New Experiences

A recent conversation about the possibility that one can get a little too comfortably settled at this stage in one’s life led to this list of some new things I’ve tried this year (in no particular order).

Attending a Corb Lund concert in celebration of Harvey’s 65th birthday

Creating a split ash basket following traditional methods and pattern.

Acting as local tour coordinator and event organizer,

Trying delicious new ingredients including gouda cheese from PEI and wine from Mott’s Landing Vineyard

Seeing the mouths of the St. John and Kennebecasis rivers on a three hour cruise aboard the Voyageur II

Becoming a Cancer Connections volunteer, providing telephone support to matches from across the country

Finding the perfect painting of Reversing Falls, by Lynn Wigginton, for the large wall in our living room

Making the adjustment to working part time on a fascinating variety of projects

Helping create a piece of ephemeral rock art on the shore on the Bay of Fundy

Starting a book club where each month we each read a different book, on an agreed theme

Wendy

First on the Dance Floor

Harvey accompanied me to my staff Christmas party last evening, held upstairs at the curling club. The perfect size for our group, with a view of the action on the ice and a dance floor. After a delicious buffet dinner, complete with chocolate fountain, and many door prizes, our d j was ready to go.

This was a new innovation for our Christmas parties, and the organizing committee, of which I was a member, found Vince the d j in the Yellow Pages. After I persuaded Harvey that as a committee member I should initiate a move towards the dance floor, others happily followed.
A good time seemed to be had by all, although some knees may pay for it today.

Wendy

Wendy left out that the dj was playing pretty insipid Christmas music to begin with. But when this song blasted out of the speakers, some primal urges stirred deep within me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6UJZtCz1-c

For a minute or so we had the dance floor to ourselves, but Wendy, ever the trendsetter, got all the dancers up on the floor. I'm sure the knees will be better with a massive dose of Vitamin I (ibuprofen).

Harvey

Irwin Barker Update

After mentioning Irwin Barker in my last post, I wanted to check up on him. I first heard about his cancer story in a January 30, 2008 interview with Shelagh Rogers on CBC, which I wrote about in a post on February 1. Barker had been diagnosed with a rare terminal form of cancer the previous June; his doctor had given him 12 months to live. He later did a documentary on CTV about his first year of cancer treatment, and has done performances, including cancer fundraisers, about his cancer experience. He says "cancer can't penetrate your spirit or your creativity...whatever creative gift you have...unless you let it."

It's now been over 2 1/2 years since his diagnosis and he describes it as being "at bay but not in remission". He notes that its "a difficult path being positive and realistic at the same time...it's tough to get that balance".

Here's a thanks to Irwin Barker, who has certainly been one of my inspirations over the past two years.

Wendy

Cancer Terminology

The other day a dear friend referred to me as a cancer survivor, and I realized that I'm not very comfortable with this term. That's partly because I'm not comfortable being defined by cancer. As comedian and comedy writer Irwin Barker says "I have cancer but cancer doesn't have me." As we all have, I've survived lots of things; growing up on the River Road, a 4,500 km. trip across the country in the Isuzu with Harvey, the dog and 2 aged cats, my own cooking the years I lived by myself, etc.

And while I know for a lot of people the term cancer survivor is one they feel very positive about using, it doesn't seem to fit my experience. Being still (again) in treatment for a cancer that was Stage 4 when diagnosed, as my oncologist says "at some point it will be life threatening." We're working on making that point as far away as possible - but none of us will get out of here alive!

Wendy

A Culinary Adventure

Wendy, ever the optimist, had made dinner reservations some weeks ago at the Lady Dunn Dining Room. Based on her earlier chemo schedule, this should have been the Thursday a week before chemo, not the Thursday a week after chemo. Since we had enlisted Jack and Suzanne to drive and Wendy was feeling better (that means we could actually talk about food without her turning green) she insisted we go. Jack and Suzanne pulled up promptly at the appointed hour and we were on our way to St Andrews.

For those not in the know, the Lady Dunn Dining Room is the service area for those taking the Culinary Arts course at the New Brunswick Community College in St. Andrews. It’s one thing to know how to cook and to serve, but it’s a completely different kettle of fish having to do those things in real life. (Read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential for an insider’s view of life in a busy restaurant kitchen.) Like the course at Red Deer College, the students put on a darned good meal with attentive service for a reasonable price.

This meal was buffet style which gives the students the opportunity to prepare some things ahead of time, to do some fancy presentations and to make a ton of fabulous desserts. The buffet was set up in the kitchen and we got to tour the facility and talk with the students and their instructors. The student bus person took us on a quick tour, pointing out the various stations and what was available. She dropped us off at the soup station where Jack and I had rock crab soup and Wendy had mushroom soup. Before leaving, we stopped by the bread station where a variety of interesting artisanal breads were being offered by a man who obviously loved bread making. Soup was good! The bread was to die for.

The cold table had wonderful salads, a beautiful gravlax (delicious too) and capers the size of olives. I think Suzanne and I could have made a meal out of the gravlax alone. It was nearly perfect. Next up I sampled a pepper and onion stir fry with couscous and chili sauce, mussels with curry and mussels in the French style. Yum.

Around a corner we found roast beef (a small slice) and turkey, pommes Dauphin, potato puffs, and freshly prepared scallops in a cream sauce.

For dessert I tried a couple of chocolate based squares, but was far too full by then to truly appreciate them. Wendy forced me to finish off her dessert choices too. Tough luck for me! Jack was into the chocolate fountain, a chocolate fondue with fresh fruit. He did not test the carrot cake, which may be a first for him. Wendy had more bread. In fact, the baker offered to give Wendy and Jack a bread selection for breakfast, which they surreptiously slipped out in a plastic bag under their coats.

The students as well as the diners seemed to enjoy their evening. When Wendy requested herbal tea, it appeared that our resourceful waiter dipped into the students’ own supply to bring her some. The three young ladies who created all the cheesecakes made a tour of our tables as the dessert course wound down. We left satisfied and very happy with our experience. On the way out, Wendy decided that the baker was the “Bread Whisperer” .

I really enjoyed the enthusiastic young people working to establish themselves in a demanding and unforgiving career. Fortunately for them, their chef is not like Gordon Ramsay at all. (To tell the truth, I had a moment of longing seeing the young people working in the kitchen.) We now have the email address for reservations as well as the schedule for lunches and dinners next term, so we certainly plan to return.

Whenever the four of us go to St. Andrews, it’s either raining or snowing for some part of the trip. This time it rained a bit, but the full moon appeared on the way home and we had a great conversation about how much we like New Brunswick and the wonderful friends we’ve made here.

Harvey

Christmas Myth Debunked?

Harvey has always maintained that he makes his fabulous chocolates only for me, and that I persist in sharing them with others.

All the various chemotherapies I've sampled thus far have changed how chocolate tastes to me - and not in a good way. In fact, I still have my birthday chocolate from months ago.

So as we were starting to think about Christmas preparations at our house, I suggested that if Harvey does make chocolates only for me, he probably shouldn't do them this year. Some of you may breath huge signs of relief to learn that chocolate preparation is proceeding as it normally does. Perhaps made all the more flavourful because Harvey timed his chocolate purchase to take advantage of the Seniors' Discount!

Wendy

Canadian Cancer Society

The CCS has done a lot of great work over the years helping people in the myraid of ways that people need help when confronted by this disease. Whenever we've needed help, information, or support, they've been there with support groups, books, pamphlets, meetings and a friendly face.

Jimm Simon, a friend and colleague Wendy and I have worked with, is President of the CCS (it's a damned small world, isn't it?) and sent me a link to the new marketing campaign.

http://www.fightback.ca/

And I came across this a while back and it made me smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw

This is just a short shout-out to all the CCS staff and volunteers for their great work and dedication.

Harvey