Had chemo treatment #6 earlier this week. It seems to have effected my appetite more this time, so am looking forward to feeling like eating again.
I'm booked for a CAT scan this week and then see Dr. B the next. She'll decide based on the results whether to continue with additional chemo, probably 2 more rounds.
Wendy
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Hurricane Bill Dunking
Hurricane Bill passed by the coast of Nova Scotia; we had some rain and some higher than usual waves, some wind, plus a lot of lead up on the news. The cruise ship scheduled to stop here on Saturday cancelled its voyage from New York rather than brave the rough waters.
My emergency precaution was putting some water into the bathtub Saturday night before we went to bed. Good thing I didn't fill it up because sometime during the night, Simba, the black and white cat, fell in. Both our cats are fascinated by water coming out of a faucet and Simba especially likes to sit on the edge of the tub to watch. He must have dipped a paw in and slipped, or reached down for a drink. The water was deep enough that all four paws and his tummy all were wet. No damage except perhaps his dignity. Harvey obligingly cleaned up the wet spot and listened to Simba's tale of woe.
Wendy
My emergency precaution was putting some water into the bathtub Saturday night before we went to bed. Good thing I didn't fill it up because sometime during the night, Simba, the black and white cat, fell in. Both our cats are fascinated by water coming out of a faucet and Simba especially likes to sit on the edge of the tub to watch. He must have dipped a paw in and slipped, or reached down for a drink. The water was deep enough that all four paws and his tummy all were wet. No damage except perhaps his dignity. Harvey obligingly cleaned up the wet spot and listened to Simba's tale of woe.
Wendy
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Auction Action
My enjoyment of auctions stems back to the days of attending Saturday night auction in Jarvis with my father. Initially my mother may have encouraged this, thinking I might have a moderating influence on his purchasing, though I don't recall that was the reality.
Yesterday I spent part of my day at Kevin Bond's auction at the Seniors Centre in Hampton. Several estates were sold, with some good quality furniture at very reasonable prices.
My purchases:
* a little armchair that, as Kevin noted, looks like something Doris Day might have sat in
* a mink cape which closes with a giant fur covered button
* a fox stole complete with head in back and paws in front, with an A. J. McIntyre Furs, St. John, NB label
* a maple rocker/glider with glider footstool, made by L & L Woodworkers Ltd. in Shediac Bridge, NB, perfect for our knotty pine panelled rec room.
And all for under $30, including lunch at the concession operated by the Seniors.
When it was time to leave, several auction going gentlemen assisted in getting my purchases into my car. One decided that the rocker wouldn't fit without being deconstructed, but another shared my conviction that it could be done. We were eventually able to fit it into the trunk, protected with Comet's blanket from the back seat and secured with my collection of bungy cords, for a safe journey back to Saint John.
Wendy
Yesterday I spent part of my day at Kevin Bond's auction at the Seniors Centre in Hampton. Several estates were sold, with some good quality furniture at very reasonable prices.
My purchases:
* a little armchair that, as Kevin noted, looks like something Doris Day might have sat in
* a mink cape which closes with a giant fur covered button
* a fox stole complete with head in back and paws in front, with an A. J. McIntyre Furs, St. John, NB label
* a maple rocker/glider with glider footstool, made by L & L Woodworkers Ltd. in Shediac Bridge, NB, perfect for our knotty pine panelled rec room.
And all for under $30, including lunch at the concession operated by the Seniors.
When it was time to leave, several auction going gentlemen assisted in getting my purchases into my car. One decided that the rocker wouldn't fit without being deconstructed, but another shared my conviction that it could be done. We were eventually able to fit it into the trunk, protected with Comet's blanket from the back seat and secured with my collection of bungy cords, for a safe journey back to Saint John.
Wendy
Monday, August 17, 2009
Searching for the Elusive Winery
Saturday August 15 was just about the hottest day I’ve experienced here, certainly the hottest day this year so far. Wendy had clipped an article from the Telegraph Journal about the Mott’s Landing Winery and decided this was a good day to make the journey. It was sinfully easy to convince Suzanne and Jack to join us. Jack even volunteered to drive.
We got onto Highway 102 and followed the Fiddlehead Route (Route des Fougeres) up the St. John River Valley. It’s not really the Fiddlehead Route, but the River Valley Scenic Drive is marked with stylized Fiddlehead signs.
Our first stop was MNO pottery. The shop was closed, but we found Darren and Alex at home, just getting ready to go to a wedding. We admired the wedding cakes they’d made, covered with brilliant green and blue buttercream icing and decorated with floral and fly tieing motifs.
Next stop was the Inn at Evandale where we had a wonderful lunch. The food was plain, but well prepared and they used real food. Real beef, real chicken and real ham for the sandwiches, not slurried meat and thickeners stuffed into a bag, The Inn has recently re-opened and they are spending money in positioning themselves as a resort. They are building a swimming pool beside the Inn. A number of boaters had stopped for lunch, but a group of motorcyclists drove on by.
We drove by David Eastwood’s pottery and then had to back up to go visit. I’m glad we did. Wendy found a beautiful yellow/orange lidded bowl and then bought me a wonderful mug with a whale for a handle. Suzanne found several pieces that appealed to her and dug out her chequebook.
Finally, we got back on the road and began to look in earnest for the Gagetown Cider Company. They make lovely apple wines and non-alcoholic ciders. This involved a trepidatious journey along a side road (yes, the dreaded side trip!) but Wendy’s fearless navigating got us to the place. We purchased wine for later refreshment and continued our journey.
Back on Highway 102 we followed the signs to the Gagetown Ferry (still working, hurray!) which was waiting to whisk us across the river. Wendy’s only direction to the M’LW was a newspaper article written by a wine expert, but someone not well versed in giving directions. We encountered a badly made handwritten sign pointing us to the winery. We followed the sign. Enroute we stopped at the Anthony Flower Historic Site for a quick visit. Mr. Flower was the only son of a wealthy English businessman who emigrated to Canada in 1812 where he become a farmer and painter. His reasons for emigrating were never discovered. A young man who’s headed to Dalhousie this fall provided us with a well presented tour.
Back on the road, we followed Wendy’s directions until she became unsure of herself. We retraced our steps back to the intersection with the sign, checked with a local, found that we were indeed on the right track and set out again. We simply hadn’t gone far enough. When we finally found the place we were treated to a friendly welcome and samples of four wines. A rhubarb/strawberry rose we’re having with our next turkey feast, a rhubarb that will go well with pork, a robust red to accompany red meat, and a very robust red that would be great with spaghetti sauce. We bought more wine.
We headed back across the Gagetown Ferry and into Gagetown to see the sights. Lots of middle-aged bikers in town. It was way too hot for biking and our air-conditioned Element was far more comfortable. On the way back we stopped at a roadside stand and bought a dozen corn and very tart apples.
The drive along the River Valley is full of spectacular scenery at nearly every turn. This has been a particularly wet summer so things are intensely green. With the sun in the past two weeks late crops are coming along rapidly. Too bad the sun was late for the blueberry crop. We had a great day, lots of laughing, lots of seeing things, and thanks to Jack for driving all those very winding roads.
We had Chestnut Farms organic vegetables in a salad, buttered corn on the cob, cheese and crackers, and pear cider for dinner. Wendy pronounced the corn probably the best she’d had outside Haldimand County. We were full and happy by eight o’clock.
Harvey
We got onto Highway 102 and followed the Fiddlehead Route (Route des Fougeres) up the St. John River Valley. It’s not really the Fiddlehead Route, but the River Valley Scenic Drive is marked with stylized Fiddlehead signs.
Our first stop was MNO pottery. The shop was closed, but we found Darren and Alex at home, just getting ready to go to a wedding. We admired the wedding cakes they’d made, covered with brilliant green and blue buttercream icing and decorated with floral and fly tieing motifs.
Next stop was the Inn at Evandale where we had a wonderful lunch. The food was plain, but well prepared and they used real food. Real beef, real chicken and real ham for the sandwiches, not slurried meat and thickeners stuffed into a bag, The Inn has recently re-opened and they are spending money in positioning themselves as a resort. They are building a swimming pool beside the Inn. A number of boaters had stopped for lunch, but a group of motorcyclists drove on by.
We drove by David Eastwood’s pottery and then had to back up to go visit. I’m glad we did. Wendy found a beautiful yellow/orange lidded bowl and then bought me a wonderful mug with a whale for a handle. Suzanne found several pieces that appealed to her and dug out her chequebook.
Finally, we got back on the road and began to look in earnest for the Gagetown Cider Company. They make lovely apple wines and non-alcoholic ciders. This involved a trepidatious journey along a side road (yes, the dreaded side trip!) but Wendy’s fearless navigating got us to the place. We purchased wine for later refreshment and continued our journey.
Back on Highway 102 we followed the signs to the Gagetown Ferry (still working, hurray!) which was waiting to whisk us across the river. Wendy’s only direction to the M’LW was a newspaper article written by a wine expert, but someone not well versed in giving directions. We encountered a badly made handwritten sign pointing us to the winery. We followed the sign. Enroute we stopped at the Anthony Flower Historic Site for a quick visit. Mr. Flower was the only son of a wealthy English businessman who emigrated to Canada in 1812 where he become a farmer and painter. His reasons for emigrating were never discovered. A young man who’s headed to Dalhousie this fall provided us with a well presented tour.
Back on the road, we followed Wendy’s directions until she became unsure of herself. We retraced our steps back to the intersection with the sign, checked with a local, found that we were indeed on the right track and set out again. We simply hadn’t gone far enough. When we finally found the place we were treated to a friendly welcome and samples of four wines. A rhubarb/strawberry rose we’re having with our next turkey feast, a rhubarb that will go well with pork, a robust red to accompany red meat, and a very robust red that would be great with spaghetti sauce. We bought more wine.
We headed back across the Gagetown Ferry and into Gagetown to see the sights. Lots of middle-aged bikers in town. It was way too hot for biking and our air-conditioned Element was far more comfortable. On the way back we stopped at a roadside stand and bought a dozen corn and very tart apples.
The drive along the River Valley is full of spectacular scenery at nearly every turn. This has been a particularly wet summer so things are intensely green. With the sun in the past two weeks late crops are coming along rapidly. Too bad the sun was late for the blueberry crop. We had a great day, lots of laughing, lots of seeing things, and thanks to Jack for driving all those very winding roads.
We had Chestnut Farms organic vegetables in a salad, buttered corn on the cob, cheese and crackers, and pear cider for dinner. Wendy pronounced the corn probably the best she’d had outside Haldimand County. We were full and happy by eight o’clock.
Harvey
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Julie and Julia
We went to the cinema last Sunday afternoon to see “Julie and Julia”. The story in a nutshell is that a modern young woman, a writer by inclination and training working in a dead end job, is encouraged by her husband to take on the project of cooking all the recipes in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” (524 recipes in 365 days) and blog about the experience. Running concurrently is the story of how Julia Child became Julia Child.
Meryl Streep as Julia Child is flawless. She presents Julia’s fearless enthusiasm with such panache, you’d swear she was Julia. Julia’s experience at the Cordon Bleu Paris School of Cooking (my alma mater, so to speak) was spot on with endless hours of chopping, slicing, dicing, julienning, and cisler-ing. It was also a wonderful picture of post-war social mores (wives didn’t work and mostly took hat making courses to fill the empty hours) and how perfectly boring it was for Julia who had worked in some undisclosed capacity with the OSS (in China) during the war. I don’t know where they found all the short actors, but Meryl looked every inch the six foot two that Julia commanded.
Stanley Tucci as her husband was a man ahead of his time. He encouraged Julia to pursue her dream and as Julia’s husband loved her to distraction. They must have been a formidable couple.
Julie undertakes an impossible task, especially in light of the tiny Pullman kitchen she was working in. Although she becomes somewhat obsessed with the 524 recipes in 365 days, she perseveres and accomplishes her goal.
Julie and Julia never meet or talk to each other.
We enjoyed the film and felt it a worthwhile excursion.
Harvey
Meryl Streep as Julia Child is flawless. She presents Julia’s fearless enthusiasm with such panache, you’d swear she was Julia. Julia’s experience at the Cordon Bleu Paris School of Cooking (my alma mater, so to speak) was spot on with endless hours of chopping, slicing, dicing, julienning, and cisler-ing. It was also a wonderful picture of post-war social mores (wives didn’t work and mostly took hat making courses to fill the empty hours) and how perfectly boring it was for Julia who had worked in some undisclosed capacity with the OSS (in China) during the war. I don’t know where they found all the short actors, but Meryl looked every inch the six foot two that Julia commanded.
Stanley Tucci as her husband was a man ahead of his time. He encouraged Julia to pursue her dream and as Julia’s husband loved her to distraction. They must have been a formidable couple.
Julie undertakes an impossible task, especially in light of the tiny Pullman kitchen she was working in. Although she becomes somewhat obsessed with the 524 recipes in 365 days, she perseveres and accomplishes her goal.
Julie and Julia never meet or talk to each other.
We enjoyed the film and felt it a worthwhile excursion.
Harvey
Locavoring
For the last two weeks I've been helping myself to blueberries on various rocky outcrops. We didn't have the right combination of rain and sun to get a great crop like last year, but I've enjoyed fresh berries every morning with my cereal and put a few litres in the freezer, as well as baking muffins and blueberry lemon loaf.
Harvested a small crop of gooseberries from by bush in the front yard. Still have to figure out what to do with those.
And we are enjoying our weekly supply of fresh organic vegetables from Chestnut Farm, which now includes new potatoes in addition to carrots, turnips, beets and assorted greens.
Wendy
Harvested a small crop of gooseberries from by bush in the front yard. Still have to figure out what to do with those.
And we are enjoying our weekly supply of fresh organic vegetables from Chestnut Farm, which now includes new potatoes in addition to carrots, turnips, beets and assorted greens.
Wendy
Monday, August 3, 2009
Duck Pond Beach Labyrinth
The completed labyrinth
Walking in the same footprints out
Here’s the description of our Bay of Fundy creation for the Victoria and Albert Museum World Beach Project, open to anyone, anywhere, of any age. Building on the universal experience of making patterns on beaches and shorelines, the opportunity is to make a creation of stones and then submit your photos to the project site. For more information go to http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty.world_beach/
Where
Duck Pond Beach, looking toward Split Rock. Near St Martins, New Brunswick, Canada, on the spectacular shore of the Bay of Fundy. The tides on the Bay are the highest in the world, fluctuating by up to 30 feet.
When
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A perfect summer day, after more than our share of rain and fog.
This work was created about 2 hours before low tide, on a portion of the beach where the sand is hard packed by the tide.
Who
Created by Dale Peters, Lynn Wigginton, Harvey Smith, Wendy Martindale, accompanied (but not assisted) by Comet the border collie x, all of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Photographs by Dale, rock selection by Lynn, Harvey and Dale, design by Wendy, chocolate sustenance by Harvey
What
A simple stone labyrinth, created with a single line “drawn” in hard packed sand and outlined with rock from above the normal tide line. The rocks here are wonderfully varied and colourful; this region of New Brunswick has a complex and diverse geological history which has attracted study since the 1800s.
A large rock already well embedded in the sand was used as the stepping off point. Pieces of driftwood were incorporated at the entrance and central point of the labyrinth. The pathway enclosed by rocks was given texture with a driftwood branch.
After completion of the labyrinth, it was energized by walking around its exterior several times. Then, each in turn, we entered the labyrinth, journeying to its centre and back. On our first journey, we agreed to place our feet in the footsteps of those who had preceded us. We then experienced sharing the labyrinth journey by entering it one after another and negotiating our passage through it.
Why
The labyrinth is a metaphor for a journey. Although often confused with a maze, which may have many possible paths with some meant to confuse, in a labyrinth there is only one path to the centre and back.
Examples of labyrinths appear in many cultures, in a variety of forms and media. They are often constructed on the ground so that they can be walked, in group rituals or for private meditation. The earliest representations known are from the Greeks. Medieval labyrinths in the 12th and 13th century were incorporated in the floors of large Gothic cathedrals, with Chartres perhaps the best known example. Walking these labyrinths is thought to have been an alternate to a pilgrimage for those not able to travel to holy sites and lands. Turf mazes were constructed in ancient Britain and stone in Scandinavia, the latter often by fishing communities.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the labyrinth symbol, with one pioneering example at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Wikipedia entry for labyrinths provides a good starting point for more information, including reading references and directories to labyrinths.
Wendy
Why
The labyrinth is a metaphor for a journey. Although often confused with a maze, which may have many possible paths with some meant to confuse, in a labyrinth there is only one path to the centre and back.
Examples of labyrinths appear in many cultures, in a variety of forms and media. They are often constructed on the ground so that they can be walked, in group rituals or for private meditation. The earliest representations known are from the Greeks. Medieval labyrinths in the 12th and 13th century were incorporated in the floors of large gothic cathedrals, with Chartres perhaps the best known example. Walking these labyrinths is thought to have been an alternate to a pilgrimage for those not able to travel to holy sites and lands. Turf mazes were constructed in ancient Britain and stone in Scandinavia, the latter often by fishing communities.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the labyrinth symbol, with one pioneering example at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Wikipedia entry for labyrinths provides a good starting point for more information, including reading references and directories to labyrinths.
Here’s the description of our Bay of Fundy creation for the Victoria and Albert Museum World Beach Project, open to anyone, anywhere, of any age. Building on the universal experience of making patterns on beaches and shorelines, the opportunity is make a creation of stones and then submit your photos to the project site. For more information go to http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/lawty.world_beach/
Where
Duck Pond Beach, looking toward Split Rock. Near St Martins, New Brunswick, Canada, on the spectacular shore of the Bay of Fundy. The tides on the Bay are the highest in the world, fluctuating by up to 30 feet.
When
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A perfect summer day, after more than our share of rain and fog.
This work was created about 2 hours before low tide, on a portion of the beach where the sand is hard packed by the tide.
Who
Dale Peters, Lynn Wigginton, Harvey Smith, Wendy Martindale, accompanied (but not assisted) by Comet the border collie x, all of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Photographs by Dale, rock selection by Lynn, Harvey and Dale, design by Wendy
What
A simple stone labyrinth, created with a single line “drawn” in hard packed sand and outlined with rock from above the normal tide line. The rocks here are wonderfully varied and colourful; this region of New Brunswick has a complex and diverse geological history which has attracted study since the 1800s.
A large rock well embedded in the sand was used as the stepping off point. Pieces of driftwood were incorporated at the entrance and central point of the labyrinth. The pathway enclosed by rocks was given texture with a driftwood branch.
After completion of the labyrinth, it was energized by walking around its exterior several times. Then, each in turn, we entered the labyrinth, journeying to its centre and back. On our first journey, we agreed to place our feet in the footsteps of those who had preceded us. We then experienced sharing the labyrinth journey by entering it one after another and negotiating our passage through it.
Where
Duck Pond Beach, looking toward Split Rock. Near St Martins, New Brunswick, Canada, on the spectacular shore of the Bay of Fundy. The tides on the Bay are the highest in the world, fluctuating by up to 30 feet.
When
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A perfect summer day, after more than our share of rain and fog.
This work was created about 2 hours before low tide, on a portion of the beach where the sand is hard packed by the tide.
Who
Dale Peters, Lynn Wigginton, Harvey Smith, Wendy Martindale, accompanied (but not assisted) by Comet the border collie x, all of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Photographs by Dale, rock selection by Lynn, Harvey and Dale, design by Wendy
What
A simple stone labyrinth, created with a single line “drawn” in hard packed sand and outlined with rock from above the normal tide line. The rocks here are wonderfully varied and colourful; this region of New Brunswick has a complex and diverse geological history which has attracted study since the 1800s.
A large rock well embedded in the sand was used as the stepping off point. Pieces of driftwood were incorporated at the entrance and central point of the labyrinth. The pathway enclosed by rocks was given texture with a driftwood branch.
After completion of the labyrinth, it was energized by walking around its exterior several times. Then, each in turn, we entered the labyrinth, journeying to its centre and back. On our first journey, we agreed to place our feet in the footsteps of those who had preceded us. We then experienced sharing the labyrinth journey by entering it one after another and negotiating our passage through it.
Why
The labyrinth is a metaphor for a journey. Although often confused with a maze, which may have many possible paths with some meant to confuse, in a labyrinth there is only one path to the centre and back.
Examples of labyrinths appear in many cultures, in a variety of forms and media. They are often constructed on the ground so that they can be walked, in group rituals or for private meditation. The earliest representations known are from the Greeks. Medieval labyrinths in the 12th and 13th century were incorporated in the floors of large gothic cathedrals, with Chartres perhaps the best known example. Walking these labyrinths is thought to have been an alternate to a pilgrimage for those not able to travel to holy sites and lands. Turf mazes were constructed in ancient Britain and stone in Scandinavia, the latter often by fishing communities.
There has been a resurgence of interest in the labyrinth symbol, with one pioneering example at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Wikipedia entry for labyrinths provides a good starting point for more information, including reading references and directories to labyrinths.
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