new cooking site and news

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Canada, Death, life, Prince Philip, Royal, Time

Almost every Saturday morning we go to the Farmer’s Market, we are lucky here on this Agricultural Island that we do have a lot of farmers, real ones, none of the phoney farmers seen in so many urban markets. We are also lucky that many people shopping around have developed a personal relationship with various suppliers for their eggs, poultry, lamb, beef, cheese, fresh produce, etc..

Today I bought some very nice cheeses and some fresh lamb for stew and a leg of lamb to roast. The various farmers have developed their products to be natural and free of hormones or other nasty products usually found in grocery store supplies.

We buy our meat from Steerman, he is the old style farmer, you buy from his farm and he can give you which ever cut of beef you want. Same with chicken from Larkin or lamb. With every purchase comes also a bit of a chat, it is customary to do so.

So we bought lamb for a stew and found this really fun recipe and one that looks easy to make. On YouTube at KITCHEN SANCTUARY, the recipe is called Lancashire Hotpot.

I also bought a turkey pot pie from Larkin’s and we will have that for dinner tomorrow.

Of course, we are still thinking of the death of Prince Philip yesterday, it seems that many thought he would live forever. He was for me a mainstay all my life. We did have the Queen Mother but this was different, she belonged to the time of her husband, King George VI.

Philip and Elizabeth were married 73 years, next week the Lieutenant Governor of PEI is coming to the Club to re-dedicate a portrait of HM taken in 1951 some 70 years ago when the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were on their first visit to Canada and PEI, Her Father only had about 3 months to live. What was not mentioned yesterday, it was the 16th Wedding Anniversary of Prince Charles and Camilla. The Queen’s birthday is in a few days and she will turn 95.

It was explained yesterday by the College of Arms or Heralds, that the title of the Duke of Edinburgh now passes to his son Charles, who is also Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay. When Charles becomes King, the Dukedom will be extinguished until such times as he gives it to another member of the Family. It is fully expected that the title of Duke of Edinburgh will go to his younger brother Edward the Earl of Wessex.

At the moment Prince Philip is lying at rest (not in State) in a chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Royal Memorial Service (not a State funeral) will be held at St-George’s Chapel at Windsor castle and not at Westminster Cathedral. Those were the wishes of the Prince who did not want any fuss as he put it. However he will have his Statue on the empty plinth at Trafalgar square in London in a few years time.

For the time being his coffin will rest in the vault of St-George’s Chapel until the Queen dies and then they will be buried together in a mausoleum on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Prince Charles now will assume even more responsibilities, he has taken over much of every day duties delegated by his mother the Queen, we have entered what seems to me as a transitory period. The video was made a few hours ago at Highgrove the Residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, about 90 minutes outside London

H.R.H. The Prince Philip

Tags

Canada, Death, Prince Philip, Royal Family

The first news I heard this morning in a special news bulletin on the CBC was of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, husband to Her Majesty the Queen. It really is for us Canadians the end of an era. After 70 years of distinguish public duty at the age of 99. The longest serving Prince Consort in Canadian and British history.

His childhood was one of adversity, his family was forced from Greece into exile, his parents Prince Andrew and Princess Alice separated and he spent his childhood moving from one relative to another and going to many different schools.

Born at the Palace of Mon Repos on the Isle of Corfu in Greece on June 10, 1921, Prince of Greece and Denmark, Philip’s four older sisters were Margharita, Theodora, Cecilie, and Sophie.

He was born in Greece, but his family was exiled from the country when he was eighteen months old. After being educated in France, Germany and the United Kingdom, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, aged 18. From July 1939, he began corresponding with the thirteen-year-old, Princess Elizabeth whom he had first met in 1934. During the Second World War he served with distinction in the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets. After the war, Philip was granted permission by King George VI to marry Elizabeth. Before the official announcement of their engagement in July 1947, he renounced his Greek and Danish titles and styles, changed his religion from Greek Orthodox to Anglican, became a British Subject and adopted his maternal grandparents’ surname Mountbatten. He married Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947. Just before the wedding, he was granted the style His Royal Highness and created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King George VI. Philip left active military service when Elizabeth became queen in 1952, having reached the rank of commander of the British Navy, and was made Prince of Great Britain, on their 10th Wedding Anniversary in 1957 by his wife Queen Elizabeth.

Philip had four children with Elizabeth: HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Heir to the Throne; HRH Princess Anne, The Princess Royal; HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex.

A sports enthusiast, Philip helped develop the equestrian event of carriage driving. He was a patron, president, or member of over 780 organizations, and he served as chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a self-improvement program for young people aged 14 to 24. He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the longest-lived male member of the British royal family. He retired from his royal duties on 2 August 2017, aged 96, having completed 22,219 solo engagements since 1952.

The Queen referred to Prince Philip in a speech on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012 as her “constant strength”.

Thank you Sir, for your service.

His favourite Hymn called the Sailor’s Hymn, Eternal Father, Strong to Save.

Coming events

Tags

Ash Wednesday, covid19, Death, Harlequin, Lent, Quebec

Well in about 5 weeks I will become officially a senior citizen, a golden ager, entitled to all kinds of coupons and discounts and will be able to complain and accuse anyone not doing what I want of discrimination and playing the victim card. Sounds like fun to me. Making up excuses, like my hearing is not good, my health is shot, I can’t see clearly like Mr Magoo, appearing confused and muttering under my breath. A rich vein to be exploited.

I was thinking of a cake for my birthday, I discovered a recipe for Sicilian Orange Cake with a frosting of cream cheese with Grand Marnier, simple and delicious. Apparently the cake uses the whole orange, rind and al. I like the idea of Grand Marnier in the frosting. Certainly beats Betty Crocker chocolate cake, though I must confess as a child, my Mom use to make us such cakes and they were quite good, her secret recipe no doubt.

So tomorrow is Lent and usually in the old ways of observing it, you would give up meat and sweets. Fish was a substitute, lucky us in New Brunswick a local fellow has a Sturgeon fish farm and of course Caviar is the product. What a good substitute for meat, add a little Oysters and voilà, the perfect Lenten diet.

Lent today starting with Ash Wednesday is somewhat of a forgotten period of the year. It is not mentioned anywhere unless you attend religious services. The concept also of Ash Wednesday which I always thought was a good reminder that we must remain humble, you are ashes and will return to ashes, is not a popular message in a society where no one dies, you pass. The use of pass as a action verb is odd at best. People appear unable to say he died or she died. Passing is to me going into another room, or walking by.

Lent also could in this time of Pandemic be a chance to reflect on our society and its values as a whole. A society who is in a constant search for excitement, where only the individual matters, the self is everything. Despite easy restrictions, many have displayed extreme selfishness, not caring for family or friends or community. Making up excuses for not following simple sanitary rules, at the moment its mental health, everyone suffers from some kind or other metal problem. One teacher said to me that she did not understand the extreme reactions of students who complain loudly of feeling anxious, about what exactly she wondered? They cannot learn online, they need tons of support, no self-discipline. In Canada, 21,000 people have died so far, of that total 50% live in the Province of Quebec, again widespread resistance to guidelines led to tragedy. Just off the coast of PEI are 2 sandbanks called the Magdalene Islands a nice tourist spot in the Summer, population 12,000, also part of Quebec. It is largely a windswept place in the middle of the Gulf of St-Lawrence. 60% of the population is sick with COVID19. A very sad situation. There has to be a sociological explanation and a psychological one for the type of Covidiots we have seen all around Canada.

This painting by Carl Spitzweg, in the Stuttgart Art gallery, entitled Ash Wednesday c.1860. Arlecchino reflecting on life in a monk’s cel. is a propos. Harlequin from the Commedia del’Arte is usually portrayed as a dim-wit, silly, simple person, always hungry, somehow corresponds to our society in this time of crisis, refusing facts or science and in quest of absolute and entertainment.

La Toussaint, Dia de los Muertos, All Hallows

Tags

Costumes, Death, fun, graves, halloween, Keppoch, life, PEI, traditions

Today 1 November, we are approaching the end of the year, only 60 days left and Christmas is only 55 days away. Every first of November in Mexico we use to visit the cemeteries as Mexicans do to honour their dead by making beautiful flower decorations over their graves. Graves became carpets of flowers and small candle lanterns were also placed by the tombstone to shine at night. The display at night was stunning, hundreds of candles flickering in the dark and all those multicoloured carpets of flowers often in a pattern was a sight to behold. The work that went into it was impressive, it required often to clean the grave area and prepare it for the display. Whole families came to work, showing that their dead meant something to them despite being gone to the Spirit world. Of course all these Mexican tradition came with a lot of sweets, sugared skulls, chocolate coffins, on wedding cakes a male and female skeleton replaced the figurines of the bride and groom. It is not Halloween but instead a celebration of Death which will come to all of us.

People decorate graves with flowers and candles but also bring food, fruits and sweets for their dead. This is a tradition we also found in our cultures like Vietnam. These Mexican women also spend time at the graves of relatives, it is a social event.

This tradition also held in Poland but it was more a display of lanterns and a bouquet of fresh flowers. Then on Remembrance Day, the military would invite all the military attaché of the different Embassies in Warsaw to participate in commemoration at the grave of their soldiers. The Polish military would on that day have an honour guard at various military graves. Canada has military graves in Poland, mostly airmen who were shot down by Nazi occupiers. We also have one memorial on a street and in this case a large plaque on a building wall recalls the event. In this case the Ambassador had to climb a ladder since the plaque was about 15 feet up and place a great wreath on a hook below the plaque. I was always afraid His Nibs would fall off in the process. The weather in Warsaw was always bitter cold on that day and sometimes it rained, but nonetheless attendance by Embassy staff was de rigueur, it was all very official.

Now in Charlottetown for Halloween we were invited to Keppoch (pronounced Kepic) for a Costume dinner party last night. This area is across the river from us on the point at the entrance of the Strait, it is a narrow passage taken by all ships in and out of Port Charlottetown. It is a very green rural area with affluent houses and a few lighthouses to guide ships through the water channel.

VIew from Keppoch, the other side is Rocky Point and Fort LaJoy

Everyone had a really great costume and it was loads of fun. A good dinner and good conversation. The film shown after dinner was Rocky Horror Picture Show, made in 1975 that was 45 years ago and looking at it now after many years I suddenly thought how dated it is, almost embarrassingly so. Another world and another time, loads of social and political messages in the camp goings on a reference to that time in history. I had never noticed on the costume of Dr Frank-N-Furter the red triangle, a reference to political prisoners identification badge in Nazi concentration camps.

It was a great evening with good people all around and we had a blue Moon last night.

A crow, a safari huntress and Count Dracula enjoying a drink.

So today being Sunday 1 November, our clocks went back one hour and suddenly it is dark at 04:45 pm. strange really.

July 12, 2015

Tags

Death, Family, memories, Montreal, parents

On the afternoon of July 12, 2015 around 4pm as we were about to leave the house to go to a dinner BBQ at friends, the phone rang, a strange call, my sister was on the phone calling from NY City where she lives, she was in a panic and blurted out that our father was either dead or dying in Montreal. A few minutes prior to calling me she had received a call from the Hôtel Dieu Hospital telling her that our father was in a critical condition. He had gone out that afternoon to shop for some summer shoes at Holt Renfrew on Sherbrooke street, this was his favourite store. He was scheduled to go to Vermont to be with my sister and my brother-in-law for their Summer vacation. I was confused by the call and in the rush of her telling me what was happening I kept thinking how can you be dead or dying. Our Dad had not been in the best of health for several years, he had heart problems and COPD, his lungs were no longer functioning properly and every week he had to go to the hospital for treatment. But he refused to talk much about his health and did not elaborate much about it when we asked him. He was ok not to worry, had a team of good doctors he liked.

However that July 12 was a very hot and muggy day and when you have lung problems it is not the time to go out in the city. The muggy air of the streets did not help and arriving at the store inside was super cold with A/C. From what we were able to gather later, he felt un-well and collapsed, an ambulance was called and the first responders tried to revive him for over 30 minutes to no avail.

I remember my sister calling me a second time a few minutes after the initial call, I was rushing to get things organized to go to Montreal which is only 2 hours away by car from Ottawa. In the second call she had the hospital doctors on the line and I was told that despite best efforts, Dad had a very weak heartbeat and his lungs were not functioning. He was not going to recover, the doctors wanted to know what we wanted done. Should they continue to try to revive him despite no oxygen going to his brain, the doctor added that 45 minutes had now elapsed with this condition.  At that moment I simply remembered what both he and Mom years before I told us repeatedly about no extra measures to revive in such a case. So it was decided to let him go. There was no anguish about making that decision, there was no hope, it was simply the cold reality of what had happened and knowing how Dad was a proud man, neither me or my sister could imagine not respecting his wishes and putting him on a respirator and other modern medical machines, that was not what he would have wished. Our parents also believed that when your time has come you simply accept it, it’s that simple.

I did get in the car shortly thereafter and drove like a maniac on the highway down to Montreal. I was hoping in a strange way that he would still be alive, but I knew that it was not going to be that way.

I arrived in Montreal around 7pm and was greeted by a nurse who told me right away that he had died. Yes I know I said to her. She then asked me if I would sign the forms for his release from the hospital to the care of the Medical Faculty of McGill University. It was just a simple formality, Dad had made all the arrangements with his team of doctors, all from McGill and the Royal Vic Hospital. I knew that, he had told me and I thought how organized he was. I was then shown to his room where he lay. My cousin who had always been close to my parents, was there waiting for me. Neither of us knew what to say. He looked as he always did when I observed him sleeping in his chair in the living room in the afternoon but this time it was different.

My sister was on her way to Montreal driving as quickly as possible she arrived around midnight exhausted. My brother arrived 2 days later coming from Florida and having difficulty arranging flights on extremely short notice.

After the hospital I went to his apartment in Westmount, it is only then that it hit me, seeing all his things arranged methodically, everything in order, that he would not be coming back to his home. I sat on the sofa and looked at his chair, I could feel his presence, all was quiet, peaceful.

Our mother had died two years previously in her sleep and he had predicted that he would be gone in two years. When he told me this, I scoffed, come on Dad don’t say things like that.

Today my sister is in Vermont on vacation at the cottage as she would have been back then had he not died. I spoke to her and she told me that she had been thinking of him all week. I too had been thinking of the approaching date. He would have been 90 years old this year.

At lunch with Dad at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. 

 

 

 

 

 

An Anniversary forgotten

Tags

auschwitz, Birkenau, Death, Fascism, Italy, Nazi, Primo Levi, WWII

This past week was the 75th Anniversary of the arrival of Soviet troops in Poland in their offensive to defeat Nazi Germany and so called liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau Camps. Currently I am reading a biography on Primo Levi, the celebrated Italian author from Turin who was interned at Auschwitz from February 1944. In the biography by Ian Thomson written in 2019 on the centennial of Primo Levi birth, we have a very good picture in Levi’s words of what that camp life was like, of the people he knew, of those who died and those who survived. We also read about the Germans at the camp who ran the factories for I.G. Farben and BASF. In order to survive Levi says; you had to find a way to do as little as possible to preserve your energy.

Levi had a long career in Turin as a chemist and he became a celebrated author of poems, short stories for children, science fiction and on his own life experience. His work took him to Germany in the 1950’s to 1970’s and he writes about his view of Germans and Germany and also of his own country Italy and its long period under the Fascist dictatorship which led to Italian Jews like himself being singled out and how after 1945 Italy continued and continues to this day to have in its political life the heirs of Mussolini’s ideals.

Levi’s book If this is a man and his other book Truce speaks of his experience while incarcerated. Levi survived the camps because he had been educated and worked as a Chemist, his skills were in demand. After the Soviets arrival he then recounts how going home was not so simple. The Soviets had their own agenda, a harrowing tale.

During my posting to Warsaw, Poland I was delegated to go to Auschwitz- Birkenau 3 times for official remembrance ceremonies. The camps are near Krakow and a small sign on the highway to Krakow indicates the cut off to the village of Oswiecim. A quiet little village with a railway crossing it the camps are just outside the village limits.

My first visit was a commemoration for the Sinti people and the mass extermination of 2 August 1944 in the sector of the camp housing them. The Sinti and Roma imprisoned in the camp came primarily from Germany, Austria, the Protectorate of Bavaria and Moravia, and Poland, with smaller groups arriving from France, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia/Croatia, Belgium, the USSR, Lithuania, and Hungary. There is also mention of Sinti and Roma citizens of Norway and Spain.

It is estimated that about 23 thousand men, women, and children were imprisoned in the camp. About 21 thousand were registered in the camp (including the more than 370 children estimated to have been born there). A group of about 1,700 Polish Sinti and Roma was murdered immediately after arriving at the camp, without being entered in the records.

Of the approximately 23 thousand Sinti and Roma deported to Auschwitz, some 21 thousand died or were murdered in the gas chambers. There was one man at the ceremony who had missed being gassed simply because the night before he was transferred to a labour camp and survived. It was very strange to see one survivor out  of many thousand who perished being present to bear witness. His survival depended on Fate.

The terrible thing about those camps was how they had been set up as of 1933 to exterminate all enemies of Nazi Germany at first all German Opposition political figures were targeted, intellectuals and artists. Then the long list of enemies of the Reich, people from all walks of life, from criminals to political prisoners, to activists, people belonging to groups declared to be sub-humans like the Sinti and Roma people, Jews, priests, nuns, any religious denomination, resistance fighters, POW who were marginally better treated, homosexuals, and anyone who simply did not fit into the Nazis book for a perfect society. This also included members of Royal families of Europe who worked against Nazi occupation of their respective country.  Everyone had a badge to wear to identify the group they belonged to and the number tattoo on their arm. Since the usual life expectation was 3 months, the number on one’s arm could show if you had lived beyond the usual 90 day period, some like Levi did. The memory of Auschwitz-Birkenau is that of a large industrial death factory whose sole purpose was to exterminate quickly those the Nazi had identified as undesirable.

Today some 75 years later, Auschwitz has become a name in history books. Far too many docu-drama have in my opinion cheapened the memory of the atrocities to the point of trivializing them. During my visits to Auschwitz I did hear comments from visitors which illustrated the depth of ignorance and indifference to what they were seeing, I could not help thinking that these same people could probably have been inmates if we went back in time.  In the biography of Primo Levi, a quote from him illustrates how to think of this horrible episode in history, Levi says: We must master the past otherwise the past will master us.

Primo Levi (174517) 1919-1987, born and died in Turin, Italy in the same house at Corso Re Umberto 75. 

Candy

Tags

All souls, Canada., Candy, Chocolate, corpses, Death, eternity, ghost, haunted, witches

Well another Halloween, this year did not buy a pumpkin, no candies, just quiet at home, it is the first time in my life that I have not gotten a pumpkin. No point in doing anything since where we live there are no kids and being in the tourist district, now that the Season is over, everything is closed until May next year. So it is very quiet here and pleasant. This is one section of Charlottetown that dies after Thanksgiving and will not come back to life until May 1 when the first cruise ship arrives, still most businesses will be closed until June 1, so you wonder why bother having visiting cruise ships, nothing to see.

We are going to a Halloween party tomorrow night at the Club and I think it will be fun.

A myth has been debunked by the media surrounding Halloween candy, apparently since 1958 there have been 200 reports of tampered candy and this has raised a lot of concerns amongst certain parent groups and media types who love click bait and ratings.

In Canada no children has ever been sick or died from so call tampered candies. It appears from Police investigations that it is a hoax. I remember as a child going out trick or treating  and coming home with a loot, in all those years never saw nor heard of anyone being poisoned. But there was always someone in need of 5 minutes of fame who made some kind of complaint about candy handed out. Then all manner of suggestions were made to protect children, basically keep them home and buy your kids candy. That way total freak control.  In fact the only death of a child by cyanide poisoning happened in the USA, the father poisoned his own child with candy laced with cyanide. He thought that if he told police that he could not remember where he got the candy they would assume that is was somewhere in the neighbourhood. But after a careful investigation it came back to this fellow who got the death penalty in 1984.

I also found a very useful chart of wine pairing with halloween candy, I am sure we can all use it.

Well happy Halloween to you all!

 

 

 

music from an era

Tags

age, ageism, Death, guy lombardo, life, senior

In 1976 I moved to Ottawa from Montreal to attend University. The building complex where I lived had an intercom system which broadcasted one local radio station, CFMO and they only played big band dance music 1930-1960. This radio station no longer exist today. The listeners were all from  the generation born between 1920 and 1930, they were now approaching that certain age. The music was of their younger days when the world was their oyster.

Marcus T. Cicero, 106 BC to Dec 43 BC

Hearing this from Guy Lombardo today reminded me that I am entering this age now when life is behind you and not in front of you. I will have to re-read Marcus Tullius Cicero’s book entitled ” How to grow old”.  Ancient wisdom for the second half of life.

A little book filled with ancient wisdom, Cicero suggest gardening and reading gives more pleasure than sex. The book addresses fears about old age, and Cicero persuasively argues they are greatly exaggerated.  Cicero was my age when he wrote that book the year before he was assassinated.

A tragic accident

Tags

Death, Election, Green, Josh, PEI

Yesterday afternoon was for a Good Friday a strange day, one full of foreboding, I had a bad feeling about the day, it was raining and gray, the Hillsborough river was calm. I swung by the Club to discover that the ceiling in the Parlour of the house was damaged by water infiltration, the elaborate plaster had fallen to the ground, water and debris on the floor.  Emergency calls were made to the roofing company. I went home and again driving by the Landing Marina I notice 3 ambulances and fire trucks and a zodiac boat used for rescue in the harbour. I wondered what was going on, I saw the zodiac boat go into the river and bring back bodies, the responders were calm and I thought something terrible happened, indeed it had. Just two hours later, I read on the page of the Green Party a cryptic message about condolences and death, a tragedy, but what could it be. Then a white bicycle appeared on a black cover, I immediately thought of my friend Josh Underhay who is a candidate for the Green Party in this election. The candidate in my district told me that Josh and his son Oliver had died in a canoeing accident that afternoon, yes those bodies, it was them. I simply cannot believe it. Josh was a great school teacher, he invited me during my campaign last October to talk to his class about voting and democracy, the kids were well prepared and asked good questions. He was also a musician and trumpet player, he spoke 4 languages fluently, one being Mandarin. He advocated for cycling in the city and the bicycle was his symbol.

He was well travelled and had lived abroad. He leaves behind his wife and another very young son. I met his mother just last week and she told me that Josh as a kid was always curious about things and always enquiring, a very bright boy he was. Indeed as a person he was one of a kind, everyone liked him, thoughtful and generous, open to all people. We should have more people like him. His son Oliver was also a clever fellow and had musical leanings. So sad that he should die so very young with his father.

The campaigning is suspended today by all parties as a tribute to this exceptional person.  In his district 9 the other candidates took down their electoral signs so only his appear. The Prime Minister of Canada sent condolences. Today is a foggy, dark dreary day with misty rain. A memorial service was held at the Haviland Club at 1pm.

Photos Courtesy of Jing on Island, who comes to all musical events and takes great photos of musicians and bands.

28 Sept.

Tags

apple pie, Death, Funeral, Remembrance, thanksgiving

Yesterday 28 September I got a call from my cousin Gilbert in Montreal letting me that his mother, my aunt Laurence had died aged 92 after a very long illness. She was the elder sister of my mother and my little sister reminded me that our mother had died 5 years ago on this day.  What a strange coincidence, both died in their sleep after long illnesses. I have two aunts left on my maternal side, one is 93 and the other is 88.

My aunt did not want any funeral service and her ashes are to be buried in the same cemetery in Saint-Laurent beside her son Louis and her ex-husband Jacques. There will be a memorial service some time in the future.

Such news brought back a lot of memories of childhood and it seems almost unbelievable that aunts and uncles all aged and now are gone. In my mind though time passed I never really thought of them as getting old, they seemed frozen in time.

I remember my aunt Laurence coming to visit me in Chicago back in 1994 when I was working at the Canadian Consulate in the Prudential building. But I do not remember much more than us going to a steakhouse for dinner.

Today more of the same, only 38 days left in the campaign. I can’t wait for it to end. I fear the vote will be very split with 4 candidates on the ballot. Two of the Mayoral candidates opened their campaign offices today with sandwiches and cake, photos and a few speeches. The weather is still pleasant for canvassing, some people are interested in the elections other could not care less. Apathy is out there and it is difficult to counter, there is a belief that voting is meaningless. A lot of young people are either mildly amused or indifferent to the elections, I am trying to point out to them the difference they can make by getting involved, not an easy task.

Win or loose, I want to take a vacation afterwards, we are discussing where we might go. Lisbon, Portugal came up as a possibility. Just a week might do a world of good.

Thanksgiving in coming up on 8 October, I think we are doing turkey, no stuffing, some vegetables, a pumpkin soup to start and apple pie for dessert, lots of apples this time of year.