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$4.99 June 2020
Vol 33 • No 01
How to Clean Outdoor Concrete
Readers’ #stayhome photos Geologist who rocked the world
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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 Janice Stuckless Assistant Editor Katherine Saunders Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Graphic and Web Designer Cory Way Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Senior Account Manager Robert Saunders Account Manager Barbara Young Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Junior Accountant Marlena Grant Accounting Assistant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manger Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Distribution Sales & Marketing Amanda Ricks Sr. Customer Service Associate Sharon Muise Inventory Control Clerk Darlene Whiteway Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Emma Goodyear, Jonathon Organ, Nicole French, Elizabeth Gleason, Rebecca Ford, Erin McCarthy, Mackenzie Stockley, Marlene Burt, Marissa Little, Hayley Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Gauci, Beth Colbert, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Tammy Keating
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Kathleen Murphy Customer Service Associate Nicola Ryan
Founding Editor Ron Young
President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear
Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young
General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.99.
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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122 garden treats
Contents 58
JUNE 2020
58 Strong Body, Strong Mind How lifting weights gave this local nurse a needed lift in life. Wendy Rose
finding strength
82 Birding Basics Wildlife expert Todd Hollett suggests a fun outdoor activity for all ages that can be done alone or while keeping to your household social bubble.
122 Ravenous for Rhubarb Expert gardener Kim Thistle offers tips on how to grow and harvest delicious rhubarb.
134 The Discovery of Shiva Balak Misra How this man’s work at Mistaken Point rocked the geological world. Chad Bennett www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
JUNE 2020
homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the editor
11 Contributors Meet the people behind the magazine 12 Letters From Our Readers Honouring Nova Scotia victims, sweet Easter surprise, and how readers are coping with COVID-19
22 Downhome Tours Downhome readers explore Scotland 24 Why is That? Why do we eat
12 covid cat
cake and throw rice at weddings? Linda Browne
26 Life’s Funny Toilet Paper Humour Charles Beckett
27 Say What A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth 28 Lil Charmers Music and Friends 30 Pets of the Month Caught Napping
22
a bonny visit
32 Poetic Licence My Old Tom Cat Robert Trowbridge
34 Reviewed Denise Flint interviews Bridget Canning and reviews her book, Some People’s Children. 36 What Odds Find out what’s keeping Paul Warford up at night. 38 Farewell, Ye Little Shop of Delights Alec Bruce 4
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a real page turner 1-888-588-6353
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48
gallery of memories
64
capturing the light
40 The Button Box Leone Bromley 42 Fifty Years of Friendship Irene O’Brien
44 The Bread-Making Gene Daphne Tumlin
features 48 Well of Memories A trip down Keats’ Drung with artist Ches Keats Kim Ploughman
54 On the Ball How the sport of table tennis has taken this man around the world and back Dennis Flynn
64 Sure Shots Featuring photographer Sheldon Hicks
explore
72
that’s gneiss! www.downhomelife.com
72 Rock Science Learn the rocks of the Rock and become an amateur prospector Katherine Saunders 76 Happy Trails Five suggested hikes in NL, each with their own reward June 2020
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Contents
JUNE 2020
114 ready for rhubarb
88 Through My Granddaughter’s Eyes Bianca’s first visit to NL Alice Taylor
90 We Love Newfoundland Heidi Finlayson
96
simple touches
home and cabin 94 Stuff We Love Newfoundland and Labrador cookbooks 96 Designed with Love The little touches stand out the most in this designer’s nursery 100 Designing Women Mother welcomes daughter into her interior design business Tobias Romaniuk
104 DIY: How to Clean Concrete 110 The Everyday Gourmet Salad Dressings Andrea Maunder
114 Everyday Recipes Our favourite rhubarb recipes 6
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128
recognize anyone?
reminiscing 128 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places
129 This Month in History The opening of Cabot Tower on Signal Hill 130 Visions and Vignettes Adventures with two young scalawags in an imaginary outport of days gone by Harold N. Walters About the cover This puffin action shot is one of many bird photos – and other wildlife shots – that Nicole Watson submits to Downhome. Photography is just one part of birdwatching. Turn to p. 82 to learn more.
Cover Index All About Rhubarb • 114 & 122 Repurpose, Redecorate • 96 Bird Watching • 82 How to Clean Concrete • 104 Readers #stayhome Photos • 20 Geologist Who Rocked the World • 134
138 A Peek into the Past A young woman’s diary offers perspective on 20th-century NL life Burton K. Janes 140 A Coronation Celebration How the new Queen was toasted in Happy Valley Irving Wareham
142 Marketplace 144 Mail Order 148 Puzzles 160 Photo Finish
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Get the beginner’s guide to birdwatching from our resident wildlife expert. p. 82
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It’s rhubarb season and we’ve collected 8 ways to savour it! p. 114
Downhome puzzles got you stumped?
Come socialize with us – from a safe distance!
Sneak a peek at any of the answers anytime you need to: Downhomelife.com/puzzles
Recipes, contests, jokes, polls, mysteries and more on our website and social media.
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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. www.downhomelife.com
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i dare say
“Go outside and get the stink of the house off ya!”
Todd Young photo
I know we’ve been working really hard to #stayhome these past few months and doing a tremendous job protecting ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbours as best we can. Social distancing has really made the difference between life and death, and we need to continue that until a better form of protection – a vaccine – is found. But it’s not healthy for us to stay cooped up either. We need fresh air, sunshine and exercise. And because we live in a sparsely populated province (and country), there is enough outdoors for all of us to safely enjoy. In this issue, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for getting outside, either solo or with your family or roommates. Gardening is good for the body and the mind; get expert rhubarb growing advice (p. 122) and save our favourite rhubarb recipes (p. 114) for when you harvest your first batch. Our guide to NL rocks (p. 72) will have you examining the world at your feet, and our Happy Trails will inspire you get out and find your own reward (p. 76). Ordinarily, this is the issue that comes with our Explore travel guide. This year, due to COVID-19 related interruptions, there will be no printed guide. Instead, we are launching a fully digital Explore guide in early July. Free for everyone on Issuu.com, you can read it on your home computer, tablet and cellphone. Enjoy it wherever you are, and use it to dream of all the places you’ll want to see and things you’ll want to do in Newfoundland and Labrador after this crisis has passed. There’ll be an adventure waiting for you. Stay safe, stay well, stay in touch.
Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com
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Contributors
Meet the people behind the magazine
Andrea Maunder
Heidi & Duncan Finlayson
The owner of the specialty food company Saucy and Sweet by Andrea Maunder is also the longtime author of Downhome’s The Everyday Gourmet column. Andrea comes from a family of folks who love to cook and eat. “Foraging with my grandmother for spring dandelions for dinner, making jam and candy with my great aunt, watching my uncle deliver hunted rabbits and partridges to my grandmother to prepare, visiting the couple of specialty grocery stores with my mother hunting for ingredients to make ethnic meals to add excitement to family dinners... I was inspired by all of this, excited by the ingredients that grew around me, and was in the kitchen helping as far back as I can remember,” she says. These days, Andrea’s inspiration for cooking comes from interesting ingredients she finds in stores and at markets, or her cravings for specific flavours. In this issue, she shares her favourite homemade dressing recipes to flavour your summer salads (see p. 110).
This couple lives in Oregon, but they’ve found a second home in Grates Cove, NL, where Duncan’s paternal grandmother grew up. She eventually moved away and married, but she returned often to visit with her husband and three children, one of whom was Duncan’s father. In 2018, Duncan and Heidi decided the time had come to carry on the tradition. “We were prompted by the stories my husband grew up with, and then the stories we continued to hear through our marriage, about Newfoundland and the people,” Heidi writes. “My grandmother was a true Newfoundlander,” Duncan recalls. “Fastidiously clean, knitted me slippers every year for Christmas, [made] rice pudding which I hated, and she always brought the red bag of hard tack with every visit.” Of their trip, Heidi loved the simple beauty of the landscape. Duncan loved eating fish and brewis, and toutons and molasses. Heidi shares it all in her travel diary on page 90.
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A Moment for Nova Scotia
Here is Ret. RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Power paying tribute to a fallen comrade. He lays a wreath on behalf of serving and retired members at the Conception Bay South Monument of Honour, in memory of Cst Heidi Stevenson, killed in the line of duty in Nova Scotia on April 19, 2020. The other victims of the tragic incident were also remembered during this simple ceremony on April 20. The ceremony took place keeping in mind the protocols surrounding social distancing and gatherings due to the current pandemic. Hon. Col. Wayne Miller, 37 Signal Regiment Conception Bay South, NL
Thank you for sharing this sombre moment. We all grieve with the families and friends of those killed in Nova Scotia in April. They continue to be in our hearts and on our minds. 12
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Heading for Home The last two weeks [of March] were really stressful, as we had to find a way from the southern region of France to Paris while the country was under a full lockdown, with most railway lines and linking airports closed. We are finally here in Roissy Charles De Gaulle Airport with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. One of the busiest airports in the world is completely empty. Air Canada is sending one of their largest jets to pick us up... luxury! There may be others coming later, as in these exceptional times people may just turn up without reservations, as this is really Canadian repatriation. We left Newfoundland feeling completely fed up with cold winds and snow, but now we will be delighted to make snow angels... after our two weeks isolation. Robert Halliday Newfoundland
Empty airports are among the eeriest side effects of the coronavirus spread around the world. Glad you got home safe.
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find corky sly conner 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
Congratulations to Megan Caines of Fortune, NL, who found Corky on page 75 of the April issue.
43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com *No Phone Calls Please One entry per person
Deadline for replies is the end of each month.
Learning to Bake Bread First week of home school activities with the start of the pandemic restrictions and isolation, I used the opportunity to teach my 18year-old daughter, Madisen, and 14-year-old son, Noah, to bake traditional Newfoundland bread. It turned out great! Proud Newfoundland Mom moment indeed. Leann Benoit Kingston, ON (formerly of Norris Point, NL)
Bread-making is most certainly a valuable life skill, as so many have been finding out since coronavirus restrictions set in. Continued p. 16
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Sweet Easter Surprise
My five-year-old grandson in Benoit’s Cove, NL, decided to cheer up friends and neighbours with homemade Easter eggs stuck on their doors. He made over 30 eggs, and while he couldn’t hand them out because of COVID-19, he stuck them on their front doors. He thought of this craft all by himself. Makes me some proud. Sandy Mutton Kensington, PEI
Well done, little buddy! What a beautiful way to stay connected while staying safe.
Quality Time Hey, Janice. Trusting you and your colleagues are staying safe in these difficult times the world is facing. We here in Stephenville are doing everything we can to find as many threads of silver lining as possible. One daily activity we’ve adopted is my hubby Garry, an avid Downhome subscriber and reader of Newfoundland literature, sharing with me a tale of Fogo Island history. Take extra good care of yourselves. Joanne Coffin Stephenville, NL
Story time – what a great idea! And we have to give a shoutout to Joanne’s cousin Florence Brown for knitting those adorable bunny slippers! We’ve gotten a number of uplifting messages from readers, reminding us to stay positive and showing us how to do it. We’ll keep sharing as many as we can in every issue. Send us your photos and stories by emailing us at editorial@downhomelife.com; submit to www.DownhomeLife.com; or write to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.
CORRECTION In the April issue on p. 30, we incorrectly identified the largest oil refinery in Canada. That title belongs to Irving Oil in Saint John, New Brunswick. We regret the error. 16
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Past Times
This photo was taken in Boat Harbour, NL, last summer. While waiting for the fish and whales to show up, I read a little of my Downhome. I caught the breeder after half an hour out in boat. I also saw whales. Helen Clarke Hearts Desire, NL
Reading and fishing – two great pastimes. Thanks for sharing your day on the water with Downhome, Helen. Hopefully as summer progresses and restrictions ease, we’ll all be able to enjoy an excursion on a nice day.
Dear readers, Would you like to comment on something you’ve read in Downhome? Do you have a question for the editors or for other readers? Submit your letter to the editor at DownhomeLife.com/letters or write to us at 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.
www.downhomelife.com
June 2020
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A Silly Song for the Times
Yes, we all are stressed and fed up with all this virus stuff. Here in Burlington, Ontario, we are isolated from one another, unable to go to a park, golf course, art gallery or anywhere else for that matter, but we also know that these restrictions are the only way we can keep ourselves, our loved ones and our neighbours safe and well. So I composed a little song about the virus and its effect on shoppers, and sang it to the theme song of “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Enjoy this silly song because that’s what it illustrates: just how ridiculously we can behave when we feel threatened! And my apologies to the composer of the theme song! Claudette Mancini Burlington, ON
Sometimes you just have to laugh! Here’s Claudette’s coronavirus adaptation of the theme song to “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Sing out loud if you know the tune!
Itty Bitty TP Ditty By Claudette Mancini
Let me tell you the story of a busy Chinese town They got a nasty bug and they passed it all around They shut down the city but the bug was on the move And it travelled ’round the world any way that it could (Planes, boats and your car is good) So the people got scared and they hurried to the stores They bought up every toilet roll that they could find in there Along with disinfectant wipes and cleansers for the hands And they weren’t very fussy by the package or the brands (Charmin, Lysol, whatever was at hand) Then they went back for more and they filled their baskets high Until the shelves were empty and the roll stock had run dry Everywhere you went you’d see the crowds going nuts 18
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Buying every roll for protection for their butts! (very important, won’t be running out) The stores were at a loss so they made a purchase freeze Only two to a person at the checkout if you please Bitcoins were scrapped and the rolls then took their place And became the newest money for the hoarding human race (that’s ten sheets, please) So if you go to Horton’s for a donut and a tea Better bring along at least a roll to pay the bill you see You’ll need at least a half a roll, the donut hole is free Then check the app to roll the rim and you might win it free! (no sheets, a freebie, more for your butt!)
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Island Moors Belle #415 on Kim Stoppa's farm in Cobden, ON
One Breeder’s Love of the Newfoundland Pony It was an article in Canadian Geographic in 1998 about the near extinction of the Newfoundland Pony that inspired Kim Stoppa of Cobden, Ontario to do something. “I wanted to help revive the breed,” she said. She started by tracking down Newfoundland Pony owners in Ontario. In 2002, she came across Deerfield Farm in Burlington, Ontario and reached out to the owners, Diana Royce and Mike Camden. “Diana and Mike were wonderful and eager to share their pony knowledge. It was on that trip that I met 4-year-old Newfoundland Pony, Island Moors Belle #415, and purchased her. The rest as they say is history,” said Stoppa. Belle was born in Newfoundland. Mike and Diana purchased her and moved her to Ontario when she was a foal. Being of breeding age when Stoppa bought her, it gave her the prime opportunity to get involved in breeding. Stoppa says that over the years her passion for Newfoundland Ponies has grown, along with her herd. She has bred over 40 foals; 10 came from Belle! “In the beginning I was interested in reviving the breed, not specific blood lines. Belle is from the ‘Prince Tamarack’ line. As my research of the blood lines
expanded, so did my breeding program,” Stoppa added. She has since increased her breeding herd to 7 mares and 2 stallions. Her second stallion is from the ‘Black Brandy’ line. When the Newfoundland Pony Society was establishing the official Registry of Newfoundland Ponies, they identified what is referred to as the “foundation stallions.” There were 20 foundation stallions identified before the registry was closed. All ponies in the registry must be traceable to one of those lines. Prince Tamarack is one of those foundation stallions. One of the biggest challenges facing breeders is distance. The small number of existing Newfoundland Ponies is vastly spread out across Canada and the northern U.S. Whether it’s for buying, selling or breeding, shipping is extremely expensive, so it creates barriers for breeding and for people wanting to purchase ponies. Kim Stoppa can be reached at kimstoppa@gmail.com
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homefront
Coping with COVID
Readers’ perspectives Playing it Safe
Easter pic with mask, due to COVID-19. Jerrie George Mount Pearl, NL
Got to Get Me Fish! Little Wesley Pardy has to cancel his 3rd birthday party due to COVID-19. His Nan Pardy gave him a set of waders for his birthday. His mom, being the good mom that she is, let Wesley try out his new waders in the tub to see if he could catch a fish.
We Got to Get Away My 81-year-old mother lives in a seniors home, Bonnews Lodge in Badger’s Quay, NL. I painted this picture of three old ladies running away from COVID-19. Marion West NL
Yvette Crocker NL 20
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Physical Distancing Made a new friend while getting some fresh air during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kept our distance, though! Trina Cook NL
Relaxing by the Fire Six-year-old Caleb Oldford Broomfield and his five-year-old sister, Irellyn Oldford Broomfield, can’t play with friends during COVID-19, so they had a backyard fire. Carla Oldford Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
Try to Be a Rainbow in Someone’s Cloud This is Gracie. She loves to look out the window and see birds. But with our rainbow of hope in our windows, she has to stretch higher. Tamm Wheaton Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, NL
A Sunny Sunday Drive Capturing the beauty of our city while social distancing Josie Cahill Bauline, NL
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homefront Downhome tours...
Scotland
Swapping Homes Jeanette Fitzgerald writes, “I was travelling with my friend, Joanna McDonald, who is from Stonehaven [Scotland], but now lives in Open Hall [NL]. It was good to see her hometown as she now lives in mine. Downhome went everywhere with us and was much shared, read and enjoyed by everyone we visited.� Dunnottar Castle (pictured) is a ruined medieval fortress. Most of the surviving buildings were built between the 15th and 17th centuries, although some of the original buildings dated back to the Early Middle Ages. It belonged to the Keith Clan and was the seat of the Earl of Marischal. The castle is where the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels, were hidden during the Scottish Reformation of the 16th century, when Scotland broke with the Papacy and developed a Calvinist national Kirk. 22
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A Royal Visit
Emily Bolt from Meadows, NL, visited Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, near the village of Crathie. Balmoral Castle is the Royal Family’s summer home. Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria, purchased the property in 1852. Soon after, the family found that the existing house was too small, and the Prince commissioned William Smith of Aberdeen to design a larger structure. Today, it is privately owned by Queen Elizabeth and is not part of the Crown Estate. The 50,000-acre property is open to the public between April and July, after which the Queen arrives for her annual stay.
Ship Shape Frank McDonald stepped on board HMY Britannia with family members Charlie, Elizabeth and Carmal McDonald. Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia is the former yacht of Queen Elizabeth, in service from 1954 to 1997. During that time, it travelled more than one million nautical miles. It was designed with the capacity to be converted to a hospital during wartime. Now retired, it is permanently berthed at the Ocean Terminal in Leith, Edinburgh. www.downhomelife.com
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do we eat cake and throw rice at weddings? There’s nothing like watching a new, happily married couple walk down the aisle after their wedding ceremony and blissfully pelting them with handfuls of Uncle Ben’s or Rice-A-Roni (remember, keep it uncooked, folks!). Human beings embrace many strange traditions for many different things, but when it comes to weddings, there seems to be a dory-load of them: tossing the bouquet; removing the garter; carrying the bride over the threshold; putting on something old, new, borrowed and blue (not necessarily in that order). Where it comes to tossing rice and eating cake, these two traditions go hand-in-hand and can be traced back to Roman times. “There were different Roman marriage rites depending on the type of marriage ceremony, the historical period, the socio-economic class of the couple etc.,” says Dr. Luke Roman, professor and head of the Department of Classics at Memorial University, via email to Downhome. “But there was one type of marriage rite called confarreatio (‘the sharing 24
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of far’). ‘Far’ was a type of grain – we’re not sure exactly which, but it might have been something like spelt. (The word is similar to the modern Italian farro). Pliny the Elder, in his Natural History, states that in this ceremony they used to carry a cake made of ‘far’ before the bride.” Journalist, editor, researcher and teacher Tad Tuleja looks further into this rite in his book, Curious Customs. Before extravagant floral bouquets, Roman brides carried wheat sheaves – something that continued into the Middle Ages. Eventually, Tuleja writes, “Christians borrowed the Jewish custom of throwing handfuls of wheat over married couples, as an incentive to ‘increase and multiply.’ The cast wheat was eaten afterward, as a compliment to the bride, and presumably it was because of this practice 1-888-588-6353
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that the wheat was next baked into cakes,” which, Tuleja adds, were usually given to invited guests. “Thus small wedding cakes, or biscuits, came into vogue, with custom stipulating that these small items, just like the earlier loose wheat, be thrown (and usually broken) over the bride’s head.” As for how the act of throwing rice came to be, Tuleja points to the “whimsical explanation” provided by Edwin Daniel Wolff in his 1929 book, Why We Do It. “When wheat-throwing ceased because the grains were baked into cakes, the onlookers at a marriage felt a sense of deprivation; they were accustomed to hurling things at the bride and they wanted to continue that pleasant practice,” Wolff writes. Because the invited guests were given wheat cakes to toss, but the uninvited crowd wasn’t, Wolff continues, the latter tried to find something to replace the “old-fashioned” wheat. “And because rice symbolized fertility, and was near enough like wheat to satisfy the requirements, besides being white and clean and cheap, they chose rice. To this day we cast rice at a bride, though not one of us in 20 associates it with the idea of fertility. We do it just because it has always been done, we think,” Wolff writes. As for the guests, they continued to happily fling their wheat cakes at the bride as they had always done, Tuleja adds.
“Some of them were eaten by the young couple; some were taken home by hopeful maidens, who would place them under their pillows in the hope of receiving dreams of future husbands; some were distributed to the poor. The remainder were piled together, to be coated with almond paste or sugar. Eventually this pile of coated cakes grew into the modern, tiered creation – the conferration meal back in spades.” In more recent years, people have opted for less starchy ways of showering the happy couple with well wishes, by lighting sparklers or blowing bubbles, for example. Part of the reason for this is because of a rumour that uncooked rice harms birds (the theory being that the grains expand in their stomachs, causing them to explode). In 1985, in an attempt to protect our feathered friends, one state legislator in Connecticut even introduced a bill titled, “An Act Prohibiting the Use of Uncooked Rice at Nuptial Affairs,” and suggested that people toss cooked rice instead. However, this rumour has been debunked by scientists and ornithologists again and again. But as some venues still frown upon throwing rice because of the mess and potential slipping hazards it presents, you may want to check ahead if you plan on continuing this timehonoured tradition.
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
Toilet Paper Humour
At recess many years ago, a local teacher was telling us about earlier days and using Eaton’s catalogue as a substitute for toilet tissue in the outhouses (or outdoor toilets). A teacher from the Philippines replied, “That must have been awfully rough.” The local teacher joked, “We only used the pages with the fur coats!” Charles Beckett Gambo, NL
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. 26
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I “ Where amd a gonna fin his?” tt mask to fi in – Laura
Tob
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (sent in by Nicole Watson) on our website and social media platforms and asked our members to imagine what this chipmunk might be saying. Laura Tobin’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: “Covid19 got me hoarding nuts for days #cheeksonbust.” Danielle Yetman “I’m gonna hold my breath until this is over...” Marjorie Keeping “Uh-oh! One too many nuts eaten and I got no toilet paper!” Cal Burge
Want to get in on the action? Go to www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
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“Like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/downhomelife June 2020
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homefront lil charmers
Lil Music Man Carson McDonald gets a feel for the accordion at just four months old. Tammy McDonald NL
Music and
Friends Mummer in Training Ashtyn Eddison, 18 months, loves to dance with her custom-made ugly stick. Yvonne Bussey Hay Cove, NL
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Stompin’ er Down! Oliver Keeping, 2, dances to music played by his greatgrandfather, Hubert Keeping, in Boat Harbour West. Dana BanďŹ eld Burin Bay Arm, NL
Me Old Squeezebox Scarlett channels her inner Harry Hibbs as she gets ready for a classic Newfoundland kitchen party! Walter Vallis NL
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June 2020
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homefront pets of the month
Caught Napping Feeling Sluggish Mom put her book down to go inside for a glass of water, so Slug picked up where she left off. Godfrey and Priscilla Mitchelmore St. Anthony, NL
Siesta for Two Max and Mario love to sleep all day. Trudy Kenway Baine Harbour, NL
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Big Fish, Little Fish Wagz and Louis tried their best to stay awake to catch the big one at Ashuanipi River. Deanne Hussey Labrador City, NL
Sweet Dreams Maggie the goldendoodle and Pepper the cat are best buddies, no matter what the other three cats in the house think! Norma Jones Bishop’s Cove, NL www.downhomelife.com
June 2020
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homefront poetic licence
My Old Tom Cat By Robert Trowbridge • Fair Haven, NL
I had an old cat And a Tom one at that At eating he was very poor For his jaws wasn’t strong And his teeth were all gone From a smack he received from a door Now a rat in the house Or perhaps t’was a mouse What it was I’m really not sure But the cat he did creep Made one tremendous leap And the critter was heard never more For with no teeth in his head He still had to be fed Oh how he did fuss and did fret But he done what he could Like we knew that he would And gummed the poor bugger to death
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There’s an adventure waiting for you! *Downhome is available for subscription on Issuu.com. All other Downhome publications are available free on Issuu.com.
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
Some People’s Children Bridget Canning Breakwater Books $22.95
Being a teenager is never easy, but for Imogene Tubbs, the main character in Bridget Canning’s new book, Some People’s Children, it’s even more complicated than usual. She lives with her grandmother after having been virtually abandoned as a small child by her teenaged mother, and doubt has recently been cast on her belief about who her father actually is. Is it a mysterious young fisherman who only came to their small outport for one season, as her mother had told her? Or is it the local loony/town drunk, whose red hair bears a remarkable resemblance to Imogene’s own? Imogene manages to survive the cruel taunts of her peers and even finds a place for herself as she grows to young adulthood and attends university in St. John’s (with Nan tagging along and mum turning up), but the question remains. Who is she? And how much does it matter? Canning has written Imogene’s character and condition with uncanny perception. Imogene’s high school years are conveyed with such authenticity it’s as if Canning scrupulously recorded the life of an actual teenager, warts and all, then vigorously buffed it into the polished prose that comprises the book. One small quibble: there seemed to be the occasional anachronism, as if Canning briefly forgot she was writing about the late 1980s and early ’90s. However, there is so much else to enjoy that it hardly matters. Canning’s first release generated all kinds of accolades. Some People’s Children is a more than worthy successor. 34
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: Do you know what a book is going to look like before you start writing it? Bridget Canning: Initially, yes. I always tell myself I do, and then it changes. I tell myself it will start here and end there, and while I’m writing I go, ‘No.’ It takes up a life of its own and goes somewhere else.
DF: Do you have a favourite genre or type of book you like to curl up with to relax? BC: I tend to read contemporary fiction. That’s what I enjoy the most, and short stories. I like stories with lots of characters. In short stories you can bounce around to different points of view. Fiction mostly, if it’s an escape. I like contemporary because it’s now and I’m lazy about that. When I’m reading nonfiction, I have to stop and go for a walk…
DF: We’re in mid-April of a strange new world at the time of this interview. How has COVID-19 affected your writing and your life? BC: For my writing, I’m working on a project now – film rights were sold for Wanda Jaynes and I’ve been working on that, and it’s due soon and I got it done. That’s where I’ve been focusing. I’ve found it quite difficult. A friend said I must be getting a lot done, but I like to be around people when writing. I like to go to a coffee shop and observe people and let my imagination go. Now I can’t. I have an idea for a dystopia, but I don’t even know if I want to develop it because it could make me more anxious. I’m still journalling and writing, but it’s hard to www.downhomelife.com
focus on something new. It reminds me [of] about eight years ago. I had major surgery and I had low energy, and I had a hard time reading anything really heavy. And I’m doing the same now. I’m reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer graphic novels. It’s real escapism. I don’t want something that takes too much reading energy or [gives] you anxiety. I don’t want to think about humanity, even though it’s all about humanity.
DF: If you had your choice of being anywhere in the world with anyone, where would it be and with whom? BC: I don’t think I’d like to be anywhere except here in St. John’s with my fiancé in our house. Yesterday we went for a walk and sat by the ocean, and we were all by ourselves. It would be nice to check up on my mother in Ontario. I realize I’m very fortunate living where I am, the things we take for granted: family, ocean, going for a walk, fresh air. I’ll stay where I am.
DF: What are you most looking forward to when things return to normal? BC: I’m looking forward to going to The Ship [an iconic St. John’s pub] and listening to music and having a beer and saying hello to people. I’m looking forward to having options. What shall I do this evening? Maybe I’ll go to The Rooms [the provincial museum], maybe I’ll go to a pub, maybe I’ll go to the movies with a friend. The big thing is making a plan. You can’t make a plan to do anything now. June 2020
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homefront what odds
espresso yourself By Paul Warford
Minutes later, I’ll be up all night with this. we have this I just made a cup and it’s waiting beside me. I wish you could see it, readers: a light brown, like $250 thing desert sand, topped with snow-white peaks of in our cart foam billowing steam as if they’re Iceland volcaThis is probably the third latte I’ve made while I google noes. with my new espresso machine. I’m getting the customer reviews hang of it. on my phone. Earlier today I told myself I wouldn’t write about the claustrophobic continuation of CovidWe only came 19 isolation, but let’s be realistic. We’re all simfor paper towels. mering in the same stew, so why ignore it?
During what I hope to be the only global pandemic I live through, I should share some of my experiences in this guarded society. Here’s a recent experience: my wife and I bought an espresso machine. You wanna talk about “panic shopping”? My wife and I ventured to the store for a sanitized pickup of cleaning essentials, and as we strode abreast the displayed kitchenware, I mused, “We should get an espresso machine.” Now, I feel obligated to mention that my wife is not great at spending money on herself. We went to Ireland once, and leading up to our trip all she talked about was how she wanted to buy an authentic, handmade, Irish cable-knit sweater. Weeks later, we’re in Dublin and we find a nice handmade crafts shop. They have a wall of beautiful sweaters, so I tell her to pick one out while I read on a bench. She comes out minutes later without a sweater. I had to lead her back inside and chaperone the purchase. I eventually ruined the sweater when I put it in the washing machine, but that’s another story. So when I said to my wife, “We should get an espresso machine,” I could have easily added “someday.” I was just saying it for something to say. To my surprise, Andie responds with,
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“Okay! Let’s split on it!” Minutes later, we have this $250 thing in our cart while I google customer reviews on my phone. We only came for paper towels. Lucky, it’s turned out to be the best thing we’ve bought in ages. I can’t believe we didn’t get one sooner. I’ve got the entirety of Italy in my kitchen now, and I’m not letting it go. Diehard What Odds readers might remember me mentioning before that my wife and I have been to Italy. When we travel, I slowly molt into an early bird from the night owl I was born to be, and the main culprit is guilt. We had to spend all this money to get off the island, the sun tends to be shining in the countries we visit, Andie was up at six... I should try to enjoy as much of the day as I can, right? So, I’d order espresso to get me moving. I’ve been a coffee guy for a while. During my undergrad at Acadia University, my six-cup Proctor-Silex only rested when I did. I’d guzzle from mugs six inches high, finishing essays due in a matter of hours. My best and late friend Sarah often retold the story about the time she and I had a presentation due in our intro English class, and how I showed up five minutes late with coffee while she – in the days before cellphones – wondered where I was. These days I’m in my kitchen, ensuring the germs I breathe are mine and mine alone. Some days are frustrating, www.downhomelife.com
some are boring... I think we’re hesitant to admit it, but some days are great. For once, you don’t have to feel as though the world is waiting on you. Now, it’s the other way around, and there’s solace in that if you look hard enough. We’ve collectively donated so much time to computer screens, we’ve forgotten that it’s perfectly normal to start a new hobby. Before we all chose to sit in internet gridlock, we knew how to make time for ourselves. This is why my parents, apart from missing their friends, are essentially living the same lives they did before the coronavirus outbreak. The members of my generation, and those who came after me, are the ones who are being forced to remember that it’s okay to think about yourself in a vacuum, rather than yourself filtered and distilled through social media (which was never social to begin with). We can all be ourselves, concentrated; attentive to that which brings you joy, rather than what brings you “likes.” As for me, I’m going to make lattes, and I’ll dabble with cappuccinos since Andie prefers them. The plan is to perfect my frothing and savour it all, including the last drop. Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on Twitter @paulwarford June 2020
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homefront guest column
By Alec Bruce
Once, when I was younger, feeling isolated and impoverished, I pulled on my thrift-store flannels and ventured out from my downtown Halifax hovel into the port-city damp for fresh supplies of coffee and corned beef. Of course, so did everyone here last week. But long before the common era of precaution and penury covided the world, I had a habit of chasing away the inner-city blues by gamboling to the corner of Clifton and Willow Streets where The Newfoundland Store stood pale and gaunt and reliably disheveled, not unlike myself, in the shadow of Citadel Hill. That was in 1979, and by then the joint had seen a thing or two. Shortly after it opened in 1917, two munitions ships colliding in Halifax Harbour failed to obliterate it with the biggest manmade blast of the prenuclear age. At the time, the story goes, nobody could figure out why its clapboard frame, alone among the dozens around it, survived. Was there some supernatural warding in the wild 38
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rabbits and salt beef navels (whatever that was) it sold for a song? Was it the salt pork hocks? The Fussell’s Thick Cream? The coffee? The corned beef? Who knows? But there was something about that little shop of improbable delights that appealed to me and all the other scared, skinny, precariously situated 19-year-old patrons. It shouldn’t exist, yet somehow it did. It shouldn’t survive, yet somehow it thrived. I guess we thought if we hung around its neatly arranged tubs of homemade sauerkraut and bakeapple jam long enough, we might absorb some of its magic. We might walk away with the incantation for that thing people say still springs eternal, even now 40 years on: Hope. 1-888-588-6353
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Some years later, I found another Newfoundland grocery, very much like the one I knew, similarly perched on an unprepossessing spit of land – in East End Toronto, just under the Gardiner Expressway – similarly attracting crowds of Atlantic Canadian expats with its bags of Purity Jam Jams, peppermint lumps, corn shoulders and pig tails. But, by then, I was doing all right for myself. I had some friends and money. I had put on a few pounds. Life didn’t seem as daunting as it once did. The future certainly wasn’t as frightening. Eventually, I lost track of the place. I heard the proprietor shut it down and moved out West to try his luck in the tar sands. I remember shrugging. Earlier this year, in January, the Newfoundland Store in Halifax finally went the way of all things: not with a bang, as perhaps it should have more than a century ago, but not with a whimper, either. Not exactly. Its surviving owner just grew too old to continue. The local weekly ran a nice piece about its quiet demise. “Sometimes it’s enough to know that some place exists, or someone, or some animal, and seems to carry on and on, and even though you never go there yourself, all the same you are glad for the good it is, and for the good it does,” Jane Kansas wrote. “And then it’s not there anymore. The Newfoundland Store is only a few days away from extinction, as is so much of our world. We will not see the likes of it again.” Those who did go to The Newfoundland Store in Halifax would almost certainly agree. Back in 2009, someone from Vancouver penned this online review: “Upon entering this little shop you quickly identify that they www.downhomelife.com
mean business with the no frills, white-washed walls and generally scrubbed down interior. The wares are what you’re really here for anyway, right? This grocer specializes in carrying a wealth of products that you can’t purchase on the mainland.” In fact, the reviewer opined, “Some of these products resembled rations more than they did food you would deliberately want to eat. For example: Madeleine corn on the cob, drained, vacuum packed and sealed in a tin can. The advertisement on the side did guarantee four whole cobs. A few of the other items were: Maple Leaf potted meat, sweet mustard pickles and pickled beets (tinned), and salt fish (canned).” A year later, someone else wrote, “This store is a real experience, I have no idea what half of the things are on the shelves because I am not a Newfoundlander, but it is fun finding out. I have to say, I know a lot of Newfoundlanders and they have a great sense of humour.” I know a lot of Newfoundlanders, too. And some of them will roll their eyes and quietly curse yet another exposition of the ready stereotype about hard-working, resilient, relentlessly cheerful residents of The Rock. I don’t care. Everyone’s feeling a little isolated and impoverished, a little gaunt and dishevelled these days. We could all go for a corned beefcake and a cup of hot coffee. Of course, like everyone else here, I’ll more likely be venturing out and into the port-city damp to my local Superstore. Alec Bruce is an award-winning journalist whose bylines appear in numerous Canadian and international publications. He lives in Halifax. brucescribe.com June 2020
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homefront in your words
The Button Box
Unassuming, I believe would
By Leone Bromley Ovilla, TX, USA
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be the right word to describe it. A little fuchsia-coloured cardboard box, about 4” x 2”, and maybe 2” deep. Absolutely not what I would be expected to have today, but back when I did own it, it was the perfect vessel for its function. I don’t remember what it held initially, probably costume jewelry. What really matters is what its purpose became: the magic within. Inside this unassuming box were all colours and shapes of buttons. Yes, buttons! Why would I waste my time talking about something as insignificant as buttons? Would you prefer I focus on the news? Nah! The fuchsia-coloured button box probably came into use around the time I got my first sewing machine in 1980, when I was expecting Talya. The irony was that I hated 1-888-588-6353
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to sew! I had done some knitting while expecting my oldest daughter, Vanessa. But since I had this beautiful Singer sewing machine, I felt obligated to put it to use. Finally, near the end of my pregnancy, I decided that it would be a perfect Mom gesture if I made a crib set for my new baby. I bought a pattern and, despite my trepidation, went to work. My husband was not very reassuring. Recognizing my limitations, he was surprised to see that by the time he got home from work that first evening, I had produced a beautiful yellow and white checkered comforter with a matching pillow. (That comforter would serve as Talya’s comfort blanket for many years.) The next night, I finished the diaper bag. Turned out, sewing was not as bad an experience as I had anticipated! After Talya was born, I retained the baby weight for what seemed like forever. Being unable to afford a new wardrobe, I decided to take a sewing course. I would learn to make a few skirts, since nothing I had worn before my pregnancy fit anymore. I remember sewing the green tweed wool skirt first; then the second, which was made of beige wool material. I needed to make two buttons (one for each skirt) and, of course, had never made a covered button before. I made the first button for the green tweed skirt, adding a second one to the box for good measure. The
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next covered button was for the beige skirt, with another for the box, just in case. Since I divorced not long after and still had limited finances, those two skirts would take up space in my wardrobe for a long time. That little fuchsia box would be almost filled in the years ahead. I particularly remember the blue silk button that had fallen off my blue silk pyjamas; and the black one off my favourite black silk ones that I still wear. I have a thing for always losing a button off my pyjamas, somehow. There were buttons with duckies on them for some kid outfit next to gold ones to update some outfit of mine. Some buttons had remained in tiny bags, which I had labelled. Most of those buttons are now part of my past, along with the clothing they had belonged to. However, going through that box always brought back a lot of memories. A button box – who would have thought there was that much going on in there? In opening up my button box, I got your mind (and mine!) off the news for a little while. Wasn’t that worth opening up the button box? That’s the magic within.
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homefront in your words
From postage stamps to cellphone apps, these pen pals have always kept in touch. By Irene O’Brien, Kentville, NS
Years ago there were small booklets that came by mail that had names of people around the world who were looking for pen pals. In 1969, I was a 12-year-old living in Cape Broyle, Newfoundland, who had little or no idea where these countries were. I ended up with a pen pal from Highett, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Correspondence began then between me and Bernadette Stanley, who is just two months my senior, and 50 years later we still keep in touch. Neither of us remembers who wrote whom first, but that matters little. I remember a lot of the letters were originally written on aerograms. She was from a big city and I was from a small outport; back then, going from Cape Broyle to St. John’s was a big adventure, gravel roads and all. There are a few similarities in that we both grew up in Irish Catholic families. Each of us has three sisters and five brothers; however, I am the second oldest and Bernadette is the youngest. Neither of us married or had children, and both of us have travelled extensively over the years. 42
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We met in person for the first time in February 1993, when we were both 25. I was travelling in the South Pacific and gradually made my way to Melbourne. It was so great to finally meet Bernadette, as well as her family and friends. Her mom, Betty, was lovely and I so enjoyed my talks with her. She passed away a few years ago. Over the next 24 years, Bernadette and I stayed in touch, sent photos, but didn’t manage to be in the same place together. I am a nurse and Bernadette worked in marketing for Australia Post. She travelled to Canada, mostly Toronto, for work, but we never connected as I was always working in another province or travelling overseas. In our mid-40s I told Bernadette we had to see each other before we turned 50. So in 2006 my sister, Denise, and I travelled to Australia, and I had my 49th birthday with Bernadette. (Another coincidence, Bernadette also has a sister named Denise.) In 2010, Bernadette had a medical emergency that took her a long time to recover from. So I went to Melbourne again in 2012 to see her. In 2013, Bernadette was in France with friends. I was travelling throughout Europe, and that September made my way to Paris and spent four days with her. In 2016, Bernadette travelled to Canada to see friends in BC and Ontario, and then to Kentville, NS, where I now live. She was here for a few days before heading to see friends in Cape Breton. I met Bernadette’s sister, Christine, in 1983, in Australia and again when she came to Vancouver where I was living at the time. I have seen Christine on my three visits Down Under and we also stay in touch by WhatsApp. www.downhomelife.com
Over the years, email made it easier to stay in touch with Bernadette, and now with social media we use WhatsApp messages, send photos and see each other on video chats. I told her when I retire I will be heading her way to avoid some winter months in Canada, and she can come my way to do the same during her winter. She has never been to Newfoundland, so there is a trip that will hopefully happen so she can see where I grew up. We turned 62 in 2019. Who knew at age 12 that 50 years later we would still be in touch and be friends? Isn’t life grand a great adventure?
Top: Irene O’Brien (right) and her pen pal, Bernadette Stanley, in Australia, February 1983, where they finally met in person at age 25. Above: Irene (left) and Bernadette, both 55, in Australia, October 2012. June 2020
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homefront in your words
Daphne Tumlin is convinced that the ability to make bread does not run in her family.
After years of fruitless
efforts, my mother was forced to agree with me: not one of her four children had the bread-baking gene. So she did what other Newfoundland mothers did for their children; she baked bread for us.
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My bread was shipped along with her luggage on an Air Canada flight to Houston, Texas. My father would pack the loaves in cardboard boxes and secure them tightly with some twine for shipment. My mother would secure one loaf of bread in her hand-held drawstring bag in case the shipped boxes got lost en route. She knew how anxious my sister and I would be to get a taste of homemade bread when she arrived. “You almost didn’t get that loaf,” she said when she reached our house and pulled the loaf of bread from her bag. “The man at customs asked me what I had in my bag, and when I told him it was homemade bread, he said he’d like a taste of that. I told him I’d be happy to give him one bun only, but that I had to keep the other two buns for my two girls in Texas. But when I took the loaf of bread out to share with him, he told me he was just kidding and to put it back in the bag.” Before I left home in 1967, I was certain that making bread would be easy. I had been watching my mother do it since I was born. So as soon as I arrived in Columbia, South Carolina, my first home as a newlywed, I decided to make a big batch of bread. I put all the ingredients in a pan, kneaded it like I had seen my mother do, and set the pan on the kitchen counter to rise. While I waited for it to rise, I greased the five loaf pans that would each hold three buns. I waited for hours for the big pan of dough to rise, but it never did budge from the original size. Finally, in frustration, I threw the whole thing in the garbage can outside. After a few hours of sitting in the 90+ degree heat, the dough rose so much that it popped the lid off www.downhomelife.com
Ida Belbin in Oakville, ON, preparing to make bread to bring to Texas the garbage can, spilled down over the side, squeezed under the gate and up to the sidewalk. It looked like a monster that was going to devour me! I scraped as much as I could back into the garbage can and forced the lid back on. It was a sticky, gooey mess. I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face when I told him the story of what had happened to my first batch of bread dough. He seemed to be struck dumb until I heard him softly ask, “What did you say?” “Don’t repeat it,” my mother spoke up. “It’s too ridiculous for words.” My father slowly raised his face to the ceiling in disbelief, and kept repeating, “Well, I’ve heard it all now.” Then he bent over, howling with laughter. I was offended. “Bread-baking is intimidating,” I said defensively. “If people in New Chelsea had thought bread-making was intimidating, they June 2020
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Iris Ida Pritchard, 3, making her first batch of homemade bread in Houston, TX would have starved to death,” my mother responded. “Anyone can throw together a batch of bread.” “No they can’t!” I exclaimed. “I’ve tried it several times, and it’s hard work. Besides, I never know how much liquid to add.” “Just enough to make it feel right,” my mother stated with confidence, as though I would be able to understand how much “right” was. “It never feels right to me,” I said. “It’s always too sticky, and the dough clings to my fingers.” “Then add a bit of flour!” my mother retorted, incredulous that I could be so slow to learn what was common sense to her. “How much is a bit?” I asked. “Oh, just until it feels right,” she replied. “And if you bake bread often enough, you’ll get a feel for it,” she added. I had hoped for more precision, but my mother knew the ratios of dry to wet ingredients only by touch, not by measurements. She relied on her 46
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hands and accommodated the dough as needed, just as she would a fussy baby. She had baked bread almost every day of her life. It was as natural to her as breathing, and she wanted to pass the tradition on to me. “All you have to do,” she said, using up her last ounce of patience, “is set the dough in a warm place inside the house and let it rise. You can put some towels underneath the pans or even use a heating pad at a very low setting. But, for goodness sake, don’t put it on the cold kitchen counter right under the air conditioner or it will never rise!” I eventually did learn how to bake bread, but I never did “get a feel for it,” as my mother had promised. Truth is, it was hard work. Many years later my granddaughter, Iris Ida, looked at photos of my mother that were hanging on my kitchen wall. “What is great-grandmother Ida playing with in that bowl?” she asked. “She’s not playing,” I responded. “She’s making bread, and it’s hard work.” “I can do that,” said Iris. “It looks easy and should be a lot of fun.” Perhaps the bread-baking gene had skipped a couple of generations, I thought, and was now showing up many years later. After all, Iris Ida was named after her great-grandmother Ida. So I put the bread ingredients in a bowl and let her try to make bread. That was 10 years ago. I’m still waiting to taste my first slice of homemade bread from my granddaughter. 1-888-588-6353
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life is better Storm taking in the beautiful scenery on a hike to Heart’s Ease Beach. Crystal Peddle Long Beach, NL
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features
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A trip down Keats’ Drung with artist Ches Keats By Kim Ploughman
Memories are like deep wells we dip into, to refresh a moment that has passed. For many, the good times are magnified, while the bad ones often remain in the shadows. Artist Ches Keats regularly reaches into his well of memories to create works of art about the environment, the landscape, the people and the way of life he is intimate with and which speaks to his soul. His evocative paintings fill his St. John’s home, where days of old are displayed in the present. One that stands out for him and would prick the nostalgic heart of many is his painting of Aunt Pheobe’s well in Newman’s Cove, Bonavista Bay.
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Above: Ches points to his house in an early sketch of Keats’ Drung Right: Ches holds up his painting titled “Aunt Phoebe’s Well”
Given that most folks didn’t have running water until the early 1960s, wells are a big part of the collective heritage in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ches recalls that this special well was a magical spot “up Keats’ Drung.” (According to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English, a drung is a “narrow lane or passage between houses, fenced gardens etc.”) The people who lived on Keats’ Drung were mainly Keatses; however, there were some Cooles families as well. Ches spent many carefree summer days back in the 1950s and ’60s in Newman’s Cove. “During the summers, I would spend the holidays 50
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there with my grandparents,” he says, recalling many visits to their well to draw water “using a hoop and a water bucket… the water was very cold and refreshing” on a hot summer’s day. In his mind’s eye, Ches can see Keats’ Drung, with his aunt’s well and a large building to the right of it where boats were built. “There were also stables, cows and cellars in the meadow. The drung was always a beehive of activities,” he describes. Ches, in fact, was born in Keats’ Drung and spent his earliest years living in Newman’s Cove. In those days, his father owned a horse and sleigh. “I have a very vivid 1-888-588-6353
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memory of going across the cove on a horse and sleigh in the wintertime,” he says. “There were no ploughed roads back then – we used sleighs and dog teams to get around.” He can still picture his father “coming up the drung” on a horse and sleigh one particular time. “Dad brought bananas home – it was my first time tasting them.” Ches’s father had opened a general store in Newman’s Cove during the 1940s. However, with money scarce in many outports during this hard time, business was poor. When Ches was five years old, his father decided to leave the store in care of Ches’s grandparents. His father, a jack-ofall-trades, moved his family to St. John’s, where he eventually found work. They travelled from Newman’s
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Cove to the city on the famous “Newfie Bullet” passenger train. The nickname was ironic, as the Newfie Bullet had a reputation of moving very slowly. During the train ride, Ches recalls, “My brother’s salt-andpepper cap blew off. Dad just jumped off the train and retrieved the cap, and jumped back on again.”
Summers at “Home” As a boy and a young teenager, Ches returned each summer to the place of his birth to visit his grandparents. Here, the “Old Bogey” upstairs kept the bedrooms of the house warm and cozy as his grandfather would light this small stove each evening. Ches recollects his Aunt Pheobe, a widow, as “a very kind and considerate person.” Her son Norm, along with Ches and Wince Coole,
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Ches stands by his painting “The Relics,” a scene inspired by his memories of growing up in Keats’ Drung chummed around in Newman’s Cove. The three friends got into mischief from time to time – as young boys are wont to do in the idle days of their youth. One bucket of memory that often arises from the well for Ches was when Norm caught a big eel and nailed it to the side of the shed, proclaiming, “I’ll use these to make shoelaces later.” A favourite childhood play spot in Newman’s Cove was the Big Brook that flowed alongside his grandfather’s property. “We used to sail homemade boats there in a small pool.” Ches explains that Big Brook overflowed near the old lobster factory where he often went trouting. “There was also the Big Bridge – or as the old fellers who came from the old country would say with their accent, ‘The Brudge’ – which was 52
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also a favourite spot for boys and girls to hang out in the evenings.” Of course, no cove memory is complete without time spent down by the landwash when the capelin rolled in. Ches’s reminiscing regularly swings nostalgically back to Keats’ Drung, his happy place – some might say his “happening place,” as there was no shortage of activities there. Ches and his friends played on old boats hauled up on the bank behind the General Store. One of his paintings, “The Relics,” portrays this idyllic scene. Since his grandfather had two or three stages, Ches spent a great deal of time in these “treasure stores.” He fondly recalls “going in there one night and seeing Grandfather splitting fish by the light of a lantern.” Ches laments that the boats, with 1-888-588-6353
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their make-and-break engines and the stages, are no longer there. Throughout his teen years, Ches continued to return to Newman’s Cove each summer. “We used to go to a restaurant on the other side of the cove, where they played all the old music and songs of people like Kitty Wells on the gramophone. We’d dance and hang out, outside the door.” One of their social activities was to “dog” any of the ones who were coupled up, to ensure they were being respectable. “Good times out there, that’s for sure, especially going into the woods or down by the landwash,” he says.
Art is his life Ches has always been interested in recreating his outport life, recalling that even as a small boy he always “sketched a lot with pencils.” One of his very first creations was a school
project, whereby students were asked to draw pictures of what their fathers did for a living. He drew a scene of his dad out in a fishing boat. When he moved to St. John’s, he continued with his paintings at Holloway school and then art classes at Prince of Wales; and as an adult, he joined a group of fellow painters, including Ted Mills and Les Noseworthy. “I kinda merged into that scene and evolved over time,” he says. Ches tries to paint most days, though this year has had more than its share of distractions. Later this year, he hopes to do a solo exhibition with some 30 pieces, a few of which have yet to be completed. What will he paint? He’ll know it when he sees it. “I see scenes that strike a key with me and I want to lift that mood onto the canvas. I love to paint, be creative and get totally absorbed in it.”
Ches in his basement studio in his house. His partner’s (Linda Coles) paintings fill the wall behind him. www.downhomelife.com
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How the sport of table tennis has taken this man around the world and back By Dennis Flynn
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The reserved, silver-haired man in stylish glasses, dark slacks and a black polo shirt poses in front of a large world map at Memorial University. The many pins in the map were put there by students and visitors, marking the places in the world to which they are connected. I ask the man how many pins could he put in such a map. “A few of them, perhaps,� he acknowledges.
Bruce Burton, at 66, is somewhat of a fixture on campus. He came to Memorial in the late 1960s and jokes that he never really left. After earning his master’s degree there, he spent his entire career teaching science at MUN. But off campus, Bruce was travelling to all parts of the globe, most of it in a volunteer capacity and promoting his lifelong passion of the sport of table tennis. Currently, he is the executive vice president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
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So, table tennis – that’s like Ping Bruce joined the St. John’s table Pong, right? Not exactly, Bruce says. tennis club, which led to perform“People tend to use the terms interances at provincial and national changeably, but Ping Pong is a recrechampionships. In his day, Bruce was ational pursuit [with a few different ranked among the best in the rules]. In the early 1900s, there was a province, and he represented Newmanufacturer of equipment who foundland and Labrador at the Canmade Ping Pong nets, Ping Pong ada Games in Lethbridge, AB, in 1975, balls etc., and because of that brand a highlight in his playing career. name, the official game was called It was as an organizer, rather than table tennis to avoid any confusion.” a player, that Bruce reached the He adds that tennis is an top of the sport. “Just as I Olympic sport, and for a long was finishing university, time it was second only I got involved with behind soccer for most administration of the played sport in the world. sport as provincial “That is largely because of president for more the huge participation rates than a decade off and in places like China and on,” he says. India, and other parts of One of Bruce’s Asia with very large longest organizaTable tennis, as populations,” Bruce tion stints was Bruce noted, is a says. “It is very as president popular and of Table very affordable and it is affordTennis Caninclusive sport to able to play.” ada. He jokes, play. It brings out the That might “Sometimes things competitor in all explain how Bruce work out where it is sorts of athletes. came to discover table not so difficult to take on a tennis decades ago, as a position, but it is much more boy growing up in outport difficult to get out. Clearly Newfoundland. though, I really enjoyed it to stay for “I’m from Twillingate, and we 16 years.” These days he serves moved to the area of town known as “almost exclusively at the internationSouthside when I was about 10 years al level” with the International Table old. That was right next door to the Tennis Federation. United Church, and in the Marshall Table tennis, as Bruce noted, is a Hall they had a table tennis setup, very affordable and inclusive sport to and I started playing there recreplay. It brings out the competitor in ationally with a church group. Revall sorts of athletes. The World Vetererend Saunders introduced us to the ans Table Tennis Championships game and it went from there,” says (first held in Gothenburg, Sweden in Bruce. “I played a bit in high school, 1982) features players 40 years old but when I went to university at and over. It’s a staple sport of the Memorial, I got involved a lot more Paralympic Games. There’s even competitively.” research suggesting that table tennis 56
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Bruce and wife Marguerite at the Taj Mahal during a table tennis trip to India
is beneficial to those suffering from Parkinson’s disease, and in 2019, New York hosted the first annual ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championships. “Our stated goal is to make table tennis among the top five in Olympic sports in the future. We are gradually improving and have very strong
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participation rates and social media presence to promote awareness of our sport,” Bruce says. “One thing I can say about what I do is that after all these years, it is still exciting and always evolving. It is never boring because there are new challenges, new ideas, and new things to try and make better.”
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How lifting weights gave this local nurse a needed lift in life
By Wendy Rose
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has some serious goals for 2020. They include competing in and hopefully coaching on Team Canada at an international powerlifting competition, seeking StrongFirst Certification, and maybe competing in the World Open Powerlifting Championships in Norway and NAPF Powerlifting Championships in the Cayman Islands. While all events and travel are uncertain in these pandemic times, it hopefully won’t sideline Rebecca’s new passion for long. To say she’s invested in her current trajectory might be an understatement. With three years of powerlifting now under her lifting belt, the Conception Bay South-based nurse reflects on the journey that led her to become the person she is today – strong, determined and unafraid. “I had no idea how much this gym was going to change my life, but I’m forever grateful for walking through the doors,” Rebecca recalls. She had joined the gym in an effort to lose weight after gaining close to 50 pounds. “I struggled with almost every exercise during that first 21day fat-loss program, which is why testing my strength with the deadlift ladder at the end of the program was such a pivotal point for me – I was good at it and I felt strong!” she says. “I signed up for a strength-based program next, started getting coached by Rob King, started getting stronger, and within a year, stepped on the powerlifting platform for the first
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Above: Rebecca prepares for her next lift in front of a crowd. Right: Before and after photos of Rebecca’s transformation time. I fell in love with the people, the training, the community and the process – all of which has kept me powerlifting for the past three years with no signs of stopping anytime soon.” The first few weeks were gruelling, as Rebecca adjusted to lifting weights and dealing with sore muscles, but soon she was addicted to the rewarding and challenging sport. “I started to enjoy working out for the first time in my life,” she shares. “I was shocked by how fast I was getting stronger, and I loved that feeling. It was so refreshing to take the focus off the weight on the scale and focus on the weight on the barbell instead.” 60
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Explaining the nature of the sport, she says, “In a nutshell, powerlifting is an individualized strength sport in which you lift as much weight as possible for one repetition in each of the three lifts: squat, bench press and deadlift. During a powerlifting competition, every lifter is allowed three attempts at each of these lifts, for a total of nine lifts throughout the competition. The lifter who receives 1-888-588-6353
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the highest total in their weight class (best squat, bench and deadlift combined) wins the competition.” In the beginning, she had no interest in competing. “The thought of wearing a spandex suit and standing on a platform in front of an audience while lifting weights sounded more like a nightmare than a sport I wanted to pursue,” Rebecca laughs. Her coach convinced her to try it out. “My first competition was a local meet at Metabolic Meltdown back in 2017. Within minutes of starting the competition, I realized the fear of being watched and wearing a spandex suit was built up in my head unnecessarily… All I saw when I walked out on the platform was the barbell, and all I thought about was lifting the weight,” she says. Just two years later, Rebecca competed internationally for the first time, representing Team Canada at the 2019 Commonwealth Champwww.downhomelife.com
ionships and the 2019 NAPF Bench Press Championships in Panama, later travelling to South Africa to help coach Team Canada at the 2019 Masters World Championships. “I’ve been nursing a back injury for a couple of years now; so to be honest, lifting wasn’t my top priority in 2019,” she says. Her focus shifted to back rehab, fat loss, improving her calisthenics and “becoming more in tune with my body and my mind,” she says, noting that “2019 really opened my eyes to fitness beyond powerlifting.” Last year she turned her focus to helping other nurses attain their fitness goals. “I feel like a different person after the physical and mental transformation I’ve been through on this fitness journey. Helping other nurses who are struggling [both physically and mentally] with their own transformation has become a real passion of mine,” Rebecca June 2020
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shares. In 2020, Rebecca’s top priority is continuing to build Fitness For Nurses – a community of nurses on a journey to improve their own body, mind and life. “I’ve learned the value of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and doing things that scare you. This concept alone has changed my life both in and outside of the gym,” Rebecca says. “Pushing myself past my perceived limits and successfully reaching goals I never thought would be possible has led to a much-needed confidence boost as well. I was overweight, awkward and lacked selfconfidence the vast majority of my life. Getting stronger and losing over 80 lbs along the way has transformed me in more ways than I can begin to describe. Through strength training, I found the ability to conquer my
body, and with conquering my body, I found the strength to conquer my mind. Lifting has become like therapy.” When asked if she has any advice for anyone starting on their own fitness journey, Rebecca imparts some wisdom: “Don’t be discouraged by being a beginner, we all start there… It takes time and hard work, but you are capable of more than you think. Be patient, work hard and push yourself past your comfort zone. Focus on getting stronger, getting faster and moving better instead of focusing on the scale,” she advises. “I don’t have a motto specifically for tough days; however, something I always try to live by is ‘be thankful for all you have while you pursue all you want.’”
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Send us your 500-800 word story about your most memorable day trip or the dream vacation you took in Newfoundland and Labrador. And be sure to include a photo or two, so we can see what you’re raving about.
How to Submit Online: www.downhomelife.com/submit By email: editorial@downhomelife.com Mail: Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
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features
sureSHOTS Featuring photographer Sheldon Hicks
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You could say Sheldon Hicks is a morning person. Those first moments when the line of the horizon comes into view and the light spreads across the sky, that’s what gets this photographer’s blood pumping.
“I’m mostly inspired by the early morning and the sea,” Sheldon confesses. “I love being around the ocean for many reasons. I find it very calming and inspiring. I grew up around the ocean, so for me, it’s home. Plus, you can’t beat the smell of fresh salt air in your lungs at 5:00 a.m.” Spoken like a true native of Bonavista, who still lives not far from the ocean in Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, NL. The other thing that draws him to the coast is something that’s been keeping sailors away from the cliffs forever – lighthouses. “I love shooting lighthouses, as I believe they are a big part of our heritage and I love what they represent. For generations, many have earned a living from the sea, and some continue to do so. Lighthouses are a guiding light to safety, a beacon of hope and no doubt have saved the lives of many sailors trying to make it home in storms and inclement weather conditions. Much like our people, they stand tall, strong and proud.” Combine his love of sunrises and www.downhomelife.com
passion for lighthouses, and you can guess his favourite subject to shoot – Cape Spear. “It’s the most easterly point of land in North America and, in my opinion, you won’t find a better place to photograph a sunrise. If you are there at the right time, it can leave one speechless.” One sunrise shoot in Ferryland didn’t leave him speechless, but it could have scared him witless. To get a sunrise shot, you have to be set up, aimed and ready before first light. For this shoot at the Ferryland lighthouse, it was a 20-minute trail walk in darkness and led by flashlight to the lonely point. “I was into my hike only a couple of minutes when I felt a presence to the right of me. The area was a grassy hill or meadow. So, I immediately turned to my right and pointed my light in the direction of what I felt,” Sheldon recalls. He was surprised to see an elderly man sitting in the grass looking out over the bay. “It startled me for a second and I took my light off him. When I flashed my light back, June 2020
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he was nowhere to be seen.” It was only seconds, too fast for anyone to vanish without making so much as a rustle in the grass, especially an elderly man. It was as if he was never even there. Sheldon made note of the spot and promised himself to check the area when he returned in daylight, to see where a person could have gone so 66
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quickly. “Then, as planned, I continued my journey to the lighthouse – of course, looking back over my shoulder occasionally,” he chuckles. “On my return to my vehicle, I stopped in the area where the event took place. If there was a human being sitting in the grass, the area where he was sitting would have been flattened down by his body 1-888-588-6353
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weight. This was not the case. The grass was undisturbed.” Later, back home, Sheldon researched the Ferryland lighthouse area and learned that others had reported seeing spirits or apparitions there over the years. It’s enough to give anyone chills. “I will never ever forget what I saw. I can even to this day describe him www.downhomelife.com
and what he was wearing and his features,” Sheldon says. But he does love his lighthouses at sunrise, so, yes, Sheldon has gone back there in the eerily quiet early morning hours, but not without a friend for more lively company. Want to be in Sure Shots? Send photo samples to editorial@downhomelife.com. June 2020
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explore
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There is a precious resource
that lies beneath our feet, no matter where we go in this province, this place fondly called “the Rock.” We have a large variety of minerals and hydrocarbon products in Newfoundland and Labrador, which we can thank for our mining, and oil and gas industries. There are three classifications of rocks, and all of them can be found in this province. Igneous rocks arise from the cooling of magma or lava. Sedimentary rocks form when mineral deposits accumulate and harden. Metamorphic rocks are the result of intense heat and pressure applied to existing rocks, which causes physical or chemical changes to the rock. In this age of responsible social distancing, while trying to get some fresh air and exercise with your housemates, rock hunting and “prospecting” could be the next fun family activity. Most of the rock types listed below (or their metamorphic equivalents) can be found in various parts of Newfoundland and Labrador. Can you collect them all?
Granite : Igneous Granite is rough and light in colour: typically red, pink, white or grey, with large dark grains. It is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar, with other minerals scattered throughout.
Uses Granite is the best-known type of
igneous rock. It is commonly used in home décor, for countertops and flooring, among other things.
Where to find it Granitic rocks are scattered throughout the province, with concentrations in the central region, Gros Morne National Park on the Northern Peninsula and the Holyrood area in eastern Newfoundland.
Shale: Sedimentary Shale is a fine-grained rock formed from mud particles. Its smooth, thin layers are grey, brown or red. You can break off pieces of shale with your fingers.
Uses Some shale contains organic matter that may
break down to form natural gas or oil. Other types of shale can be crushed and mixed with water to make clay, which is used in various end products.
Where to find it Shale is particularly common in parts of central and southern Newfoundland. www.downhomelife.com
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Gneiss (pronounced “nice�) : Metamorphic Gneiss usually has a strongly banded or streaky appearance and occurs in a variety of colours, often grey or pinkish. Gneiss is derived from a variety of different rock types and undergoes several transformations to achieve its final form.
Uses Gneiss is often used in design to make countertops or monuments. It is usually called granite in shops, but this is simply marketing terminology to describe its appearance rather than to deceive the customer. Where to find it Gneiss is particularly common throughout Labrador.
Sandstone : Sedimentary Sandstone is one of the most common types of sedimentary rock in the world. It’s dotted with sandsized grains of mineral and other organic materials. It is colourful and typically rough to the touch.
Uses Sandstone is used in construction materials, and sometimes as a raw material in manufacturing. When it is still in the ground, it can serve as a reservoir for oil and natural gas. Where to find it Sandstone is particularly common in eastern and central Newfoundland, especially on the Avalon Peninsula.
Rhyolite: Igneous Rhyolite is typically grey or pink, with tiny grains that are difficult to see with the naked eye. It sometimes contains small, light patches and is smooth or rough to the touch, depending on the type. It is made of quartz, plagioclase and sanidine.
Uses: Rhyolite is sometimes used to make
crushed stone and was historically used for stone tools such as scrapers, blades and projectile tips.
Where to find it: Rhyolite is found in eastern and central Newfoundland, on the Burin Peninsula and in a few areas of Labrador. 74
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Limestone : Sedimentary Limestone is typically light-coloured in shades of grey or beige. It consists primarily of calcium carbonate. It is usually formed from organic materials such as shell, coral, algae and fecal debris.
Uses: Limestone is used in the construction industry as aggregate, and can be combined with other materials to make cement. It also has many applications in the chemical industry, as a component in paper, paint and plastics. Where to find it: Limestone is most commonly found in western Newfoundland, in the Wreckhouse area and the southeastern section of the Northern Peninsula.
Basalt : Igneous Basalt is the world’s most common rock type. It is dark in colour (usually black), fine-grained and smooth.
Uses: Basalt is often crushed and used in road aggregate and other construction materials. Sometimes it is cut into slabs and used in the making of monuments, floor tiles and building veneer.
Where to find it: Basalt and rhyolite are often related and, therefore, are commonly found together in parts of eastern and central Newfoundland. Basalt is also found in Labrador, especially in the central region.
Schist: Metamorphic Schist occurs in a variety of colours and contains large, platy mineral grains that give it its characteristically flaky, banded or sheet-like appearance. It’s usually derived from fine-grained sedimentary rocks, like shale.
Uses: Schist is often a host rock for gemstones such as garnet, emerald, sapphire, ruby and tanzanite. Where to find it: Schist may be found throughout the
province.
Detailed maps of mineral zones in the province can be found on the Department of Natural Resources website, www.gov.nl.ca/nr. For those interested in becoming a prospector or “rock hound,” visit the Matty Mitchell Prospectors Resource Room: www.gov.nl.ca/nr/mines/ prospector/matty-mitchell/ www.downhomelife.com
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and while our vacations look a lot different in the year of the coronavirus, everyone deserves some time off to experience something new. A hike is an adventure you can go on while keeping a safe physical distance from others. Fortunately, in Newfoundland and Labrador, we don’t have to venture far to find a pretty path, and destinations range from ocean view to deep forest to mountain top. To inspire you and tempt you outside, we made a short list of hikes, each with a different reward. Some of the suggested trails here are perennial favourites, but they may still be closed to the public this summer. Check with a local source before you head out.
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In Gros Morne National Park, check out Western Brook Pond trail. The first leg is a 3-km gravel trail from the roadside parking lot to the pond, at the entrance to a stunning fjord. From there, travellers have a couple of options: take the left fork to continue straight to the Snug Harbour Trail, or keep right and head down to the dock, where a boat tour into the fjord will have you craning your neck to see the clifftops. If you continue to Snug Harbour from the dock, be prepared to cross Western Brook. From there, it’s a 5-km hike that hugs the shoreline to Snug Harbour.
Snug Harbour Jonathan Anstey photo
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For a peaceful and easy hike to a beautiful waterfall, the White Water Falls Trail in Mary’s Harbour is the place to go. The 3-km loop begins by boardwalk from the Town Hall on Hillview Road. It follows St. Mary’s River to the falls and the airstrip. The river is a great spot for salmon fishing, and there are lots of places on the trail to sit and relax, enjoy a picnic and take photos.
HOW TO PACK FOR A HIKE For a Short Walk
• Cellphone (fully charged) • Drinking water • Appropriate footwear (sturdy sneakers or hiking boots) • Appropriate clothing (dress in layers: cool to warm to waterproof) • Basic first-aid kit • Sunscreen • Bug repellant • Camera • Binoculars
For a Full-Day Hike
Everything for a short trek, plus: • Flashlight and batteries • Lighter/matches • Fire starter • Pocketknife • Whistle • Food www.downhomelife.com
For a Multi-Day Hike
Everything for a short and full-day hike, plus: • Water purification system • Waterproof shoes • Change of clothing • Satellite phone • Portable fully-charged cellphone charger (power bank) • Tent • Sleeping bag • Sleeping pad • Tent repair kit • Stove and fuel • Pots, pans, dishes and utensils • Dry bag • Rope and carabiners • Hiking poles • Toilet paper • Toiletries
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The Gravels is a 3.5-km trail network in Port au Port West that offers geology, history and a beautiful view of the coastline. The trail begins by Gravels Pond on the isthmus and proceeds through boreal forest to the shoreline. Hikers will see lots of limestone and some intricate geological formations. There is a lovely view of the Lewis Hills, and in
Jane Hynes photo
British Harbour was a community on the Bonavista Peninsula. Once home to 200 people, it was resettled in the 1970s. Today, hikers can visit what remains there via a 6-km linear trail (12 km return). The trail begins near New Bonaventure at the Random Passage film site (now a tourist attraction). There are rugged sections, including fallen trees and muddy areas, on this quiet hike beside backcountry ponds. Hikers will also pass Kerley’s Harbour, another resettled community, near the beginning of the trail.
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many places, the water is so clear you can see the ocean floor. There are short offshoots that lead to the coast or back to the road. One such trail leads to Aguathuna, where hikers can see one of the oldest and largest wooden buildings in Newfoundland, Our Lady of Mercy Church, with its museum and tearoom.
Larry Mills photo
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At 23 km, the Spout Path is the longest segment of the East Coast Trail, but for the hardy hiker, the unique experience is worth the long trek. Hikers can begin at Shoal Bay Road in Goulds, pass Long Point and continue to the Spout, a geyser powered by ocean waves. Just past the Spout is a rough campsite with an outhouse. Next morning, hikers can continue southward, enjoying vistas of sea stacks, whales, eagles and old house foundations at the resettled community of Freshwater. At North Point Lighthouse, hikers turn westward to Bay Bulls, where there is a parking lot at the other trailhead. June 2020
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Wildlife expert Todd Hollett suggests a fun outdoor activity for all ages that can be done alone or while keeping to your household social bubble.
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In a time
when social distancing is the new norm, many people are looking for things to do responsibly to kill time, get outdoors and forget about the madness created by COVID-19. This is particularly true for parents of youngsters who are missing their friends, are full of energy and are operating at full bore all day, every day. For me, and my kids, birdwatching has become a regular activity with the return of warmer temperatures and long, sunny days. It’s also an excellent way to plan a staycation, with all the travel restrictions we are experiencing. Newfoundland and Labrador has vast forested areas, roadside ponds, marshes, barrens and coastal areas that are hotspots for many songbirds, waterfowl, raptorial species and shorebirds. Restrictions may apply in some of these areas (e.g. some parks may still be closed), so be mindful of the current regulations. Otherwise, pack some snacks, basic first-aid supplies and the following birdwatching (or birding) basics, and get outside and enjoy the day.
Todd Hollett photo
Binoculars
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Binoculars are an essential tool for all birdwatchers. There are so many brands and powers of binoculars on the market that it can be challenging to find the pair best suited for you. Most birders prefer 7X or 8X power binoculars because they have a wide field of view, allowing you to locate and follow birds much more easily. Those pairs with objective lens (the larger end of the tube) larger than 42 mm can be on the heavy side, while lightweight lenses, smaller than 30 mm, may not be bright enough and are not good in low light. My personal choice is Bushnell NatureView Birding Series 10 X 42. Not the lightest binoculars on the market, but they have an excellent field of view and are great in low light conditions. When purchasing birding binoculars, spend only what you can afford. Most good quality binoculars will probably run you $150-$350, but don’t let price dictate your choice. If you are looking for top-of-the line in optics, you could easily spend $2,000. It’s wise to try out several pairs before you buy and pick the pair that fits your vision, face, hands and style, and are not too heavy or cumbersome in the hand or on a shoulder/neck strap. June 2020
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Field guide
Next on your list of birding basics is a good quality field guide. These books help you identify birds you spot by matching them to pictures and descriptions. There are two basic types of guides: ones that use photographs of real birds and those that use artwork or illustrations. No one type is better, and they each have their advantages, so I suggest you own at least one of each (my collection of 10 may be a bit excessive). Like all birders, you’ll quickly have a go-to favourite. Some of the most popular guides are Peterson (my favourite), Sibley, Kaufman and National Geographic, but there are many others on the market.
10 Most Commonly Recommended Field Guides The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America Peterson Guide to the Birds of North America The Sibley Guide to Birds The Golden Guide to Birds of North America National Geographic Guide to Birds of North America National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds Stokes Beginner’s Guide to Birds National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Birds of North America Smithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America Birds of Newfoundland: Field Guide
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What to consider when heading out Timing
Details
While birds are active year-round, there are times when they are particularly prolific. Any time of year, an early morning walk in the woods will probably result in hearing and seeing bird activity. Birds sing more at this time because their songs are carried farther on the cool air and diminished winds of early morning. During the summer breeding season, birds become much more conspicuous as the males announce their presence and adults are seeking food for new hatchlings. In winter, it is often easiest to find birds near food sources such as fruit- and cone-bearing trees and shrubs, along open streams, near coastal waters and, of course, backyard feeders. The coast and adjacent forests are great fall birding areas, as they provide resting and feeding spaces for migrators.
Bring a notepad and pencil with you whenever you go birdwatching. You’ll need them when you do see a bird, to take notes of as many details as possible – body shape, colours, spots, bars, stripes, crests – and search your guide later to decide what you likely spotted.
Practice Makes Perfect Birdwatching is an activity that takes time and patience. Developing the skills of a master birder will take time, and being overly ambitious can lead to major disappointment. One or two positive IDs per outing is a solid achievement.
Familiarization You will have increased success if you familiarize yourself with the species you will likely see in the habitat type you are heading out into on a particular trip.
Slow and Steady When birding, slow and steady really does win the race (but it’s not a race, so calm down), as birds are easily startled by sudden movements and noise. Todd Hollett photo
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Details worth noting Size Start by comparing your finds with something familiar, like a pigeon or blue jay, so you can visualize “bigger than a sparrow, smaller than a jay.” Most guides will give a minimum and maximum size, but a bird in the field may be stretching its neck or have a damaged tail. Shape Plump or slender? Wings Rounded or pointed? Bill Small and fine, stout and short,
Field Marks Is the breast spotted, streaked or plain? Does the tail have a “flash pattern,” such as a white tip, outer corner or sides? Does it have a rump patch? Does it have an eye ring or stripe, or a combination of both? Does it have crown stripes, spectacles or a mustache? Does it have light wing bars? Does it have single or double wing bars? Are they bold or obscure? Can you notice any patches or stripes on the wings, or are they solid coloured or have contrasting black tips?
dagger-shaped or hook-tipped?
Tail Deeply forked, square-tipped, notched, rounded or pointed? Behaviour Does it cock, hold down or wag its tail? Does is sit up straight on a perch? Does it dart after insects and return to a branch?
Tree Climbing Does it climb in spirals or jerks, using its tail for a brace, or does it travel down the trunk headfirst?
Flying Does it dip up and down, fly straight and fast, hover or soar?
Swimming Does it sit low or high in Wading Does it have long legs? Does it probe in the mud or pick at things? Does it bob or teeter? 86
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the water, dive or dabble and upend?
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Pishing out birds A common technique used to attract small birds closer is called pishing. Understanding what it is and how and when to use it can greatly increase your success. However, it is not always welcome or appropriate. To pish out a bird, make a small, repetitive noise. These noises are not bird sounds or calls, and there are several theories why the birds respond. Pishing with a raspy, rough sound, similar to an alarm or scolding, can attract many small birds that are accustomed to mobbing together to chase away a threat. So pishing brings a small flock, such as chickadees, together and ready for the chase. Another theory is that highpitched or sharper pishes resemble insect noises that attract feeding
The Life List
While is it not essential, a life list is kept by many birders (yep, I got one). A life list is a record of all the bird species you’ve seen at least once in your life. There are a lot of bird species out there – 900-plus in North America and 18,000 worldwide – so it’s unlikely you’ll run out of new birds to list. My personal life list contains birds I’ve seen in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Nevada, the Grand Canyon and Jamaica. I’ve spotted 207 species, including 148 out of the 171 species that inhabit Newfoundland and Labrador. www.downhomelife.com
Todd Hollett photo
birds. Many birders, including myself, think that some birds just have a natural curiosity and playfulness, and just enjoy investigating strange sounds. Whatever the reason, it works! The most common types of sounds used include Pish, Pssst, Sip and Seep. Kissing or lip-smacking noises, tongue clicks and a rapid chit-chitchit noise are alternatives that can gain avian attention. Birds frequently attracted by pishing are chickadees, finches, jays, kinglets, nuthatches, sparrows, titmice, tits, warblers and wrens.
Birds of a feather flock together
As you spend more time watching birds, you’ll notice your skills will improve. Take advantage of more experienced birders and ask for advice (we love that), and join birding groups on social media. To take a giant leap forward you could take a course, attend a seminar, read birding books or watch online tutorials. Most of all, don’t become discouraged, and keep birding. June 2020
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Bianca’s first visit to or Newfoundland and Labrad By Alice Taylor (Gale) •
Dartmouth, NS
Growing up in South East Placentia, NL, I have such fond memories of fun I had with all the neighbourhood kids. So last fall, I decided to fly home to Newfoundland with my fouryear-old granddaughter, Bianca. I wanted her to experience some of the fun I had as a child growing up in a small community. For Bianca, it was a very exciting adventure to a faraway land. She certainly got to experience many firsts on that special trip. She was beyond excited about her very first plane ride, and meeting her greatgrandparents, cousins and Uncle Francis. To be able to just go out and play in the yard was such a common thing growing up in Newfoundland, but new to her. 88
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Well, Bianca certainly learned quickly that she could keep herself very busy exploring my parents’ large garden. She especially loved her wheelbarrow rides with Poppy James! Grandma Rose taught Bianca how to set bulbs in the garden so they would grow the following spring. Bianca had such a great time digging for worms – and taking orders for how many worms everyone wanted for supper! Everything was so new and exciting for Bianca, from picking apples in the backyard to playing hide-and-seek in the tall grass with her cousins. She was especially helpful with the yard chores, like hauling away large tree branches and catching little critters. Not once did Bianca get bored in the garden. She was having so much fun that she didn’t even want to go to the playground. What a wonderful trip this turned out to be – not only for Bianca, but also for me and my family. I think I will make it an annual visit. She certainly loves to go on an adventure. www.downhomelife.com
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My husband grew up hearing about Newfoundland from
his father, aunt and uncle. They had fairly regularly visited their mother’s childhood homestead in Grates Cove on the Avalon Peninsula. In our married life, Duncan and I had often heard the tales of their Newfoundland cousins and what wonderful people Newfoundlanders were in general. Finally, in 2018, my husband and I made a pilgrimage to Grates Cove from our home in Oregon. Sadly, my father-in-law and his siblings had passed by then. So ahead of our trip, Duncan reached out to his second cousins he’d never met – the ones fondly remembered in stories of years past. They said, “Come on over, me son! We’ll take good care a’ya!”
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Off we went. We spent the first night in St. John’s and immediately fell in love… with everything. Sitting at the bar in our hotel, the young fellow said, “Did ya come from away?” Now, this was before the play had won Tony awards and we hadn’t even heard of it. We had him repeat it a couple times before we understood what he was saying. “YES, YES! We are from away!” The next day the cousins picked us up at the hotel (they now live in St. John’s). My husband, being more shy and quiet, was concerned about awkward silence. Ha! From the minute they picked us up and for the next two hours it was as if we had always been family and had known each other our entire lives. It was magical. And I don’t say that lightly. Later that day, we packed up some groceries and took the two-hour drive north to Grates Cove. We were armed with maps and details of the cousins’ childhood homes and special places. As soon as we crested the hill and came down into Grates Cove, I cried. Literally cried. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Had all the stories played with my emotions? Had the warmth and hospitality in St. John’s jaded my view? Probably
yes to both, or at least a little of both. But Grates Cove stands on its own with its simple and rugged beauty. We had a total of two weeks, so I had the idea of heading up to Fogo Island Inn for a couple of nights. First off, it’s a long drive as anyone in Newfoundland knows. It doesn’t look that far on a map, but it is! As beautiful and amazing as Change Islands and Fogo Island Inn are, we could not wait to get back to our little 800square-foot rental house overlooking the sea in our newly adopted Grates Cove. There is no store or gas station, just old family homes, beautiful surroundings and the lure of my husband’s ancestry to keep us company. We have been back four times since this trip and have loved every single trip more each time. We hike the historic rock walls of Grates Cove, and hike the Baccalieu Trail. The path out of Red Head Cove is our favourite – what an amazing surprise at the end! We also meet new extended family and friends every time. It truly feels like home away from home. In fact, we are looking for a house to purchase. Wish us luck that we find something when we come back this year. We’re comin’ back, me son!
Grates Cove Top Left: Duncan (left) and his NL cousins
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life is better A photographer captures the light and cloud at Woody Point lighthouse. Denise Zentner Saskatoon, SK
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love
Newfoundland and Labrador
Cookbooks Some Good: Nutritious Newfoundland Dishes Jessica Mitton Jessica Mitton’s cookbook is a guide to healthconscious, wholesome versions of traditional Newfoundland and Labrador dishes. There are more than 35 recipes in this book, and each are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugar, making this cookbook ideal for special diets. The author also explores the history of our cultural relationship with food and her own personal journey with nutrition.
From Rum to Rhubarb: Modern Recipes for Newfoundland Fruits, Vegetables and Berries Roger Pickavance Many people think that our cold and foggy Newfoundland and Labrador climate is ill-suited for growing food, but there are many delicious things that grow in abundance here. Potatoes, leeks, cabbages, plums, berries and, of course, rhubarb are just a few examples. These foods have an array of flavours and the possibilities are endless: jam, pasta, soup, salad, baked goods, and much more. Roger Pickavance explores some of them in his book.
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The Newfoundland and Labrador Seafood Cookbook Joan Over More than just a list of recipes, this is a complete guide to fish and shellfish of the North Atlantic. It includes illustrations, physical descriptions, habitats and best practices for preparation. The recipes range from traditional Newfoundland and Labrador dishes to the author’s own original recipes. If you fish for sustenance or recreation, or just love seafood, this is the cookbook for you.
Wildness: An Ode to Newfoundland and Labrador Jeremy Charles, with Adam Leith Gollner and Zita Cobb Jeremy Charles is the owner of Raymond’s Restaurant in downtown St. John’s and is widely regarded as one of Canada’s top chefs. His cookbook compiles more than 160 recipes based on local ingredients including moose, cod, shellfish, and wild plants and berries. The book contains stunning photos of dishes, ingredients and the rugged East Coast landscape.
Island Vegan Marian Frances White Marian Frances White is a Newfoundlander who’s been a vegan for most of her life. She compiled this cookbook of some of her favourite plant-based recipes, in part, to prove that following a vegan diet in this province is not as difficult as people might think. Local and international flavours come together to create delicious and exciting dishes. This cookbook is a must for committed vegans, people starting out, or those who want to cook for vegan friends and family members. www.downhomelife.com
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HOME and Cabin
Candace Kennedy photos
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Designed
Love
with
It’s the little touches that stand out the most in this nursery design by Holly Costello.
When Holly Costello and her
husband were expecting their first child, they did what all expectant parents do – put a lot of thought and love into building a nursery. Holly, being a professional interior designer, was more than up to the task.
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Among the artwork in this nursery is a painting by Holly’s husband’s grandmother, a beautiful way to bring the love of extended family into this child’s life and space. Another cherished item is a framed orange snail. Explains Holly, “It was a piece from my husband’s nursery mobile that my mother-in-law had saved, which I took and framed. It’s so special to think that that same item was hanging in his room when he was just a little baby.”
To represent the new mom, Holly incorporated a dresser that once belonged to her. “It was my dresser growing up, which I painted in this bright green. It was one of the first things I knew I wanted in the room, a bold pop of colour to set the tone for the rest of the room.”
“Nurseries and kids’ rooms are at the top of my list of favourite rooms to design, whether it’s for my own little people or for others’. There’s so much opportunity to play with fun and whimsical themes and colours, and incorporate tons of personality,” she says. When she was pregnant, Holly and her husband decided they wanted the gender to be a surprise, so she designed a genderneutral space that they could add boy or girl touches to once the baby came. She wanted it bright with white walls, to match the rest 98
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of the house, and livened up with a pop of kelly green. “So with this in mind, I did what I do for most design projects: I worked on a mood board of inspiration pictures and ideas that developed and changed a bit over time leading up to completing the room,” she explains. Some of the features that made their way into the nursery just over five years ago were collected in a way that would resonate with us today, as we shelter at home and limit our shopping trips to survival essentials. “I’m a big believer in shopping your house and mixing things around before heading out to purchase new items,” Holly says. “It’s always fun to change up pieces throughout your house, and that’s especially easy with artwork. I also love to use items with sentimental value, so often I’ll have at least one piece of furniture in a room with a past life that I have repurposed.” Holly filled the nursery with other things found around the house that mixed well with the room’s colour and theme, plus necessary new purchases such as the crib and the window shade. “It’s been a while since I completed this room, and I did make some changes to make it a little different for our younger son who now lives in the room, but all the main components stayed the same, and I still love it to this day.”
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DESIGNING
WOMEN Mother welcomes daughter into her interior design business BY TOBIAS ROMANIUK
MARIE BISHOP has been helping people love their space for decades. Now her daughter Holli, who recalls learning about colour and furniture placement as a child watching her mom work, is joining her. It’s not a retirement plan, though, Marie is quick to establish. “I get that question a lot now, says Marie. “Well, not a lot, but people ask me. And I get it – I’m 64, and people are retiring around my age.” Age aside, Marie has put a lifetime into her career. She graduated from interior design school in 1979 and has been working in the field ever since, with nearly 20 years spent running Marie Bishop Interiors. At this point in her life, she’s earned an enjoyable retirement. So was bringing Holli on board a way of passing the torch? Not exactly. This is more about coaxing embers into flames. www.downhomelife.com
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“I think,” says Marie, “home should nurture who you are, and feed your soul and feed your body, and make you feel good to be there and glad to get home at the end of the day. That’s what a home is. If it looks good, even better.”
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Growing up, watching her mom work, Holli always found interior design interesting. But she took a different career path. She earned a university degree and then spent years working in customer service in both the private sector and for government. In recent years she’s been a full-time mom to three children. Now with her youngest entering school, she has time to pursue her own interests again and spend more time working with her mom. In recent months, Holli has been working on the company’s online presence, recognizing a need to expand their reach. “I want people who aren’t aware that she’s out there to know that she’s out there,” says Holli of her approach to this new communication plan. “I want to reach out to people who might not hear about her through word of mouth, but might see her on Facebook or Instagram.” Holli’s taken the lead on boosting their social media presence and launched a new company website, MarieBishopInteriors.com. She even enticed her mom to become a blogger. Where Marie has all the interior design knowledge and instinct, Holli 1-888-588-6353
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brings a different skillset to the table. It turns out there’s a lot about interior decorating that has nothing to do with design and everything to do with how people think and feel. Holli’s psychology degree and background in customer service are proving invaluable. In fact, when asked about what makes for a successful home design or renovation, neither Holli nor Marie talk about style trends or material choices. “It’s not the stuff, it’s the feeling,” says Holli. That feeling is one of loving your space, of feeling secure, comfortable and happy.” “I think,” says Marie, “home should nurture who you are, and feed your soul and feed your body, and make you feel good to be there and glad to get home at the end of the day. That’s what a home is. If it looks good, even better.” Good design begins with good
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communication. Marie explains it as a process of discovery, asking questions in an effort to learn what a client likes, how they live, how they spend their time and what they need from their home. Getting a person to open up about their life and how they spend their time at home, is a skill every bit as important as Marie’s design and decorating skills. Without that valuable homeowner input, Holli explains, it’s just a bunch of pretty stuff. “I just want people to be interested in their houses and love their space. That’s my motto – Love Your Space,” says Marie. “Because personally, I really do think that if you’re comfortable in your house… you’re going to be comforted and supported and nurtured in your space. I really feel strongly about that, and I think everybody needs to feel that in their space.”
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HOME and Cabin
diy How to Clean Concrete If you have outdoor concrete and stone, it has seen its fair share of the elements. Snow, salt, spills, stains, the scattered wildlife dropping, all leave their mark on walkways, benches, planters and bird baths. Here are some expert tips we’ve gathered to get your concrete and stone accents in their best shape.
1.
Before you set about any cleaning task, the most important thing is to know what kind of material you are cleaning. Some outdoor products are made of natural stone, but many are made of concrete, which requires special care. Even outdoor brick is often actually concrete.
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2.Make sure you have the tools for the job. The best tool for cleaning concrete and stone is a pressure washer. You do not need an expensive one – typically 1800 PSI will do the trick. You can rent one if you do not wish to purchase one. You can also use a cleaning broom or a long-handled brush with stiff bristles (not metal) and a bucket for your cleaning product. For cleaning vertical surfaces, spray-on products work best.
3.Choose the right cleaning products for the job. For concrete, do not use any substance with a high acid content. You can use vinegar, but sparsely, and do not leave it on the surface for long. For natural stone, use vinegar or muriatic acid. If you are just doing general maintenance cleaning to remove dirt and grime, baking soda and water works well. You can find homemade recipes to remove specific stains online.
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4.Wet the surface before you apply cleaning products. This will prevent damage to the stone or concrete, such as blotching and discolouration.
5.
Apply your cleaning product to the surface of your structures and let it sit (refer to package directions for store-bought cleaners). If you are using any product with acid, though, do not let it sit for long on concrete because it will eventually deteriorate concrete.
6.Thoroughly rinse off the cleaner with clean water.
7.
Apply a sealant to keep your surface clean for as long as possible. When choosing a sealant, make sure you know what look you are going for, as some are matte and others are glossy.
DOs & DON’Ts DO Know what you are cleaning. Is it concrete, brick or natural stone? Are there ball joints that will rust or clay that will deteriorate? If you are not sure what kind of material you are dealing with, contact a local concrete company for help in identifying it.
DON’T Use a metallic brush to apply cleaning products – these brushes rust and can damage concrete and stone surfaces. DO Ensure you know what kind of stain you are removing. Petroleum stains, salt stains, rust and dirt all require different types of cleaning products.
DON’T Get too close with the pressure washer – they have quite the kick. Not only could you injure yourself, but if you are cleaning salt or other particles off the concrete or stone, this pressure can cause the particles to break up and chip away at the surface.
DO Wear proper PPE: goggles, visors, gloves, sturdy footwear, rain gear – the more, the better.
DON’T Use calcium chloride to melt winter ice on a concrete driveway. It will break down a concrete surface. This damage can only be repaired by cleaning the concrete with a pressure washer and resurfacing it. 106
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life is better Bonavista sunset Mark Gray Bonavista, NL
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We’re wasting no time preparing for the next Downhome Calendar, . . . and neither should you! 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. In addition to free calendars and a one-year subscription to Downhome for all those chosen for the calendar, one lucky winner will receive a free trip for four aboard O’Brien’s famous whale and bird boat tours!
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, files 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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the everyday gourmet
Salad Dressings the everyday gourmet By Andrea Maunder
Andrea Maunder is the owner and creative force behind Saucy & Sweet – Homemade Specialty Foods & Catering.
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I have a saying about salads, sandwiches and tea. They always taste best when someone makes them for me. Some of the simplest things to prepare, they seem magically special when thoughtfully and lovingly done especially for me. The assembly of a salad is not alchemy, but a good salad dressing comes pretty close. A bright dressing with just the right acid balance changes a bowl of raw vegetables into a gorgeous feast. Most of us have a bottle of grocery store dressing in the fridge, and there are some quite decent ones that are great to have on hand. But none beat homemade dressing, where you can tailor the flavours to perfectly suit your palate. I have five recipes for you. They all keep in the fridge for weeks. You can use them as marinades for meat, poultry and fish, and as dipping sauces for dumplings, spring rolls, veggies or chicken wings. And please! Feel free to improvise. Swap the roasted red peppers and rosemary for (oil-cured or rehydrated) sundried tomatoes and oregano. Swap out for your favourite green herbs in the Green Goddess or add some citrus zest. The recipes I have for you are well-balanced: the right acidity, sweetness, bright flavour and texture. So as long as you stay fairly close to the ratios, you’ll end up with something delicious. And you can always add a touch of acidity, 1-888-588-6353
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sweetness or seasoning to punch it up. If you don’t have specialty vinegar (e.g. cider or wine), just use regular white vinegar. I don’t tend to use all olive oil in a dressing. I usually blend with canola or other neutral tasting oil. Some olive oils’ peppery or grassy flavours can dominate a salad dressing.
Tips before you begin 1) Dissolve sugar, honey and salt in the liquid (citrus juice, yogurt, vinegar etc.) before adding the oil when you make any sauce or dressing. They won’t readily dissolve in oil. 2) Peeling ginger: the easiest way is with a teaspoon. Using the bowl-edge of the spoon, scrape down the ginger. No waste and much easier than using a knife. 3) Microplane: If you don’t have one, invest in one. They are fantastic for garlic, ginger, citrus zest, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. The second-finest side of the box grater will also work for everything except nutmeg. 4) Dry herbs: If using dry herbs, allow them to rehydrate in the liquid ingredients before adding oil.
Bakeapple Mango Cilantro
Miso Ginger Sesame Dressing
1/2 cup bakeapples 2 tbsp sugar 1/2 cup mango nectar Juice and zest of 1 lime 2-3 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar – to taste 1 small clove garlic Pinch chili flakes 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp light miso paste Toonie-sized lump of fresh ginger, peeled and grated with a microplane 2 tbsp honey or sugar 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or cider or white wine vinegar) 1/4 tsp hot sauce (or use 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper for complexity without heat) 2 tbsp sesame oil 2/3 cup vegetable oil
In small pot over medium-high heat, simmer bakeapples with sugar and just enough water to cover bottom of pot – about 1/3 cup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes or until bakeapples are tender. Transfer to a small blender jar or smoothie maker; add mango nectar, lime juice and vinegar; purée. Press through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Rinse blender jar and whiz together bakeapple purée, lime zest, garlic, chili flakes and salt. Add oil and whiz again. Taste and adjust seasonings. 112
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Whisk together everything except oils in a small bowl to dissolve miso and honey well. While whisking, drizzle in oils. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add miso, honey, vinegar or oil to your taste. (Sesame seeds make a nice garnish.)
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Greek Salad Dressing 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 large clove garlic, grated fine 1 tsp white sugar 2 tsp dry mint leaves 1 1/2 tsp dry oregano leaves 1/2 tsp dry dill tiny pinch allspice powder 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice 3/4 cup virgin olive oil 1/4 cup canola or other oil Combine mustard and dry ingredients. Whisk in lemon juice to incorporate. Then, starting slowly, drizzle in oil until the dressing comes together and is emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Green Goddess 2 tbsp fresh parsley 2 tbsp fresh dill 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper 1 egg yolk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup Greek or full-fat yogurt (or sour cream) In a small blender jar, whiz the herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Poke it down and blend again if needed. Add egg yolk and whiz again. Drizzle in oil with motor running. (In a smoothie maker, add oil after whizzing egg and whiz until emulsified.) Add yogurt and whiz again. Taste and adjust seasonings. www.downhomelife.com
Roasted Red Pepper & Rosemary 3/4 cup roasted red peppers (jarred is fine) 1 tbsp roasted garlic (recipe below) 6 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 1 tsp salt (or to taste) 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper (or to taste) 2 tbsp honey 1 cup salad oil (half canola and half olive is nice) To roast garlic, wrap a whole head in foil and place in the oven at 400°F for 40-60 minutes or until soft. Pull out cloves and squeeze out the garlic. It becomes sweet, soft and golden. Use what you need and refrigerate the rest (it’s gorgeous squeezed onto a toasted baguette). Quick-roast method in a pinch: Peel a clove of garlic and place in a microwave-safe mug with ¼ cup of the oil. Cover with a small saucer and microwave on half power for 2-4 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Cool and use this garlic and oil in your salad dressing. (Adjust time to the power of your microwave.) To make the dressing, blend everything except the oil in a small blender jar or smoothie maker until very smooth. Add oil and reblend until emulsified and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
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HOME and Cabin
everyday recipes
Our Favourite Rhubarb Recipes Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins 1 3/4 cups flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup minced frozen rhubarb 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp white sugar
Heat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, milk and oil; stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb and sliced strawberries. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar for topping. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffins comes out clean. Remove muffins from tin and place on a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 muffins.
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Grandmother’s Rhubarb Jam 12 cups rhubarb, small dice 4 Granny Smith apples (peeled), small dice 1/2 cup water
4 cups brown sugar 1 pkg strawberry jelly powder
Place rhubarb, apples and water in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the rhubarb has softened. Add sugar and allow to cook until rhubarb loses its shape (approx. 10 minutes). Add jelly powder and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Remove from heat and either safely bottle it for longer storage, or cool it and store in the fridge to eat in the next couple of weeks. Yield: approx. 1 L
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Rhubarb Martini 2 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1" pieces 3 cups water
1/4 cup honey (more or less to taste) chilled vodka
Bring rhubarb, honey and water to a boil. Simmer, covered, over low heat for about an hour, until rhubarb is good and mushy. Strain mixture through a small sieve, discard mush or reserve for another use. Chill liquid. Fill martini shaker with ice. For each drink, use 2 oz rhubarb liquid and 1 1/2 oz vodka. Shake and strain into glass; garnish with a sprig of fresh mint or drink as is.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Parfait 1/3 cup icing sugar 4 yolks 2 cups 36% whipping cream 1/4 cup strawberries 1/4 cup rhubarb 2 tbsp gelatin powder 3 tbsp cold water White chocolate shavings or toasted crushed nuts
With a mixer, beat icing sugar and yolks until pale in colour. In a separate bowl and with clean beaters, whip cream until soft peaks form. Cook strawberries and rhubarb on stove until soft. Combine gelatin and cold water in small dish. Once set, add to strawberryrhubarb mix. Fold in egg mixture, then whipping cream. Pour into desired mould, or pour onto baking sheet, and freeze. Cut out desired shape and, before serving, roll in white chocolate shavings or toasted crushed nuts. www.downhomelife.com
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Apple-Rhubarb Ade 1/2 cup white sugar 1 3/4 cups water 1/2 cup red rhubarb, small dice
3 tart apples, washed and cored 1/4 cup lime juice
Mix water and sugar together in a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling for one full minute. Cool to room temperature. Pour into a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend on high until everything is completely pulverized. Pour through a fine strainer, stirring occasionally. Ensure that it is completely strained and serve over ice. Yield: 20 oz. *Note: You can keep the remaining purĂŠe to use in baked goods, such as muffins!
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Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble Topping
Filling
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups (1-inch) pieces of rhubarb 2 cups sliced strawberries 3 tbsp flour 1/2 cup sugar
To make topping Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and place in oven for 5-7 mins, or until lightly toasted. Remove and let cool. Coarsely chop nuts and set aside. Stir together flour, brown sugar, orange zest and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the softened butter and mix with a fork to form a crumbly mixture; stir in pecans until evenly distributed. To make filling Place cut fruit in an 8" x 11" casserole dish or shallow baking dish. Add flour and sugar to fruit; toss until well mixed. Sprinkle with topping and bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden. Cool for 10 min. before serving with a side of vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.
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Rhubarb Relish 16 cups chopped rhubarb 4 1/2 cups vinegar 12 cups chopped onions 6 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice
In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until thick. Pour into hot, sterilized mason-type jars and seal. Makes about twelve 8 oz. (250 ml) jars.
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Strawberry-Rhubarb Scones 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, small dice 2/3 cup 1% - 2% milk 1 egg, beaten 1 cup rhubarb, medium dice 1 cup strawberries, large dice 2 tbsp 1% - 2% milk
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork (or your fingers), cut cold butter into the flour until consistency is coarse like small peas. In a small bowl, beat together the milk and egg. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a spoon or floured hands until you have a dough that comes together but is still crumbly and wet. Dump the dough out onto a generously floured surface and gently fold the fruit into the dough with your hands. Keep dusting hands and dough with flour as needed while you work. Flatten the dough into a circle 8-10 inches around. Use a floured knife to cut dough into 6-8 wedges. Lay wedges on parchment-lined sheet a couple of inches apart to make room for them to expand. Dip a pastry brush in milk and use it to brush the tops of the scones. Bake for 10 minutes, until tops are slightly golden.
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HOME and Cabin
down to earth
Ravenous for Rhubarb by Kim Thistle
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If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it is that we Newfoundlanders and Labradorians love our rhubarb. What is it about this vegetable (yes, it is technically a vegetable and not a fruit) that is so endearing? For me it is the taste, but for many gardeners it is the ease of which it grows. It is also one of the earliest edibles available in the garden and a sign that spring is finally here. Rhubarb has been around for a very long time. The earliest records date back to 2700 BC in China, where it was cultivated for medicinal purposes. It is believed to have come to the Americas in the late 1700s via a gardener from Maine, who purportedly brought the rootstock from Europe. It was around this time that it began to be grown for culinary purposes. This plant is a winter-hardy perennial (meaning it comes back year after year) that grows from underground stems that push out lateral roots. We call the stems rhizomes. The edible part of the plant is the celery-like stalk. The leaves, which contain oxalic acid, can cause the tongue and throat to swell, which leads to breathing difficulty, and should never be consumed. I often wonder about the first person to eat new, growing foods and the onlookers who documented what happened after it was consumed. How do you think they chose the tester? Was it the least liked www.downhomelife.com
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in-law or obnoxious neighbour? But I digress. Composting rhubarb leaves is perfectly acceptable, and you can use the leaves to lay on the soil between your plants to help suppress weeds. It is a myth that the leaves will be toxic to other edibles growing in the composted soil. I think just about every Newfoundlander and Labradorian who grows vegetables has a few rhubarb plants. It’s a cool-season vegetable that needs temperatures below 5°C to break dormancy, making it an ideal crop for our province. It reliably pops its shoots through the ground every year after the snow thaws, and within weeks we are ready to harvest our first stalks. By mid-summer, when the days are hot, the plants will die back and the harvest will draw to a close, so don’t let the short window of harvest pass you by. When choosing a growing site for rhubarb, pick a spot with full sun or light shade. The area should be clean of weeds and kept weed-free throughout the life of the plant. This vegetable thrives in compost-rich, well-drained soil that is high in organic matter. It is tolerant of acidic soils and does best with a pH of 6 – 6.8 (I can never stress enough the importance of a soil test.) Avoid starting rhubarb from seed, as it will take a year or longer to harvest than when planting from oneyear-old crowns. The crowns may be purchased at most reputable garden centres, although you should strike early as they sell out quickly. Plant the crowns approximately two to four feet apart with the roots one to two inches below the soil. I like to use some rock phosphate and soil activator to get the good bacteria going, 124
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easing the shock of transplant. These activators also boost nitrogen, improve soil retention and release nutrients from organic matter. Be sure to water your plants well and keep them watered throughout
the summer. Mulching helps to retain moisture and it discourages weeds. Do not harvest your stalks in the first year, but rather give your plants a chance to establish themselves. Many gardeners choose to use a light application of 10-10-10 fertilizer after the first year, but I prefer to top dress my plants with seaweed and composted manure; this will not only give my plants the nutrients they need, but will also add organic 1-888-588-6353
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matter to the soil, improving the soil tilth (suitability for growing). When adding composted manure, do not cover the crown – place this organic matter in a ring around, but not touching, the plant. After the first year, rhubarb stalks may be harvested when they are about 12 to 18 inches long. Avoid harvesting thin stalks as this means the plants need time to recoup some energy. Harvesting can be done by pulling the stalk away at the base of the plant and twisting it. Always be sure to leave a few stalks with leaves
with a disinfectant. After three or four years, if your plants do not seem to be as productive as they used to be, they may need to be divided. Divide your plants in early spring by lifting the root from the soil and cutting down through the crown between the emerging buds. This may be done with a disinfected, sharp spade or an axe. It seems cruel, but it will not hurt the root and it will actually help to improve the growth. Plant the new divisions as soon as possible, before they dry out.
Avoid starting rhubarb from seed, as it will take a year or longer to harvest than when planting from one-yearold crowns. The crowns may be purchased at most reputable garden centres, although you should strike early as they sell out quickly. behind so that your plant can feed itself. To extend the harvesting season, trick your plant by removing the seed stalk when it appears. Few pests attack rhubarb, but there are some diseases to watch for. Crown rot is the most common. Watch for sickly looking plants with leaves turning yellow to red and collapsing. You will notice the roots, when dug, have blackish colour decay and there will be no feeder roots present. Removing and destroying any plants exhibiting these symptoms will help deter the spread of this disease. To help prevent crown rot, do not overwater or crowd your plants. Also, remember the twisting part when harvesting? Using an infected knife for harvesting may transfer the disease. If you don’t want to twist the stalks, clean your knife repeatedly between cuts www.downhomelife.com
Rhubarb is a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, magnesium and manganese. It is loaded with calcium, low in fat and just plain yummy. You know that summer is here when you can sit on the steps with a stalk of rhubarb and a bowl of sugar to dip it in. Yes. Yes, I said the evil word… sugar. It is sooooo good with the tangy, tart taste of the vegetable that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians love. Got a question for Kim? Email downtoearth@downhomelife.com.
Kim Thistle owns a garden centre and landscaping business on the west coast of the island. She has also been a recurring guest gardener on CBC’s “Crosstalk” for almost three decades. June 2020
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reminiscing flashbacks
A Happy Picnic This picnic took place in Tilt Cove circa 1904. The submitter writes, “Front row, left to right: my grandfather John Toms, grandmother Caroline (Carrie) and Annie, my dear Mum.” The other folks in the photo are unidentified. Michael Keat Bude, UK
A Family Outing With their bamboo poles, this family is ready for a day of fishing. The submitter writes, “The parents are Trixie (Little) and A.J. Rideout from Bonavista and King’s Point. In the background is teacher Mildred Ledrew. The children are Shirley, Audrey, Herb, Eric, Stirling and Reg. The car is likely our Uncle Job’s. Well-known in Bonavista, he was the taxi driver to St. John’s for many years.” A. Hilton North Vancouver, BC 128
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Looking for Former Classmates The submitter writes, “Keith Bouzane was born in Corner Brook in 1945. This is his Grade 5 class from 1955-56. He’s fourth from the right in the last row; to his right is Allan Loder from Summerside and to his left is Rod Dove from Corner Brook. He would love to know if any of these classmates are still in Corner Brook.” If you have information about any student in this photo, please contact Downhome (see p. 9 for ways to get in touch). Keith Bouzane Via DownhomeLife.com
This Month in History On June 20, 1900, Cabot Tower was officially opened on Signal Hill in St. John’s, NL. Construction had begun in 1898, to mark both Cabot 400 and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Judge and historian D.W. Prowse was the first person to suggest building the tower. There was controversy surrounding the project because St. John’s was still reeling from the Great Fire of 1896, and critics opposed constructing a grand building when much of the city was still in ruin. Cabot Tower was used primarily for signalling ships with flags, which the military had been doing on Signal Hill since the early 18th century. In 1901, it was the reception site for Marconi’s first transatlantic wireless message, the letter “S” in Morse code, which was sent from Poldhu, England. A Marconi station operated on the second floor of the tower from 1933 to 1960. Today, Cabot Tower and Signal Hill are operated by Parks Canada as a National Historic Site. 1-888-588-6353
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reminiscing visions & vignettes
Gnat, do you mind…
Grass Gardens? By Harold N. Walters
Harry’s supply of peppermint knobs dwindled with each hand of cards played. The game was forty-fives, and neither Harry nor Gnat had won a hand since they’d sat down across the board from Old Man Farley. The board was the flat surface of a Carnation milk case in the corner of Uncle Pell’s shop. Harry and Gnat had only a couple of knobs remaining. On his corner of the milk case, Old Man Farley had peppermint knobs stacked like cannon balls. He slammed his winning hand on the board and cackled when the beaten boys shuffed their last candies towards his pile. “Beat yous agin’,” Old Man Farley 130
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gloated. “Farley, I think you’m cheatin’ them boys,” Uncle Pell admonished him. “Cheatin’ them for a few old peppermint knobs.” Old Man Farley sucked on his pipe and scowled at Uncle Pell. “He’s always cheatin’,” said Harry. “Sure, he sneaks a look at the cards 1-888-588-6353
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when he deals.” “Sore losers,” said Old Man Farley. Then to Uncle Pell, “Give me a paper bag for me candy.” “Ought to charge for the bag,” said Uncle Pell, handing Old Man Farley a candy bag. “Missus loves when I brings her candy,” Old Man Farley said on his way out the door, as he held up the bag and shook it like a pirate brandishing a sack of doubloons. “Old frigger,” said Harry. “He is so,” said Gnat. Trumped, as it were, the defeated gamblers left Uncle Pell’s shop and dodged across the road to the Big Rock, perhaps hoping someone would come along to commiserate. Summer was hustling and bustling in Brookwater. The weather had been excellent since early spring. Potato stalks were already in flower. The cabbages had already been dusted to protect against an early swarm of ghostly white cabbage butterflies. Grass garden gates and fences were latched and patched to protect the tall green stalks from the hungry animals that roamed loose on the commons. Harry and Gnat squat on the Big Rock for half the morning, grousing to anyone who happened by – Spud Spurvey, Sally and Ugly Maude, even Olsen Tetford – about Old Man Farley’s cheating them at forty-fives. All the while they griped, Harry and Gnat – especially Harry, who understood vengeance – glowered up the lane at Old Man Farley’s bungalow. Intending to set the devil in them for sure, Old Man Farley stood in the kitchen window and made a show of opening the candy bag, reaching in and plucking out a peppermint knob, and then presenting it 1-888-588-6353
to Mrs. Farley who was kneading bread dough at the table. Harry muttered something foul. “That isn’t very nice,” said Sally. Deciding she’d had enough of Harry’s complaining, she wandered off with Ugly Maude in tow. As the morning passed, Brookwater’s menagerie meandered past the Big Rock. A scattered flock of sheep feeding on wilting weeds nibbled past. Trafalgar, Harve Hinker’s young entire, went by scouting for bunches of anything fit to eat. He looked at Harry and Gnat as if expecting adventure, but, feeling ignored, drifted away. Aunt Chook’s billy goat, Stump, paused to yank a tuft of thistles up by its roots. Early afternoon, after Harry and Gnat had been down on the breach chucking rocks at gulls and heaving overboard any rubbish left on the government wharf, Old Man Farley walked down his lane with a scythe slung over his shoulder. Harry and Gnat scrambled up over the Scrapes just as Old Man Farley closed his gate. They stopped at the top, gasping for breath because of the climb. Old Man Farley eyed them panting with their hands on their knees. He laughed out loud and waved. “Want to come give me a hand at the grass?” he asked in jest. Chuckling, he walked off towards Aunt Ina’s Land, a tuck of woods that sheltered his fenced and barred grass garden. “Let’s follow en anyway,” said Harry. Because he craved vengeance, visions of toxic sugarplums – or a troupe of Satan’s imps – danced in his head. Having caught their wind, and June 2020
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feeling scorned, the boys dog-trotted after Old Man Farley, following him discreetly from behind bushes. Hidden in the woods, Harry and Gnat watched Old Man Farley unlatch the gate to his grass garden, close it behind him and begin mowing his grass with a rhythmic side-toside swing of his scythe. They watched him for half an hour as he cut his way up the garden’s slight slope, swaths of Timothy grass falling flat beneath the scythe’s keenly honed blade.
band with a navy-blue, polka-dotted hanky. He left his tools – scythe, prong, rake – leaning against a fence post and headed home. Harry and Gnat stayed hunkered down inside the treeline. Harry studied the neat pastoral pooks. Maybe the Old Boy planted the idea – the shape of the pooks reminded Harry of mounds of peppermint knobs. “I got an idea,” he said. “I ’low,” said Gnat. When the whole of Brookwater had finished supper, Harry and Gnat
Hidden in the woods, Harry and Gnat watched Old Man Farley unlatch the gate to his grass garden, close it behind him and begin mowing his grass with a rhythmic side-to-side swing of his scythe. “He’ll be at that all morning,” said Harry. “We might as well leave en alone.” And so they did, because they knew how Old Man Farley’s day would go. He’d finish mowing the grass and then, exchanging scythe for prong, he’d spread the green grass, thinning the clumps to allow the sun to dry them. Mid-afternoon, he’d repeat the procedure, flipping the half-dried grass so its underside could take the sun. At day’s end, using a woodentoothed rake, he’d haul the dried grass into pooks. It was handy suppertime when Harry and Gnat returned to Old Man Farley’s grass garden and watched from the woods like Piautes watching a toiling settler. The last of four neat pooks built, one in each quadrant of his garden, Old Man Farley doffed his straw hat, mopped his brow and wiped the sweat off the hat’s inside 132
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scuffed past Old Man Farley’s house. Old Man Farley sat on the verandah smoking his pipe while his supper settled. For badness, when he eyed the boys he wove his hand and then reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a peppermint knob and popped it in his gob. He smacked his lips loud enough for the boys to hear him from the road. Harry uttered bad words, expletives he’d learned from grown men down on the wharf. “Let’s find the animals,” said Gnat. “They’m prob’ly out in the Shot Hole.” Minutes later, the boys found Brookwater’s motley, mingled herds browsing on the Shot Hole’s slim pickings – slim pickings because the animals had already gnawed the grass, weeds and thistles down to their roots. Hands taller than any of the other animals, Trafalgar noticed his ofttimes 1-888-588-6353
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rapscallion buddies, shook his mane and approached them. “There’s a good fellow,” Harry said, patting Trafalgar’s nose. “I brought you something.” Harry pulled an apple from his jacket pocket, opened his pocketknife and sliced the apple into sections. He allowed Trafalgar to lip a wedge from his palm. Trafalgar smacked his lips like Old Man Farley. “Follow me if you wants the rest of it,” said Harry, turning his back on Trafalgar.
while Harry fiddled with the gate latch, and the extra insurance of a piece of rope Old Man Farley had knotted around the gate post. All seals broken, Harry swung the gate open. “Lead ’em in,” he said, offering Trafalgar the rest of the apple and slapping him on the rump. From behind the herd, like a wrangler riding drag, Gnat urged the animals forward. Inside the garden, the animals fanned out like spokes on a cartwheel
Seeing Trafalgar following Harry and Gnat, the other horses, exhibiting herd mentality, moseyed along behind. The half-dozen cows – including Wince Coady’s jersey – decided to trail the horses. Sheep, being sheep, gave up gnawing at sod and traipsed behind the cows’ rumps. The stems and fluff of dying dandelions streeling from his chops, Stump the billy goat scravelled to keep up. Like rats and children straggling behind a pair of pipers, and while the sun – as if it had a choice – was making up its mind to set, Brookwater’s livestock paraded in the direction of Aunt Ina’s Land. When the stream of animals reached Old Man Farley’s grass garden, they bunched up and waited
and hurried towards Old Man Farley’s hay pooks. In minutes, hungry animals were smacking their lips… “Like they’m gobbin’ peppermint knobs,” said Harry. Mind that summer, Gnat? Lucky for Harry and Gnat, I s’pose, Old Man Farley salvaged some hay. A funny thing, though: he seemed to lose his taste for peppermint knobs.
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Harold Walters lives in Dunville, Newfoundland, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com June 2020
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reminiscing
The Discovery of Shiva Balak Misra by Chad Bennett
We live in an ancient land where every
humble foot falls on some of the oldest rock on Earth. If we could see even the smallest fraction of the secrets beneath our feet it would change our eyes so completely as to remake the very nature of sight. That’s what lies beneath your feet every day, every step, lost to time and just out of reach. Occasionally however, with effort, glimpses show through. To see them properly, some need to dig. Shiva Balak Misra needed to walk. 134
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It had been building for weeks, that rasping fiery breath filled with dirt and dust, the sucking heat from the Great Indian Desert known to the locals as the “Loo” winds. The year is 1950, it’s June, and a 10-year-old boy is walking to school on constant alert for the “Kali Andhi,” the black storm, which often occurs just before monsoon season sets in. This boy’s name is Shiva. He’s from a small village called Deora, sunk deep in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Shiva walks 24 kilometres a day just to go to school. He dreams not of writing a new chapter in the book of life, which he will, but simply of having a school in his home village. Years later, Shiva the man would add meaningfully to our Newfoundland and Labrador story. Let’s go there now. We catch up with Shiva in 1967. Having earned a scholarship from Memorial University, he now lives and works in Portugal Cove South, NL. Shiva can be found walking the coastline of the Southern Shore of the Avalon Peninsula. He is working to create a systematic geological map, a complete classification of the rock sequence of the area from formation and deposition to the present state. And even he, at this late stage, has no idea what’s to come. Shiva’s thin frame, thick glasses, and even thicker black moustache bobbing and weaving along the Avalon’s southern shore drew the curiosity of the locals, to say the least. “You’ll never guess the latest rumours around town,” said the smiling Paul Thompson, handing Shiva a coffee and a few bits and 1-888-588-6353
bobs before sitting down beside him on the exposed rock. “Oh?” Shiva shifted his seat, returning the smile. “What is it this time?” “Gold,” chuckled Paul. “They now think you’ve found gold and are here doing final surveys before making the deal of the century.”
Dr. Shiva Balak Misra “Wonderful!” Shiva sipped his coffee looking out over the ocean. “My favourite is still that I’ve lost a family heirloom engagement ring and cannot return home without it – more romance and charm in that one.” Shiva took another sip of coffee and cleared his throat. “It may not be gold, but I do think I’ve found something. Take a look at this.” Shiva sprang to his feet and began to walk briskly away. Paul – his, by now, long-suffering research June 2020
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assistant – sensed a new energy and raced after him. There was urgency in Shiva’s movements, as though the rocks would somehow not be there when they arrived. “Here,” said Shiva. “Look here and tell me what you see.” Paul lowered himself to get a better look. “Fossils, right? These are very nice, lovely detail. You know I’ve heard the local children refer to them as ‘the flowers in the rocks’ or something like that. I’ve seen a few up and down the coast.” “I’ve been seeing them everywhere,” Shiva began. “The flowers in the rocks? They do look like flowers, they are beautifully preserved, but I don’t think that these were plant life. Look here, these features are all wrong, and this one, here and here, and there.” Shiva pointed with increasing animation. “So if not plant, then animal?” Paul asked. “How old?” “I don’t know. I’ve spent every waking moment when not in the field pouring over the archives. There is absolutely nothing like these in the fossil record,” Shiva said. “I don’t know what they are, but I do know one thing. Our work must broaden to include a study of these fossils. Alongside the geology of the area, we must record every instance of these fossils and, if at all possible, determine their age.” June turned to July, which melted into August, and the rumours grew as Shiva and Paul became fixtures on the shoreline. More often than not, they were seen on their hands and knees, examining and collecting samples. 136
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“Have you heard the latest?” Paul asked with barely contained mirth. “Do I want to know?” Shiva looked up briefly from the rock face. “Last week I was some sort of fugitive.” “A prince!” Paul burst out. “You’re joking, a prince?” “A bona fide regal! A gas station attendant is never wrong,” Paul said. “Congratulations. Apparently, you’re here as part of a coming-of-age ceremony before you return home to marry and assume the throne.” Shiva grimaced. “Slightly better than a fugitive, I suppose – but only slightly.” The two shared a laugh. Paul handed a rock sample to Shiva. “When will we know what all this means?” “I’ll start analyzing our collection next week, but it could take the better part of a year before anything resembling a clear picture emerges, and then we’ll know.” Everyone would know. Shiva’s work was bigger than he dreamed it might be. The following year, 1968, his work was published in the journal Nature to international acclaim. Shiva Balak Misra had discovered the oldest multi-cellular life to ever exist on Earth – the very beginnings of life some 565 million years ago. In his words, “The turning point in my life came in June 1967, when in the course of my work I began to study some of the fossil samples I had. One had the imprints of a leaf and a soft-bodied jelly fish. At the time I didn’t know the significance of these samples.” Overnight, Shiva became as close 1-888-588-6353
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An example of the fossil samples found at Mistaken Point to a rock star as a geologist can. Every major university offered him tenure track positions. Shiva turned them all down. After completing his master’s degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland and submitting his humbly titled thesis: “Geology of Biscay Bay-Cape Race area, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland,” Shiva returned home to his village. There, using their own savings, he and his wife established the school he’d dreamed of as a boy. He never once forgot his earliest dreams or the ground beneath his feet. Shiva would later become Professor of Geology and Dean of Science at Kumaun University in Nainital. As for the discovery, Mistaken 1-888-588-6353
Point was acknowledged as the oldest grouping of large, biologically complex fossilized creatures found anywhere in the world. More than 10,000 distinct fossils were identified, ranging in size from a few centimetres to nearly two metres. Mistaken Point was protected as an ecological reserve in 1984 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. The fossils, an entirely new category of life, were named Fractofusus Misrai in Shiva Balak Misra’s honour. The school that Shiva and his wife Nirmala opened all those years ago still operates today – forever linking Portugal Cove South, Newfoundland, and the village of Deora, Uttar Pradesh, India. June 2020
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reminiscing
downhome memories
Through a diary bought at a second-hand store, we get a young woman’s perspective on Newfoundland life in the 1900s. BY BURTON K. JANES
Due to a surprising find in a Corner Brook store, I now own Nina Gosse’s diary. Since purchasing the journal, my research has brought to light some details about the diarist. Nina Jessie Shelia Gosse was the daughter of Francis and Jessie (née Osbourne) Gosse, of Spaniard’s Bay and Upper Island Cove respectively. Born March 18, 1919, she was baptized April 19 at Holy Redeemer Anglican Church, Spaniard’s Bay. She was the fourth of five children, her siblings being Annie Violet, Wilfred Douglas, Diana Blanche and John, born between 1904 and 1922. At 14, Nina lived on Brown’s Road. Early in her handwritten “Home-Book Diary,” as she calls it, she makes notes about geography, literature, history, arithmetic and needlework. Then she switches to personal entries on happenings during the 138
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1930s and 1940s. Whenever she requires additional pages, she sews them into her diary. It is instructive to peer through this window into Nina’s soul, and read her comments about events and individuals that influence her young life. March 27, 1937: “Thought for Newfoundlanders: Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating. There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” Later that day, Nina writes about the Spaniard’s Bay junior and senior hockey teams. “The juniors are
Saturday at 8 a.m. Arrived in town at 10 a.m.” March 23, 1938: “Yes! March is here at last, and after the frosts and snows of February and the preceding months nobody seems sorrowful of the fact. Now that the warm days are coming and we hear the bleating of newborn lambs and see the baby calf, our thoughts stray onward to April’s showers and the coming of spring. The great awakening which brings new life to everything great and small. The trees will then put on a coat of deepest green and the fields will blossom into life. The birds will
April 21, 1937: “The three pillars of learning [are] seeing much, suffering much and studying much.” named ‘Pirates’ and will represent Spaniard’s Bay in the Junior Championships to be played in St. John’s next November.” The team was made up of Richard Ryan, Joe Smith, William Noseworthy, James Brazil, Gordon Gosse, Victor Sheppard, Lawrence Murrin, Wilbert Hutchings, Dewey Hutchings and Willie Gosse. “Average weight of the team is 144 lbs, and the average age is 17 years,” Nina writes. April 8, 1937: “When you marry, make a home and keep it sweet and dear; small things darned and in their place, slippers near a chair; buttons always firmly sewn, needed things to hand; for a woman’s kingdom is her home, and love’s acreage her land.” April 21, 1937: “The three pillars of learning [are] seeing much, suffering much and studying much.” September 9, 1937: “Leaving home to go to St. John’s for the first time, 1-888-588-6353
return and on some beautiful morning we will be able to awaken from our sleep to hear the birds singing in the treetops as they joyfully go about the building of a new home.” January 11, 1939: “1938 passes out. Not many people seem to be sorry for its passing. It has been a year of alarms and fear. More than once during the year it looked as though the whole world was on the trembling edge of warfare. In the early part of 1938 it looked more than once as though the Spanish Civil War [193639] would drag other nations into a bloody conflict with each other.” As I initially flipped through the little black book, a photo [shown here] dropped out. A woman, flanked by two girls, is standing in a vegetable garden. One girl holds a doll, the other a pot of flowers. Who are they? Nina Jessie Shelia Gosse and her daughters? I don’t know. Perhaps a reader will recognize them. June 2020
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reminiscing
downhome memories
BY IRVING WAREHAM
I was a teacher in Happy Valley from 1951 to 1953. In the spring of 1953, a meeting took place in the Valley, where officials from the Goose Bay air base were giving permission for the extension of the town. Up to this point, no building permits were given for several years. It was during this time that the official name of Happy Valley was chosen, and not Hamilton Inlet [the fjord connected to Lake Melville]. Also that year, a committee was planning a celebration of the June coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This was a major event for the town, for it gave the people a great boost to see their town come together. Some highlights of the day included the following events: A message was sent to the Queen at Buckingham Palace and a reply was received. There was a parade of Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies, followed by a sports day and a lunch. Pastor McKinney provided the religious part of the ceremony. Here are some photos from that special day, June 2, 1953. 140
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Kenneth Penney holds the mic while Irving Wareham (submitter) reads the proclamation. Pastor McKinney offers the prayers while his daughter plays piano.
Decorations in Happy Valley for Coronation Day, June 2, 1953. The Scout Hut at the Coronation celebration in Happy Valley (Hamilton Inlet).
Pastor McKinney and his family (US citizens) in Happy Valley, 1953. Under construction in the background is the United Church.
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June 2020
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Blue Denim Baseball Cap - NL 1497 (2,4,6) #75727 | $19.99
Ladies’ Newfoundland Labrador - Grey & Pink #60470 | $19.99
Ladies’ Hoodie Canada with NL Map (S,M,L,XL) #77694 | $54.99
Black Baseball Cap w stitching with NL Map #56752 | $19.99
Ladies’ Baseball Cap Black, Mint & Pink #77618 | $24.99
My First Cap (Kids) Pink #38995 Blue #38873
$16.99 each
Ladies’ Mauve Hooded Jacket with Puffin (S,M,L,XL) #79193 | $42.99
Ladies’ Nautical Adventure Anchor Hoodie (S,M,L,XL) #77648 | $49.99
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GET 10% OFF WHEN YOU USE PROMO CODE: JUNE2020 Call 1-888-588-6353 or Visit www.ShopDownhome.com
Metro Fleece with Contrast Stitching (S,M,L,XL) #78897 | $54.99
Ladies’ Mauve Yin Yang Puffin T-Shirt (S,M,L,XL) #79291 | $19.99
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Men’s Landwash Northwest Rain Jacket (S,M,L,XL) #56563 | $74.99
Men’s Camo Pullover Hoodie (S,M,L,XL) #78983 | $49.99
Fellin’ Nauti Pullover Hoodie (S,M,L,XL) #79044 | $52.99
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2006 mail order_Mail order.qxd 5/8/20 11:44 AM Page 146
GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
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From Rum To Rhubarb Modern Recipes for NL Fruits, Vegetables, and Berries - Roger Pickavance #78130 | $24.95
Island Vegan - Over 100 Delicious PlantBased Recipes Marian Frances White #78676 | $29.95
Differences by the Dozen - Mel D’Souza #49315 | $8.95
Rock Recipes Cookies - A Decade of Decadent Recipes Barry C. Parsons #75585 | $22.95
The Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes Jill Whitaker #38322 | $19.95
Downhome Four-Way Crosswords Ron Young #54058 | $6.99
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2006 mail order_Mail order.qxd 5/8/20 11:46 AM Page 147
GET 10% OFF WHEN YOU USE PROMO CODE: JUNE2020 Call 1-888-588-6353 or Visit www.ShopDownhome.com
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Newfoundland and Labrador Colouring Book - Necie #48710 | $8.95
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The Colours of Newfoundland & Labrador - Colouring Book - Bobbi Pike #58819 | $16.95
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TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
2006_Puzzles_1701-puzzles 5/7/20 1:36 PM Page 148
puzzles
The Beaten Path
Larry Samms 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 will spell out the name of the above community in letters that get smaller in size.
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Last Month’s Community: Trinity 148
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Sudoku
from websudoku.com
Skill level: Medium Last month’s answers
?
Need Help
Visit DownhomeLife.com/puzzles for step-by-step logic for solving this puzzle
www.downhomelife.com
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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: • Home of Lady of Lourdes Grotto, visited by Pope John Paul II • The Beamer attracts rock climbers • Father Troy’s Trail runs through here • Big River swimming hole is a hot spot • Good iceberg viewing points in spring
Last Month’s Answer: Avondale
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Ferryland 150
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: We shall traverse said causeway at the time of our encounter with it In Other Words: We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it This Month’s Clue: Your estimation is as worthy as my own In Other Words: _____ ______ __ __ ____ __ _____
A Way With Words
OUT
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
Last Month’s Answer: Left Out
1. An ignorant attitude is a ____ ____ 2. A feline rug is a ___ ___
This Month’s Clue
INSIDE
3. No. 1 grandpa is the ___ ___ Last Month’s Answers 1. day away, 2. rent a tent, 3. tie a fly
ANS: _____ ___
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.
’ A A I P I I E H C O T R I M J O P S N S T Y Y T
K L F E E O S L C F P Y I O S T
’
’
’
E E D E E B E T F E E C A D L S H I F K Y H E E D E N O T O O N L N R O E E P M T P T L Y
Last month’s answer: Change will come slowly, across generations, because old beliefs die hard even when demonstrably false. www.downhomelife.com
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. educators 2. ministers 3. benches 4. animals 5. details
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. happy, 2. snappy, 3. pappy, 4. sappy, 5. scrappy
Tangled Towns by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young
Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression. For best results sound the clue words out loud!
Hum Era Con Egg Suppress ________ _______
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
1. SSULHE IHGBT 2. ROBTHING 3. ACHEBIDES 4. OEFCEF VCOE
Stay Cows _____ _____
5. TARTLING RKOBO
Last Month’s 1st Clue: stay tough emerge antsy Answer: state of emergency Last Month’s 2nd Clue: was sure ran soft den Answer: wash your hands often
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Bonavista, 2. Summerville, 3. Charleston, 4. Princeton, 5. Bloomfield
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. HENCE POLL ~ Clue: has a certain ring to it 2. TAPED ON ~ Clue: takes messages but never calls back 3. OGRE SUN ~ Clue: goes in for the save 4. GRID ROPE ~ Clue: a Dickens of a meal 5. LUNAR PITA ~ Clue: that’s a wrap Last Month’s Answers: 1. overweight, 2. embroidery, 3. construction, 4. accommodation, 5. recreation 152
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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.
1-41: thousand 1-91: heir 4-24: stoolpigeon 5-35: rubber wheel 6-1: powerful 7-37: gouge 7-27: lair 10-1: stubborn 10-6: tails flipside 10-100: from now on 11-31: galloped 10-30: chicken 12-14: oasis 12-52: holy one 13-16: bucket 13-33: doggie 16-19: loan 19-49: girl’s toy 22-26: cowboy Gene 24-26: attempt 25-55: make over 30-27: midday 34-4: headliner 34-31: rotate 37-97: enticed 40-31: laundry fastener 40-36: fabric 40-37: coagulate 42-46: geeks 44-41: rip 44-64: decay 46-49: vend 48-18: water bird 51-91: offspring 52-82: melody 56-53: footwear 56-76: disallow 57-37: visited 60-57: grow crops www.downhomelife.com
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60-58: distant 60-90: Alamo 61-64: track down 64-67: snare 65-35: pedalled 65-67: knock 66-68: likely 67-64: portion 68-98: sea bird 69-49: friend 74-77: penny 77-80: bash 83-53: isn’t 89-69: crack 89-85: important 93-53: pass out
94-34: components 94-44: truth 100-91: shackled Last Month’s Answer
MA T A EH GN I I ON S AG THE ROL AMA T E P E RO
E T Y E A R I D A C
R E A D R E A R Y S
N E P R A H S A C E
A P E A E A C H O E
L A T I N S O A P R
June 2020
L E A N I T U T U H
Y L L U F E T S A T
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
2
by Ron Young
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ACROSS 1. That feller’s 4. “I’m so hungry I could ___ the arse off a low flying duck” 5. Canadian National Railway (abbrev) 6. choke 7. blabbermouth 16. “Now I can see the earth below me, and I can ____ it turn” 17. “____ other numbers that I have to find for area code seven-o-nine” 18. “Whaddaya __?” 19. kind of seal 20. woodcutter’s tool 21. viewpoint 23. paddle 25. Dominion ___ 26. stable 29. “It’s the ____ of the world as we know it” 30. pier 32. “Your tawts are ___ far aft” 33. Quidi ____ 35. weight 36. canvas shelter 37. “Like a birch broom __ the fits” 38. elevated playhouse 40. tender cut of meat 42. “Stay where you’re to till I comes where you’re __” 43. tally 45. Coal Bin’s friend in Different Strokes 46. resembles a sphere DOWN 1. “__ ______ ____ _____ all by the tail” (4 words) 2. Gaelic for John 3. “The whale made ________ __ ______ Bay” (3 words) 8. short for Edward www.downhomelife.com
9. Harbour __ Cou 10. leather cap with ear flaps 11. “He came into this world __ ___ ___ dark and stormy night” (3 words) 12. negative 13. “God _____ thee Newfoundland” 14. vase 15. Arctic tern 18. “I can’t marry ___ or in chokey I’d be” 22. Georgia (abbrev) 24. “I’ll get me _______ in the spring of the year” 27. painting 28. radio frequency (abbrev) 31. “And __ rode on a filly called Daffodile-dilly” 32. dentures 34. “The Night Paddy Murphy ____” 36. net 39. unhappy 41. either 44. act
B A L L Y C A T E R S
A Y T A F F L U E S E R I D E E
R O U N D B I D E R M U S B O A E R I
ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD A N O V A U F A R T Y M E O S P A S E M A S A E T G R A V E T R E E G K L
A P E C R E W A L T E R B L E S N O R I N A G I N T OW N A E I V Y E R
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2020 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. _ 4
_____ 63837
_ ____ 3 7465
__ _____ 23 22873 _ _________ 3 474878464 ____ 3474
__ 63
____ _ 9283 7 ___ 843
______ 844647
__ 36
__ 46
___ _ 842 8
__ 48
Last Month’s Answer: My wife dresses to kill. She cooks the same way.
©2020 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance R = N Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ _ _ _
_
_ _ N
OBR
C i kt
B
_ N _ _ iR
_ N _ BR
\D
K
_ _ _ N _ h iRn
D
_
B
_ N
BR
_ _ ’_ _
D t xx _ _’ _
Dt l
_ _ _ _ _
Lb xt L
Last Month’s Answer: Home is the place where you can scratch any place you itch 156
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Food For Thought
© 2020 Ron Young
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.”
yearning =
joke =
_ _ _
tap
huge =
strangling = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Kwel wpq
_ _ _ _
vY[k
tartan =
_
justices =
_ _ _ _
stY w]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
kwap
_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
Iz]qa[
_ _ _ _ _ _
qet]ap’
[wtapKa w[
z pta[[
_ _ _ _
Ia[k
_ _ _ _
tez w Y va
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _
[wtapKa w[
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
l w][’ _ _ _
_
Iz [ k
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
stY w p [z [swKwez[ Last Month’s Answer: He has achieved success who has worked well, laughed often, and loved much. www.downhomelife.com
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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 WATCH BIRCH BROOMS BEING MADE
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Mast; 2. Funnel; 3. Life buoy; 4. Roof; 5. Crane; 6. Man moved; 7. Cloud; 8. Church; 9. Sea gull; 10. Door; 11. Notice board; 12. Car. “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, 21 Brentwood Dr., Brampton, ON, L6T 1P8.
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HIDE & SEEK FLOWERS
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
LILY LOTUS MARIGOLD ORCHID PANSY PEONY
ASTER ASTILBE BLUEBELL BUTTERCUP CARNATION CROCUS DAFFODIL DAISY DANDELION ECHINACEA FOXGLOVE GERANIUM HYACINTH IRIS
R P R N L I P D V A X J B D Y K E D
L E T O R G A B H K O S T E A T P N
G R W I S F G X Z G M Z G B F I X L
B E S O F E G C I L E Y S L S H S T
A D R O L V E B Z U V Q B I D K K Y
C A H N O S B O R T D D S H A K G T
Last Month’s Answers
I I D A P F X O C A R N A T I O N I
Y I N M N X N D D O E E R S H K N Y
www.downhomelife.com
L Y J U Q I L U P R V B E A Y O D J
T N E R T O U G S U L M W Z I G B U
Q O G L G E N M C G D Z W L I L Y Y
K E N I N I P I L U T N E X W Y I E
L P R F J Q B Z U Z X D L O T U S N
B I Q L A Q D V W Y L A U I S G Y Y
F A M O J R A U K H N Z N I O Y J V
F B F R V S D U I T A W P M P T U D
U M E P O X G Q B E H H M A A W C Y
M E T X A M S W T A U B W J C O K S
PETUNIA POPPY ROSE SUNFLOWER TULIP S U G A R L O A F P X I Y L Y M O C
K L U X J E C X R N T S L A J W G Y
I C E G O K T X D T R J H S R J U J
E O G V L W T W T D I T O Y I M L B
V C D B P S J N D A I L O A B H S N
C A A L C H E Z C R E B H C B Y K V
G P R W E N A D E Q K E K S S V L Q
E N O O W F R N B T O R H S S D S T
N A B R O L G A J I U R C N Y O V U
M A E Y B T N I L I P K T C A R J K
U I G V P L X E Z J R I C N G L Y Q
L V I M Q D C I M W N E G X N R I A
E H E H E O M A Y A N E T O O K F P
N H X E S X A J Y L D P A U T I Y U
M R I S C A B R R F X N A Y Z V O U
T A H S N A F U J I V F T M L T S A
F C R S U C O R C P X P K E P L A E
R P C J E C L D Q E B O K I H D F W
B E A K R I V A S M R O A H X Y R H
I E D Z I Q E O W K P T B H N Y V S
L R I C E L K U P N E W O V W B D I
O A E N D N V C G P P A I E W T K T
L L E B E U L B Y H J O Q T X E B U
G P T R A I Z A O J A X L U A T Z N
A R E J U R T I K R W F J Y Y U V E
F B V C I V J H D T P D P H R O L L
N I K S T N S Q E K Y U A P L N N Y
E N I O B I N I S S A O P D O I X P
Z H Y A C I N T H T M T A H Y W H A
June 2020
G R O U S E C A U B V I K S D X G W
K R I K L E S C W E F X N O Z R Y J
Z W G Z W Y S V B J R X O L X Y D J 159
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photo finish
Social Distancing in Style
You won’t find anyone to crowd your space here on Little Dry Island, as the sun rises over Lake Melville, Labrador. Amy Montague Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 160
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