Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Movie theatres didn’t spoil the female audience in September. I’ve lost track of all the new horror and action movies currently on offer (neither genre typically has much to offer female viewers). Our best options appear to be The Miracle Club and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. The former, starring the usually highly entertaining Maggie Smith, is disappointingly mediocre. The latter, written and directed by Nia Vardalos, a Canadian, isn’t nearly as much fun as 2002’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding. For these reasons, I’ve chosen to discuss a summer release: Indiana Jones and the Dial of...
Read MoreHay There!
Make Hay While The Sun Shines’ – John Heywood, English Playwright 1546 As I briefly scanned the horizon last month, while driving through Cedar or into fair Ladysmith, I noted that the field marshmallows were popping up everywhere. And who would have thought that a playwright, and sometime musician/composer would have coined the prime rule when it comes to mak’in hay? Not I. Since we ‘bought the farm’ in 2004 this time of the season has always stressed me out to the max. Harvesting the early fruits and veggies is great for the spirit, but that hay! Depending on folks is one...
Read MoreTravel in Thailand
Siam changed its name to Thailand in 1939 because the word “Thai” means “Free” This colorful, ancient land was once upon a time called “Siam”. The place where, according to some reports, my favorite cats, the Siamese, originated. Do we remember Yule Brynner dancing his way around the world, as the king in “The King and I”, until he could no longer dance and that dreaded disease, cancer, stopped him in his tracks? And who does not remember “ The Bridge over the River Quay”? We walked over this famous bridge, whistling that familiar tune as we went. We were...
Read MoreFilm review: Barbie
The movie of the summer—or the year, it may turn out—is a great treat for the female audience. You may have stopped playing with Barbies when you were five. You may detest the unrealistic beauty ideal the iconic doll has promoted for decades with her anatomically impossible body. If so, you aren’t alone, and American writer-director Greta Gerwig has created a brilliant comedy you may just find wonderfully enjoyable. The first time I watched Barbie, on July 20, the theatre was full of groups of women and mother/daughter duos that laughed throughout the movie. The second time I saw it, on...
Read MoreMy Garden Decor
Even when your thumb is not particularly green, you can have an intriguing garden– certainly one with more personal, perhaps nostalgic, history behind it than the heirloom rose in the corner. Not to knock the roses though, because my robust and invasive Rugosa, covered with scented blooms, carries with it a story of the Alaska Highway. But back to those garden specimens that have sprouted without roots and need no pruning or fertilizing. Probably the first of these is an ancient cast iron Franklin fireplace. While directing its placement in a corner by the hedge of my present yard, my husky...
Read MoreBones of Crows
For the very first time, I find myself writing about a movie with a protagonist that shares my old French name:Aline {my mum preferred an unusual spelling). Canadian filmmaker Marie Clements’ newest film, a drama titled Bones of Crows, tells the story of a residential school survivor named Aline Spears—and it’s not your typical theatre fare. Moreover, parts of it were shot on Vancouver Island, including in Esquimalt, Victoria and Saanich. When I saw Bones of Crows in Victoria at the beginning of June, many audience members remained in their seats after the end credits finished rolling...
Read MoreA Summer Feast.
Turkey steaks, Mexican quesadilla, guacamole, salsa, and cheesecake with a blueberry topping. BBQ’d turkey steaks. 1 large turkey breast steak per person, pounded to ensure even thickness all the way through Zest and juice of 2 limes 1 clove garlic, crushed 1½ tsp good quality chili powder (or use a combination of 6 parts ground cumin and cayenne pepper powder) 3 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tsp salt Combine all the above ingredients together well and pour over the turkey steaks. Marinate the steaks for at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours. Drain...
Read MoreFilm review: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret
A story about an 11-year-old girl praying to God to make her breasts grow and her period come isn’t an obvious movie pick for a middle-aged audience—but only if you don’t take into account that the story is a film adaptation of a cherished novel by the beloved and bestselling author, Judy Blume. When you do, it makes perfect sense that the theatre is full of women in their forties, fifties and sixties, as it was when I saw it. And it’s giving them plenty of laughs. The delightful, entertaining movie does justice to Blume’s unapologetically honest story about girlhood and naturally...
Read MoreWhat is the difference between real and personal property, and why is it important for estate planning?
In estate planning, there are two types of property: real and personal. Real property includes items such as real estate, land, and buildings.Personal property includes bank accounts, investments, heirlooms, and valuables. If your net worth is significant, carefully consider, with the advice of your financial and legal representative, the power to be granted to your executor with all your real and personal properties. Personal property held jointly with another person, such as bank accounts and homes, will not be considered part of an estate. They will pass automatically to the joint...
Read MoreMom & The Church of Tim Hortons
Her name was June. But of course she was always Mom to me. Only once did I call her June, just to test the waters, when I was a daring teenager, young and oh-so foolish. Once! But this piece is not about that particular event. In celebration of Mother’s Day (which I feel should be much more than once a year) I have a story; a true story about my Mom. Although I am loathed to advertise big businesses I’ve always entitled the tale as ‘The Church of Tim Hortons’. But first I need to set the stage, of course. Dad was a Catholic, through and through – his Dad, my...
Read MoreSpring has sprung, the grass has riz , I wonder where the lettuce is…
For gardeners this is the most exciting and active time of year. Whether you are considering your cottage garden annual flowers or your vegetable garden greens, this is the time when things get started. If I could grow nothing else in my veggie garden, it would have to be lettuces and other salad greens: arugula, cress, giant red mustard, komatsuna… When debating lettuces, have a look seed catalogues and choose a variety of types. There are early, somewhat frost-hardy varieties like Marvel of Four Seasons, there are leaf lettuces in a multitude of colours: light green Simpson...
Read MoreAPRIL FOOL
Excerpt five (somewhat revised) from the book Wait.. WHAT?, by Elly Mossman Before Bill assumed ownership of the Zapora, the boat was berthed at Comox Harbour, so, because he served as skipper, it seemed expedient for us to live there too. When Bill bought the Zapora from Loman’s widow, the reason to live in Courtenay was moot. We began looking for a home further south on the Island. We found a house in Chemainus, right next door to the parents of Bill’s sister-in-law. We were visiting them one day, and noticed the cute little house for sale next door. An offer was put in immediately, and...
Read MoreLost in the Translation
It’s been sooo cold this spring. Hail in April? On Vancouver Island? My aging body now prefers much warmer weather, ‘way down south’-type weather. And coupled with my zero-resistance to trip down memory lane (especially adventures with my soul mate Laurie Gourlay), I believe it is time for my Mexican Tale. It was my first ‘foreign adventure’ with Laurie way back in 1979. He had already hitchhiked around the world and down through the Baja when the highway was still a dirt road, with mass vehicle jams during the muddy season; when they waited till enough cars...
Read MoreWhy is advance care planning for end-of-life health care so inportant
There are so many things to consider when we plan ahead for a time we can no longer speak for ourselves, otherwise known as Advance Care Planning. One that we often don’t think about is, where would you want to die? Given the option, most people would prefer to die at home. Yet, most people currently die in hospital or hospice. Knowing our options well before we need to make decisions may remove a lot of stress for ourselves, our loved ones as well as the health care system. Advance care planning (ACP) is a universal term used to describe the process of making your future health care...
Read MoreLamb kebobs
lemon roast potatoes, Greek salad, Baklava Lamb Kebobs Juice and zest of 2 lemons ½ cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 1 tsp dried oregano Combine the above in a bowl and whisk together well. 1½ pounds leg of lamb or lamb loin trimmed of most of the fat and any connective tissue cut into 1½” square pieces Add the lamb pieces to the marinade and marinate for up to 12 hours. Note: This can also be done in zippered bags. Just be sure that the marinade coats all of the pieces well. Remove the lamb from the marinade and drain well. Discard the marinade....
Read MoreLove … Unconditionally
For a long long time, since I was a wee bairn I’ve linked February with Valentine’s Day. You know the book of cards you gave out (& received) from classmates, in an envelope that had its own fake stamp, or your own SWAK on the back. Later it was fancier cards, chocolates, flowers. I was lucky. I got all 3 and the flowers were always in a pot so they lived on and on… if I remembered to water them. I don’t recall any stat holiday in this month until about a decade ago. Now PEI has Islander Day, Manitoba has Louis Reil Day, Nova Scotia has Heritage Day. In BC...
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