Bones 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...
Read MoreBook reviews by Janet
Not every novel in the New York Times top ten of 2022 was a hit with me. I skidded through a baffling cast of cameo characters, each offering some meme evoking my real-life digital experience. I felt a Where’s Waldo vibe, with aha connections between characters and plot twists revealed in a phrase to keep me reading. I was also drawn in by plot pieces like the machine that can download a lifetime of memory to a flash drive, or the one that can upload it to a searchable collective consciousness…feeling to me like Google on steroids. Prophetic? Possibly. Scary? You bet! Still, I give the...
Read MoreDOES PLANNING FOR YOUR FUNERAL MEAN YOU ARE GOING TO DIE?
There are many people who are afraid that just thinking about death will shorten their life. On the contrary, talking openly about the end of our lives helps us to accept the realities of aging which can in turn, help us to live with less fear. What do I mean by this? Talking openly about the end of our lives helps us to focus on the important things; it can help us to clarify our lives. We are all going to die one day. It is the one thing we all have in common. Going through the process of pre-arranging our own funeral helps us to deal with our mortality and can help us to live out our...
Read MoreThe Future is Now – Intelligent Quantum Healing.
The channel Kryon said the following about a new form of healing – ‘’ Get ready for medicine to change forever. Get ready for the elimination of one kind of healing and the opening of another. Get ready for intelligent Quantum healing to occur I have no way of describing to you a healing – it is not a process, do not say that word – a healing paradigm that you cannot see, you cannot imagine. That marries you and the innate intelligence of your body with the ability to imprint itself and heal itself using its own data and its own DNA. That is as far as I can go ….can you...
Read MoreAfter 10 years I still enjoy great pleasure and satisfaction from owning and publishing Island Woman magazine.
We have stayed true to the original concept of being a platform that encourages and supports women writers on Vancouver Island. During that time we have published the works of over 70 writers covering the whole gambit of styles and subjects. It has been, and still is, amazing to receive and publish the works these women. Whist many of the names have changed over time the energy and excitement has not. To ensure that this endures we are always looking for and encouraging new writers to join us. As we start this New Year if you or friend has toyed with the idea of presenting your written talent...
Read MoreLocal island ingredients make holiday dinners grand
As this year draws to a close, I feel privileged to celebrate this season of togetherness as I take on a new role as British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The holidays are a time to gather with friends and family, but it is also a time for us to support local producers by incorporating B.C. ingredients in our holiday meals. With so many products grown and raised here, a feast of B.C. products is both easy and tasty, and due to the mild climate and plentiful greenhouses in B.C., we are able to enjoy some of the best of B.C.’s vegetables even in the colder months. Here is a...
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