Collage of Fall 2007!

The Tale of the Newfie Peppermint Nobs

The suspense has probably"bored you to tears!"

Among the many fond memories I have of my paternal grandma, enjoying the succulent, sweet taste of peppermint nobs with her is my favourite! Grandma Elsie always kept a stash of peppermint nobs ( and gingerale) handy for her grandchildren when we came to visit. These unique candies were hard to come by where I grew up, although at times you could find them at the local Newfie store for an outrageous sum of money (and stale). So, I was excited at the prospect of being able to stock up on peppermint nobs when I travelled to "the Rock" for Grandma Elsie's funeral. I know that statement may sound strange but Grandma was 97 years old and lived a great life. We were there to celebrate !

And celebrate we did! Before the funeral, my dad took me into her room at the Nursing Home so I could say good -bye. Much to my surprise, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of her crystal candy jar resting on the window ledge - yes, it was filled with peppermint nobs, waiting to be eaten by her grandchildren! Even in the last days of her illness, she made sure her candy jar was filled with our favourite candy! How could I resist from dipping my hand into the candy jar, carefully taking out a nob in order to suck it slowly in memory of Grandma Elsie! What a sweet moment!!

One afternoon I had some free time so I walked to the local supermarket in order to purchase an assortment of Purity Peppermint Nobs! As my peppermint nobs waited patiently on the conveyor belt for the young cashier to ring them through, and before I even uttered a word from my mouth, this friendly cashier asked me in her broad Newfie accent, "are you from the Mainland?" Do you suppose the truckload of Purity Peppermint Nobs resting on the conveyor belt was a dead give away!!! "Yes, " I said. She then asked if I was up for Elsie Whalen's funeral. Wow...she is good!!! As I walked away, I suspected this young cashier had visited Grandma Elsie too and enjoyed a few peppermint nobs!

Peppermint Knobs and other Purity Candy

It is late and I must get to bed, but wanted to remind myselt to tell the story of my experience in Newfoundland when I bought peppermint knobs at the grocery store! Later....don't let the suspense kill you!!!:)

What is wrong with this picture?

I was at Lakeridge Health Oshawa Hospital today and was perflexed by the community of smokers ,who are current patients, gathered outside the front entrance. Due to the smoking bylaw, these smokers have to indulge their habit so many feet away from the front entrance. ( I forget the correct number of feet) It is an odd sight to see patients hooked up to IV's, dressed in their hospital gowns with the open backs and slippers, barely managing to stand( thank goodness they had their IV pole to hang on to!!) on the median in the middle of the road, smoking. Other patients in wheelchairs manage to climb up the curb to this new "designated" smoking area. What is wrong with this picture? !!:) I am so thankful I am not addicted to smoking - only coffee!! ( although I am slowly weaning myself off the black stuff!!)

A Day Fishing with my Dad!

Dad and all the fishing gear.
Stringing the line and putting on the fly hook.... The fly...
That's me fly fishing! Not bad technique eh?!
Dad waiting in the bullrushes for the trout to come!
(for more fishing photos and our catch, check out my web album at: www.picasaweb.google.com/swile67)



"Trout'in" is a tradition that begins at a young age down on the "Rock!" My dad has vivid memories when he was 5 or 6 years old of his father asking him to go "trout'in" to the pond, not the ocean ( they lived on a bay on the Atlantic ocean), in the early morning in order to catch fish for breakfast! Still "trout'in" at 74 years old, dad took me out to the Linwood Trout Farm for the Civic Holiday! I haven't fished in ages so it was a fun day to spend with my dad! We came home with a generous "catch" that dad cleaned, filleted and cooked up for supper , instead of for breakfast!

Hubcap prank gone wrong!

I have recently been in touch again with an old friend back in Edmonton who reminded me of a story I had completely erased from my memory!!! I have no idea how I could have forgotten but as she points out it must be my "old age!" I had a good chuckle! She says it best, so here is her story:

"The HUBCAPS - I can't believe you forgot (actually I can believe it - with your age and all!). One of the first dates Jody [ her husband] and I went on was to a hockey game (which you were also at). [ an Edmonton Oilers home game] Anyways, after the game we saw your car and thought we'd have a little fun with you - so we stole your hubcaps. Only thing was - you didn't notice - so Jody finally asked you at work what happened to your hubcaps - cause they were missing off your car. (the joke kind of back fired - but it was still pretty funny)."

Thank you Elaine and Jody for the trip down memory lane! I miss that car!:) You should see my hubcaps now!!:)

Matriarch

June 29, 1957, Toronto, ON.

Part of the Joseph Whalen family at Wyman and Mabel Whalen's ( my parents) wedding...

Back l to r: George, Wyman ( my dad ), Grandma Elsie, Grandpa Joe, Selina, Jethro
Front l to r: John, Edna, Irene
Missing: Marjorie, Ray

My dad was from a family of 9 siblings and his oldest sibling, Selina (and her husband Walt Russell), had 12 children of their own! Thus, my extended family is huge. In fact, at my Grandma's funeral on July 18, 2003, a census was taken and concluded she had 34 grandchildren; 69 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren. Those numbers have increased!
On Saturday, my dad and I ( mom was away in Ottawa visiting her cousin) had the privilege of attending Aunt Selina's family reunion. Pictures and a brief description follow in the next few blog posts. The complete picture album can be found on my web album ( www.picasaweb.google.com/swile67) .
Being with aunt Selina made me miss my grandma Whalen! I always enjoyed visiting grandma and getting the update on the latest additions to our family. There was always a new picture to be viewed and a new story to be shared. ( and peppermint knobs to be eaten:)) Grandma Whalen knew ALL the names and ALL the birthdays of her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great children. She rarely looked at her book where she recorded those details! I was always amazed at her memory! I was thankful for the time I could spend with her and could listen for hours to the family stories she devulged. My aunt Selina is the same - she is now passing down the same tradition for her large, wonderful family! What a blessing! I am so glad I can turn to my aunt Selina when I have questions about my family history that dad either forgets or doesn't know the answer! Enjoy the reunion recap.....