Lise's Ramblings

Today, it operates as a national museum of immigration, but in its heyday, Halifax’s Pier 21 was Canada’s ocean gateway, welcoming more than a million new immigrants and refugees to our shores. (For my American readers, Pier 21 was our Ellis Island from 1928 to 1971.)    While I’ve walked through the museum’s collections and exhibits, I, like one in five Canadians, also share a personal connection to Pier 21. In October 1941, my grandfather , along with his fellow Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen, other military personnel and plenty of frozen mutton, shipped out of Halifax on the HMT Mataroa to support our allies.  Years later, my British grandmother was one of nearly 50,000 war brides who sailed to Canada for fresh starts with colonial hubbies they met during the Second World War. I believe Mom-mom arrived on Cunard’s RMS Mauretania , before she passed through the doors of Pier 21’s immigration shed. Pier 21 marked a transition point for so many. I can only i...

 The COWS crew understands the joys of frosty treats.  Back-to-school time signals a sigh of relief from parents who have been juggling their children between camps, temporary child-care and obliging grandparents. This time of year also brings overnight temperature dips.  By day the mercury climbs back to the mid- to high-20s, but brace your little piggies for nippy mornings. Please don’t step outside in bare feet to collect your newspaper, and you may want to rethink those open-toed shoes. Yes, it’s time to bid farewell to our summer of warmth and indulgence: barbecue dinners, drinks on the patio and the best of all…frosty treats. Beyond the obvious―frozen daiquiris and iced frappuccinos―we will polish off the tubs of ice cream and boxes of popsicles. We will conjure up the restraint required to resist buying the marked-down frozen treats that the neighbourhood grocery store is clearing out.   Even if your freezer isn’t stocked, in At...

Driftwood at Panmure Island, Prince Edward Island  Substantial pieces of driftwood serve as natural benches at the beach, whether you huddle there to gaze at the waves by day or sing campfire tunes at night.  At dusk, driftwood can also serve up eerie silhouettes. "Wait, is that a moose up ahead?" Even basking in the sunshine, driftwood takes on many forms. At times I see antlers, but I have also spotted a teeter-totter, a Hobbit dwelling, an oversized sea horse, a pile of brooms, an antique bird cage... Do you ever wonder where those weathered tree trunks and branches started out? I would like to know if a piece of driftwood started life as a sapling on exotic shores. I contemplate how it looked back then and what animals sought shelter there. Did a swing dangle from one of its branches? Was a fort tucked away among its leaves? Were initials carved in the bark wrapping the trunk? And...

Every once in a while, a special place becomes extra delightful. That's exactly what I witnessed this past weekend.  We're fortunate to have breathtaking views on Prince Edward Island. While the shores and ocean views are incredible, I consider New Glasgow to be one of PEI's jewels. Tourists know the village for its New Glasgow lobster suppers and the PEI Preserve Company . Golfers know about the Glasgow Hills course, because everyone receives free mussels after every round of golf. Families make the trek to visit the Toy Factory , where you can buy handcrafted wooden toys, including a ferry or a lobster boat. I enjoy driving to and through New Glasgow. I marvel at the rolling hills, parceled fields, and all the birds feeding and nesting along the Clyde River, which meanders through the village. However, Sunday's drive to New Glasgow exceeded my expectations, because of a magical new addition.  The bu tterfly house. I fina...

It's easy to lose track of time in the aisles at Chapters/Indigo stores, spend hours surfing Amazon, or disappear for a day in a library, but I encourage you, whenever possible, to choose to support independent bookstores too. Chances are high that inside you'll discover well-informed staff who are passionate about books. Many independents differentiate themselves from discounters and the competition through specialization and quality, rather than quantity of sales. You can find independents with outstanding collections of children's literature, works by regional or local authors, comics, poetry, spiritual texts, gallery-worthy art books and even rare books.  My favourites: The Bookmark : Maritimers recognize this independent bookstore. After opening in Charlottetown in 1972, the owners expanded to open a Halifax store. Book signings, local content and much more. My source for Moleskin notebooks and bibliomania novelties. Nicholas Hoare : Be...

There’s so much to like about low tides. Vast stretches of sand (rich red sand, in my case). Sea glass, shells and driftwood dot the beach. Marine creatures paddle around in miniature sea pools, left behind by receding waters. Shorebirds flit about and poke around in search of snacks. Low tide lures in clamdiggers, dogs with energy to spare, children armed with pails and shovels, and people out for a stroll to clear busy minds with sea-air salve.       AWESOME!!!

I remember tearing up when a young woman sang “Oh Canada ” on Parliament Hill to kickstart the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s CIBC Run for the Cure back in 2002. Granted, that is a particularly emotional run. Cindy and Kelley at Friday's performance Sometimes the lyrics of a song can overwhelm you. Other times, the way someone sings a tune can open the floodgates. On Friday evening, I had the pleasure of experiencing the perfect storm…beautiful lyrics belted out by an incredibly talented songstress, PEI ’s Kelley Mooney. Opening for another PEI artist, Catherine MacLellan , at the Moncton Press Club, Kelley outshone the headliner. Not only did she perform a number of original pieces from her current album (Tomorrow) , she also sang her version of a classic Leonard Cohen tune. Now K.D. Lang, Jon Bon Jovi and many others have covered “Allelujah,” but Kelley takes it to a whole other level. She rewrote the lyrics to tell the Easter tale, and even Leonard Cohen has given...

Dr. William Glasser, a famous psychiatrist, asserts that people are “driven by genetics to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun.” His math adds up to five, because he counts love and belonging as a single need. Jean Vanier, founder of L’Arche and son of a former Governor General of Canada, disagrees. He contends that that need to belong runs far “deeper than the need to be loved.” As children, one of the worst threats a classmate could fling at you ran something along these lines: “Oh yeah, well you’re not invited to my birthday party.” The danger wasn’t that you’d miss out on cake. No, it was that you’d be excluded. Inclusion was important then and the same holds true for us as adults. Grown ups may not lose sleep about birthday parties, but we go to great lengths to feel accepted by members of social clubs, families, professional associations, sports teams, churches, unions, classes, sororities/fraternities, volunteer groups, guil...

Some artists tour, but shouldn't; they deliver pitchy songs and seem awkward on stage. Studio magic is required to polish their performances to our liking.  Other gifted musicians and singers shine during concerts. They improvise and even make you love modified renditions of their hits. Last night, I was lucky to see and hear Prince when he took to the stage at Halifax's Metro Centre. Even people who don't care for his mega hits would have enjoyed his show. He played songs he'd written for other artists (e.g., "Nothing Compares 2 U"), covers of other works (e.g., disco tunes and "Let's Go"), and mashups and funky renditions of his own material. His voice is as powerful as ever. He still hits those ridiculously high notes. He dances like someone who is in his twenties and has heaps of rhythm. His quirky mannerisms are flirtacious and his guitar mastery astounds concert goers.  When artists live performances rival their rec...

Aurora borealis sightings are rare in populous areas of Canada . But when those ethereal green and red hues do dance across the horizon, they mesmerize us. The colours are fleeting and ever-shifting, so snapping photos or recording video of the Northern Lights is tough. Yet, every now and then a talented photographer captures the magic.    In August, local photographer Stephen Desroches happened to spot the Northern Lights in the PEI National Park . Here are links to two of his photos, http://365.focusedonlight.com/index.php/Landscapes/2011-08-07/   http://365.focusedonlight.com/index.php/Landscapes/2011-08-06/ which are nothing short of          AWESOME! Less than a month after Stephen posted his photos, the crew of the International Space Station shot the following video of the Southern Lights ( aurora australis ―the Southern hemisphere’s equivalent to the Northern Lights). Enjoy the video in all its awesomeness....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... In most Canadian cities, children and adults alike consider the annual Santa Claus parade as a sign that the Christmas season is here. Everyone gets bundled up and huddles along the parade route with family and friends to: watch excited children catch candy canes listen to marching bands, bagpipers and carols blasting from floats sip hot drinks don a Santa hat, festive headbands and other Christmas accessories ooooh and ahhhhh at all the lights wave to mascots and people on passing floats donate canned goods to food banks hum along to Christmas songs  cheer on all the firefighters in their decked out trucks spot the bearded guy ho-ho-ho'ing at the end of the parade It's official, the season is upon us, so here's a tidbit of Christmas parade trivia for you: In 1913, thanks to the Eaton family and the citizens of Labrador, the14th annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade featured real reindeer pu...

The Bay of Fundy region presents visitors with breathtaking vistas and memorable experiences. For those of you who are right-brain dominant, who can resist these wonders: fossil cliffs, reversing rapids, the world’s highest tides, incredible trails and lookouts, diverse wildlife, quaint lighthouses, Hopewell Rocks and other geological treasures, tidal bores, covered bridges, the world's oldest Red Spruce tree, waterfalls and much more. If you’re driven by the left side of your brain, then below you’ll find numbers pointing out how lucky we are to have the Bay of Fundy . 100 billion tons of water flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy twice every 24 hours 1 billion years of geological evidence making up the 300 million years ago the Joggins Fossil Cliffs formed 2,500 square kilometers – size of the Fundy Geopark (Stonehammer) – North America ’s only UNESCO recognized geopark   350 migrating bird species feed along the Bay of Fundy’s Nova Scotia shore...

Last weekend, Islanders lugged odds and ends out to the curb for the 14th annual 70-mile yard sale . Every year, junk migrates from one home to a neighbouring one, and proximity to the ferry means that some stuff even makes its way across the Northumberland Strait to settle in Nova Scotia. Before Kajiji and eBay, people parted with unwanted belongings primarily through yard sales, consignment shops, flea markets, thrift stores and moving sales. Even in today's electronic age, there are diehard garage sale shoppers who will go to great lengths to find the right bargain. These individuals are early risers, expert hagglers and persistent seekers. (I'm convinced my mom doesn't even need to slow down her car to spot a Fisher-Price piece to complete one of her precious 1970s toy sets or a spoon to match a rare silver service.) Rummage through your attic, unearth boxes from your basement and reach back into the recesses of your closets. Chances are you'll discover...

Members of the SkyHawks Parachute Demo Team  Last weekend, I took in the 2011 Atlantic Canada International Air Show. It struck me that everyone enjoyed the event, despite the wide range in ages. Young children squealed as they clamoured up static displays run by the Canadian Forces. The Generation Z kids also cheered from strollers and grown ups' shoulders . Teenagers were mesmerized by aircraft breaking the sound barrier and star struck by pilots and parachutists. Adults gasped at the are-they-out-of-their-mind feats and the precision of the manoeuvres. Senior citizens and WWII veterans watched patriotic performances and reminisced about seeing an antique aircraft in its heyday. Your age just doesn’t matter ; the consensus is that air shows are       AWESOME! Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, GenXs, Millennials (GenYs) and GenZs take in the 2011 Atlantic Canada International Air Sh...