that lifted her spirits and those of her fellow soldiers. “One of the best Christmases I ever had was in Afghanistan in 2007 because of parcels like these,” she explains. “Christmas is hard enough being away from home, but in some of these places soldiers have to be, it’s twice as hard.” For Kelly and her comrades, opening the parcels was almost as good as a downhome Newfoundland Christmas. “When the guys and girls started opening them up, it was like our own NewfoundA former member of the military land traditional Christmases herself, Kelly Luffman experienced where you didn’t know what the impact receiving a care package was in the parcel, and everyfrom home during the holidays can body was excited, and we did have on those serving overseas. it as a group. It was Christmas “The parcels tend to be our typical morning in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve. I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is Newfoundland traditional stuff like amazing.’ It was by far one of the best Jam Jams, Caramel Log bars, Vienna experiences I ever had in one of the sausages, and of course, we’ll put candy canes in there and ornaments worst places I had ever been.” Kelly retired from the military in and Purity candy kisses and a New2011, but her connection to her fellow foundland flag,” Kelly explains. The Newfoundland flag, a small but soldiers and the challenges they face during the holidays remained strong, meaningful token, serves as a re56
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The Newfoundland She Shed Elves at work creating care packages minder of home, and soldiers often use it to represent their roots while on patrol or during other missions. Other personal touches, including handmade ornaments and cards made by local schoolchildren from Whitbourne, in the parcels are what make them so special. These thoughtful ges-
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tures go a long way in lifting the spirits of personnel who may be feeling homesick during the holidays. “We just try to make it as special as possible for the soldiers,” Kelly says. The effort to send parcels overseas has grown significantly since its inception, and the group, affectionately
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named “The Newfoundland She Shed Elves,” is always growing. “I’d say there’s about 50 people here in this area, and I get money and donations from all across Canada,” Kelly notes. “Last year, we did 67 parcels to be sent overseas to soldiers during Christmas.” The name “She Shed Elves” carries a sense of humour and pride. “Men have their Man Caves, I have a She Shed,”
all these friends and family and people all across Canada,” Kelly stresses. “I would not be able to do this on my own. It’s all of us, it’s a group effort and a community effort. Last year there was that many people,” she adds with a laugh, “I mean, I only have a certain size of shed and I couldn’t get everybody in!” Once the packages are prepared, they’re sent to the Military Family
Once packages are completed, they are sent to the Military Family Resource Centre in Gander to be distributed. Kelly laughs. “Everybody jokes about my she shed, because, you know the saying, ‘what happens in the she shed stays in the she shed.’” But as the initiative gained momentum, Kelly felt the group needed a proper name and the concept of the “elves” perfectly captured the spirit of teamwork and holiday magic that the group embodies. “This would never happen without 58
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Resource Centre in Gander, which ensures they reach Newfoundlanders serving overseas. While civilians are not allowed to know the specific locations of the soldiers, the parcels often end up in farflung places like Latvia, Kosovo, CFS Alert, and Navy ships at sea. The feedback from soldiers who have received these parcels has been 1-888-588-6353
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The Newfoundland She Shed Elves overwhelmingly positive. Many have expressed gratitude for the kindness and thoughtfulness of the gesture. “I’ve gotten several letters, and the feedback is that this is one of the nicest, kindest things that they’ve seen in a long time,” Kelly says. Knowing that the parcels make a difference is what motivates the She Shed Elves and the dedication and support of the members of the group are what make this heartfelt mission
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possible year after year. For soldiers who are far from home, receiving a package filled with familiar treats, personal notes, and symbols of Newfoundland provides a muchneeded morale boost. “If one of these parcels out of the 60 shows up on some young fella’s lap who’s having a hard day and that puts a smile on his face, or her face,” Kelly reflects, “then we’ve accomplished what we wanted to do.”
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Simple Christmas Nights Ches Pack • Churchill Falls, NL
Some of my best Christmas memories will always be from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s because that’s when I was a kid. I hung on to those memories every year. Lately though, I find myself appreciating more recent Christmas memories. No matter where in this country I have lived, I’ve returned to my hometown of Bonavista for every Christmas of my life. When I was younger, I would be in the local pub within an hour of being home. These days, however, I’ve slowed down. It takes me 3-4 hours to get to the pub. Christmas for me right now is about seeing friends and family again. The food, the drinks and the laughter are one thing, but when the dust settles on Christmas, it becomes about the little things. I rush home, I get through the door. The family greets me, there’s a drink in my hand and within ten minutes everybody is sitting around the table, chatting. The wife’s uncle feeds the dog finger foods under the table. The baby is on Nanny’s lap. We finish supper, the crowd clears out. I head over the road to visit my brother. It’s these late-night strolls around the bay that really stick with me. I hear the ocean in the background. Some nights it rumbles, some nights it’s reduced to a quiet hum. But it’s always there. Wood stoves are burning in small cosy homes. Homes that have had the same Christmas lights in the same windows for 30 years. A television is flickering in the living room quietly lit by tree lights. White Rock is lightly covered in snow, just enough to give me that 1-888-588-6353
perfect backdrop. I hear a few laughs coming from a shed nearby; it’s late for some but the Christmas spirits are still up. An old man clears his throat and says hello while he leans on his back steps for a late-night cigarette. Taking in the sea salt air, I stroll up my old street for what could always be the last time. I stare at my old neighbourhood, almost like I’m in a movie, watching my childhood memories. Street hockey, sliding and snowball fights. Going home soaked to the bone, hanging my clothes up to dry by the wood stove. I get home, my parents are gone to bed, and the stove is still lit. I sit down and have one more nightcap, next to that very same wood stove we used 35 years ago. After Christmas, it always gets harder to leave Bonavista, especially as everybody is growing older. But it’s simple nights like these that always stick with me wherever I go. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone. December 2024
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Christmas at 15 Cook Street Derm Corbett • Buchans, NL
Christmas memories of old Cook Street warm our hearts every December. Close your eyes. Is that Mike Dooley laying canvas in the old kitchen? He’ll get a haircut in return and he and Dad will celebrate the finished product with a beer. Boy, is Mike ever sweating! Got to get any needed painting done before the canvas goes down; hate painting those kitchen chairs. Mom has been baking for weeks; snowballs are my favourite. I think I saw some taffy on the old nail in the back room so maybe there’ll be Bullseyes! Dad and Uncle Val are gone to get the tree. We have to have a giant because the ceiling in the upstairs living room is so high. Mom has been putting children’s gifts on layaway for weeks and picking them up when she could afford them. Now she has to find hiding places. It’s time to get the decorations from the boxes in the loft at the top of the stairs. Don’t forget Uncle Jack’s nativity set. Floors got to be scrubbed and waxed. There’s half a ton of coal to be shovelled into the coal pound. Dad is back with the tree and we watch as it’s dragged into the spotless living room. It smells wonderful, but once it’s tied into the corner we won’t see it again ‘till Christmas Eve. The hook goes on the door. Did you see the size of the turkey thawing out on the basement window ledge? Time’s getting close; wash is done; clean clothes for Christmas Eve Mass; got to get washed all over first! Home from church, take the hook 62
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off the living room door; there’s the great tree still bare. We’ll now hang nylon stockings beside the old fireplace; the updraft threatens to carry them all up the chimney. Finally, up the stairs with the old coal stove glowing and lighting the way. Sleep won’t come. Sounds like activity downstairs but you dare not move. Finally morning. Mom, and Mom alone, gives the OK to get up. Down the stairs, the living room door is open. The tree is magical and fully decorated. Look at the bubble lights. The light in Uncle Jack’s Christmas stable is on; the baby is in the crib. The stockings are bulging with goodies; apples and oranges, chocolates, comics, colouring books, it’s a goldmine! And beside each child’s stocking sit the big gifts; dolls, guns and holsters, games, skates and clothes. Once again the magic is real. How in Heaven’s name did Mom and Dad ever do it? No doubt Mom was the driving force behind the 1-888-588-6353
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annual celebration. She was the organizer, she handled the scarce money and bills associated with the season; she assumed most of the hard work of cooking and cleaning, and she was the one who assumed the pressure of making sure that each of her children felt the magic on Christmas morning.
I don’t ever remember Dad and Mom giving each other wrapped gifts when I was a child. Usually, it was the winter boots mom needed or the warm coat dad couldn’t do without. No surprises, no luxuries, just the practical. The fact that their children were beaming was more than enough.
Snapshot and Story My family loves Christmas. I’ve got two great-grandsons now so this year is gonna be awesome! This is my granddaughter Sadie Kathleen in these photos, she’s seven now!
Michael Hennessey via Facebook.com
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Coconut Claus Winnie K. Munden • Burnt Islands, NL
When my son was a young lad and at the age when he doubted if there really was a Santa Claus, I overheard him tell his sister on Christmas Eve, “Leanna, there is no such thing as a Santa, and I’m staying up to prove it.” They went to bed at their usual time. After giving it a lot of thought, I decided I was going to put a Santa under the tree. I draped a red jacket over a stacking stool and laid a pair of black rubber boots (heels up) on the floor. I placed a large coconut on the stool and covered it with something red and white. In the dim light, it really looked like the real thing. Early Christmas morning I took ‘Santa’ away. After the gifts were opened, I overheard my son say, “Leanna, there is a Santa Claus. I came out last night and he was under the tree. I tapped him on the head and his head was hard as a coconut.”
Snapshot and Story Any Mummers Lowd In? Taken in Port Hope Simpson, NL at the display by the Red Roof Quickstop! Traditions are so important!
Billie-Dawn Sampson Port Hope Simpson, NL
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Christmas in the Cut
Gerard Lowe • Port Saunders, NL
My grandmother had told my father that The Cut was designed by God himself. A sleepy little town built around a harbour that was shaped like a crescent moon. Families built their houses on the lee side of the harbour to ensure protection from the harsh elements often experienced on the north coast. Apparently God felt that because Jesus was a fisherman, harbours had to be built to offer protection to those who chose the way of our Saviour. Nan considered the fishing profession to be the most sacred because no fisherman could cheat out a living. Only hard work and observance of the Sabbath could ensure that families would be fed and our place would be reserved in heaven. Her son, who just happened to be my father, Benjamin, passed similar wisdom on to me as I grew up in the warm embrace of The Cut. One of his favourites was that “no man or woman was better than any other and anyone who thought themselves better because of money or land or material possessions suffered from the deadly sin of pride.” It was this particular advice heaped on me from the earliest memories of
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my life that hastened my attachment to Timmy March. Though my father was a merchant and his a fisherman, we were the best of buddies. The financial divide between us was obvious. My shoes were mail-ordered from Sears and arrived on the Northern Ranger supply vessel during one of her monthly visits to deliver building supplies, food, fuel and all sorts of wonderful parcels to The Cut.
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Snapshot and Story Annual gingerbread decorating with the parents/friends.
Monica Stanley St. John’s, NL
Timmy’s shoes were usually handme-downs from the poor box at the church. Whenever he was sporting “new” shoes because his toes were hanging out of his last pair, I would simply say “Nice shoes Timmy” and that would be the last of it. I got into trouble with Sister Margaret at school because I punched Johnny White in the gut for telling Timmy that his shoes looked just like the pair that he wore last summer, just before his mom gave them to the poor box. Johnny and I both got the strap from the sister because “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Johnny got my point. He kept his distance from me and Timmy. The other boys held me in reverence after that because one of the good guys punched out a bully. Timmy would often share a meal with our family because there was plenty. My mother was sure to give him lots because she often said he was “as thin as a shadow.” His favourite treat at my house was the Pot of Gold chocolates that were sold at our general store. He would take the one chocolate that he knew 66
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contained the cherry and place it on his tongue ever so gently. He would close his mouth and eyes and lay back in a trance-like state while the chocolate melted in his mouth. I would know when the cherry sauce melted through to his taste buds because a smile would come to his face and he would say “This must be what heaven feels like.” Christmas in The Cut was a special time. We were one big family because the fifteen families totaled about 75 people and we all knew and cared for each other. We even cared for Shamus Poile though he drank too much and didn’t really like to work. My dad said, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” I was never sure what that meant but because of it I always said hello to Shamus and on one occasion I helped him out of a snow bank where he had fallen after having a few too many. The biggest family in The Cut was the Morgans. There were twelve of them, ten under the age of twelve. The old people would praise Mrs. Morgan because being “with child” so often would ensure the survival of 1-888-588-6353
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our wonderful town. I always thought she looked like she had been dragged through the eye of a needle. Christmas Eve was really special because all the families gathered at our church, St. Patrick’s, for Midnight Mass. Our parish priest, Father Murphy had made the boat trip from Peaceful Harbour to deliver the service. It was a two-hour boat trip from Peaceful Harbour to The Cut. Father made the trip once a month to preach to the faithful. He also stopped into Muddy Point and Main River to renew the faith of the townspeople there who thought that having the priest instead of a lay reader was like getting Elvis Presley instead of Jimmy Fogarty who would play his fiddle for the “time” at the Hall on Saturday nights. Because The
Cut was at the end of Father Murphy’s journey, we got to have him after he had already visited Muddy Point and Main River. The town was really excited because we were going to have a real Midnight Mass that would start at eleven and end near the strike of twelve. The most exciting thing for me and Timmy was that we would get to go home after Mass and open one of our Christmas presents before heading to bed to await the arrival of Santa Claus. It was probably more exciting for me because I knew that there would be presents under my tree. Timmy would probably not be as lucky. Last year he got an apple, orange and a homemade sleigh that we suspected came from his father’s shed because of the newly scraped
Snapshot and Story 7' Driftwood Tree Here is my latest project, my 7ft all driftwood Christmas Tree! Made with wood collected from the shores of Western Newfoundland.
Miranda Hardy Isle aux Morts, NL
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wood shavings that filled the wood box. Timmy wasn’t sure about the existence of Santa Claus. He was used to being disappointed when he raised his expectations. He had a happy family who made the most of a meagre income. It was traditional for all the families of The Cut to gather in front of the church and sing Christmas carols before
despair but surprisingly he started to talk. He said, “You remember that sleigh I got for Christmas last year?” I said, “Yeah, it was really nice. Didn’t you like it?” “I liked it fine,” he replied, “but it wasn’t what I asked for. Do you remember us both looking in the Sears catalogue last year and admiring the Red Rocket Racer?”
“You know what I asked for this year Sam?’’ he continued. “I prayed for Santa to bring me the G.I. Joe Trooper with the Company E soldiers. Fat chance I’ll get that.’’ the start of Mass. I ran over to Timmy’s house to meet him for the walk up the lane to the church which stood at the top of Knobby Hill. My grandfather would say that the church was a “beacon of morality.” He said that it had been built in its current location so that fishermen could follow the “light of God” as they returned from the fishing grounds. The candles always burned brightly in the windows and were easily visible from the harbour. Timmy wasn’t his chipper self this evening. He smiled little and didn’t have his usual energy. He had been the same way last year when we were jumping fences and cutting through backyards on our way to church. I had asked him what was up with him then and he just said “nuttin.” I expected to get the same response this year when I asked about his 68
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I did remember how his face lit up when he talked about it. He looked at that catalogue every day and nearly wore out the page. The Red Rocket Rider was a shiny toboggan with racing stripes on the seats and was able to hold four kids. It also had a fibreglass coating that allowed it to reach rocket speed. “I never told you this,” he said, “but I asked Santa to bring it to me for Christmas. The sleigh I got did not look at all like the one in the catalogue. Santa must not have heard my prayers and brought me the wrong sleigh or my dad made it because even Santa knows we’re too poor to get the real presents.” His disappointment was written all over his face. He must have wanted that sleigh really bad because he was not one to complain. “You know what I asked for this 1-888-588-6353
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year Sam?” he continued. “I prayed for Santa to bring me the G.I. Joe Trooper with the Company E soldiers. Fat chance I’ll get that.” Timmy had never told me about his desire to have the G.I. Joe. I had also never told anyone of my ambition to have G.I. Joe fighting battles in my house on Christmas Day. My dad must have noticed me salivating over page twenty-five in the Sears catalogue. It didn’t seem all that important to me if I was going to get what I wanted and Timmy would not. As we stood shoulder to shoulder in the church with our glowing candles clutched in our hands illuminating the stained glass windows and sacred statues, Timmy’s eyes were downcast and his face held a look of resig-
nation. He was preparing himself for another disappointment. I prayed that this would be a special Christmas for Timmy. His dad had not had a great year in the fishery and with four other siblings, the family resources would be thinly disbursed. I was too preoccupied with Timmy’s despair to enjoy the service. Timmy and I didn’t even take the time to make faces at the girls who were prancing around in their Christmas dresses acting like the cat who ate the canary. Before I knew it we were hoofing it home. Timmy left with his family and I ended up walking the freshly snowcovered road with my father. He was not one for being good with his feelings. He was known more for
Snapshot and Story Santa and Mrs. Claus Torvi is a 21 month old Alaskan Malamute. She went to the SPCA fundraiser to see Santa and get her picture with him. Not one to be shown up, she wore her best suit too. It was a hit with Santa. Santa said she was the cutest Mrs.Claus.
Krista Domino Mount Pearl, NL
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being the strong silent type. He was more likely to offer his services than his affection. He must have noticed my despair and surprised me by asking if something was bothering me. By the mere fact that he would break his normal stoic veneer, I knew my misery must have been evident. With little to be achieved by holding back, I poured out my feelings right there next to Old Man Porter’s fence while his cow Gertrude chewed the cud and listened attentively to the human traffic.
my Christmas a happy one, but the happiness of my friend would be my most precious gift. Sometimes messages pass between fathers and sons that are unspoken. At that moment my father and I locked eyes and we knew what each other was thinking. He smiled and said, “I am sure that Santa will be able to make young Timmy March very happy on Christmas morning.” The veil of fog that had covered me that evening suddenly lifted with the realization that my best friend would
In my haste to expunge my feelings for my friend, I told my father about Timmy’s Christmas wish and stated that I would gladly give up my wishes to have Timmy’s fulfilled. My father listened attentively and I was surprised when he placed his hand on my shoulder and offered a pat or two in lieu of a hug. He knew poverty as a child. His father had lost his life in a fishing accident when he was ten and he was raised by a strong-willed mother who grew vegetables and fattened a pig for slaughter. Each was used to provide nourishment for her family. She also made clothing that she sold at church garden parties. He could empathize with Timmy better than me. In my haste to expunge my feelings for my friend, I told my father about Timmy’s Christmas wish and stated that I would gladly give up my wishes to have Timmy’s fulfilled. I knew that there would be many material things under my tree that would still make 70
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not have to face disappointment this Christmas morning. We continued to walk the path and at one point even jumped a fence and ran through a barnyard holding hands and laughing like the old folks stepping ‘er down as Jimmy Fogarty played “Mussels in the Corner” in the church hall. As we reached our front door my father turned to me and said something that will always remain with me as the moment when he started to see me as a man. I knew it was hard for him to express himself as he did at that moment and that’s what meant the most to me. He said, “Only really special people can put the needs of others before their own.” You couldn’t smack the smile off my face with a shovel. After unwrapping my one present 1-888-588-6353
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before bed and consuming some of the chocolates enclosed, I imagined Timmy eating his present of an apple or orange and going to bed unaware of the great things to come in the morning. As I lay in bed late in the night reflecting on the day’s events, I could hear my father and mother whispering in the hall and the sound of paper rattling as if something was being wrapped and taped. The last thing I remember as my eyes glazed over was the squeak of the front door as someone exited the house and the scrunch of the freshly fallen snow as they walked past my bedroom window. I dreamed well that night. Santa Claus was about to descend on The
Cut and I knew that my best friend was going to have the Christmas he yearned for. I learned that by our everyday acts, we can be Santa Claus and giving is much greater than receiving. The next morning I hurried to open my presents that included new shoes, a winter coat and slick new toboggan. I thanked my parents with great fanfare and was very happy that Santa had come to The Cut. As I was getting dressed to run to Timmy’s house, I looked through our kitchen window and there he was jumping our front yard fence, his face glowing with the satisfaction of Christmas wishes granted, G.I. Joe in one hand and his merry band of troops in the other.
Snapshot and Story Oh Christmas Tree Little Phoebe didn’t get the memo about leaving the ornaments for next year lol
Nora Fitzgerald via DownhomeLife.com
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Christmas at the Commissariat Where the Ghosts of Christmases Past are Present and Pleasant Story and Photos by Dennis Flynn 72
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As the ebony blanket
of night unfolds across the winter landscape, a smartly dressed soldier seemingly steps out of the pages of the past. He focuses intently on the task at hand of loading an immaculately maintained vintage rifle that was old when Canada was still young. Suddenly with practiced ease born from countless house of military drills, he shoulders the weapon and, upon the command of an unseen companion, gently squeezes the trigger. Bang!
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Guests stand outside Commissariat House waiting their turn to tour the restored site. One of the oldest in St. John’s, the building once housed the Assistant Commissary General, who was the supply officer for British forces in Newfoundand. With a tremendous spout of flame and a loud retort, the silence is split. While the echo subsides the guardian from the gatehouse secures his trusty long gun. Turning on his heel in solitary procession the blackuniformed sentry parades off into history, leaving an assembled crowd of bystanders wondering if he was ever really there. After a moment people spontaneously clap in acknowledgement of the fine piece of pageantry and poise, joining in laughing and chatting while commenting on the memorable entrance. Over the smell of bonfire smoke rising on flankers into the vault of the sky and the dulcimer sounds of a local choir adorned in caroling costumes straight out of a Dickens novel, I stand nursing a delicious cup 74
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of hot apple cider. Waiting my turn to enter a stately home restored to its 1830s heyday, I notice families with children making traditional decorations from tiny branches and of bundles of sticks secured with colourful ribbons. Adults step into the carriage house to gaze at maps of the growing town and newspaper articles debating the great matters of government and concerns of citizens from two centuries ago. I smile, surprised to see that while people, prices, and positions of power have changed, the places and points of contention remain familiar. Once inside the wooden-framed, dormer-roofed building, a charming lady in the period garb of a cook – standing by the huge kitchen hearth tending pots and pans – explains 1-888-588-6353
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Dennis donning some clothing of the era
what treats she is preparing for the coming Christmas feast. She graciously allows visitors a small sample of bread and cake popular in those days. Leaving her to her work, we move to subsequent chambers where other colourful characters step out of rooms with well-wishes of the season and a musician performs a tune fitting with the tradition. There’s even an opportunity to don a great coat and a stove-pipe hat or a shawl and a bonnet for a photo, should one be sartorially inclined to celebrate the season. An older lady sitting with mysterious bits and bobs of thread and tools smiles and pauses to ask me if I like the hand-made lace piece of cloth she is manifesting. Another enthusiastic fellow in a long-tailed jacket explains the purpose of the
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house and the important role of its owner. He points out hidden features of the structure as if letting us in on a great secret. Apologizing for his haste to make ready, he moves on in a flourish to greet the next guests arriving. It’s a perfect start to the Christmas season. Indeed, many locals I spoke
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with look forward to it each year, so much so that they have made it a new family tradition. While I could be in any of the great ancient cities of Europe or the manor of some American tycoon from the golden age of industry, I am actually in a Provincial Historic Site Museum at 11 King’s Bridge Road in the
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heritage heart of the provincial capital of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on a stunning November night. While many modern aspects of Christmas are full of flashing lights and sounds and screens screaming for attention and instant gratification, this is the opposite. The effect is subtle, peaceful, tastefully done, and serves as a gentle introduction to the best aspects of an old-fashioned Christmas. If you can’t make it during the holidays don’t worry. There are many excellent opportunities and reasons to visit the Commissariat House during the summer tourist season. For history and architecture fans wondering at the unusual name, the house was built from 1818-1820 and served as the home and offices of the Assistant Commissary General. A Commissary was essentially the title
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for a military supply officer for British forces in Newfoundland, which was a prestigious role worthy of a significant residence in those days. Taking my leave, I smile reflecting back on Dickens and how his iconic character of Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future in the seminal 1843 work A Christmas Carol. For unlucky Ebenezer, each spooky spectre inspired increasing degrees of trepidation and terror. Had old Scrooge been real and alive today I would certainly bring him to the Commissariat House in St. John’s where the cider is hot, the company is grand, the atmosphere is inviting, and the ghosts of Christmas past are forever present, but always pleasant. For more information on Commissariat House and upcoming events visit www.seethesites.ca
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love by Nicola Ryan
Kit & Kaboodle SEW SWEET How cute are these festive felted penguins? Make your own with a felt craft kit from Honeychurch. Each craft kit comes with everything you need, including soft woolmix felt, a needle, DMC embroidery thread, toy stuffing, ribbon, plus easy-to-follow instructions, templates, and a stitch guide. Perfect for a cosy craft session! honeychurchlane.com
HOME STITCH Check out the digital patterns from Four Boys and a Girl, a local cross stitch design business inspired by the colourful architecture of our province. We’re especially smitten with this Jelly Bean house pattern. Whether you transform it into a cute pillow or hang it as an ornament on your tree, it’s the perfect touch of handmade holiday cheer. fourboysandanlgirl.com
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HOOKED ON HANDMADE Emerging from the cottage industry of the Grenfell Mission in the early 20th century, Grenfell mats showcase traditional scenes that reflect the distinctive lifestyle of northern regions. If you’re interested in exploring this art form, be sure to visit the shop in St. Anthony for a variety of patterns and kits. grenfell-properties.com/shop
IN STITCHES At Molly Made Fibre Art Studio in Woody Point, you’ll find a great selection of rug hooking kits that capture Newfoundland’s vibrant culture and scenery. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned hooker, these kits have all you need including a handmade hook. We’re loving this merry design – any mummers ‘lowed in? www.mollymadefibreart.com
CAST AWAY The Newfoundland Guernsey Pattern Booklet offers four beautiful knitting patterns, including a unisex traditional sweater with both one- and two-colour options, plus matching hat patterns. You’ll also get the story behind the Newfoundland Guernsey written by Lisa Chatzikirou, owner of Cast On! Cast Off! shop.castoncastoff.com
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Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions
Q. I often wonder if decorators actually go over the top decorating their own space. What does Christmas look like at your house?
I have to be honest, and I know not everyone feels the same, but I LOVE Christmas. I wouldn’t say I go over the top exactly, but I really enjoy creating a space that feels like Christmas has arrived. Recently I discovered that in the Philippines, they celebrate the Christmas season for four months, starting in September. They call it the BER months, all the months that end in ...ber, September, October, November and December. I could definitely do that! As soon as September weather starts to cool down (brrrrr), I’m wondering what kind of Christmas activities I can start and how soon, without being too obvious. What kind of tree, or trees will I have this year? 80
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How will I make my Christmas decor unique? I am literally like a kid when it comes to Christmas. I love everything about it. The bonus of thinking about Christmas in September is it’s a great time to get ahead of the weather and put up outdoor lights. You don’t have to turn them on immediately, but it’s great to get that part of the decorating done early. So much better than fighting with cords while trying to keep your fingers from turning white in the middle of November on a 20' ladder. Then I start thinking of trees. We always have a real tree, that’s part of our tradition and I couldn’t change it now even if I wanted to, which I don’t. But over the years, just to keep it interesting, I’ve created a few different looks with our real tree. I’ve done the wonky tree, the skinny/ bushy, the skinny/skinny tree as well as all iterations of the standard Balsam Fir tree. Recently I did a collection of tiny trees which I transplanted from the wild into pots of varying sizes and arranged them on a baker’s rack and a variety of side tables in the living room window where the traditional big tree would normally go. I have to admit, it looked pretty good. Kind of a Winter Wonderland effect. Last year I moved the focus from the large living room window to the opposite corner of the room and created a Christmas forest. It included one main Christmas tree, three smaller fir trees and three birch trees. I know that sounds crazy and yes it was a bit of work, but the key is to start early. I started in midNovember and created the backdrop. I hung a dark blue drapery panel, the www.downhomelife.com
Recently I did a collection of tiny trees which I transplanted from the wild into pots of varying sizes and arranged them on a baker’s rack and a variety of side tables in the living room window where the traditional big tree would normally go.
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same colour as the living room, over the floor-toceiling bookcase to create a nighttime effect in that corner. Then I used a starry night/ full moon projection light aimed at the backdrop. Once all the trees were in place and lit with a combination of coloured and white lights, it was magical. I would have been happy to leave it there all winter, but real trees do have an expiry date, sadly. I’ll do a similar version this year, maybe just one fir tree and the rest birch trees. Gingerbread is another huge part of Christmas at our house. The grandkids spend an entire weekend rolling, cutting, baking and decorating dozens of cookies to enjoy throughout the Christmas season. It’s one big, flour-sprinkled, candy-covered, sticky, sweet memorable mess. Then two years ago, as a family endeavour, we created a scale-model gingerbread house based on our original house plans. It took a little time, but again, it was worth it and we can use it every year, as long as the mice don’t find it. If it’s wrapped well and stored in a cool, dry place it should last for years. Next, it’s time to line up the pots and create the table arrangements. They’re not only a festive accessory to place anywhere throughout the house but they also make great gifts and last for weeks if watered regularly. They can be put together early in December before it gets too crazy. 82
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I use fresh greenery, mostly from the woods nearby, but also pieces purchased from local nurseries. Simply arrange your favourite variety of greenery in decorative pots that are filled with water-soaked floral oasis, add a few seasonal touches like a special ornament, a quick spray of snow, and a festive ribbon and there you have it. The hardest decision is which ones to keep and which ones to give. Then comes the baking. Some years I do a lot, and some years not as much, it depends on how much free time I have. Lately, I’ve started slowing down my work schedule 1-888-588-6353
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around the end of November. This gives me time to enjoy the season instead of feeling stressed and rushing to get things done on time. I didn’t always have that luxury and I realize not everyone does. If that is the case for you, there’s no shame in buying your cookies and cakes from a local bakery. Serve them on festive seasonal plates, add a mug full of candy canes and a jar of coloured Christmas candy and no one will be the wiser.
As a family endeavour, we created a scale-model gingerbread house based on our original house plans. It took a little time, but again, it was worth it and we can use it every year.
Mind you, if you have the time and enjoy the kitchen, there’s no better time to dig out those treasured recipes of family favourites. Again, baked goods make wonderful gifts, especially for those whose schedules are on bust. I think the key to really enjoying the season is to be realistic. It’s easy enough to overplan and think we can do twice as much in half the time. But no one can do that, I’m slowly learning. I’ve been working on dialling it back a little and instead of stressing about the things I can’t get done, putting more focus on what I can manage. That’s a work in progress. If you have little ones in your life, you know it’s all about the anticipation of presents from Santa under the tree and all the excitement wrapped up in that. But more importantly, Christmas is about giving, sharing, family, friends, food and traditions. It’s about finding new ways to enjoy the season, spending as much time as you can with loved ones and of course, discovering all the fun and festive ways to love your space. Merry Christmas!
Ask Marie Anything! Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com. www.downhomelife.com
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the everyday gourmet
Crave Cruciferous 84
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the everyday gourmet By Andrea Maunder
Andrea Maunder is the owner and creative force behind Saucy & Sweet – Homemade Specialty Foods & Catering.
www.downhomelife.com
Kale has been enjoying its time in the culinary spotlight – and there are lovers and haters. But the humble Brussels sprout and good ol’ cabbage, while sorta sidelined lately, really deserve a starring role on your plate. I think most folks’ dislike of the cabbage family is likely a result of overcooking and lack of seasoning. I have a couple of simple recipes that will make you want to include Brussels or cabbage on your holiday table – and well into the new year. If you follow my simple techniques, people will ask for seconds! The best way to cook Brussels is first to “blanche” them; that means to quickly parcook them in rapidly boiling, well-salted water, and chill them down. The quick plunge in boiling water tenderizes and the salt helps retain the bright colour, and seasons, of course. Then, when you’re ready to serve them, just heat them up with whatever seasonings you like. You’ll see my recipe calls for butter, garlic, a pinch of chile flakes, orange juice and orange zest. The acidity from the juice and sweetness from the marmalade results in a magic glaze. The beauty of blanching is you can do this days ahead and then just finish the glazing to serve. You don’t need to blanche the cabbage, as we’ll be slicing it thinly. You can use red cabbage (I’ve always thought it should be called purple cabbage), regular green cabbage or even Savoy (with crinkly leaves). My recipe calls for a quick braise with caraway seeds and a sweet-sour treatment with a little sugar and vinegar. Brown sugar and red wine vinegar for the red cabbage; white sugar and white wine or cider vinegar for the green. If caraway seeds are hard to find in your area, you could swap in fennel, cumin or coriander seeds or just omit them. A pinch of dry or fresh dill is also a delicious alternative. You’ll be amazed at how delicious this is!
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I love to have cooked veggies on hand to top my brown rice and lentil bowls. A fantastic and quick lunch or dinner anytime. I cook brown rice with green lentils and a few aromatics (thyme, bay, salt, pepper) and cool down. It’s a delicious, nutritious, protein and fibre-packed base to top with virtually anything. Recently, I cooked sliced sweet potato, tossed with a little oil and spice mix, in the air fryer. I seasoned and grilled eggplant (my fav veg),
and of course, made some Brussels and red cabbage. It was a fantastic fridgeful of veggies to top my ricelentil bowls, finished with a little pickled radish. Each of those cooked veggies found their way into other meals, too. The eggplant was delicious in a brie grilled cheese with some of my pepper jelly. The cabbage was a scrumptious addition to grilled sausages. The Brussels livened up a lemony chicken pasta.
Andrea’s Tried and True Brussels Sprouts 1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts 1 tbsp veg oil 1 tbsp butter 2-3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced Pinch of chile flakes (optional)
Zest and juice of 1 small orange 2 tbsp orange marmalade (I used my own Saucy & Sweet Sunrise over Signal Hill Marmalade!) Salt and pepper
Trim the stem end of Brussels sprouts and discard any discoloured leaves. Leave smaller sprouts whole, and cut larger ones in half through the stem. You’re aiming to have all sprouts close to the same size so they cook evenly. Bring a small pot of wellsalted water to the boil. When boiling, drop in sprouts and cook for 4-6 minutes until just becoming tender. Remove from the water and either plunge in a bowl of ice water to cool quickly or spread in an even layer on a plate in the fridge. When ready to serve: In a nonstick pan, melt the butter with the oil, and add garlic and chile flakes. Add the blanched sprouts and a pinch of salt to taste, and toss to warm for 3-4 minutes. Add the orange juice and add marmalade to melt, toss to coat. Serve. Serves 3-4 as a veggie side. 86
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Sweet & Sour Quick-Braised Cabbage 1/2 head cabbage (red, green, Savoy): about 3 cups, thinly sliced 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2-3 tbsp butter 1 small sweet onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic 2 tsp caraway seeds (or fennel, cumin or coriander seeds, or 1 tsp dry dill, or finish with 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill)
2 oz wine – red for red; white for green 2 tbsp sugar (brown for red cabbage, white for green) 2 tbsp vinegar (red wine for red, cider or white for green) Salt and pepper to taste
Thinly slice cabbage. Melt butter with oil in a nonstick pan. Add onion and caraway seeds and sauté until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and stir. Add cabbage and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring 4-5 minutes until cabbage darkens in colour and softens. Add wine (red for red, white for green) and sugar (brown for red cabbage, white for green), toss and continue to cook. Add vinegar (red wine for red cabbage; white wine or cider for green). Continue cooking, stirring for another moment or two until the cabbage is softened, but not mushy. Taste and season to your liking. Serve. Serves 3-4 as a veggie side
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HOME and Cabin
downhome recipes
Season’s Sweetings
The holiday season is a time of indulgence. It’s a season of seconds and thirds where there’s always room for dessert. Downhome passes down some tried and true recipes to help make your Christmas a little bit sweeter.
Sticky Toffee Pudding 1 3/4 cups pitted, chopped dates 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup boiling water 1/3 cup butter 3/4 cup white sugar 2 eggs, beaten
1 1/8 cups self-rising flour 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup butter 2/3 cup evaporated milk 1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl combine the dates and baking soda. Pour enough boiling water over the dates to just cover them. Cream 1/3 cup of butter with the white sugar until light. Beat in the eggs and mix well to combine. Add the flour and date mixture (including water) to the egg mixture and fold to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and prepare the sauce. To Make Caramel Sauce: In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, and evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the sauce over individual servings of warm cake. Yields one cake.
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Epic Eggnog 4 cups milk 1 tsp ground cinnamon 5 whole cloves 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, divided 12 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups white sugar 4 cups light cream 2 1/2 cups light rum (optional) 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Gather all ingredients. Combine milk, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and cloves in a saucepan over the lowest heat setting; stir and heat for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-low and slowly bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl until light yellow. Add sugar and whisk until light and fluffy. Pour some of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking quickly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Continue adding hot milk and whisking to combine until all milk is incorporated. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 3 minutes; do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves and let cool for about 1 hour, then stir in cream, rum, remaining 2 tsp vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate before serving, 8 hours to overnight. Yields 12 servings.
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Christmas Fruit Cake
Julie Hyde Western Bay, NL This recipe brings back so many memories of Newfoundland and growing up with my grandmother.
1 & 1/4 cup chopped dried prunes 1 & 1/4 cup chopped dried dates 1 & 1/2 cup dark raisins 1 & 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 & 1/4 cup currants 3/4 cup butter 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup rum or brandy 1 cup dark brown sugar 3/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup Kahlua or very strong coffee zest and juice of a large orange 1 cup glace cherries
1 cup candied citrus peel 1 & 1/2 cups of toasted pecans chopped 2 tsp allspice 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp ginger 1 tsp cloves 2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 3 tbsp cocoa 3 eggs 1 & 1/3 cup flour 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts or almonds 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda
The night before you want to make your cake soak cherries, fruit peel and 1/4 cup cranberries in 1/4 cup of rum or brandy. The next day, toast pecans and then, in a large saucepan, melt 3/4 cup of butter. Add raisins, dates, prunes, currants, sugar, molasses, spices, Kauluah or coffee, orange zest and juice. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 35-45 minutes. When cool enough, stir in the slightly beaten eggs. You don’t want to cook the eggs, so be sure it’s cool enough and you work quickly. Next, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. Add ground nuts and fold them into your boiled mixture. When mixed, fold in cherries, citrus peel and 1/4 cup cranberries that have been soaking overnight. Add pecans. Pour into a greased and floured pan. Decorate with more pecans and cherries. Bake at 300 for about 2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre. When cold, poke a few holes in the top with a toothpick. This ensures that the rum will get into the cake. Pour 2 tbsp of rum over top. Wrap your cake in cheesecloth that has been soaked in 1/4 cup of rum. Presoak cloth every week with 1/4 cup of rum for 4 weeks. Store in a cool dark place. Yields one cake. 90
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Cinnamon Rolls 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
Filling
Dough
1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup light brown sugar 2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed 2 tbsp white sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup whole milk
Cream Cheese Frosting 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Gather ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tbsp of the melted butter. To make the dough: Whisk flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Work 3 tbsp softened butter into flour mixture using your hands until butter is lentil-sized. Pour milk into flour-butter mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and roll dough into a 10x10-inch square. Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter. To make the filling: Whisk 1/4 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tbsp cinnamon-sugar mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over butter-brushed dough. Roll dough around the filling to form a log; cut the log into 9 rolls about 1 inch wide; place rolls, cut-side up, in the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until rolls are puffed and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. To make the frosting: Beat confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and vanilla extract together in a bowl until the frosting is smooth. Top hot cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting. Yields nine cinnamon rolls.
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Cherries in the Snow
Beulah Drake • Harbour Breton, NL 1 large container of Cool Whip 1/2 cup icing sugar Prepared angel food cake
1 cup Carnation milk 1 package cream cheese 1 tin cherry pie filling
In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese, sugar and milk until smooth. Gently mix in the Cool Whip. Break the cake into small pieces. Layer the cake and whipped mixture, add a few cherries throughout, and pour the rest on top.
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Christmas Cake Pops 1 (12 oz) package coloured candy coating melts, divided 24 plain doughnut holes
24 lollipop sticks 1 tbsp multicoloured sprinkles, as desired
Place about 1/4 cup candy melts into a small microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the candy coating and continue to heat in 30 second intervals until the coating is just warm and completely melted. Poke a hole halfway through doughnut holes with lollipop sticks then remove the sticks. Dip the end of the sticks into the melted coating and reinsert into doughnut holes (this holds the doughnut holes firmly on the sticks). Stick doughnut pops upright into a block of plastic foam and place into the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up. When pops are firmly attached to their sticks, melt the remaining candy coating dots in a microwave-safe bowl on 40 percent power for 1 minute; stir, and melt in 30-second intervals until the coating is warm and smoothly melted. Dip doughnut holes into the coating, covering it completely. Hold dipped pops over a bowl and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or festively decorate them with your choice of candy. Return pops to the plastic foam mold to set. Yields 24 servings.
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Chocolate Yule Log 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 5 eggs 3/4 cup white sugar 2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate 2 tbsp water 2 tbsp coffee-flavoured liqueur 2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda Confectioners’ sugar for dusting 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp coffee-flavoured liqueur
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 10x15-inch jellyroll pan and line it with parchment paper. Sift flour with baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs on high for several minutes until they are very pale and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, beating for 1 to 2 minutes more or until very thick. Gently, but thoroughly, fold in the flour mixture. Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp of water with the 2 tbsp coffee liqueur, the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, and the baking soda, then gradually stir into the melted chocolate until smooth. Quickly but thoroughly fold the chocolate mixture into the batter. Pour batter into prepared 10x15 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Lightly sift an even layer of confectioners’ sugar over a cloth napkin or tea towel. Flip the cake out of its pan onto the prepared cloth as soon as it comes from the oven. Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Lightly dust the top of the cake with confectioner sugar, then trim away crisp edges. Starting with one of the short sides of the cake, immediately roll the cake up in the cloth, jellyroll style, and cool thoroughly on a rack. For the Filling and Frosting: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until smooth, then blend in the vanilla extract and coffee liqueur. Blend in the melted chocolate. Unroll the cake and spread about 1/3 of the filling evenly over the surface. Roll the cake back up. Arrange the cake roll on the serving tray, then frost generously, swiping with an icing spatula to form the long ‘bark line’ design. Swipe the ends of the cake in a circular motion to simulate the tree rings of a cut log. Decorate the log as desired.
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HOME and Cabin
down to earth
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Tis the Season BY KIM THISTLE
Let’s make a Christmas arrangement using mostly foraged and recycled materials. I like the natural look, but I also like to reduce my consumption of things that will be thrown away at the end of the holidays. Here’s a step-by-step of the greens and branches that I cut on my property with a few photos of how they were assembled.
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I choose Christmasy greens such as balsam fir and pine and add to that a few unusuals like rhododendron and heather. Branches such as alder, with cones, birch and red ozier dogwood add textural interest. Instead of purchasing plastic berries, I like to use rose hips. Rose hips are the seed or fruit that develops once the blossom dies. My rugosa rosa needed pruning so I figured I would kill two birds with one stone. I have a wonderful holly bush in my yard that I swipe a few branches from every year for my Christmas decorating. When putting together this arrangement I found some fabulous rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan) seed heads that I added for height and texture.
Alder
Balsam Fir
Heather
Holly
Pine
Rhododendron
Rose Hips
Rudbeckia
I save the soil from my potted summer vegetables to use as a form to stick the branches in. I usually choose a tomato plant to reclaim the soil from as they are very well rooted and the roots in the soil are what help to hold it together and hold the branches in place. Cut the plant back and the soil should easily slip out in one piece. I pick a nice seasonal pot such as the red one in the photo and insert the soil into it. 98
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Next, I green up the pot with the balsam fir and pine. This gives me the basic shape of my arrangement. I place a few tall balsam fir tips for height and some pine to give a nice diagonal swoop. White pine or False cypress works nicely for this purpose if you can get your hands on some. Once I have this basic shape I add the bows. IMPORTANT! Don’t cheap out on the bow. This added feature will make or break your arrangement. You can save your bows from year to year to save them from going to the landfill. (I really am turning into my mother. She took the ‘reduce and reuse’ of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ very seriously.) The next steps are purely creative. At this point I randomly add the branches, seed heads, rose hips, heather, holly and rhododendron until there are no more empty spots and everything looks balanced and ‘voila’
you have a lovely, inexpensive Christmas decoration for your front step. Be sure to water it once it is finished as the branches will continue to take up water and last longer. The water in the soil will freeze and aid in keeping the branches in place and the extra weight will keep it from turning into tumbleweed on a windy, winter’s night. Have a wonderful Christmas season. Enjoy good food, sing carols, visit friends and neighbours and don’t forget to consider those who are not fortunate enough to have friends and family to spend the holidays with. If you have fun making a seasonal arrangement, make a few extras and leave one on the doorstep of someone who is alone. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
Kim is a horticultural consultant, a retired garden centre owner and a dedicated garden enthusiast!
Got a question for Kim?
downtoearth@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com
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life is better Winter in the harbour Christopher Street downhomelife.com
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reminiscing flashbacks
Christmas Cuties Sweet sisters Beulah and Joanne Stoodley had a tree-mendous time in 1968! Beulah Drake Harbour Breton, NL
Santa’s Coming to Town “When I was younger my nan would dress up as Santa because my pop was too shy. This is me and Nan as Santa in 1989. Some of my best Christmas memories.” Chris Donovan St. John’s, NL
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Come In, Lovely Mummers Could this be a photo of Marie Mulcahy, Sharon Mulcahy and Irene O’Brien mummering in Cape Broyle in 1990? We know, but we’re not going to say! Irene O’Brien Kentville, NS
This Month in History The call went out at about 10 pm on December 21, 1992 – all St. John’s firefighters were to head to the city’s central station immediately. A major fire had broken out at the Church Lad’s Brigade (CLB), quickly spreading to nearby buildings along Harvey Road – an event reminiscent of the Great Fire of 1892 and the awful Knights of Columbus fire of 1942. Firefighters struggled to contain the flames and flankers ‘as big as dinner plates’, particularly as they reached the roof of the iconic Big R restaurant across the street. Provincial fire commissioner Fred Hollett reported that the fire caused $13 million in damage but could have been far worse. The efforts of over 100 firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to densely populated areas like Long’s Hill, potentially saving the downtown core from complete devastation. 1-888-588-6353
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For over 35 years, Downhome Magazine has been at the heart of all things Newfoundland and Labrador. A comforting, familiar and constant presence in our province’s media climate, Downhome has been a name synonymous with ‘home’ for over three decades and counting. In this Month in Downhome History, we dive through our archives to give readers snippets of days gone by, highlighting major events, unique facts and the stories that matter to our readers.
December 1989 Volume 2 • Number 7
Wells Makes Headlines Premier Cylde Wells captured the national spotlight in the recent first ministers meeting in Ottawa. It made him a national figure overnight. It is the general consensus that Wells stole the show at the conference. He made headlines across the country. He has been compared favourably to former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. His vision of Canada is very similar to Trudeau’s … no special status for any one province. Wells was named the most successful of all the first ministers, in articulating the country’s concerns regarding the Meech Lake Accord. Asked if he got many calls suggesting he run for leadership of the federal liberal party, and ultimately as Prime Minister of Canada, Wells said that he had. Lots of them. When asked if he would, he said “I have to state an obvious fact. I have no competency in French, at this moment, at least.” 104
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Coast Guard on Strike The navy will be brought in to help enforce Canadian fisheries laws offshore. Government fisheries patrol ships in Eastern Canada are being tied up because of a strike by crew members. The strike is keeping coast guard vessels, like the Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in port. The fisheries research ship, the Wilfred Templeman and patrol boat the Leonard J. Cawley are now on their way to port. According to the board used by fisheries officials to keep track of foreign trawlers, there are more than one hundred of them near the two-hundred-mile limit.
December 1994 Volume 7 • Number 7
A Costly Chew Sidney, BC – Ngoe Le is $10,000 richer after a customer decided he’d rather chew than scratch. Recently, a man came into Le’s grocery store to buy his lottery tickets. “He had pockets full of coins – pennies, quarters, nickels,” she said. “He bought one $10 ticket and four $1 ones.” About to leave, the man decided he wanted some gum but had no cash. “So he gave me back a $1 ticket and I gave him the gum.” A few hours later, she took out the ticket and scratched it. A $10,000 instant win. Someone told the man who bought the gum and he returned to the store. “He said, ‘Oh, you are so lucky. I am so happy for you,” Le said.
Steadying the Fault Dover – The town of Dover is trying to land back on sound financial ground. The community has been suffering problems over the last couple of years in collecting taxes. It has $114,000 in accounts payable. The new town council, with Mayor Roy Rogers in charge since last May, has gotten 100 percent of the people paying their taxes and trying to pay back taxes. Reprinted from The Gander Beacon. Used by permission. 1-888-588-6353
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December 1999 Volume 12 • Number 7 –
Hat Tips All-Around Ted Murphy of St. John’s has been selected to referee at the World Junior Male Hockey Championships. Murphy travels to Mexico in early January for the games. Elsewhere, The Untold Story, a documentary about the suffrage movement in Newfoundland, took third place in a U.S. film festival. Marian Frances White wrote the story and Greg Malone directed the film. Finally, the husband and wife team of Philip MacLean and Dr. Pauline Duivenoorden of Deer Lake have been named Atlantic Outstanding Young Farmers for 1999. They advance into the national finals.
Six for Sobeys St. John’s – Sobeys owns six shopping malls in the St. John’s area. The latest two additions to the Sobeys empire cost the company $6.5 million. Purchased were the K-Mart Plaza on Torbay Road and the Zellers Plaza on Topsail Road. Sobeys already own the Avalon Mall, the former Mount Cashel property, Sobeys Square on Topsail Road and a large supermarket on Ropewalk Lane. Sobeys, or its companies, also own large sections of Water Street as well as properties in Corner Brook, Conception Bay South and several other communities.
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December 2004 Volume 17 • Number 7
1,000 Wins Brad Forward, a native of St. John’s, celebrated his 1000th win in harness horse racing this past year. On May 5, 2004, 33-year-old Brad and his horse, Pitterpatergetater, won the milestone race, at the Windsor Raceway in Ontario. Brad lives in Windsor with his family. For every race he wins, Brad donates a percentage of the earnings to the Newfoundland and Labrador Happy Tree Foundation.
Beer Anyone? According to a new report released by Statistics Canada, beer is the alcoholic beverage of choice for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Beer sales in the province topped $170 million last year, more than wine and liquor combined. Total alcoholic beverage sales in the province reached $240 million out of $15.4 billion nationally. Per capita, beer sales were the highest in Newfoundland and Labrador and lowest in Manitoba.
What a Nose Knows Lawrence Witmer, a professor at Ohio University, has travelled to Newfoundland to research moose heads, in particular, their noses. Witmer says the moose’s nose, which accounts for 70 percent of its head, can provide valuable clues about evolution. The nostrils are like the moose’s ears, pointing in different directions and providing directional information to the brain. When the researcher and his colleagues examined digital scans of moose heads, they found the animal’s ability to close its nostrils underwater has led to an aquatic adaptation for feeding in deep water.
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By Lester Green
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The view of St. Jones Without Arm from the Beach
My dad, William Green,
shaped my memories of St. Jones Without. I would accompany him by boat many years ago to St. Jones Without to visit his childhood home and the cemeteries. He would point to three locations as we steamed in the fjord-like harbour. “The area to our left was named The Beach,” he’d explain. “That’s where most of the Anglican people lived. The area to our right was Ferry’s Cove, where the Methodist people settled. The area below the Beach where the road used to go along the hill, now that was Stanley’s Cove. The Methodists had their church over there.” He would continue to explain the history of the community, referring to individuals he knew in his childhood, like Gordon Banton and the Pitchers. After my dad passed, I visited with Gordon and added new images to many of Gordon’s yarns, which I recorded as he retrieved old black and white photographs from the top of his cupboard, which were stored in a brown paper bag.
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The Beach, one of three smaller settlements that made up St. Jones Without Over the years, I conducted interviews with individuals who have shared stories from their youth with me. I always felt blessed to be in the presence of individuals with such sharp memories that they could capture my thoughts and allow them to drift back to a time when life was considered relatively simple, where money was not seen as a measure of success, but as an essential to purchase life’s necessities. Such were the couple, Gordon and Olive (Pitcher) Banton of Winterton. Gordon and Olive were married on January 3, 1946. They moved to Winterton when the people of St. Jones Without abandoned the community because it lacked governmental services such as roads and medical facilities. Gordon was a fantastic storyteller who could keep his audience engaged by anticipating his next 110
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sentence. He shared several stories with me during my weekend in November 2002. Among them, I was treated with a recollection of the Christmas season when they were children growing up in St. Jones Without. As I listened to the recording of Gordon and Olive on my cassette
the wood box and to make sure we were warm in the night. Then we’d bring in buckets of water to fill the barrel. Then we’d feed the sheep, goats, cows and hens. When you get all your work done, some of the young boys would go and kick a ball, made from the bladder of a sheep, around the garden.
“That night we’d start putting up the Christmas tree that was cut that day by your father or one of the boys. We’d make decorations out of paper. We’d make different things from bread, string together popcorn and put it on the tree.” recorder, I placed their words on paper. The following are their experiences from that faraway time: “The first thing we’d do on Christmas Eve was to go out in the store and lug in yaffles of wood to fill
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“That night we’d start putting up the Christmas tree that was cut that day by your father or one of the boys. We’d make decorations out of paper. We’d make different things from bread, string together popcorn and
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The Methodist church where families would attend Christmas Day service put it on the tree. We wouldn’t buy any Christmas decorations from the store. Maybe a special bell or a treetop. “In our Christmas socks, we’d get an apple or an orange, a few candies and some Christmas cake. Sometimes we’d get some type of toy. You’d get one present and maybe something small. “Where we lived in St. Jones Without, Christmas was good because we’d be Jannying for the twelve days of Christmas. We’d go to people’s door and knock. When they come out you’d say, ‘Any Jannies ‘lowed in?’ They’d say come on in now. They’d try to guess who we were. Then they’ll give you a piece of cake and a drop of syrup. Sometimes the people would want you to dance. “You’d always share whatever you had with your family and friends. For Christmas dinner, we’d have mutton 112
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or a rooster. Some people might have a turr. We’d have this food with plenty of vegetables; spuds, carrot, and turnip that we grew up in the bottom of St. Jones during the summer. “For dessert, we’d have some type of pudding or a piece of Christmas cake. On Christmas day we all went to church. In church, we’d sing a few hymns and after the service, we all rush out to celebrate Christmas. Christmas day was like a big holiday and the boys would get together and play football. The girls used to watch the by’s play. “Old Christmas Day was the same as Christmas Day. You would have a special dinner cooked. On old Christmas night, we’d go around to the different houses. Around 11:00 p.m. a number of young people would get together and make an old twelve cake. Everyone would bring 1-888-588-6353
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something to put in the cake like figs, fat pork, berries and whatever you could get. When it was baked, we’d all share. Somebody would bring partridgeberries, and we’d steep it in the kettle, remove the berries and drink the juice. This was how we made berry ocky. “I had one experience with animals praying in the stable. My uncle and me went to the stable. When he went
all. No Jannies now, people don’t dress up and only a few people come to your house now. But these times there was always someone back and forth to your house. Now a few people belong to you come in for Christmas dinner or something like that. No fun now. All gone now. All there is now liquor, liquor, liquor, or beer, beer, and beer. That’s all I got to say about it.”
“My uncle and me went to the stable. When he went into the stable, I held on outside. When twelve o’clock come, everything went on their knees, the sheep and cows. My uncle got frightened. I barred the door with him in the stable. He got mad, beat the door down and we both ran home frightened to death. ” into the stable, I held on outside. When twelve o’clock come, everything went on their knees, the sheep and cows. My uncle got frightened. I barred the door with him in the stable. He got mad, beat the door down and we both ran home frightened to death. That was my experience with praying animals. “Yes. Christmas is not the same at
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Gordon was 83 during the interview on November 3, 2002. Olive was not well and died shortly after my visit. I felt fortunate to have spent this time with the couple whose time on earth was nearing its end. Gordon lived for twelve more years and passed away on April 13, 2014. Thanks for the Christmas memories, Gordon and Olive.
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By Sean Ennis 114
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December 24th, 2023.
As the Christmas season once again arrived to envelop the banks of the Exploits River area of this beautiful province, an old familiar sound echoed throughout the town of Bishop’s Falls. For the first time in many years, the chimes atop the Sacred Heart Church once again rang out a message of joy and peace as the sounds of Christmas carols carried clearly on the crisp winter air for all to hear. The return of the chimes brought back childhood memories of times now past for many of the residents of the town, but just how the chimes originally came to be is a story that few in Bishop’s Falls have heard. In 1961, the town of Bishop’s Falls was a bustling hub, with the railways of both the CNR (Canadian National) and AND (Anglo NFLD) having a presence there. Also, there was a significant and thriving woods-related industry bringing jobs and security to the area. At the same time, Father Leo Burke was celebrating his silver anniversary as a Father Leo Burke Catholic priest in the town of Bishop’s Falls. In August of that year, as part of the celebrations, Father Burke planned to open the doors to a beautiful new church, a project for which he had been the architect overseeing its progress from start to its conclusion. Father Burke, aside from being a man of the cloth, was a man of action. During his years as parish priest, he left a significant endowment to the community. The beautiful Sacred Heart Church, a school which continues to serve the community in his name, and a home for the priests to reside, after his retirement. Because of his persistence and determination, parishioners often fondly referred to him as The Builder. On May 6th, 1961, a committee of railroad workers representing both the CNR and AND railroads approached Father Burke with a plan to purchase a chime system for the new church. These chimes were to become a living monument to the many railroaders who strived daily to move the commerce that was building blocks to progress for our province. 1-888-588-6353
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The thought process of the committee was that, like a train whistle which carries a message for those near and far that a train is approaching, so too would the chimes speak to the community and the railroaders working nearby that God was watching over them. From the start, money came in from railroaders and well-wishers from across the province, the country and as far away as Australia for the project. It’s also important to note that the railway workers’ religious
Sacred Heart Church
denomination did not influence the project. My father, who was one of the committee members, often commented on the kindness of people of other religious faiths who contributed equally and often to make the project a success! The money was raised through personal contributions and weekly raffles in which prizes like hams, turkeys, bacon, vegetables, bags of sugar, flour, and any other item that might be contributed to the cause were raffled off. On occasion, some people, because of their religious 116
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beliefs, would not participate with the raffle as it could be seen as gambling. Yet they would still put hand to pocket to donate directly or would donate a prize that might be used in the next weeks ticket sales to assist the cause. My brother Mike, who was in high school at the time, was often called into duty by my father to sell raffle tickets each Saturday. This involved going door to door from one end of town to the other, often selling a whole spin in one day. Everyone contributed in their own way. In August of that year the Sacred Heart Church opened its doors to the community and the chimes became part of the daily life of the people who resided there. As a young boy I can recount many times a softball, ball hockey, field ball or hockey game came to a quick conclusion as the chimes marked 12 noon or 6 p.m., but more importantly lunch or supper time for hungry young athletes. Growing up in a railway town was, for a young boy, akin to the stories of Mark Twain on the riverbanks of the Mississippi. Always an adventure to be found. Whether playing cowboys and indians and running on top of the ice house, or climbing on the many boxcars and flat cars in the rail yard, it was as if the railway had been put there for our delight! As children, we often marvelled at the unbelievable strength of some of the workers! Many a day, we sat on a rail and watched as just one man easily turned a diesel engine to point 1-888-588-6353
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it in another direction on the turnstile at the roundhouse. We were still learning letters and times tables at school, and the study of physics was a long way off, so for us this was an astounding feat to witness! These were amazing times that still thankfully return on occasion at night when sleep finds us. We were kids on a mission who had little time to sit and see that we truly lived among giants. These men of iron, on many Christmases, did not get home from work to their own families because they stayed late to ensure that all the presents that were being transported across our province to so many small outports and towns arrived on time. We failed to understand that when we looked through the Sears and Eatons catalogues to pick out what we wished Santa might bring, that the men we saw each day: the trainmen, the engineers, the conductors, all played a significant role to ensure every child had the best Christmas possible. In Bishop’s Falls, the train whistle is heard no more. The ribbons of rail
that once crossed our province are now gone in a “road for rails” deal signed decades ago! The buses that replaced our trains are gone too. All part of what was framed at the time as progress. In retrospect, the winners and losers or how much progress was attained by its dismantling is not so easily measured. For many in our province, the Newfoundland railroad is a distant memory, if a memory at all. It is part of our history, but is history nevertheless. Those of us whose fathers, brothers, sisters and mothers built and worked for the railroad watch in sadness as the memory fades, but still hold great pride for the doing. Still today in Bishop’s Falls, as the fog sits low on the waters of the Exploits River, the chimes ring out each day to all, and especially those who still miss our trains and mourn our railroad’s demise. It’s a message to those men of iron who rode the rails so that we might progress as a province and a people. We remember!
Chad Peddle photo
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By H. Joseph Seward Wolfville, Nova Scotia
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It’s Christmas Eve 2023, and I am thinking about Christmases past. This is an account of how I spent Christmas in 1941 in Southport, a small outport in Trinity Bay North, Newfoundland. I was six years old. My two siblings, Marie and Garfield, were four and two, respectively.
Only a little happened during the time leading to Christmas until Friday, December 19th. That’s when our school concert was held at the United Church School. At about 6:30 p.m. the oil lamps were lit, and the reflected light shining through the windows brought all the moms, dads, and some grandparents rushing to get one of the few available seats. The students were already seated before the lamps were lit. We were the concert stars for at least a few minutes each. Most were excited. Me? Not so much. I had a small speaking part, a recital, but I had a problem; I stuttered severely. And like the old forest of long ago, I was petrified. The program began with the teacher introducing each student and what that student was to perform. And then it happened. The teacher, Miss Ida White, introduced me. “And now, Joe will give us a short recital.”
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Southport, circa 1940 That 5-metre walk (about 15 feet) to the raised platform on the stage felt like the longest I would ever walk. Would I remember the lines that Miss White had written for me? When I started talking, would everyone start laughing at me? They had never laughed at my stuttering, but there was always a first time. I stood on the stage in the glow of the oil lamp and faced the crowded one-room school; the words started to flow hesitantly, as each word seemed as if it was tied to my tongue and pulled out past my lips. Each word came a little easier, and my 30 seconds, which seemed like 30 minutes, ended. I stepped from the stage and was greeted with a rousing round of applause. That’s when I concluded that my future could be better than I thought. The following day, after dinner, Dad and I went to the woods and cut our Christmas tree. When we came home, my sister Marie and I spent the rest of the afternoon decorating it. After supper, I had a more pleasant event to attend than the one I had attended the previous evening. We gathered with Santa Claus at the United 120
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Church School, where we were served a glass of syrup and a biscuit. At about 8:00 p.m., Santa arrived and sat on the throne, a folding chair. As his assistant called our names, each child walked up and, after kissing Santa, received a gift. We were all so excited. At the end of the evening, a child’s name was randomly drawn. My cousin Ruby Seward’s name was drawn, and she won a small box of chocolates. On her way home, one of the village bullies stole her chocolates. Even the small villages had their bullies. We disbursed to our homes and retired to bed to await the arrival of the real Santa. The following morning, Christmas Day, I awoke early, went to the kitchen, picked up my stocking, and returned to bed. I emptied my stocking and found the goodies: two or three giant peppermint nobs, large hard candies, half an orange, and half an apple. Next came the piecede-resistance; my Christmas toy was wrapped in a small paper bag. The body was cone-shaped, like the safety cones one would see on the highways. It was about three inches long 1-888-588-6353
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and manufactured from a substance I did not know. Not wanting to wake everyone, I went outside to our back steps, placed the mouthpiece between my lips, took a deep breath, and blew hard. My toy made a sickening sound as the reed flew past me. That was the end of my Christmas present. Later that day, we had our Christmas dinner: Pork roast with all the trimmings, including Mom’s special pudding, which she poured over the roast until the roasting pan was full. That pudding was my favourite part of the meal. After dinner, I would go to my Uncle Dick’s Garden, and someone would get the football from Silas Avery. The football was a pig’s bladder, which was cured and blown up. We would play football from Christmas Day until old Christmas
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Day, January 6th, when the ball would be returned to Silas until next year. So long as only children played ball, the pig’s bladder worked fine, but as inevitably happens, some older person would give the bladder a swift kick and break our football. We would have to wait until next Christmas to get a new bladder. Silas would later buy us a real football, which was, in fact, a soccer ball. To quote Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.” 1941 was one of my best times. Some of the next few years would be unfortunate occasions. I do not want to leave on a sour note. A comedian once said, “Youth is such a wonderful time in our lives, it’s too bad it’s wasted on the young.” Have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
December 2024
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2412_Puzzles_1701-puzzles 10/22/24 4:01 PM Page 124
puzzles
The Beaten Path
Joann Dooley photo
By Ron Young
Block out all the letters that are like other letters in every way, including shape and size. The letters that are left over, when unscrambled, will spell out the name of the above community.
S S T m L L X H A p G G U M T Q R U M F T R N X T S U m A E Q S L m L M G p S A R J T H R G R QA S R M M p G S X J L D T R G L A T L A m R M T p G L U S M H G R
M
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E H
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H
Last Month’s Community: Norris Point 124
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Sudoku
from websudoku.com
Last month’s answers
?
Need Help
Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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Alick Tsui original photo
2412_Puzzles_1701-puzzles 10/22/24 4:01 PM Page 126
Downhomer Detective Needs You After more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.
Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • Located on the Southern Shore • Popular for Lighthouse Picnics • Sits atop the former Colony of Avalon • Hometown of the late Ron Hynes • A giant iceberg made the town world famous in 2017
Last Month’s Answer: St. Anthony
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Twillingate 126
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: Utter gently and wield a massive branch In Other Words: Speak softly and carry a big stick
This Month’s Clue: It is preferable to offer than to accept In Other Words: __ __ ______ __ ___ ___ __ ______
A Way With Words mind MATTER
Last Month’s Answer: Mind over matter
This Month’s Clue
TONE TONE
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
1. A gong sound is a ____ _____ 2. A new Christmas wife is a _________ _____ 3. Present budgeting is ____ ______ Last Month’s Answers 1. bird word, 2. chip dip, 3. mellow fellow
Answer: ___ - ____
Scrambled Sayings by Ron Young Place each of the letters in the rectangular box below into one of the white square boxes above them to discover a quotation. Incomplete words that begin on the right side of the diagram continue one line down on the left. The letters may or may not go in the box in the same order that they are in the column. Once a letter is used, cross it off and do not use it again.
’ G I A E I L G O G I C E M A L A F A H I L G E T S I N L O N H T H O M F O M N D T E I M P I E T U R L W I S T H P Y E S L O L N W W L W O R WM Y Y
Last month’s answer: I am thinking of taking a fifth wife. Why not? Solomon had a thousand wives and he is a synonym for wisdom. www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. electrifying
____________
2. gathering
____________
3. mooring
____________
4. nylon
____________
5. barring
____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. queasy, 2. easy, 3. sleazy, 4. cheesy, 5. breezy
Tangled Towns by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression.
1. HAHSUSTAIN
For best results sound the clue words out loud!
2. KAMVIKOK
Backed Ooze Queer Won ____ __ ______ ___
3. SAITHHUSHES
Weigh Cup Tooth Thief Axe ____ __ __ ___ _____
5. SELLPIVOT
Last Month’s 1st Clue: Ices Pecks Hoe. Answer: I suspect so. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Ache Rhymes Us Pecked. Answer: A crime suspect.
4. ANNI
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Seal Cove, 2. Belleoram, 3. Hermitage, 4. Gaultois, 5. MacCallums
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. CLAN RAID ~ Clue: a holy bird? 2. SO I COKE ~ Clue: square or round, they fill a hole 3. PANIC TEE ~ Clue: it’s hardest to find when it’s really needed 4. DIRE LEVY ~ Clue: it’s not always special, but it’s always waited on 5. DENSE RIG ~ Clue: people pay to have her looks Last Month’s Answers: 1. bonfire, 2. gathering, 3. exercise, 4. marathon, 5. happiness 128
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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s By Ron Young
Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction. 1-10: fibber 1-31: turbot 1-91: trouting pole 2-42: permit 4-64: quickly 6-8: feline 6-46: trade 8-48: rips 10-8: decay 10-40: Nevada city 10-100: refurbishment 16-13: wander 19-16: equal 20-17: fencing sword 21-24: smack 21-51: leg part 25-45: Edgar Allan 26-30: once more 27-25: crack 27-30: profit 33-3: young sheep 33-53: Robert E. 36-16: distant 36-33: baffle 36-39: garrison 42-44: married 44-24: dunk 46-76: journey 47-77: smidgen 48-45: location 48-78: backtalk 50-44: went to 50-46: drop in 50-70: big tub 54-51: slender 56-53: character 56-59: route 56-86: fully matured 58-78: donkey www.downhomelife.com
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64-62: yang’s pard 64-94: yesteryear 65-45: enemy 65-68: seizures 65-95: banner 68-70: place 70-61: giving evidence 75-72: adore 76-71: sandpiper 76-79: gone by 76-96: pod product 78-76: spruce juice 79-99: also 82-62: write 82-84: equal 87-84: backside 88-90: cow sound
91-100: commission 97-95: kid’s game 93-91: guided Last Month’s Answer
EVENTUALLY XEVRA I LO I L P LEA S EATEL AF TEKAREDU T N A Y O BMA L F R I UFOEGROE I ANOLGNULC ACT I NGONEA TELL I A S TGR EZ I LARENEG December 2024
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
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by Ron Young
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ACROSS 1. Your tawts ___ too far aft 4. “___little turrs in the freezer is better than a hundred in the bay” 5. As foolish as ___ socks 6. multiple sclerosis (abbrev) 7. colour 9. pricey crustaceans 14. flat-bottomed boat 18. each (abbrev) 19. United States (abbrev) 20. eon 21. old wound 23. one who beheads and guts codfish (colloq) 25. ugly saltwater fish 26. Edgar Allen ___ 27. toque 28. meadow 29. New Jersey (abbrev) 31. United Nations (abbrev) 32. ______ bough - dead, red coniferous branch 36. opposite NW 37. __ J.M. Olds - legendary Twillingate physician 38. common evergreen 39. __ John’s 40. Auditor General (abbrev) 41. three-person musical group 42. raven’s cousin 43. lively dance 44. sat (colloq) 46. landwash 47. as low as it gets DOWN 1. tiny particle 2. “___ ___ at night, sailor’s delight” (2 words) 3. finish 7. pickle flavour 8. recede (as in the tide) www.downhomelife.com
10. bedlamer 11. waterproof sheet 12. demolish 13. steamship (abbrev) 14. “See ya!” 15. makeover 16. “Them blueberries is red ‘cause deym _____” 17. corn cob 21. examine 22. Stanley ___ 23. “___ moly!” 24. ago 25. seal’s back flipper 30. squid-fishing device 32. native NL trout 33. American Football Conference (abbrev) 34. ___ William Coaker 35. German brown or rainbow 37. Compact ___ - digital storage 40. atmosphere 43. happiness 45. Trinity Bay (abbrev) 46. small (abbrev) B A Y ANSWERS A O TO LAST N O D MONTH’S G E E U L CROSSWORD P A S T S Q U A R E F L I P P E R A U R A P D O O R W D I N G A R D E N E R H D E E P H O O D O B I L T D I S T B R A T E O N H A R P L E B E D L A M E R A L E C A X E D M D E V E O C E E L T E A A K R A G G E D J A C K E T 44
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2024 Ron Young
Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face.
____ ___ 2267 464
___ 929
__ 63
__ 47
’
______ _ 628873 7
_________ 776668464
___ 843
______ __ 287463 77
____ _ 6683 5
Last Month’s Answer: If nothing is impossible is it possible for something to be impossible? ©2024 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE
h
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =R Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ _ _ y2 2
_ _ _ _ _ _
k0 n 7 i b
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Xn D D n t Z2k _ _ _ _ k0 C H
_ R _ yh C
_ R _ yhC
_ _ _ _ R _ YCD ;hC _ _ _ _ C yb H
Last Month’s Answer: An ounce of emotion is equal to a ton of facts. 132
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© 2024 Ron Young
Food For Thought
Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”
delight = _ _ _
fondled = _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_
assist = _ _ _ _
prettiest = _ _ _ _ _ _
_
starve = _ _ _ _ _
_
n}em k k mY
qtv
amwy
rats =
_ _
_
_
K} ce m k `
_
[ me I l
K}I c k a
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
a}yy c l mkk _ _
cl
_ _ _
`am
w c mk
_ _ _
qtv
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
}na c m[ mI ml` _ _ _
`am _
_ _ _ _ _ _
`ae c ww
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
ne m}` c [ m
_ _
tK _ _ _
}lY _ _
tK
_ _ _ _ _ _
mKKte`
Last Month’s Answer: The progress of the world depends almost entirely upon education. www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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Different Strokes
Our artist’s pen made the two seemingly identical pictures below different in 12 places. See if you can find all 12.
ERN AND COAL BIN RECHARGE RUDOLPH’S BATTERY
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Touton, 2. Pan handle, 3. Curtain, 4. Hair, 5. Syrup, 6. Chair backrest, 7. Ceiling light, 8. Tea cup, 9. Sleeve, 10. Picture frame, 11. Coat, 12. Door knob “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 212 Pine St., Collingwood, ON, L9Y 2P2
134
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HIDE & SEEK WHITE
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
BELUGA CHRISTMAS CLOUDS COCONUT HAIR
LIMESTONE MARSHMALLOW MOON PEARL PORCELAIN
RABBIT RICE SNOWFLAKE SWAN TISSUE
Q S Q R S L I R A Q F Y O B A D S N Y K J P K I Z W M I R W C S D M E Q R I A H C S V O M E C I R E V Z D I F O A A J Z Y I N T B A B S Z A P R U J N S I A X H C Y R A L R A E P U W R A K R G R D C J H E E W U O R A G J C U A A V S C M D S E L I O Q U N J J D N O A U C G O K D A M L T X H V O G I B J O A N U U W T L V V A A K D H O S U M F Z J Y Z C T E G X T O O E Z K A Y R P E K I Z A O S R G W Y S Q T U T U N B Y V B F P E O M R O L I T L M A O E L K U D I U Z N Q D V F V K R H O L R Z P Z N R M J I S G Y B X M W S T K T K A C K O R G J M O G I W J K R A J B G H X G X X Z H L E W X M U E O Y L A Y I S R G B A M N S I C B D U F L N F Y C M E W E H W U Q Y I F R R K V B S S B U W A Q F A B Y U G X R Z C B Q B F G W L B S W I B Y O I H P K X D I A G F X Z D J E V Z T I V S A F O P N N C J E E W D N J H B P D D G R T W O N W N N I F S N X U R Q G S H E R B F K C M B Z G F F Y U N G L T S
Last Month’s Answers
I J F V C X X G U W G V E V N Y H O V U P H V K F B C N I Y M H V I V R H B L F Y X G P N P N G R S P R G A R R G O A Y X P T P K B N E P Y U N P O L V O G H E Y L J R E G U C W M I M O L I I S F W U B C B Q D C G G M K M L C U D A A S R T S R G D H T H J P I A K Y M F C D P N R Y E N N Q J S E O V J E F G O L N R Y O J U I C S R I I C O Q J I O O Q T G S R L I K Z P M B A G U G A Y B M K S X W O L S G Z B I T O R G K M R T O P Z N Z U E W W D F H G D H M G T P V O N A A X Q A X Q P H A S T I B V Y E O E R I O O A W I O T H P G Z M G E H H K R P H C V S A N B C O N R D L G Q P O T T E R Y N E S K O P Q P G Q R I T P E A C Q J M Z U I R H E T K B U V R H N I M C L V S H E P V S C G F Q W P Q O G P V M Y G J F G M B V L T B W C Q V H Z X K B V Z A L M A S S M B C Y E X M A W I Q Y P C N W U I Z G K M Y T J Y U R Z D I N M E F B R I J K E V E E E I G U R D O W E A V I N G O L D N B K W E W
www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
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Colourful Culture
The drawing on the opposite page
is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula. Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world. He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star. This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings. To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art by Marcus Gosse.” 136
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www.downhomelife.com
December 2024
137
Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Their Sturdy Pride - Lisa M.
Hard Cases: A Newfoundland
Cryptids from the Rock -
Daly, PhD & Nelson J. Sherren, CD
Thriller - Gareth Mitton
#89854 | $24.99
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The Gray Chapter: A Collection of Short Fiction from the Land and Sea - Paul Carberry
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With a Unity of Purpose: How the First World
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War Changed NL - M. Westcott
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2412_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 10/23/24 3:15 PM Page 141
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Playful Whale Earring and Necklace Set Sterling Silver
Anchors Away Earring and Necklace Set - Sterling Silver
Ocean Lure Necklace Sterling Silver
Mystic Blue Depths Necklace - Sterling Silver
Mussels in the Corner Necklace - Sterling Silver
Mini Marine Majesty Necklace - Sterling Silver
Whale Tail with Stones Necklace (M) Sterling Silver
Fin and Flow Pendant Sterling Silver
Blueberry Necklace Sterling Silver
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
L’il Islander Necklace Sterling Silver
Seaside Sparkles Necklace - Sterling Silver
Glacial Elegance Necklace - Sterling Silver
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Islander Necklace Sterling Silver
Fisherman’s Delight Earrings - Sterling Silver
Fish Hook Earrings Sterling Silver
Blueberry Stud Earrings - Sterling Silver
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2412_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 10/22/24 3:35 PM Page 143
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Blueberry Dangle Earrings - Sterling Silver
Adventure Awaits Earrings - Sterling Silver
Deep Blue Sea Stud Earrings - Sterling Silver
Whale’s Tale Treasure Stud Earrings - Sterling Silver
Mussel Earrings Sterling Silver
Maritime Majesty Earrings - Sterling Silver
Playful Whale Bracelet Sterling Silver
Whale Tail Stone Ring Sterling Silver
Whale Song Ring Sterling Silver
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#89659 | $23.99
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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photo finish
Tinsel Time
This climbing kitty’s wishing you a purr-fect Christmas! Julie Baggs Burgeo, NL
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December 2024
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