Winter came briefly to Corner Brook. Saturday and Sunday it snowed, and snowed, and snowed. We had about ten centimetres in the end, and it stuck to the trees. It was truly beautiful. Just after midnight Saturday the plow came up the street - leaving a wall of snow and ice across the driveway...of course! By the time I leave for church Sunday morning, the sand trucks have been out, and the roads are good. Clearly this is the side of the city where the snowfall is always heaviest - because the other side has about half. Shovel the wall of snow from across the drive so I can drive the car out, and even make it UP the hill into the church parking lot. Yes!!!
After church I race to First United. The minister there, Myles Vardy, has not only donated a small Christmas tree, but came up with two boxes of decorations too. So I whip by the church, have a cup of coffee and a muffin, and we do the transfer. I said to Norio later on the phone, that people in Newfoundland are like the Japanese in their generosity. If you happen to mention you need something, or are lacking something, they’ll either get it for you or give you one of theirs. So - another lesson learned.
Then a dash home, change into comfortable clothes, grab my book, and go down to “Brewed on Bernard” for the youth show in the afternoon. “Brewed on Bernard” is a restaurant/coffee shop in Corner Brook. The parent shop is “Brewed Awakening”, in the downtown area. They use only organic goods, and only fair trade coffee. They buy the beans and roast them right in the store. The coffee roaster was bought from Turkey. They make an absolutely wonderful “build your own” sandwich. At 4 in the afternoon, the restaurant is invaded by 16 young people from the high school, and their parents and family - packed into the shop to watch them sing. Two excellent young musicians have been working with them through a musical theatre scholarship programme at Grenfell College here in Corner Brook. Chris Jackman and Shari Porter - husband and wife - based in Toronto, but Chris is from Corner Brook so they’re home for the holiday time. They are just fantastic, and the kids were out of this world. A local music supply store donated the keyboard and equipment for the event. Learned a new song, too, called “Mama Says”...... "once you drive up a mountain, you can’t back down.” Loved every second of it.
Monday I won’t say I did nothing - got some things done around the house, a little more putting away and unpacking. I decided not to go out - the weather was not lovely and it was a good day to stay put.
The weather is just downright ugly. From the beautiful snow of the weekend, we now have winds of close to 100 km an hour and pouring rain. Not a day people want to be out, but it has to be done. Work at the office, get bulletins done ahead.
Here’s the funny story of the week. Way back just after arriving, I went to the post office to pick up a package, and buy some stamps and envelopes - and could not remember the pin number for the ATM card. Tried three times, and of course, on the third try the card is blocked. Fortunately it wasn’t the only card or account. Well, I finally got around to stopping at the TD bank to see if they could fix it here, or if I’d have to do it in Toronto. Turned out the manager of the branch is in my congregation - and of course they could fix it no problem. Now, I think they could anyway - but it was nice to see a familiar face - and we had a laugh.
So it’s Tuesday and I am hiding out in the house. The winds have not abated, and a couple of times I wondered if the house was going to blow down the hill. A whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on! Ferries are again at a standstill - and will be for a couple of days yet. Brings a whole new meaning to the name “Blomidon Hills/Blow Me Down Hills.” January 2 bulletin for church is finished, rented a car in Toronto for a few days to get around, and arranged for a Christmas gift to be sent to our friends in Helsinki who looked after us so well in September.
Wednesday - another one of the ugly days. Went to Jackie Tan’s Chinese for lunch with the secretary, then some shopping - stores are all doing sales now as they are closed Boxing Day. It was worth the trip and the time. My only complaint about the Corner Brook Plaza is that it is UP a hill, and if you don’t know where you are going there is nothing to mark it, because everyone just kind of knows. IF you go up the hill to McDonald’s, lo and behold there it is. BUT the access and exit road is at the very edge of the hill - if you get too far over trying to go OUT, you could go OVER and down onto the highway. Not a place to be navigating when there is a lot of traffic and lots of shoppers!
In the evening I’m invited to dinner - which turns out to be a birthday as well. Wonderful evening. In many ways I am reminded of my first pastorate in Ontario, where an invitation to a meal becomes a full pastoral visit and one learns the entire family history.
I’ve learned two other things in the short six weeks of being here. First, *everyone* decorates to the eyeballs for Christmas. It’s a big thing here, and the non-Christian population gets into it just as much as everyone else does. *Everyone*, no matter who they are, says “Merry Christmas”. Second, there is a lot more deference and respect accorded clergy than I’ve found elsewhere. In some ways, the respect is nice. Not the deference - something I have to work on with the congregation. To balance it there are expectations of use of time.....and I can see that it would be easy to get run off one’s feet participating in every single thing.
Thursday I’ve arranged to meet a soloist for Christmas Eve at the church, so we can try her voice with the harp - so it’s office in the morning, home for a bit of cleaning up - back to the church, and then I’ve arranged a visit. Of course the visit ends up in an invitation to dinner. Plus I come home with a small book in hand.
Now, technically this book is not yet in public domain - so I have included the author and the link. It’s a beautiful little book. The words are available online. But do get the book - as the illustrations are so cute as well. A “scoff” is a big dinner.
"The Night Before Christmas in Newfoundland"
Story by Bob Youden Edited & Published by Al Clouston
Can be ordered from www.tidespoint.com/books/bobyouden2.shtml
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friday - Christmas Eve 2010. The time does fly!!!
This morning went out to the bank, got some home-roasted Newfie-type coffee for Christmas gifts - the restaurant “Brewed on Bernard” uses only fair trade coffee, as I’ve mentioned, and then roasts in-store. Off to the bank, up to the hardware for timers for the house lights, lunch on the harbour. There are two ships in - and I find myself wondering what they do for Christmas on the ships. Something to think about next year - maybe offer a service on board, or pickups from the ship to the church, or something.
Christmas Eve, prior to the service, I go upstairs for some greeting of people. The church is full by 6:30 for a 7 p.m. service - about 250 people, once again most of the service was led by the families and laity. I mainly sat, did offering and “Silent Night” with the soloist and harp at the end. It was a lovely service. In my office it is clear Santa stopped in - my desk is piled high with gifts and food. I did manage to lug everything out to the car, and into the trunk.
Following our service, some of us went downtown to First United for the 9 pm communion service. It was really lovely to sit in a service and be part of the congregation, especially on Christmas Eve - and be served communion by a friend a colleague. It just isn't Christmas Eve for me without a communion service.
Later the group is invited to a party in Steady Brook, a small town north of Corner Brook, along the Trans-Canada Highway. As we leave the church, there is rain - but in the higher reaches of the hills, and the “cut” between Corner Brook and Steady Brook, it is a full-fledged blizzard of slushy wet snow blowing sideways. Snow tires are incredibly noisy on wet roads, and the noise is rather disconcerting. Plus it’s pretty black out there! We drive about 40 kph, needless to say. In Steady Brook, it’s clear and not raining or snowing. At the party I meet several very interesting people - one in air traffic control at Deer Lake airport. He confirms that Deer Lake is working to make itself - if not the major airport in Newfoundland - the best alternative to St. John’s. The other young man is a helicopter pilot whose job is tracking the pine marten....the beeps given off by the transmitters.....so he flies really low to the ground!
By the time we leave, the snow and rain are gone, the roads are clear, and it’s an easy coast back. Thank goodness. My nerves were shot driving the other way......
Christmas Day!!!!! A nice awakening well after 9, quiet morning hanging a few more pictures, unwrapping the load of goods lugged in from the car, including a beautiful Christmas cup and saucer, a lovely porcelain angel, and two “mummery” tree decorations, homemade bread and fruitcake. I am frankly humbled by the generosity of the people. Christmas is big here, as I said - but people’s hearts are bigger.
Around 12:30 I leave for dinner with the Dingwells - including Aunt Nellie, and Grandpa George. How nice to sit around a table at an amazing feast which includes salt beef ribs and carrot pudding, which in Newfoundland goes with the main courses, not dessert - and I have to say - loaded with gravy it is really something else! Mmmm. The two cats - Theodore and Sherlock - are quite friendly. The third cat, Scruffy - has decided she likes me, I guess - because I get some leg rubs and a head ‘punt’. For a cat, that’s really over the top!
And so here it is, Christmas! Home preparing for Sunday service, and then packing to fly to Toronto, and crossing fingers that the plane does get out of Halifax before the next storm rolls in.
My landlord and neighbours are going to watch the house - so sometime tomorrow afternoon I will drive myself to Deer Lake, and board a puddle jumper to St. John’s, a slightly larger puddle jumper to Halifax, and then a decent airplane to Toronto. May the force be with us all!!!
Merry Christmas!!!! and a Happy New Year!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment