August 7, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Ploughman's Lunch.

While driving on the shore road with Ruth and Anna a couple of weeks ago I spotted a little store with people sitting at tables in front. We had already had lunch at the Port Grocer in Port Medway so we did not stop. My friend Sandra told me that it was a little place called The Ploughman's Lunch. Today, with Mal at thew wheel, we stopped for lunch. I thought we had missed it because I thought I had seen it at either Vogler's Cove or Broad Cove. Just when we thought we were out of luck the little place appeared. It is charming. The place had been a grocery store in early years. The counters and cabinets and shelves belonged to the 19th century. Inside there are a few tables and chairs. Young people are running it. As we ate we listened to music being played on an old record player using vinal records. They serve just a few options for lunch which includes a ploughman's lunch. They also sell bread and sweet goods. We ate inside and noticed the traffic coming and going with people picking up lunch or bread. This was the second year they have been in business. It is a welcome addition to our little restaurants.

August 6, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Leftovers.

Fortunately, I love eating left overs. Since Ruth left last Tuesday, I have been working away at eating the food left over from the caterers food he left for us. First I ate the risotto with shrimp and lobster. I served myself at three different times before it was gone. Next I alternated the two left over dishes: beef and vegetables served with rice and meat loaf, potatoes and beans. Three meals from each leftover dish. Last evening I ate the last of the food which was perfect timing because Stewart was to deliver dinner for Pat and Mal and me this afternoon. At noon today I ate a sandwich of cold turkey which was the first meal I have not eaten leftovers from the week when Ruth R. was here. Today I ate the last of the nanimo bars. Ruth had been doling out the bars each day for the both of us but I was left with almost half the container. They are delicious. But they have lots of chocolate so I must not eat them at dinner. But at noon Ruth doled us both four little squares each so I did the same after she left. I should have put them back in the freezer for a later day. My fridge is now empty of leftover food. But it will soon fill up again with more delicious food. I hope we do a better job of eating the food the first time. But I was lucky that I was well fed when I was by myself. Fortunately, company is coming today and tomorrow when I will no longer eat leftover food. But those leftovers served me well.

August 5, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Dinner at The White Point.

The best place to eat at White Point is in the lounge. The windows are big so if you are lucky you can sit at one of the six tables looking out to the sea, the beach and the rocks. And there are lots of other tables just behind the window tables. When I have lunch at White Point I always go either early or late so I can sit at one of the tables at the window in the lounge. So far I have always been in luck. Mary and Cliff and I went to White Point for dinner. They picked me up at 6. When we arrived, all the choice tables were full so we decided to eat in the main dining room, named the Elliot Room, We asked for a table by the window. But for some reason, the windows in the dining room are smaller than in the lounge so the view is not nearly as good. And our table was round and pulled away from the window to accommodate the fourth person. I was disappointed with our table. But the food was excellent. This was the first time I had eaten dinner at White Point this season so I was pleased with the menu. My scallops were delicious and Mary and Cliff ordered the two curry dishes on the menu and they split them. The service also was excellent and we enjoyed our dinner. For some reason, the dining room is noisy. Two tables with children were close by. I wished we had selected a table in the lounge, even though we would not have been by the window. One of the pleasure of living in Nova Scotia is that the twilight lasts a long time. When they drove me home at 9:15 it was still light. Our evening was delightful at White Point. I am so pleased White Point Resort is in business here on the South Shore.

August 4, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Butch.

Butch is a good fiend. For 6 years in Bethesda he was my Manager. And he was a good one for me. As far as management styles go, Butch was a custodial manager. He was unfailingly pleasant and fun and he was not prone to change anything. Then Butch was asked to take over the Potomac office and I was asked to be the manager of his old Bethesda office, So we attended all the conferences for managers and we had a good time. Butch had fun with our numbers. For the first couple of years Butah would call Regina to compare our volumes. But soon we started to beat them. Soon we buried them so it was no longer fun. I was an activist manager, always trying to get more efficient so we left the Potomac office in the dust. But custodial managers make good managers for many agents. And when he moved to the Annapolis office that office thrived too. Butch was always on duty from 9 to 5. He always remained friends. Today I talked with him on the phone. He is ailing. Since I retired, we have chatted every six months. But now since he is housebound I call him more often. He is living by himself in a rental condo overlooking the water in Annapolis. Two months ago tests were done after he fell which required him to be in bed for the medication. At the end of a month he could not walk. After being in a rehab hospital a month he is home. Therapists and nurses come but not every day. He still is unable to drive. He orders grocery from Whole Foods and dinner from restaurants. He is walking with a walker. His two brothers do not live close to him and they come every month. But Butch is isolated which I think is not good. His brain works well and he spends time with his investments but all he does every day is walk to the mailbox in the condo. And he does his exercises...most of the time. I told him on the phone that he will get better and regain his strength. After all he is only 73. Call him if you know him. He is a sociable guy. I wish him well. His number is 410-991-4094. But pleas, do not tell him that I let the cat out of the bag.

August 3, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. A Movie.

Every weekend at the Astor Theatre a movie is shown. Two years ago the equipment was modernized so we get first run movies here in little Liverpool. This morning Gill called to see if I wanted to go with her and Karen. Since I have become a widow and since I do not drive, I always say yes to any invitation. It is my new rule. Gill picked me up. Then we stopped to pick up Bruce. Finally Karen and friend Bev who is visiting got in. It was just like driving car pool. In order to fit everyone in the car, Gill got in the back seat with me and Bev while Bruce drove with Karen in the front seat. As we pulled up to the theatre, Karen commented that the empty parking space meant that few people were at the movie. And she was correct. As I hate crowds, I was delighted to know that there were only 9 people in the theatre. On the way to town, no one knew the name of the movie. And I don't remember now. But I enjoyed it. The story line tells of the dreams of a country singer who lives in Glasgow and wants to go to Nashville. There were loads and loads of songs both by the young lady and on her ear phones as she walked. We even heard some Patsy Cline tunes. So I enjoyed all the singing. Plus several original songs by the star. All the actors were Scottish. In fact often we could not hear what was said, especially by the children. But the singing was done with no accent which I thought meant that someone else was singing the songs, not the actress. I watched for the credits to see if someone else was given the credit for the singing but to no avail. Whoever did sing had a great voice so I enjoyed the singing. The protagonist goes to Nashville but comes home to headline a show in Glasgow. All ends happy, back at home in Scotland. For me, it was another great night at the movies.

August 2, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Bernard Bowles.

Bernie has died. I will miss him and his test for life. Two weeks ago Anna and I visited him at the rehab section of the Bridgewater Hospital. He was looking forward to living at a private nursing home in Yarmouth, which he did after a few days. His situation at that time was difficult because his left arm would not work. As he was left handed that meant he could not paint. He enjoyed the Yarmouth home for four days but began to have stomach troubles so he was admitted into the Yarmouth hospital. He could not stop vomiting. After Ct and Pet scans it was determined that Bernie had cancer in the stomach and lung. As he was too weak for surgery he was given palliative care where he died in his sleep this morning. Bernard was an artist to the core. He never stopped creating something. He had one job but quit at age 21 to become a full time artist, which he did. He earned his living his whole life by selling his paintings and his crafts. Because he could not afford to buy supplies he used recycled objects. I have his fish that were made from meat containers. His birds and gulls were made from paper mâché. The ornaments were made from the lids of cans. His imagination never quit. But now he has gone. Bernie loved his long and successful life as an artist. He enjoyed everything he did both with his art and with his garden. Fortunately I have several of his paintings which I will treasure even more now that he has died. He was an amazing man. RIP friend Bernie.

August 1, 2019. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Lunch at the Riverbank.

The Riverbank Cafe is run by Penny Lane, the day care center for challenged young people and adults. The challenges are both physical and or mental. Many of their people work at the Riverbank, performing tasks up the level of their competence. So it is a special place. It is also the place that catered for us for the past three years, but not this year where they are having problems with staff. Penny Lane took over the little grocery store and turned it into a restaurant. The location is perfect, sitting right beside the river. After the place was cleaned up and painted, it was open for Sunday brunch. Then breakfast and lunch was added. Now in order to get a table you must go early or late. I asked my friend Karen out for lunch on Tuesday. I knew Ruth R. was leaving early, which makes the house too quiet. She suggested the Riverbank because she knew I had not been there this summer. I was delighted to see the cute little place again. I was especially delighted with the menu which had a lot of variation. I could have chosen three or four items but finally settled on a wrap, which was delicious. Along with a cup of soup my dinner was complete. Native Nova Scotians always eat dinner at noon even if they are eating a sandwich. If you are a person from away, you eat lunch. When the Riverbank first opened, their gift shop was charming with delightful objects that were not expensive. But no more. I do not know who is in charge of the gift shop but they should be replaced. There was nothing to buy. But the restaurant was a hit. I will go again.