Sundays are the Cat's Meow

Sunday, the day of rest is taken very literally here in Newfoundland. Nothing more than leisure activities and the large Sunday dinner which is enjoyed around noon or after Church takes place on Sundays. Any voluntary labour is abolished unless of course its mandatory paid labour. Back home Sundays were just like Mondays. Lawns were mowed, laundry was washed and any thing else that had to be done was accomplished on Sundays, just like any other day. No rest, only work.

After a long hard week, Sundays are the only day most people take off to enjoy with friends and family. We sleep in but not too late as to miss our dinner of roast beef and salt beef, "titties" or potatoes, veggies - usually turnip and carrots, pea pudding, bread-like pudding and of course, gravy. The cat and I usually take a drive on Sundays and usually it is raining. This is our day together, one day a week where we do something other than what is needed to be done. Last Sunday with his brother and sister-in-law we went blueberry picking near his parents cabin.

Days and evenings with the cat have become routine. Only 2 months and already I'm using the dreaded "R" word. Sundays I look forward to. They are different, they are fun, they do not involve work of any kind although the cat sometimes speaks of it. During the week the cat calls himself busy, I secretly call him a workaholic however the work he does he receives no pay unless he is out at sea. Whether he's helping a buddy, his brother or himself to make a buck later on life with a fisherman is a full list of to-do's. Even when one task is completed and checked off another takes its place. This would be my only complaint and a complaint that will go unheard.

An outdoor cat you can not shut in. He craves the wilderness and the hard work it takes to survive, it's in his blood. If you must only know one thing about this kind of cat to understand him it would be that. There is no hope to change him, nor would you want to. It would break his spirit and only an empty shell would remain.

There is great gain in accepting this kind of cat into your heart. He is exceptionally loyal, caring and giving. When needed his time is yours. The little things are most important and the little things he does willingly without request.

While this life is still new and I am still learning - learning to accept, learning to adjust - I wouldn't have it any other way.

Closer to the Gods

I've often wondered if the locals, specifically the fishermen and women, ever tire of their surroundings. Day in and day out bobbing in open water. If any of these fortunate few feel a shred of the emotion I did today while joy riding along the coast the answer would be they are home.

When the cat appeared at my door after being MIA for a week I was happy and happier yet when he invited me to spend the afternoon on his speed boat. Like a typical tourist camera in hand and sandals on foot I climbed down the wharf into the boat like a pro, well, with a little assistance. I couldn't contain my excitement and laughed hysterically for the first 5 minutes. I was a kid in a candy shop.

That excitement soon turned into sheer awe. Never have I felt so alive, so free as I did today.

Rugged, rustic and rough landscapes and terrain, everything I love.

The Gods in the form of a giant wall of ice.

The turquoise coloured water is the greater part of the berg below the ocean's surface.

Shallow water, pretty stones.

Introspective, soaking it all in.

Save for another fisherman checking his lobster pots and a friend of the cat's who we met up with along the way we were virtually alone. Similar to peering into a star studded sky, we were minuscule, owned by the great vastness of the deep blue and its current icy occupants.

Reality check checked.

13 Newfie Lessons Learned (T13 #1)

01) If the destination you have been seeking appears to be less than desirable once you finally arrive after driving 3 days in a 2-door Sunfire crammed with boxes, 2 Golden's, a cat, your Mother and yourself - 6 hours of that on a ferry with no where to rest your head but on the table in front of you - sleep on it. It's always brighter in the morning.

02) Cherish the trivial things such as "movie time" with your Mom even if they are movies you've seen 100 times before and are played on a lap-top rather than the 27" TV screen you are accustomed to as 6 months will pass in a blink and she will be gone - these being some of what you remember.

03) If it is absolutely necessary to travel the 2 hours into the "big town" during the winter one must leave early morning, not early afternoon to avoid driving home on the darkened winding, rolling roads and risk sliding into the ocean as there will be no guard rails to protect you and your vehicle. Or worse, you may spot a moose but if you're lucky and your car is small enough you just might be able to drive right under it.

04) Sea salt diluted in warm water works well to disinfect and help speed the healing process when your beloved dog splits one of his pads open. However, wrapping the wounded paw in gauze and pulling a sock over it is a waste of time (but comical when he attempts to walk on it) as he will only kick or bite the make-shift bandage off. The cause of the injury is still unknown.

05) Do not always take your neighbours word when they tell you that you can use their phone any time you need to. Some times people say things to be hospitable but do not always mean them. A surefire way to know is when you knock at their door in the middle of a snow storm to make that important call and your would-be hostess has done everything but invite you in, you're obviously quite unwelcome.

06) When house hunting trust your instincts. The moment you feel it in your gut, when you begin moving in and you haven't seen the upstairs yet it is the right home for you. Do not allow the thick layers of dirt and grim, the grey and burgundy kitchen decor, the numerous cracks and holes in the walls and ceilings talk you out of it. They are only superficial. It is and will be worth it in the end if you are willing to put forth the effort.

07) Do not take it personally if a handful of the local women give you odd glances, are rather short with you or if they don't speak to you at all. It is not their fault they are ignorant. Not every "main lander" comes here to steal their men.

08) The men that are available are pushy. Be direct and firm if you are not interested. "I'm not looking for a relationship" is not enough. (I've yet to learn if "I do not feel for you the same way you do for me" works but I'll keep you posted.)

09) One way to determine the difference between green and dry wood is by how heavy a log is, not by the amount of foliage that covers it. The heavier the junk the greener it is. It is not suitable to burn all green junks in your wood furnace or stove as they do not burn as easily as the dry junks. Mix your wood for better and longer lasting flame.

10) When shovelling your driveway or outside of your home at any time for that matter be prepared to have passers-by slow to a near stop to stare are you. Remember, you are foreign to them. They can not figure out why you want to be here when the majority is trying their best to get out.

11) No matter where in Ontario you're from you're from Toronto. You can tell them 1000 times the name of your home town and it will forever be Toronto or simply the main land.

12) It's not only the "tip of the iceberg" as they say. What ice you see above water there is 10x that below the oceans surface. This being coined The Iceberg Capital of the World, that's a lot of bergs!

13) Most important lesson of all: Enjoy every minute of life and what life throws at you. It will make its turns, dips and sweeps but it's all about the attitude and how you choose to deal with it.

Discovering Splendor - "Hospital Pond"

It is the ideal day for laziness. The temperatures are soaring, rain is in the air and in the grey clouds that refuse to allow any sunlight to stream through. It is the perfect day for nothing and nothing I have done since I awoke shortly after 10 (it is now almost 3).

I am hoping that any drops that may fall will hold off until later this evening. While I do enjoy storms whether it's a light pitter-patter or heavy down pour complete with loud bangs and lightning shows I have found something to look forward to every day and the sky's tears - if they may fall - will keep me from it.

I used to take the 15 minute drive to a park back home almost every evening - weather permitting. It was my alone time albeit Phoenix was always by my side. We wandered that park for hours through the trees, over the hills and watched the children play on the monkey bars. Back then Phoenix remembered his tricks and off his lead he walked. He's a good boy but it's been awhile since those days and I'm nervous about trying it again.

This island of Newfoundland is full of treasured spots I've yet to discover but I have found one that is within walking distance from the house. Both boys and I have gone to "Hospital Pond" the last couple evenings. Last night one of the neighbourhood kid's, who has taken a liking to the boys, accompanied me and from the moment we left the house and arrived at the pond I was wishing to be alone.

The pond itself is crystal clear and completely surrounded by a gravel path which takes roughly 25 minutes to walk the perimeter. It's a wonderful area with benches and gazebo's to rest along the way. I found myself becoming lost in my thoughts but Brandon's complaints of his sandals and the stones between his toes pulled me back.

He's a good boy too and I should have been grateful for his being there. It's strange to want to be alone when I've been on my own now for the past 3 weeks. Hearing another voice other than my own should have been welcomed. I wanted friends, I suppose I just wasn't expecting a 12 year old to be one of them.

The coloured stones paint a pretty picture.

Cliche but if pictures are worth a 1000 words...

We all have places we go to escape, to gather our thoughts or to just enjoy ourselves and the scenery.

Where's your spot?

Selling My Current Life. Any Takers?

The past few months I've been up to my elbows in shit. I'm exhausted on so many levels. A whirlwind of emotions.

Our home of 13 years is up for sale. How do I really feel about that? I'm excited, nervous, scared, stressed... 'cause I know what comes next.

I'm not a fan of change but when you consider your current existence a life of bullshit, constant complaining and unhappiness change is all you can do. So, when all's said and done, I'll be out of province, over a day away to the east coast. I've never lived any where but here but people do this all the time. I'm beginning to realize why.

Away from the masses, the busy bustle of every day city life and I don't live in any hugely populated city either. Compared to some around here this is nothing but enough's enough and I've had it. Where I'm going is anything but busy, the kind of life I've been dreaming of.

However, it all looks fantastic through my minds eye. But what if, what if, what if??? There's no room for what if on our moving truck. It's not do or die, it's just do period and do so it works.

The house we want is cheaply amazing. Our backyard is basically the Atlantic ocean. That is the view from the kitchen/dining room windows. Maybe I won't mind doing dishes so much. Maybe I won't mind a lot of things.