Sunday June 29th, 2008 Newfoundland

Newfoundland is one of our most scenic provinces and rich in history. I first visited it in 1984 with my father and sister. As I stood looking at the ocean, from my grandfather's birthplace in Heart's Delight, I understood why my parents had fallen in love with it on their first visit. The landscape is spectacular and it felt like we'd come to a place where time had slowed down just a little. We were made to feel welcome by family and strangers and I returned for a few more visits. This is my tribute to The Rock.
Movies

Based on the novel of the same title by Bernice Morgan, Random Passage first aired as a mini series on CBC. It is the story of Mary Bundle, and her life from an English workhouse to a small Newfoundland outport. The movie featured former Codco members Andy Jones and Mary Walsh. If you’ve never seen Codco, you might know Mary from the television show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. So if you missed seeing the mini series, or want to see it again, the library carries it on videocassette.


Books

Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey is the story of a young fisherman. Set in the 1950's in a small fishing village, Sylvanus pursues and marries Adelaide. While he is happy to fish and follow in the footsteps of his ancestors, Adelaide longs to escape the small village. Latitudes Of Melt by Joan Clark is the tale of a baby girl found drifting on an ice pan off the coast of Newfoundland, after the sinking of the Titanic. Her new family names her Aurora and people think she could be a changeling due to her white hair, pale skin, two different coloured eyes and the fact that she never gets cold. It’s a wonderful tale about love and loss, set against a great backdrop. Was she from the Titanic? You’ll just have to read it and find out. Either title would be a great summer read. Stop by the library and pick one up.

Food

You are probably familiar with corned beef and cabbage, also known as Jigg's dinner. In our family we just called it boiled dinner. I grew up with this Newfoundland favourite and after my mother passed away, I taught myself how to make it. It's simple to make and delicious to eat, especially with dumplings. You can whip up a batch to enjoy while
watching Random Passage. It could only enhance the experience. You can find a recipe by checking http://www.allrecipes.com and searching for corned beef and cabbage.

Music

In 1993 Great Big Sea burst into the Canadian music scene. They play a blend of traditional Newfoundland music, as well as original materials. Not all of the band members hail from Newfoundland, but one of them, Séan McCann was born in Carbonear, one of my favourite towns. The library carries several of their compact discs.




Lingo

Newfoundlanders have a language all their own, as you can see by visiting the online version of the Dictionary Of Newfoundland English. At some time or other you’ve probably wore a pair of scroopy shoes and didn’t even know it. This is a reference to the squeaking noise made by a new pair of shoes or boots. Perhaps you have seen a cracky. A
relative in Newfoundland referred to a dog as a cracky. I didn’t really know what that meant, but the dictionary tells us that a cracky is a small, noisy mongrel dog. Now that’s something I’ve met a few of. Source: http://www.heritage.nf.ca/dictionary/azindex

If you've never been to Newfoundland, you don’t know what you’'re missing. It has great scenery, friendly residents and whales. What'’s not to like? There’s also fresh fish for the seafood lover. Who knows, your one week stay might turn into two. If you haven’t decided where to spend your summer vacation, keep The Rock in mind. Have a great
Canada Day and enjoy the rest of the summer. Hopefully it will be sunny and warm, with relatively few mosquitoes.

Karen Craib Library Technician