Newfoundland goodness...

Newfoundland is so good for me. It’s so deep in my soul, and I can feel parts of myself being stirred that haven’t been touched in years. It’s been far too long since my last visit. Gerald and I are talking about doing a tour here next year, and being here has really put the taste of that in my mouth.

Newfoundland highlights thus far:

- Divine fish and chips in St. Philip's! We sat out on their wrap-around balcony overlooking the water. Amazing food with a view of Bell Island, boats coming in for the night, and whales spraying in the distance.

- Seeing friends, family, cousins ...

- Brian and Serena had this week’s one afternoon of sunshine, just in time to have their wedding ceremony outdoors! I was a surprise guest, and they were both thrilled to see me. The wedding was perfect, and I got to catch up with a lot of people I haven’t see for years. I’ve known Brian for a lifetime and a half, so it just meant the world to me to be there for this awesome day.

- Awesome meal of cod tongues at Classic Cafe. (Yes, cod tongues. Trust me - they're much better than they sound!)

- Driving up Signal Hill (the best view of the city) both in the day and in the night. Truly gorgeous!

- Visiting Belbin’s grocery store - an old family business and Mom’s favourite grocery store in the world. When we were growing up the store had two aisles. They’ve now expanded to three. If I lived in St. John’s, I would absolutely shop there.

- Dropping into Black Creek Pottery, the studio and store of my Grade 6 teacher, Mrs. Harvey! She was huge influence on me, so I got to tell her about Nashville and thank her for always including creativity and art in her teaching. We did a 'cultural exchange' of a CD for pottery. Lovely!

We first drove to Ocean Pond Thursday afternoon to put up For Sale signs. (The buyer who made an offer backed out on things, so we’re back to square one.) The weather was sunny and gorgeous, and everything was breathtaking. The air even smelled sweet and beautiful. The idea of selling the place seemed utterly ridiculous. After all, it’s not that long a commute from Nashville to Newfoundland, is it? We came back again this morning, and it’s been non-stop with people coming down to check out the place. Mom joked that we should just put up a For Sale sign once a year and meet our neighbours. Uncle Ron, long-time family friend and Ocean Pond buddy, dropped by a for a visit. It was surreal - old memories and new realities came crashing together.

I’m glad Mom and Dad have a lot of interest in the place, but I hope things aren’t this busy tomorrow. This isn’t the quiet, peaceful weekend I had envisioned.