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.

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.

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!

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!

This Old House - Part II The Fireplace

Time and tide wait for no man, I've been told. With the winter weather swirling around, threatening to chill us - should we dare to venture outside - indoor projects become more interesting.

Ron has been wanting to "zoosh" up the fireplace since I offered up an off-hand question about it possibly looking better painted white. He's generally not one to let moss grow on him and we went on a jaunt to our local Kent store to see what could be done. An hour later, we left with trim, paint and a couple of odds and sods. (Side note: we love Kent. The staff are always helpful, they've given us tons of advice (and parts - but that's a whole other story) for free! Use them, if they're in your 'hood. It's a good Canadian company.)

Original fireplace

Probably the funniest thing about this endeavour is that we don't have a car. Add to that the fact that lunch had long passed and we hadn't eaten...well, you have the makings for odd circumstances. We marched (dubiously, I confess) into a local restaurant called Kelsey's Roadhouse. (It's a chain, not surprisingly, but we weren't convinced, just by the clientele seated in the window...it reminded us of the mushy-vegetable restaurant in Courtenay, in the Comox Valley.) Be that as it may, we ventured in, and were met by very friendly staff. No one seemed non-plussed about our 8 foot lengths of trim and other accoutrements. They treated us very well and made sure that everything was top notch. We were pleased with the service and the food, no mushy vegetables to be found.

Some of the lumber in question

The bus driver was more dubious, as we boarded the #51 Greenline to head home. Of course we promised not to accost anyone with our decorative trim and behaved like this happened all the time. The trip was unremarkable, no heads were coshed.

Anyhow, a few days after Christmas, Ron decided it was time to tackle our next improvement project.

Chair rail molding

He added trim around the upper mantle, columns and medallions and then sanded the wood. I tack ragged, filled nail holes and helped to paint. 

Embellishments are important

Of course, we're quite pleased with the result. We feel that it just looks more finished and like is was meant to be there, instead of added as an afterthought. Some people might be horrified that we covered up the natural wood, but with so much wood floor, we figured it wasn't an unpardonable sin.

Almost finished product

 

A bit of the details

What's next? Maybe painting the kitchen, or our master bedroom, or even the guest bedroom. There should be enough to keep us busy over the winter.

This Old House

I gotta tell you...Ron gets a bee in his bonnet quite frequently. He's a bit like a British Bulldog that's bitten something and doesn't want to let go. He did it with the paneling on the sun porch, he's done it with numerous other things in the past.

I'll give him his due: it almost always pans out. The paneling came off the sun porch fairly easily and only a small part of the wood siding underneath needed repair. The porch looks so much better now that it's the same colour as the exterior of the house.

His newest "project" was to strip off the paint from the hinges, door knobs and locks that we have in the house. We noticed that they seem to be engraved or had some sort of filigree, but the detail was buried under 100 years of paint. He found a video that said all we really had to do was simmer the pieces in hot water and baking soda to get the majority of the paint off.

It can't be that simple, right? Well, actually it was. Sure we needed to pick out some tight spots and brush and scrub a bit, but the majority of the paint lifted right off. We're left with some pretty amazing hinges that strangely don't match...one side has one style and the other side has another. Quirky.

The set on our dining room door is stamped April 3 1877, Pat B. (Patent reference, or manufacturer? Not clear, but patents usually have a number assigned, no?) So, a bit of scrubbing with steel wool, sanding and rubbing with alcohol, some goo gone and a bit of mineral oil later and we have clean hinges of indeterminate metal type. We're pleased, and really, that's the payoff, right?

It's been a pretty cool exercise and no one else might notice, but we love the hardware!