Family – Page 5 – Just An East Coast Girl

A HUGE South American Party

*** Make sure you press PLAY on the audio file to get the full effect as you read this post. lol

It’s Carnaval! It falls on February 24-28 this year. It is the biggest celebration of the year in Brazil. We had so much fun experiencing this when we lived there, and just to break up the wintery snow month of February and help me think about warm, sun and beaches…I just had to break out my Havaianas ( have to pack them for my cruise next week anyway)

AND for dinner tonight I just had to make some delicious Brazilian food … shrimp with heart of palm and rice topped with toasted almonds and lime…lime pie and coffee… and caipirinha’s of course!

Have a great Carnaval our dear Brazilian friends!

And maybe I will watch Rio…love that movie and the music.

Mi’kmaq… Heritage Day 2017

Today is Nova Scotia Heritage Day!

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This year’s Honoree is The Mi’kmaq and their ancestors. The Mi’kmaq and their ancestors have lived in this land for at least 11,000 years. Mi’kma’ki, their traditional territory, includes Nova Scotia, P.E.I., and much of New Brunswick and the Gaspe Peninsula.

In the world of hockey, it is well known that Mi’kmaq craftsmanship resulted in some of the best made hockey sticks in history. This year, Nova Scotia Heritage Day will honour Mi’kmaq Heritage by celebrating the important accomplishments of the Mi’kmaq community, including its contribution to Canada’s favorite past time, hockey.

The Mi’kmaq community will host a two-game hockey challenge called The Mi’kmaq Heritage Hockey Classic – Bury the Hatchet. The theme, Bury the Hatchet, was selected to honour a ceremony held in 1761 that saw the signing of the Halifax Treaties. The treaty ceremony marked the end of more than 75 years of hostility between the Mi’kmaq and the British, and celebrated the beginning of a peaceful and friendly relationship between the two nations.

Canada’s native population did not record in ‘hard-copy’ the history of their nations. Rather, they had appointed ‘story tellers’ who passed on knowledge of their culture from generation to generation in the form of ‘oral history’. The early Ice Hockey sticks were carved from Hornbeam trees, which are native to Nova Scotia and provide a very durable hardwood. One of the tools used in the carving of Hockey sticks was known as a “Crooked Knife”. As a result of the huge numbers of Ice Hockey sticks made using these methods by Mi’kmaq, local supplies of Hornbeam were largely depleted and the Mi’kmaq then turned to the yellow birch, another hard wood which possesses the same characteristics. In the early years of the development of the game, sticks were simply called after the name of the game. Thus boys played with “Hurleys” and later with “Hockeys”, rather than with “hurley sticks” and “hockey sticks” as they do today.

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It is always nice to enjoy a “day off” in mid February but it’s also a great way to learn about your country’s heritage. Sadly my husband worked a LONG day ( 13 hours) and it was just me at home. So no family day adventure. BUT I took advantage of it by just having a RELAX day.

IN honour of heritage day … we had fish for dinner ( no we didn’t catch them ourselves) and berries for dessert!

Is there anything more Nova Scotia than smelts, trout and blueberry grunt?

Hope you enjoyed your long weekend! Back to work tomorrow.

Whoa! What a difference!

THE GREAT WALL

1700 Years to Build. 5500 Miles Long. What Were They Trying to Keep Out?

It’s FINALLY in theatres here in Canada. It was released December 16 in China and I have been waiting patiently…

THE GREAT WALL

I have been wanting to see this movie. There were advertisements and displays for it everywhere when we were in China before Christmas. It was released there December 16 and now 2 months later it’s out here in Canada.

I’m not a movie person. I rarely go to the theatre. BUT this one…I just had to go see!

And to start our “Great Wall Adventure”…we had dinner at the Great Wall Restaurant in downtown Halifax.

And then to the movies…

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I was so looking forward to this and even googled to see what section of the Great Wall this movie was depicting…haha…I laughed. Oh…China! It was actually filmed at a giant film studio in Qingdao. I have seen such studios when I lived there and this information really didn’t surprise me.

Considering The Great Wall is a film about China, audiences around the world won’t be too surprised to find out that it was actually shot there too. However, no real-life locations were actually used.

Unable to shoot on the actual Great Wall of China for the obvious reason that it’s one of the greatest wonders of the world, Zhang’s colossal team of designers built two walls in a giant film studio complex in Qingdao — one was a low wall, while the other a high one. With the entire set stretching to well over 200 metres, both were placed in front of one of the largest green screen ever used in the film industry.

According to the director, even Matt Damon was impressed when he first set eyes on the structure:

“Matt Damon said it was the biggest green screen he’d ever seen and I think it’s the biggest green screen ever assembled in the world.”

Well the movie wasn’t what I had hoped for or expected ( based on one legend about the great wall) but it was a fun day and David’s older brother and his wife went with us for our “Great Wall Adventure Day” so that was fun to spend time with them and get our plans together for our upcoming cruise together in a couple weeks.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Spring Break for James Feb 17

Midterms done! Tax sale done! NOW…a much needed break from school and taking a week’s vacation from work at Queen’s Municipality before tax season is in full swing. Where to go? That was James’ question when he was planning a vacation.

Tonight David & I saw him off at the airport!

Where is he going?

This is his itinerary! I am so jealous. I know he will have a wonderful time and take some awesome pics!!

James spent the last month deciding where he wanted to travel for a little break away…He LOVES adventure and has been to some pretty great places. He’s going by himself, but that’s James…he started traveling by himself at 15. He’ll fly to London and then take some flights, and buses and trains, stay in hotels and hostels and visit some interesting countries, cities and towns.

Have a wonderful time James, take lots of pictures and remember to check in with your Mama once and while…BUT then I don’t have to tell you that! 😀

Another day…

Some things in life are tough! Like yesterday saying goodbye to my Uncle. It was his funeral yesterday, postponed a few days because of all the snow we’ve been getting. AND believe it or not another snowstorm today!

Yesterday however was a break, a calm before the next storm. A better day to have to travel back to North River to say goodbye. I gave the Eulogy at my Uncle’s funeral. Sweet remembrances that my Father and Auntie had, and some of my own, that I was able to share with the many people that were there to pay their last respects and show my Auntie how much he was loved. He was a special man to many people and all who knew him will miss him!!!

Today is a new day! ANOTHER snowstorm!!! Another day off school!!!! Another day to shovel out!!!!

I am so thankful for my husband who generally looks after all of the snow clean up. I help a bit, but this past week my mind is elsewhere… I am thankful for snowblowers! If we had to do all this by shovel…yikes!!!! And I am so thankful for those who work VERY long hours at the DOT, cleaning our roads.

Today it is blowing and snowing outside and I think I’m just gonna relax and stay cozy in my PJ’s with a great cup of coffee…at least for a little while…

Have a good day!

PS. This pic popped up on my newsfeed…4 years ago today!! Now I only have to wait 13 days until I am back in Miami for a little warmth and sunshine!!!

LOVE day!

I hope you enjoyed a special day with your sweetie and those you love!

CLOSED… till the SNOW is cleared!

Saw these pictures circulating on social media and I just had to share it!

EVERYTHING is CLOSED today! We are getting a walloping of a snowstorm.

LOTS and LOTS of SNOW!!!! We are cleaned up for now…

Lantern Festival is February 11, 2017

Today is the last day of Spring Festival. The fifteenth day in the lunar calendar, This special day is Lantern Festival.

It is the first full moon night in the Chinese lunar year and full-moon symbolizes reunion in China.

People eat yuanxiao ( a rice ball stuffed with different fillings) or rice dumplings on this day, so it is also called the “Yuanxiao Festival.” Yuanxiao 元宵 also has another name, tangyuan 汤圆.

For its rich and colorful activities, Lantern Festival is regarded as the most recreational among all the Chinese festivals and a day for appreciating the bright full moon, and family reunion.

It’s so much fun to be able to attend a Lantern Festival.

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Today to celebrate this last day of Spring Festival and the special Lantern Festival, we will eat yuanxiao, and watch another special production similar to the Gala on CCTV, and take a peak at the “snow” full moon.

I like the sesame paste and red bean yuanxiao and was so happy to be able to find them here.

We also had some meatball soup ( everything round symbolizing the shape of the moon)

Speaking of reunion…

It was nice to stay in touch with some of my Chinese friends over their holiday, it made me feel close to them. Technology is so wonderful when you are so far away… Here are a few pics they shared

Happy Lantern Festival!

Wishing all my Chinese friends and family a wonderful year ahead!!!

PS. My sweet husband picked up a few things he knew I would appreciate.

In honour of the Year of the Rooster… rooster stamps from Canada Post.

And…Corn flakes!

I will remember his smile…

It’s been a really tough week!

My sweet Uncle, my Daddy’s older brother ( whose 80th Birthday we celebrated in November) passed away.

So sweet

On Thursday afternoon he was rushed to hospital with a brain aneurysm. After many exrays the neurosurgeon concluded that surgery wasn’t an option, and that there was no hope for recovery. The aneurysm was too deep and there was already a lot of bleeding throughout his brain. They decided to make him comfortable.

I spent most of the day and night at the hospital Friday and Saturday with my Auntie. Sunday I just went for a few hours and came home so I could watch the Super Bowl ( just needed my mind on something else) On Monday and Tuesday I spent the afternoon and evenings there. Last night I went for a few hours. I just don’t want her to be all alone. ( they didn’t have any children although they were like parents to a few special people)

A lot of visitors stopped in…family, friends, loved ones that know my sweet Uncle. It’s such a shock to everyone, so sudden because for being 80 years old his heart is so good. We thought he’d live to be 100 like my great grandmother!

I don’t know how my Auntie is coping with very little sleep. She is simply amazing how she cared for him as his body was slowly failing. I don’t think the doctor an nurses expected this many days…It’s was difficult to watch him.

As much as I like to remember someone “the way they were before they were sick” I wanted to be there…for my Auntie and I was so thankful I did. It did my heart so good to see this sweet couple married 58 years this January 2017, they were each other’s one and only, share their last tender moments. Such love. And even though most of the time Uncle was in and out of sleep he was smiling and his hands were reaching out for my Auntie, and even “puckered up” a few times for a sweet kiss. He had a little smile and seemed settled and comforted knowing she was always there for him, by his side and wouldn’t leave him.

He passed away quietly in his sleep without pain for which I am so very thankful. With a brain aneurysm and a lot of bleeding you just don’t know…My Auntie Deb & her husband were with my Auntie last night in the hospital room and they were dozing a bit when Uncle passed away… probably for the best. I am so happy he is finally at rest and is reunited with my grandparents and uncles that went went before him. We will miss him so very much!!!!

Yes…I will remember his smile!