The Lost Summer

There was frost on the shingles of the house this morning. It's a sure sign of autumn, as much as my birthday is a step towards the end of summer. I'm not anticipating the long dark days of winter, nor am I excited about the prospect of scarves, jaunty hats and anti-slip boots.

Autumn leaves reflected in the water

We had a bang-up summer. No ifs and or buts. So much better than 2019, at least weather-wise, but then: COVID-19. Sure it came before the amazing summer heat, but not too much before. Even our spring (once it hit) was phenomenal. The pandemic pretty well kaiboshed what would have been an incomparable summer. The temperatures were hot (too hot, for many locals) and rain was completely absent. It was perfect "chill on the patio" weather, "sip wine and relax" weather, "go forth and explore" weather.

Autumn colour

2020 has kicked our butts. Politics, pandemics, the surrender of completely "normal" life (not to mention people! WTF?) has pretty well thrown this year out the window. We all know that. 

For us, the restaurants were closed and our budget wasn't what we'd have like it to be. (When is it ever?) So the glorious days of summer were lost on us. We did enjoy some fine days on the front porch, under unnecessary mosquito netting (it was too dry for them), enjoying a beverage and some music, watching the goings-on of the neighbourhood. 

Pre-netting, early spring

It just wasn't what all the gorgeous weather had to offer in a normal year. Once restrictions started lifting, the end of summer approached. That meant my birthday was coming and it was a substantial one, for those that care to count years.

Bay of Fundy

Shark Rock

Fundy National Park

Ron waiting on lunch

We didn't abandon summer all together. We went out to discover parts of the province we hadn't seen yet and spent time in Saint John and Saint Andrews with a few short stops in between. We cracked out our hiking gear and found some amazing places to visit. Some of it was breath taking, some mildly disappointing, but mostly a great introduction to the rest of New Brunswick. We ate tons of seafood, drank wine and had a pretty fantastic time, but somehow, it still feels like we've missed an opportunity to enjoy a truly fabulous summer.

Water lilies at the Kingsbrae Garden
(Saint Andrews)

Historic dairy farm on Minister's Island

The promenade - Minister's Island

Ground hog sunning at Black Beach

Black Beach

We did discover a little gem in Moncton (Euston Park Beer Garden), but it's only open during the summer and we enjoyed an "alternative" Oktoberfest at the Tire Shack Brewing Company. 

Then came the frost, the ticking heat registers and the return to "Orange Alert" with a breakout in a care facility. That's okay, now's the time to get the house ready for winter, lay in provisions and burrow down for winter. By all reports it's supposed to be a "good" winter, hurricanes not withstanding. We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Views of the Coast

Perched on a rock to see above view

Gorgeous day

Caughey-Taylor Nature Preserve

Poole's Pond (C-T NP)

For perspective (This is the rock we climbed)

Happy autumn. Stay healthy, sane and happy!

Is Personal Happiness Paramount?

Hello! I'm back, alive and well, all things considered. I guess I've been under the quarantine doldrums. There hasn't been much going on and nothing has really inspired me to sit here and write. I've been watching a lot of TV...Netflix specifically.

Last night we watched "Crazy Rich Asians". It's a fairly innocuous love story that has echos of Cinderella and other starred crossed love tales. (No, that's not a spoiler.) As I was boggling at the money and life style of "comfortable" Singaporeans, I almost missed the underlying theme of culture. (Spoiler alert!) The hero's mother has an interesting objection to the chosen heroine: American-Chinese and Chinese-Chinese are not the same. A-C's only think about their own personal happiness, whereas C-C's put family before all else. The cultures are inherently incompatible.

Being raised in North America, I was affronted. What's wrong with wanting to be happy? As the heroine points out "Don't you want your son to be happy?" The answer is a very solid chirp of crickets. Now, of course the mother would, ideally, like her son to be "happy". What construes "happy" might have a different definition in her mind. But, I digress, as usual.

This morning, I woke up thinking that, maybe, Mum (yup, complete British English - know your history) was on to something. The West seems to be struggling. It's reflected in the anti-mask wearers, the "personal rights" protesters, the folks for whom inconvenience is anathema. Our own personal comfort supersedes all other considerations. Perhaps this is why China is so dominant currently. (Yeah, there are other factors to be sure.)

We've done it to ourselves, in fairness. We've moved from subsistence level survival to the luxury of, well..luxury. By some measures, even our poverty has tones of luxuriousness. Okay, I'm going down a slippery slope here, but bear with me.

Let me reference another Netflix revelation from "Dracula". The Count, Vlad, comes to land (England) after having been submerged under the sea for around 200 years. He breaks into someone's house. (Now, as I can see, this person is by no means wealthy. Everything in the kitchen is dated, the furniture has seen better days, the car's a beater...etc etc.) When Dracula meets the female inhabitant he wants to know if she's rich. He's not wrong. Life in the 1600 -1800s was vastly different from life now. He lived in a huge drafty castle with few (if any windows) fireplaces to try and fight of the drafts (not that he cared, of course), poor hygienic practices, fledgling medical knowledge, rudimentary technology for almost everything and here he is in a house that has things like refrigerators, ovens, flushing toilet, cupboards full of food (granted it's most likely highly processed, but what does he know about that?) and machines that can take you places without the need for animals and running water for heaven's sake! He's thrilled about smart phones.

My point? We neither see our blessing and we are programmed (quite literally) to be dissatisfied with them. (That's called commercialism, kids.) I'm guilty of it...I plague myself with "if only" this or "if only" that. Am I content with all the things I do have? Often, no, sadly. I have to practice being grateful for these incredible luxuries that modern life supplies us. I have to work at not buying into the "your life will be amazing if you own/buy [fill in the blank]". We really need to get back to enjoying things like spending time with those we love, with getting outside and appreciating nature,helping those in need and with being amazed that we actually DO know where our next meal is coming from. We're bloody lucky in that.

Why can happiness not stem from helping those around us do better? Why is my inconvenience (Mask? I'm not wearing a stupid mask!) more important that an other's suffering? (Oh, yes, capitalists, I know socialism is the gateway political theory to communism.) Humanity didn't get this far by being egocentric, at least not individually. We got here through cooperation and doing things for the greater good of humankind.

So let's be kind to each other. Let's put the safety of others before our own comfort. Let's work together and make things better, instead of using shopping therapy like it actually works.

Rant over.

Self-discovery During Quarantine

Confession time, I'm pretty lazy. I can watch TV almost all day without it bothering me. (Lucky me, right?) Of course, I'm getting older, so my body doesn't appreciate sloth come sleep time. If I don't get some exercise, then I get leg twinges or aches, which sucks, but, at least, I know how to stave them off. (Exercise...how horrible.)

During our self-isolation, I discovered some things about myself that surprised me. I do not like audio books. (I'm sorry, was that a collective gasp? I know a lot of devotees.) I'd never have guessed, because I love books. Now, I can see the benefit if you're doing something else: driving, running, knitting etc, but I just doesn't work for me to sit and listen to someone (especially with the wrong voice) read me a story when I've nothing else to do. 

I do, however, enjoy an afternoon "beverage" and snack, probably more than I should. I'm also over the moon that we have the sun porch, as it gives us a window to the outside world and its happenings, even on a limited basis. We have a bevy of...unique...personages that frequent our downtown neighbourhood, so it keeps things interesting.

View from the sun porch

I've found that after an initial rush of "get things done", I've petered off. Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow, right? Unless the sun is out and then our little garden calls, the dirty windows beg to be cleaned and fresh airs seduces us to wanton acts of being outside. (Another gasp?)

We still have to deal with this crap.

Speaking of going outside, shoes...shoes have become terrible. A month and a half in slippers and all of a sudden shoes are these horrible restrictive devices that make my feet hurt after being in them for more than half an hour. What's with that?

I'm sure there will be other things that come to light in the strange days of COVID-19. Have you had any epiphanies? 

Ron's Big Dinner

Milestone birthdays are a bit strange. What makes it a milestone? Every year is the only year we'll be that particular age, so why is one year any different from the others? I think it's a legitimate question and yet, I acknowledge that we still mark certain ages as more noteworthy than others.

Wicked tall wine glasses are gifts

We were supposed to be travelling in South East Asia this year, as we've got a whole host of "important" dates...we like to call it our "big year", but then we relocated to New Brunswick and there's the whole COVID-19 thing happening, so here we are in Moncton, watching our hair grow and the grass get greener and generally contemplating our navel lint. It seems that our big year is going to be a big bust, but I refuse to surrender...yet.

Masks from friends

Because I have so much time on my hands, and one of the way's I show love is to cook, I started imagining Ron's perfect dinner, not his death row meal, but a meal that would incorporate as much of his favourite foods as possible and how to make it all special. The result? Ron's Almost Perfect 8 Course Dinner.

What was the craziest part? I decided I'd actually execute it. I don't think a general has ever gone into a battle more prepared than I, to tackle this challenge. And I actually pulled it off. Was everything perfect? Heaven's no, but it was all really good, the plating was attractive and the hot food was hot and the cold food not. (Yes, I'm giving myself a bit of a pat on the back.) I think he enjoyed it, as did our friends and we certainly enjoyed having a bit of company, now that some of the restrictions have been lifted.

Without further ado, the meal (missing is the cheese plate as we just forgot to take the picture):

Roasted pepper and smoked gouda

Smoked salmon with capers

Pan seared scallops with crispy onion and
lemon chicken broth

Red pepper bisque

Spring salad with  caramelized onion dressing

Mango sorbet

Roast lamb with mash and roast veg

Lemon tart, chocolate pate and
raspberry mousse

Most of it came off really well, and the few problems were dealt with and no one was the wiser. Did I mention we did wine pairings? Oh, hell yes. (I lost my mind, somewhere in the planning, but except for one wine, (a rose with the salad I switched from a citrus dressing to onion and apple cider vinegar...oops) it was paired fairly nicely. I might try it again, but no time soon. The planning took well over a month, but that's why "self-isolation" worked, in this case. So, happy birthday, dearest. Glad you enjoyed the culinary adventure.

The First Robin of Spring

Even in the craziest of times, small moments can creep in and give you a moment of hope. Ours came in the feathered lines of a little robin redbreast. I can think of no other symbol of spring that could be more welcome. She quite likes our lawn, as ours is one of the first to lose it's snow. She (I'm assuming, of course) finds comfort in our raised lawn, that keeps her away from the sidewalk and near the safety of our yet leafless bushes.

She looks quite like this one.

She comes every morning now, looking for worms and other treats. She particularly likes the sunshine. I'm afraid she's in for a bit of a nasty surprise, as we're in for a bit of snow over the next few days. I, for one, am glad she's here. It augers well for the coming spring and we are both looking forward to warmer temperatures and longer days. 

Here's to gardening, barbecues and the lifting of social distancing and the passing of this virus. The world continues to turn and we will find the sun.

UPDATE: It did, indeed snow, but it's mostly gone once again and the sun is out and shining. Happy Easter to all.

Life in the time of COVID

Okay kids, I know things seem scary. I know that governments calling for "social distancing" and "self-quarantine" give us the heebie-jeebies, but it's going to be okay. Humans aren't good at change, especially change forced upon us. We don't do well with authority, generally speaking.

So general truths: 

Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to battle the virus. I know, it seems too simple, but it's our best defense. Sing 'Twinkle Twinkle" or "Happy Birthday"...there's even an app to figure out how to use your favourite song to hit the required 20 seconds.

Social distancing works. It really does, but before it gets better, it will get worse. You'll hear about increases in hospitalizations and deaths, but staying apart will reduce "the curve" over the long haul. Don't despair. Being "in house" won't kill you, it might even be good for your relationships. It's better for the environment and your wallet.

We really need a time out. All the hatred, prejudice and malaise (thanks Rod for that particular word as a reminder) could use a reset.

Please keep in mind that this is a virus, no matter how nasty. It will come and it will go, (and come back again, heaven help us) but we will persevere. 

You don't need to horde toilet paper (or really anything, for that matter)...you just don't. Even if there isn't any on the shelf right now, there will be more.This virus doesn't have symptoms that would require a lot of toilet paper.

Think of others, especially those that are living off of CPP and OAS or other government benefits. They get paid once a month (March 27th, this month) and may not have the financial resources to shop before then, nor run around trying to find a store that has something they need on their shelves. 

Here's a handy-dandy interactive questionnaire to determine if you possibly have COVID-19: https://covid19.thrive.health/. For the love of God, don't wander over to the local emergency only call the 811 lines if you are actually sick. Some reports say it starts with the "sniffles" and progresses very rapidly into a sore throat and coughing. ("Rapid" meaning in under a day.) 

It's going to get weird, things are going to feel completely abnormal, but it's going to be okay. Let's take care of each other. This is a huge social experiment where sacrifice of the individual (self-distancing, reduced income, change of lifestyle) comes at the greater good for the whole of humanity. We're good at this folks. We're good at working together. If we weren't we wouldn't be here. Give us a chance and just stay home. Mother Nature will thank you, your fellow humans will thank you and we will shine.

Don't forget to wash your hands and stay safe!

A Call to Action!

I've had enough. The world is getting crazy and priorities are getting all whacky and I've had enough. Money has become more important than people and it's not bloody right.

Today, I'm focused on the insurance industry. I can think of only TWO times that I've ever been glad to have taken out insurance/extended warranty. I might be luckier than most to have that. Outside of those two specific incidents, trying to process an insurance claim has been a headache. Even registering for insurance is becoming a huge hassle.(Don't even get me started on extended health insurance providers!)

So now, insurance companies are jacking up their rates or refusing to cover buildings that they've covered for years. Why? Because they failed to plan for bad years. When the going was good, their shareholders made out like bandits, but the companies never thought that it might not last. There was nothing purposefully put aside to protect against years when claims went up. These are industries that are based on risk and they failed to do the simplest thing to mitigate it. So now, we're on the hook for their oversight. Heaven forbid that the shareholders don't get their dividends. What does it matter that a loyal customer now has a major hurdle to overcome, be it a large premium increase or looking for another insurer.

This has far reaching consequences. Condo and apartment buildings are losing their coverage, which means that they aren't habitable, legally. Tenants must then be evicted and the pressure on communities in a housing crisis inflates to irreparable levels. Condo owners lose their investment and home. In many cities this is their only asset. You can't sell a condo or building that isn't insurable. 

Worse yet, income from premiums goes down for the insurance companies and they have to make up for it somewhere...yup, your car/life/loan/pet insurance is next. 

So, where is our government in all of this? How are they going to ensure that their citizens are protected from incompetence and greed? 

This cannot stand. People are losing everything because insurance companies miscalculated payouts and it's not right. If we, as responsible people are expected to have at least 6 months wages saved up to prevent against catastrophe, this should also be an expectation of business. (Particularly those in the business of RISK management.) Call your MLA, call your municipal government and ask them what they're doing to help the 1,000s of people that are (or are going to be) affected by this.

Resources:
The Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Links to Provincial and Territorial Regulators

What's Afoot?

Walking is a good thing. I think most people can agree on that, even though the idea that we don't own a car seems impossible to comprehend for some folks out there. As we came home from the grocery store today, we couldn't help but discuss the benefits of being on foot. (Hence the blog title, please forgive the pun.) 

As we stroll through our neighbourhood, we get to meet the denizens, have a quick chat and get to know people, at least visually. We experienced the same when abroad, that flash of recognition from strangers that have seen us passing several times, the quick nod of camaraderie of fellow pedestrians. It's actually very pleasant. We're also pretty sure that if we disappear there will be plenty of people to track our whereabouts, should it become necessary. (Too many episodes of Forensic Files feeding my already grisly imagination, I'm sure.) You don't get that in a car, at least that we recall. Sure, you still get to talk with the store clerks and cashiers, but there's something a little special about being recognised, even so superficially, when you're out and about on the streets.

I guess we shouldn't downplay the health benefits of walking, but there's so much more to enjoy, when you get used to the process. It's a habit, really. We've gotten to the point where the thought of taking a vehicle seems inconvenient for most tasks: too costly, to time consuming, for the most part. And yes, we're still walking to do groceries, even in the dead of winter. Thankfully, we can pick and choose our day...the joy of retirement.

When was the last time you went out and roamed your neighbourhood, took the time to toddle over to a local business, or enjoy something new in the vicinity? It has helped us meet our neighbours and increase our social group, increases security in the 'hood and helps us get to know what's going on around town.

Having a car is a great benefit, you can go to far flung places easily, but, I guess what I'm trying to get at is at what cost? What are you missing on your "secret back road route" to get to point B? I know not everyone will embrace the no car culture, but maybe, once in a while, you might discover a gem nearby, if you take a wander around. 

The Little Blog that Could...part two

It's crazy days. There doesn't seem to be much to celebrate, at least on the world stage front. It kind of makes me just want to check out from cyberspace, find a cabin somewhere, well off the grid, and hunker down for the apocalypse. (Not that I'm anywhere near to being one of those "fire and brimstone end of the world" folks.)

But the times, being as they are, a little good news can go a long way. I'm happy to say that the little blog that you're reading right now, has passed a pretty good milestone...100,000 page views. Okay, it's not the Times or CBC, but for something that started out as a way to keep friends and family up to date on our progress, that's no small feat. 

 So here's to the Gentle Island or Bust blog...that went further than its title would suggest. Thanks for stopping by, maybe placing a comment and just checking in. Without you, well, we just wouldn't be here, would we?

Culinary Adventures

Cravings...they suck on so many levels. It's almost always something you don't have and require getting out of comfy clothes and "peopling". Ugh.

I was minding my own business, cruising through my Pinterest feed. (If you don't have Pinterest, just don't...it's a chronic time wasters, almost as bad as TikTok.) Anyhow, I digress. I'm scrolling through make-up tutorials, knitting patterns, cute animals and exotic travel locales, when I scroll to a post about gyoza. Yes, those delicious Japanese dumplings, with a tangy dipping sauce that is always so satisfying.  

Happy little dumplings just waiting for the fry pan

I'd already scoured the stores for pre-made gyoza, something we used to buy in Vancouver with some regularity and that I was excited to have available again. Alas, nothing. There's a few pot stickers and various dumplings, but no gyoza, specifically. Then comes that little post and it planted the craving in my little pea brain. A few days pass and I'm still thinking about them and I do a quick search to find a recipe. The ingredients are pretty basic and I decide to make some. Why not a restaurant? Peopling and budget. As I still don't have a rolling pin, I decided to try and buy pre-made dumpling wrappers. (Aka: skins, as I've discovered.) The two big grocery stores had nothing, nor did our beautiful little local grocer. Long story short, I found some skins at a Korean specialty store. (Phew...didn't want to make my own on my first go.)

Browning two sides with a steam in between

They really aren't that tricky, except the folding. There are tons of videos showing various techniques, but it is a learning process. (It also helps if you wrappers aren't too dry.)
 

The final result

Anyhow, I pulled it off and they were delicious - even if I do say so, myself. Not every dumpling was perfectly folded. In truth, many looked like Franken-dumplings, but they tasted good. (Yay!) It was worth it and now I'm excited to try more types of dumplings like Korean steamed veggie dumplings and maybe a quick foray into some dim sum. Perhaps it's the lunar new year, but last night I made Vietnamese salad rolls with peanut dipping sauce. Gung hai (hay) fat choi!