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

Larry Muffin At Home

Tag Archives: Family

Quiet day

01 Saturday Jan 2022

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

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Anniversary, Concert, Family, life, New Year, Vienna

Today 1 January is a quiet day, it’s 5C outside, no snow, no wind, no one in the street, grey skies, all is shut down. This year 2022 marks for my family an anniversary of sorts, our ancestor arrived at Quebec City on a French War Ship with his regiment in 1662 some 360 years ago. He was part of many French Regiments sent to Canada to put an end to the Indian wars threatening Montreal and other settlements. He established himself, had a farm and the rest is history.

I listened to the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, it was nice but had none of the glamour of previous years, the concert hall was half empty and there was little in terms of flower mass decorations usually found for this concert. It was all very restrained no doubt due to the difficult situation with Covid. However I like the part where they follow this little butterfly from the greenhouses of the Schonbrunn Palace and all over Austria along the Danube etc. The close up of this fragile butterfly landing on beautiful flowers is enchanting. This is a country we always love spending time in, Austria is so civilized.

I do pray that 2022 will see us return to a more normal situation. However as with Climate Change I fear that we are in for some turbulence and rough seas ahead. The future will not be for the faint of heart.

So let’s look forward in a positive manner. I read this saying today and I thought well suited for the year to come.

“Let it be in your heart that every day of the new year will be the best day of the year”

Images from foreign festivities

27 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

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cuisine, Family, Food, life, US Thanksgiving.

On American thanksgiving both my sister and my brother who are American Citz sent pictures of what they were doing. My sister and her husband got dinner at a Jewish Deli they have been frequenting for decades. My brother and his wife who live in Florida had roast beef. My brother loves to BBQ and he is very good at it, he also like to use his smoker and that is how he cooked the prime rib. I wish I had been there because I know how good it must have been.

Cooked just the way I like it. What a nice piece of beef. He served it with asparagus.

I do not know where he got his Continental Airline Apron. Years ago he use to be an airline mechanic.

Hopefully in 2022 we can visit and see each other. I also hope that my sister will come up to visit PEI.

The things you hear

18 Sunday Apr 2021

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Childhood, Family, life, lullabies

Yesterday on Radio-Canada on the classical music program they played what I quickly identified as classic old French lullabies. One is Au Clair de la Lune and the other is Fait dodo, Colas mon petit frère. Both are very well known and are probably the first songs any child will hear from his Mother or sibling. As a small child, I heard these two lullabies hundreds of times. It is the only two I know by heart to this day. This is the sort of thing you cannot forget because it is so tightly close to early life.

Here we have Angèle Dubeau, an international artist, a Canadian violin player, who I met in 1987 in Mexico City where she had come to give concerts with her Stradivarius, a beautiful instrument which was guarded due to its rarity and great age.

90th Anniversary

02 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

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Anniversary, Family, Mom

Today my mother would be 90 years old, she died some 7 years ago after a long illness.

Always elegant, this photo was taken in my parents apartment at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa by their friend photographer Yusuf Karsh who also lived at the hotel for many decades.

Rollande Gougeon Beaulieu

I often think of her and how a wonderful person she was to us kids in our childhood. I have her sense of organization and looking forward. She instilled in us the importance of reading and learning. She loved the arts in all its form and she would speak to us about it. Though she is gone now, she is still with us in many ways.

Circuit Breaker

28 Sunday Feb 2021

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

artichoke, Birthday, brother, Childhood, cuisine, Family, Rome, Spring

This past week our little Island province went from 1 case to 15 cases of Covid19, all due to a handful of under 30 who travelled outside the Province and failed upon return to observed the mandatory rules of 14 day quarantine. They in turn infected their friends and all of a sudden we have a crisis. Unfortunately too many people still think they are above it all and it does not concern them. They put everyone at risk with their irresponsible actions. What was most shocking was the 2 girls twenty something who being sick decided to go shopping instead of going straight home, result they infected staff and other clients in the store which had to close. Or the 17 to 24 group who went to the Gym in Summerside a small community about 50 minutes from Charlottetown. They gave false names and phone numbers so they could not be traced, only then when they were found by the Health Authorities lied further by giving false information. I have a real problem with this type of reasoning. Do they not care that they are putting family and community at risk? Summerside has a population of 14,000. small town in other words.

At the news conference Dr Morrison, chief medical officer was visibly upset and appeared very tired, she and her staff of the Health Dept have been working flat out 24/7 doing a tremendous service. Well some people are making death threats against her. Unbelievable that anyone in their right mind would say such awful things. They are upset and cannot understand the gravity of the situation. News UPDATE as of Sunday night we are now in a RED zone and everyone is confined to home for 72 hours, the only stores open are grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies. The streets are deserted.

I was at the grocery store just before the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer went on the air to announce the restrictions Saturday afternoon, which closed the Island and all businesses, restaurants etc. Stay Home and wear a mask even outside. There was a noticeable air of panic and anxiousness in the air at the store, many already knew the bad news and we are back to where we were one year ago. The difference this time we have some 7,000 Islanders or 4.5% of our population who have received the vaccine and more have been called up, vaccination is in effect and moving ahead, that is a big plus.

IN OTHER NEWS

As we enter March Winter is clearly coming to an end, the days are 1 hour longer now. As my Birthday is coming up, Will asked me to see some old photos of myself, one photo was taken some 59 years ago, the other 62 years ago. I have to say looking at those photos made me wonder, it is another time and place gone forever. Now when I think of the past, it is mostly 5 to 10 years ago, this to me is manageable and in the realm of reality. Anything beyond that looks to remote, so many people, family and friends I knew simply gone, they are memories of another era. I also realize how the world as a whole has changed and with it our lives.

Maybe the Pandemic also affects my view of the past. Our movement are curtailed and everything is local, the rest appears to far away to reach.

Me standing with the beach ball and my little brother who is 2 yrs old and I am 4. In our little pool my Mom put together and I was asked to fill it with water, in our backyard. C.1959

Finally today I miss Italy and Rome, saw some pictures of friends gardens all in Spring flowers and the trees are also in flower, greenery everywhere under the beautiful sky. It looks so relaxing and pleasant. It is also artichoke time and you can buy the whole thistle plant and stock and make a beautiful meal of it.

Love the colour, such a nice green vegetable to eat. We use to buy them this way in the Vegetable markets in Rome.

In restaurants in Rome you could order the artichoke dish in two styles, Carciofi alla Romana, Rome Style Stuffed or Carciofi alla Giudia, Jewish style fried, both very good.

43 Years

19 Thursday Nov 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Anniversary, Family, life, relationship

With November another Anniversary for us. It has been 43 years since we met and have been together all these decades. A whirlwind as the photos attest. Of course there are more photos but this would be a movie and I do not want to bore you dear readers. This year we will have a quiet celebration at home with a glass of bubbly. Probably for our 45th in 2022 we will have to do a big party, like hire Frank Sinatra to sing with Benny Goodman’s orchestra, I hope they’re available.

Cape Sounion, Aegean sea, Greece for the sunset.
One of my favourite photo of Will in the Garden of the Drottningholm Palace, near Stockholm. Syd the gnome travelled with us.
In Charlottetown for a Xmas Charity Event, 2018
1996 with our first Dachshunds, Reesie and Bundnie, who came from Chicago and Egypt.
On Mount Nebo in Jordan where Moses saw the Promise Land, Palestine in the background.

As Autumn moves ahead

25 Sunday Oct 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Autumn, comfort, Fall, Family, life, PEI

This Sunday 25 October Europe is setting their clocks back one hour and next Sunday 1 November, All Souls Day, we in Canada will set our clocks back, this means that Winter is around the corner. Today the weather climbed to 5C. which is not warm and the wind is cold, the air smells of snow. Just 48 hours ago it was still 12C and pleasant. The smell of snow in the air, you know that level of humidity with the salty sea air, the leaves on the trees are turning colour, a sure sign that colder weather is on the way.

The Sun is setting at the moment and the horizon is turning violet colour, a lovely shade, probably caused by the cloud bans and the reflection of the setting rays, it’s a half moon tonight.

Many wish to do away with the time change, I see their point this one hour fall back on the clock means it will be dark by 5pm and at the Winter Solstice it is around 4:30pm which is really early. But since I have lived with this all my life, I really don’t mind the time change. To me it means a new Season, Holidays and changing wardrobe, flannel sheets, etc. This is one thing about living in Canada, you need at least 2 if not 3 completely different wardrobes for the different seasons.

I think we got use to the idea of not travelling, a return to the time prior to the 1970’s when few people travelled internationally, when mass tourism did not exist. Going to the USA by car no less was common but for a lot of Canadians it meant the New England States. The wealthier people went to Florida and for a taste of the exotic Key West, you know all those artists living there. But I think that given the way things are going we are in this for at least another 12 months if not 24 or until October 2022. I am also not holding my breath for a vaccine, I think this is not going to happen any time soon.

What I want to do now is keep comfortable and cosy, surround myself with the familiar and shut out the world, there is too many disagreeable things going on in Canada and elsewhere. We have the puppies to look after and God knows they are demanding little monsters and they talk back. We use to say they did not like children, but nooooo Ms Nora and Mr Nick talk back quite a bit and are insisting. Oh well, if that is all we have to complain about, we re doing ok.

This photo of the old puppies was taken a few days ago, Nick got a nice grooming since and does not look so disheveled.

Bonne Action de Grâce!

10 Saturday Oct 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Canada, Family, Food, Friends, Peace, PEI, pumpkin, thanksgiving

Well this weekend we celebrate Thanksgiving, despite the Pandemic and numbers of sick people surging in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta and a new and developing situation in New Brunswick, we can be thankful in Canada for so many good things we enjoy. First and foremost everyone has access for FREE to Healthcare, Covid 19 tests are Free and easily accessible. You need healthcare it is available and you have no worries about it. Even the Seasonal Flu Shot are FREE. When you have your health, you got it all.

Here in PEI we have no COVID and anyone who has been sick total 61 have stayed at home and have received help and follow-up from Health PEI. No deaths and no hospitalizations.

We live in a peaceful and stable country, the Government of Canada has numerous programs for help and support financially anyone who needs help during the Pandemic. This is more than we can say if looking at other countries where people are left to fend for themselves.

We live in a nice house, we have friends and a good social life. We have our two puppies who are demanding but we love them, hey their Dachshunds, what do you expect.

So we have a lot to be thankful for and appreciative of our blessings in this life.

Happy Thanksgiving! Bonne Action de Grâce!

Quote

Hukou — A Beijinger living in Provincetown

29 Saturday Aug 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in life

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

beijing, China, Family

My friend Yi who now lives in the USA has started a very interesting blog on his life in China. If you wish to learn more about how that country functions and what are the issues as seen my a citizen, have a read. I have known Yi since 2005 and he is a very nice and smart fellow.

 

In a previous post, I mentioned Hukou (Wikipedia). In China, they say it is to maintain “social order”, but it is mainly a way to control the populations in big cities. Each family has a “Household Register”. There’s one page for each individuals of the household. The information includes name, birth date, gender, ethnic group, […]

via Hukou — A Beijinger living in Provincetown

July 12, 2015

13 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in life

≈ 11 Comments

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.

laurent et Dad Nov. 2013.jpg

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

 

 

 

 

 

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