• About

Larry Muffin At Home

~ Remembering that life is a comedy and the world is a small town.

Larry Muffin At Home

Monthly Archives: July 2015

Miguelito and Someonitez visited Ottawa

27 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Arizona, dachshunds, Dignitaries, Nicky, Nora, Northern Lights, Official, Ottawa, Parliament, sites, Summer, Visitors

Our friends from Phoenix visited us in Ottawa in the past week. We had planned this visit for months and prepared a briefing book for their visit, I say this in all seriousness. They too were somewhat surprised by our level of organization.

It was great fun to have them with us and brought a change of pace from the recent tragic events in my family. Both are delightful gents, good conversationalists, walking on average 15Km a day visiting sites around town.

We took them to Montebello, Quebec on Sunday which is always a pleasant drive down Hwy 50E. Sunday night we went to Parliament Hill to see the new Northern Lights Show which is quite dramatic.

Our poor Nicky was quite sad to see them go and so was Nora who tried to jump into their suitcase.

Here is a panoramic retrospective of this week long Official Visit

mcr bday cake

Official Birthday Party with specially designed Tomato Soup Cake as per MCR’s request. We do not know his precise age but have been told unofficially that it is anywhere between 43 and 73. The Fire Dept only allowed 2 candles on the cake.

rideau Hall

We paid a courtesy visit to Rideau Hall, Home of H.E. the Governor General of Canada

LaurierHouse51_webmain.ashx

We also went to visit Laurier House, a national historic site and home of two Canadian Prime Ministers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. A fascinating place full of artifacts. No seance on that day with dead dogs called Pat or the long dead mother of the PM.

maman

The sculpture Maman by Canadian Artist Louise Bourgeois. An iconic piece of contemporary art. All went well until our friend wishing to conquer his fears of spiders decided to climb on it, when the police arrived well… it’s a long story. Ah those tourists.

fireworks Ottawa

No expenses where spared to impress our guests even renting a canoe.

montebello

A walk in the woods of Chateau Montebello before lunch, if you look carefully there are  2 black bears on the left side of the picture.

montebello 2

Micheal Rockwell

He said ”Where is the Roastbeef?”

David Wright

Now Evelyn, I thought this establishment was Vegetarian

NL show

The Northern Lights show at Parliament, impressive, much appreciated by our visitors.

tulips parliament

Blooming tulips on Parliament, the story of WWII, Canada and Holland.

parliament canada flag 50

The Canadian Flag at 50. All part of the story told at the Northern Lights Show ending with the National Anthem

We saw many more sights and walked a lot around the Capital, had fine dining at home and in restaurants. Still much more to see and we hope our friends will return. Ciao Ragazzi, Ci Vediamo!

images-2

Ottawa Airport Field

21 July 2007

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Canada., diplomats, Embassies, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Service, heterosexual, swingers

The 21 July 2007 was our Wedding Day in Ottawa. We got married to make life easier for my employer the Government of Canada, yes that is true. We have been together since 23 November 1978, so for us that is the more important date.

wedding day 2007

Before our wedding, my employer always required me to fill out a bunch of forms to re-confirm almost annually that we were still together. The reason for this very bureaucratic procedure was due to the high number of so called straight colleagues who changed partners and kids as they changed underwear. I am not kidding you, in the Canadian Foreign Service, I was an eyewitness to the multiple spouse syndrome my heterosexual colleagues suffered from, usually just before arriving at Post. The reason for being if they brought lots of kids from lots of previous partners they could get a bigger house. Administration at Post only discovered which spouse they were bringing on the day they actually arrived at post. It was a game of cat and mouse to get advantages and benefits. Once those secured you could easily send said spouse back to Canada and claim incompatibility. The kids never materialized though they existed on paper. One example of this type of promiscuity, was a female colleague who brought to post her ex-partner with whom she had one child because he had no job and would look after the said child. She also brought with her the current partner, everyone got a benefit. Another example was a male colleague arriving with wife and five kids and mistress in tow, wife promptly left with some kids and mistress stayed with leftover kids who now had to fend for themselves.

So once married, I produced my marriage certificate and no more forms to fill out. My colleagues of the straight persuasion are usually not married and live in loose unions referring to their interchangeable partners as BF or GF or the more common word Chum. So monitoring by the employer is required to avoid fraud on monetary benefits. Who knew so many Canadians had loose morals.

will and laurent at assisi

The drop on Sgroppino. Venetian lemon gelato and prosecco cocktail.

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

On a hot day in Summer, a simple and cold dessert Italian style.

ice cream magazine

Sgroppino al Limone © www.ice-cream-magazine.com  Sgroppino al Limone © www.ice-cream-magazine.com

Splicing optimism with an imaginative streak, this week one received a plethora of photos from a chum who is holidaying, (make that basking and bragging something wholesale) in Tuscany. She’ll get more than a stuffed focaccia up her Calzone when she gets back here! ‘Sienna tomorrow’ she lovingly taunts and then includes a picture of a cold bottle of 2006 Cristal (hardly a local tipple) with her snaps of Pisa and Lucca. “Oh and then Florence on Saturday, any thing you want”?  I replied “Gelato please?”  She, and her family, are treasured friends as you may, by now, have concluded?

There is, however, method in my madness. Such adhock occurrences inspire the Tea Boy, who in his wisdom, and genius self, said. “Maybe we could go there later in the year or take a villa?”  Well, (sharp intake of breath) would you Adam and Eve it? “That’s a great idea dear!”

View original post 643 more words

Requiescat in Pace

16 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Canada., children, Dad, Death, Denis Beaulieu, Family, Funeral, Montreal, mourning, Peace, sadness, Son, Westmount

Eternal Rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.

The header of this posting is dedicated to my father, Denis C. Beaulieu, the painting by Newell C. Wyeth is entitled; Lobstering off Black Spruce Ledge.

He loved the dish Lobster Thermidor and he also loved anything to do with the Sea.

On the afternoon of Sunday 12 July my father died suddenly while shopping in one of his favourite stores, Holt Renfrew in Montreal. He was transported to the Hotel Dieu de Montreal, the oldest hospital in the city founded 1645. My siblings and I cannot say enough good about the kindness, care and thoughtfulness of the hospital emergency staff.  We are very grateful for their attention and care they gave to our father despite the fact that he was beyond help. Death came very quickly and he did not suffer according to the three doctors and ambulance para-medics who attended him.

Rollande and Denis wedding

My parents wedding 18 June 1955 

Our mother had died on 28 September 2013 after a very lenghty illness. My father was suffering from increasing poor health with an accumulation of heart and lung problems aggravated by old age, he was 85. The weather on Sunday was very humid 90% and very hot around 32C a lethal combination for someone like him.

I arrived in Montreal from Ottawa around 19:30 hrs, I do not really remember the highway drive down, my mind so preoccupied and hoping that I might arrive before he left this world. He died around 18:00. It was strangely peaceful to sit with him for several hours in the hospital room. We had during his lifetime sat in the same room at home in silence both of us reading and exchanging a few words. The two of us had gone to Greece 5 years ago for his 80th birthday, during our trip he and I would often look at the scenery in silence. It was a similar experience and I was able to say my quiet goodbyes. I was happy to have this opportunity, just me and Dad.

Dad Mykonos

My mother always said and it became a family joke, that we were, him and I so alike in mannerisms, figure of speech and voice, people often would think it was my father calling on the phone when in fact it was me. Now it is even stranger as I phone his friends I am quick to tell them it is me calling for fear they might think it was him and I would have to correct them and then announced his death.

Dad Acropolis

After leaving the hospital, I was the first to arrive at his apartment in Westmount and looking around everything was in its habitual place just waiting his return, he had just left for a few hours for shopping, never to return. I just sat there and looked around so many memories in the various objects, many of them going back to my childhood.

My father had an incredible career in the Hotel Industry in Canada from 1960.  He was a natural salesman and in marketing he always knew how to present his product and sell it. He also had the memory of an elephant and was able to recall names,places and events, even conversations years later. It was eerie but would fascinate clients who recalling events could not believe that he remembered so many things about them. As children we often lived at the hotel he managed and I being the oldest was able to observe his style, he had a lot of style, from the clothes he wore to the cars he drove, to interior decoration to design in general, to flower arrangements, to the food served or drinks, or the way he lived, life with Dad was never ordinary.

He was a man of opinions and as much as he could charm the birds off the trees, he could be harsh in his criticism if it had to do with hotels or restaurants and or shoddy service. He always believed that if a client paid, he was entitled to full value and then some. Cutting corners to make a fast profit was never his policy and would not put up with anyone even a colleague suggesting it. He was dismayed by today’s hospitality business and the poor service generally, considering the prices charged. He was lucky to work in the hotel field at a time when hotel service was still steeped in tradition unlike today.

Many of his clients through the years were famous people and often repeat customers. I got to meet some of them. He would get to know what they liked and kept notes. When the client arrived they would find the room with a bouquet of flowers they liked or with an item such as fresh juices or that special liquor bottle they favoured. His clients never forgot, he made them feel at ease and would get to know them personally and even be privy to confidences.

Denis-and-Laurent-small

Dad and me, He is 30 years old and I am 5 years old. His first born,I am named after his own father who had died prematurely in 1954. This wonderful picture was taken by my uncle, we are reading a book together.

As a father he tried to give us some basics, he firmly believed that hard work would be rewarded. Every job even menial, his example, picking up city garbage deserved to be done well. He also wanted us to know the value of a dollar and look for good value in anything we bought. It was not always easy to be his son, he always had high expectations and would not put up with whatever, you always had to do better.  I remember once he had a client who was the heir to a huge corporate fortune who was always complaining that he was so bored. My father could not understand why this fellow did not try to find something meaningful to do despite his fortune. This was an example for us not to follow, no matter what happened in life, always try to be useful to others.

I remember when I was sixteen my father found me a job in Lausanne, Switzerland, the seat of the famous hotel school. He sent me to a friend of his to work at the resort hotel his family managed on Lac Leman (lake Geneva). My father gave me a one way ticket and when I asked about the return portion, he told me that since I would be working I could come back once I had secured enough money to buy a return ticket, it is called learning to manage a budget. I was stunned. For several months I learned the hotel business, getting up at dawn to prepare the dining room for breakfast, polishing silverware and arranging table settings under the eagle eye of the Maitre d’Hotel, everything had to be perfect. I worked long hours sometimes up to 18 hours a day, 6 days a week and we were fed mostly, pig tripe in tomato sauce, not a bad dish, but not one of my favorites. I learned a lot during those months and did not at the time, fully appreciate it. But these were the kind of experiences my father thought were important to prepare us kids against the vagaries of life.

Dad athenes 1

It is strange to think that he is gone. I think even Montreal will not look the same to me without him and mom. I won’t be able to have those conversations with him about restaurants, world politics and whatever or just sit with him in silence. I owe my Dad a great deal and I am very proud of him, I did not always agree with him but in the end as Mom would say, you are his son that cannot be denied.

Typical of him, there will be no funeral and he gave his body to the medical Faculty of McGill University. He did ask that we give a party in his memory, invite his friends and we must serve Champagne, that is what we will do.

Hotels he managed in his career; Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City 1960, Chateau Champlain, Hotel Bonaventure (construction phase and Opening 1966) Montreal.  Four Seasons Hotel Montreal. King Edward (re-construction and re-opening) Toronto 1974, Hotel Meridien Montreal 1976, Hotel Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Hotel Pierre, New York, Hotel Fairfax, 2100 Massachusetts ave. Washington DC in the Reagan years., Hotel St-Paul, in St-Paul, MN, Hotel Bristol, Paris, Hotel Stafford, London and then for many years the Private Club of the Royal Bank of Canada on the 41st floor of Place Ville Marie in Montreal.

45.488345 -73.594428

Want to help Greece during the economic crisis? Go there on holiday.

13 Monday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

If you want to help the Greek People this is a simple way to do it. Greece remains despite its economic woes a wonderful place.

Hugo: The Alpine Spritz

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

One of my favourite drinks.

The Palladian Traveler

Hugo aperitifs in a row - Kronplatz | ©Tom Palladio ImagesHere’s a palate-pleasing Italian aperitivo (cocktail) to wrap your hand around that’s already a big hit up in the South Tyrol and a serious rival to the more popular and classic Spritz Veneziano (Venetian Spritz).

It’s called the Spritz Hugo (Ugo in Italian, pronounced OOH-goh). It’s the preferred aperitivo — summer or winter — around the Dolomites. Refreshing and light, the Spritz Hugohas been high-altitude tested by respected baristas.

Germans and Austrians will no doubt disagree, but this aperitivo was created in 2005 by Italian barista Roland Gruber at the San Zeno Wine & Cocktail Bar in Naturno, where German is spoken and Italian understood.

Bottles of Elderflower Syrup and Prosecco | ©Tom Palladio ImagesGruber jump-started the craze by mixing Prosecco sparkling wine, seltzer water, fresh mint leaves and lemon syrup, and casually called his creation the Hugo/Ugo, for no apparent reason.

He later tweaked the recipe, dropping the lemon syrup and adding a syrup…

View original post 315 more words

What’s Burning Tonight: Spaghetti with Mussels

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

A wonderful easy recipe for a Summer dish.

The Palladian Traveler

The Palladian Traveler

View original post

Byward Market new header

08 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

By Ward Market, Ottawa

This painting by Jeannine Robertson is of Byward Street in the By Ward Market area one of the oldest streets in the City of Ottawa. The Market area was designed in 1826 by Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers who was responsible for building the Rideau Canal between Ottawa the Capital and Kingston on Lake Ontario, a mammoth project for the time. The buildings in the area are from that era with some newer editions.

Just 80 years ago the market was populated by many Jewish owned businesses, butchers, clothing, shoes, groceries, general stores. In recent years many businesses have been replaced by Pubs, bars, restaurants, so much so that the Market has lost its meaning for many residents in the City. It is a bit of a tourists trap and residents avoid it. It is also dangerous after 10pm with often violent crime. Though back in the days of Colonel By and the lumberjacks it was a very rough area, with gambling, prostitution and lots of booze. The prostitution both male and female existed until the 1980’s when gentrification pushed the prostitutes out, the internet did the rest. Still many drug deals do happen in various bars which can be also scenes of fights and mayhem.

Did I tell you of the renovations…

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

9 weeks, renovations, toilet, workers

Some 9 weeks ago, our landlord started to renovate the two bathrooms in our condo unit. When a year ago he suggested doing these renovations, we did not think of what it really meant. I thought well that will be nice and we will have new bathrooms, a new decor and surely it will go quickly given that bathrooms are not big rooms.

Well we are now on week 9 that is just under 63 days of work. Amazing how long it can take. We now have about 3 days of work left to do it’s the home stretch. The problem was that first the decorator was going to do a simple job but then she changed her mind and decided to do a more complete renovation meaning there would nothing left of the old bathrooms. So in the first week after demolition was done, she suddenly announced that the floor had to go to be replace by a new marble floor. That create a 4 day delay while workers had to take out the floor and she go buy the marble slabs for the floor.

We are living in the apartment has the renovations go on and the landlord has distanced himself for the work leaving me to supervise and assume sort of a daily liaison job with the contractor, workers (9) and decorator. How many tenants do you know would be this involved in such a project. The reason why it is taking so long is that the workers may work just 2 to 3 hours a day and then disappear to go work on other jobs. This week they worked on Monday for 1 hour and today for 45 minutes, tomorrow no one and then Thursday and Friday the final push with a parade of trades to finish putting it all together. One bathroom is in working order and it is nice though I hate the new shower head, rain type thingy, instead of the jet blast type. I also have to keep on top of things to ensure that the workers will be scheduled to appear and do the work, this means talking 2 to 3 times a day with the contractor who overall has been good about letting me know after I asked who does what when.

Next week when it is all complete and we will have our apartment back and cleaned, we may miss the workmen. They have all been nice and polite. Now the million dollar question is; can we extend beyond next year our lease. Landlord has been evasive on that question. I hope so because we really do not want to move with all the expenses that entails.

Ancient Roman toilet, it worked fine 2500 years ago, it will work today, though you loose out on privacy.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Gallery

Vitello Tonnato: Italy’s Summertime Surf ‘n Turf

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

This gallery contains 11 photos.

One of my favourite dishes in Summertime in Italy, it is so good and on a hot day, light, cool …

Continue reading →

← Older posts

Fans of the Muffin

  • Richard's Left Bank
  • Willy Or Won't He
  • Storie & Archeostorie
  • ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2020-23
  • ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2010-20.
  • Philippe Lagassé
  • Moving with Mitchell
  • Palliser Pass
  • Roijoyeux
  • Spo-Reflections
  • KREUZBERGED - BERLIN COMPANION
  • My Secret Journey
  • Routine Proceedings
  • The Historic England Blog
  • Larry Muffin At Home
  • Sailstrait
  • dennisnarratives
  • Prufrock's Dilemma
  • domanidave.wordpress.com/
  • theINFP
  • The Corporate Slave

Blog Stats

  • 126,374 hits

Birthplace of Canada

C1A 1A7, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Follow Larry Muffin At Home on WordPress.com

Archives

  • January 2023 (9)
  • December 2022 (13)
  • November 2022 (10)
  • October 2022 (15)
  • September 2022 (17)
  • August 2022 (10)
  • July 2022 (10)
  • June 2022 (13)
  • May 2022 (11)
  • April 2022 (11)
  • March 2022 (14)
  • February 2022 (9)
  • January 2022 (14)
  • December 2021 (17)
  • November 2021 (12)
  • October 2021 (12)
  • September 2021 (13)
  • August 2021 (10)
  • July 2021 (13)
  • June 2021 (12)
  • May 2021 (12)
  • April 2021 (15)
  • March 2021 (12)
  • February 2021 (11)
  • January 2021 (8)
  • December 2020 (22)
  • November 2020 (16)
  • October 2020 (17)
  • September 2020 (13)
  • August 2020 (17)
  • July 2020 (16)
  • June 2020 (23)
  • May 2020 (24)
  • April 2020 (23)
  • March 2020 (28)
  • February 2020 (20)
  • January 2020 (12)
  • December 2019 (17)
  • November 2019 (15)
  • October 2019 (18)
  • September 2019 (5)
  • August 2019 (9)
  • July 2019 (10)
  • June 2019 (6)
  • May 2019 (5)
  • April 2019 (12)
  • March 2019 (8)
  • February 2019 (7)
  • January 2019 (9)
  • December 2018 (15)
  • November 2018 (6)
  • October 2018 (7)
  • September 2018 (6)
  • August 2018 (7)
  • July 2018 (7)
  • June 2018 (6)
  • May 2018 (10)
  • April 2018 (7)
  • March 2018 (7)
  • February 2018 (5)
  • January 2018 (11)
  • December 2017 (19)
  • November 2017 (13)
  • October 2017 (20)
  • September 2017 (12)
  • August 2017 (11)
  • July 2017 (24)
  • June 2017 (17)
  • May 2017 (24)
  • April 2017 (23)
  • March 2017 (21)
  • February 2017 (22)
  • January 2017 (23)
  • December 2016 (19)
  • November 2016 (21)
  • October 2016 (25)
  • September 2016 (4)
  • August 2016 (15)
  • July 2016 (13)
  • June 2016 (13)
  • May 2016 (8)
  • April 2016 (21)
  • March 2016 (17)
  • February 2016 (30)
  • January 2016 (23)
  • December 2015 (36)
  • November 2015 (23)
  • October 2015 (26)
  • September 2015 (22)
  • August 2015 (15)
  • July 2015 (21)
  • June 2015 (27)
  • May 2015 (17)
  • April 2015 (16)
  • March 2015 (15)
  • February 2015 (12)
  • January 2015 (21)
  • December 2014 (4)

Blog Stats

  • 126,374 hits

Blog at WordPress.com.

Richard's Left Bank

Books, whimsey & political satire (views of news from those that snooze)

Willy Or Won't He

So Many Years of Experience But Still Making Mistakes!

Storie & Archeostorie

Notiziario di storia, arte e archeologia (©2010-)

ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2020-23

ROME - THE IMPERIAL FORA: SCHOLARLY RESEARCH & RELATED STUDIES.

ROMA ARCHEOLOGIA e RESTAURO ARCHITETTURA 2010-20.

ROME – THE IMPERIAL FORA: SCHOLARLY RESEARCH & RELATED STUDIES.

Philippe Lagassé

In Defence of Westminster

Moving with Mitchell

Jerry and I get around. In 2011, we moved from the USA to Spain. We now live near Málaga. Jerry y yo nos movemos. En 2011, nos mudamos de EEUU a España. Ahora vivimos cerca de Málaga.

Palliser Pass

Stories, Excerpts, Backroads

Roijoyeux

... Soyons... Joyeux !!!

Spo-Reflections

To live is to battle with trolls in the vaults of heart and brain. To write; this is to sit in judgment over one's Self. Henrik Ibsen

KREUZBERGED - BERLIN COMPANION

Everything You Never Knew You Wanted to Know About Berlin

My Secret Journey

The road I have traveled to get to where I am today.

Routine Proceedings

The adventures of a Press Gallery journalist

The Historic England Blog

Larry Muffin At Home

Remembering that life is a comedy and the world is a small town.

Sailstrait

Telling the stories of the history of the port of Charlottetown and the marine heritage of Northumberland Strait on Canada's East Coast. Winner of the Heritage Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation and a Heritage Preservation Award from the City of Charlottetown

dennisnarratives

Stories in words and pictures

Prufrock's Dilemma

Oh, do not ask, “What is it?”/Let us go and make our visit.

domanidave.wordpress.com/

Procrastination is the sincerest form of optimism

theINFP

I aim to bring delight to others by sharing my creative endeavours

The Corporate Slave

A mix of corporate and private life experiences

  • Follow Following
    • Larry Muffin At Home
    • Join 538 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Larry Muffin At Home
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...