Miniatures: A Small World With A Big Heart

Most of the time people think big: buildings, planes, cars, serving sizes…it’s always bigger is better. Well there’s one place where smaller is better and we saw that firsthand at the Miniature Doll Show held in Riverview.

Small isn’t the word, you need a magnifying glass to see some of the miniatures. I definitely was squinting!

It was the 32nd Annual Moncton Miniature & Doll Club show and sale and I was glad it was being held in Riverview. I didn’t tell DD where we were going after breakfast and she was a bit worried if I was going to take her zip-lining at Tree-Go or to a Greyhound Dog Show or something.

She has an active imagination but I didn’t tell her we were going to the show in case she thought it wouldm’t be cool.

When we got there she was very happy…and so was I. We never knew this world of miniatures could be so intriguing! DD, when she was a young girl, had some dolls and liked dollhouses so I could see by the look on her face that she was enjoying the show.

One of the neatest miniatures was a complete kitchen that was inside an old microwave oven! Sonia had made a funky little kitchen complete with fridge, stove, washer and dryer, table with ham loaf and even a vacuum cleaner and broken egg on the floor. It was so cute and tiny!

The miniature garden shed was amazing! Little terra cotta pots and boxes full of green vegetables in the shed which had wood siding made of madarin orange box. The little garden table was the insert from a pizza box! These miniature model makers are sure inventive! We enjoyed our chat and seeing the small garden vegetables she had made. You can read more at her blog: Pulchinella’s Cellar Miniatures

 

There were tables where people displayed their dolls and houses. The display of little realistic fruits and vegetables was amazing! Realistic cabbages with leafy realism and watermelons with tiny seeds. Baked chickens and croissants all so tiny it was incredible. There are miniature seed packets, plates and cups, tables, sewing machines, appliances and bottles and spoons. Anything you could imagine in a house was available in miniature.

We discovered a cool camp for miniature enthusiasts. Camp Mini Haha is an annual retreat in Nova Scotia where people gather for four days of miniature making in the lovely Annapolis Valley. We would love to go it sounds so fun. Although I might awaken some sort of miniature dragon in me if I did…some of the people we met seemed pretty enthusiastic (or maybe obsessed) with their mini’s! The 2013 edition of Camp Mini HaHa is Sept 25th to 30th in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. More information at the Camp Mini HaHa website.

 

 

We enjoyed chatting with the ladies, some of them have been doing miniatures for over thirty years! The passion of everyone was palpable; if we stopped and asked some questions or peeked into the windows of a miniature scene we were given great tales of miniature worlds and what it meant for each of them to be involved in this pastime.

When we were leaving I saw one of the participants with a black Pappilion puppy and I asked her if it was a miniature Husky! I thought that was a pretty good one, well, maybe good for a little min ha ha!

The Moncton Miniature & Doll Club meets the 1st Monday of every month, membership is $10 per year. More info on the Moncton Miniatures Club.

The world of miniatures: it’s a small world with a big heart!

Moncton to Halifax on the Via Ocean Train

I’ve never seen somebody as keen for surprises as Dami is. It must run in the family because when his  uncle DM was a kid, he played pranks on his younger brother (Dami’s father) and he loves surpise visits. So the day before the trip and his birthday, Dami brings me the usual weekly flyer pile and I notice an odd eight and a half by eleven pamphlet folded in three.  The title grabs my attention: “Are You Expecting Any Surprises?” And at the top it reads “The Institute of Unexpected Things”…  I thought there couldn’t possibly be such a thing. Then as I open the pamphlet, I see a schedule for a trip on the train from Moncton to Halifax and I’m thinking this is probably some kind of organized trip to go attend a conference or something in Halifax. And Then I see something about a birthday and read more and I think “Oh my goodness, could Dami be behind this? This is crazy!” I’m laughing so hard I start crying and I have to wipe the tears from my eyes: Dami had booked a Cabin for two on the Ocean Via train from Moncton to Halifax leaving the next day, Saturday at 1 pm and arriving in Halifax at 5pm. We were to take the Dartmouth ferry and walk to the Super 8 hotel and return to Moncton the next day at 12:20. I am so excited to think that he is going to be opening his cards and presents on the train, how awesome is that?

Being the planner I am I print out maps and prepare a short itinerary so we don’t waste any time. We decide to each pack light bringing only a day backpack. I challenge myself to bring the smallest toiletry kit ever and it is so cute as everything small in nature is. When we get in the train car, we get upgraded to a cabin for two with shower because the one assigned to us isn’t ready yet so we get cabin #3 in the Pier 21 car. It is my first time in a cabin and I like the intimacy and the romantic feel to it. I have been on the Ocean Via train before but I had an upper berth at the time; that was when we were house hunting in the Maritimes and I had to travel from Montreal QC to go to a house inspection in Sackville, NB. I thought the berth was great, kind of like camping but I much prefer the privacy of the cabin not to mention the fact you can set up the beds anytime of the day and you don’t have to wait for the toilet.

The first thing we do as we board the train is drop our bags in the cabin and head for the 360 car for an awesome view of the surroundings. We’re anxious to get a different view of the Humphrey Brook Trail and when we see it we both envision ourselves riding our bikes along the brook. We are suddenly told that the Prime Minister is on board and is about to make a speech (?!). Sir John A. Macdonald is preparing Canada for his 200^th birthday in 2015. I am so embarrassed to say I have no clue who this guy is and it turns out I actually know more than I think I do because he’s been on our 5 dollar bill for a long time! As the first Prime Minister of Canada he had the Transcontinental Railroad built and completed in 1887 running from Montreal to Vancouver. Our Prime Minister is accompanied by a fictional reporter, Calvin Hobbes, and they are very entertaining. I ask the reporter if he has any daily news for us and it turns out there’s some sort of scandal happening but we’re never told what it is and then as I look out I am the only one to spots the moose calf walking on its tall skinny legs in the forest!

 

On our way to the dining car, we walk funny, kind of like being drunk opening doors from one car to another. I let Dami have the nice view since it’s his birthday. He has a chicken linguine with sundried tomatoes and I a niçoise salad. I recall the dining car is different than the stainless steel with the chickadees on the glass panels. The Renaissance dining car reminds me of a department store restaurant. After the meal I bring back some hot water for a tea in the cabin and Dami opens his gifts and birthday cards. I was so looking forward this moment after reading his invitation pamphlet: I knew my homemade card would be a sensation. After the presents, the cards and a game of Nab-It, Dami makes the bunk beds and we have a nap. It is nice to be able to rest.

We get out of the train with a sense of freedom. We walk in the rain on the Halifax Harbor trail to the Dartmouth ferry. It is pretty much empty and we take advantage of the sheltered areas to get our camera out and snap a few pictures. In no time we embark the ferry for 2.25 each. Dami wants to see the view so we walk up the stairs to the upper level and stand in the light rain. In less than 15 minutes we are across the water and only a short walk up the street to the Super 8 hotel. Not the best choice hotel but it was cheap and convenient although they are in serious need of some TLC and a thorough cleanup.

After settling in our room and checking out the delivery menus we opt for a walk to the nearest supermarket, No Frills which is part of the Loblaw family. The walk through the Dartmouth Common is very nice and reminds me of Prague. I was there at about the same time last year and the leafless trees and the elevation with the view of the water reminds me of the Vltava. We come across a crow with no voice and the poor thing looks like he’s coughing and sneezing and we can sense his frustration. At the store, for a good price we get a pretty decent frozen lasagna supper with Golden Oreo cookies and milk for dessert. It is a fairly short walk, maybe 2km but after this long day we are looking forward getting back to the room. After eating and watching some tv it is already time for bed.

Sunday morning, Dami goes for a walk and breakfast while I sleep until 9. After breakfast, a stroll on the Dartmouth harbor and a quick return visit to the Dartmouth Common, we hop on the 11:30 Halifax ferry and unlike the day before, it is sunny and we are able to sit down on the upper deck. There are more people this time and next to us is a couple with their 2 children all excited to take the ferry to Halifax to go swimming.

We are more relaxed walking on the Halifax Harbor this morning but we have don’t have much time to waste because our train leaves in 45 minutes. This time though we can stop and take pictures anywhere, and I even captured the man playing accordion on video, immortalizing the melodies.

The return trip is sensibly the same except for a few details. All in all, this trip was awesome even though it was short. Our next travel destination will be to St. John’s Newfoundland and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Riverview Cat Show

How lucky we have a cat show here in Riverview! April 6th and 7th the Spring Has Sprung Riverview Cat Show hosted by the Fundy Fanciers CCA Cat Club came to town and we wouldn’t have missed it!

Cat shows brings out all the most ardent cat lovers who can meet with breeders and other cat addicts! Saturday when we went it was pretty much a full house and the Kinsmen Center Hall was pretty much packed. Fur to the rafters! Claws in every corner!

There were four judging areas and rows of tables with all the assorted breeds of cats and their owners, handlers and curious cat lovers young and old. The show was nice and laid back, as it was both an All-Breed Championship and also a Household Pet Cat show so there was a real variety to see.

Some of the kitties were shy, some were sleepy, some wanted to crawl through the bars of the judging cages and a few were howling and hissing at the top of their lungs!

There were so many beauties to see, short haired, long haired, kittens! My favorites were the Abyssinians, Havana Browns, Bombay, Bengals and of course anything Burmese.

I hope that next year the show will be in a bigger spot, there weren’t enough chairs around the judging tables and it got pretty crowded and it was hard to move about. It was also very hot inside and we went back to our car to leave our coats and hats in the car.

Since it was the first annual show, and hopefully the start of a yearly cat show, it was probably wise to start small but there were a lot of people so hopefully next year it would be in a larger facility. The judging was very interesting but it was hard to hear and see because all four tables were so close and with all the people it got pretty loud.

Hopefully with good positive feedback from the community we can have a show next year in a larger spot!

My favorite judge was Walter Hutzler from New York City. He was very informative about each breed he handled and gave us insight into the cats and what he was looking for as a judge. I remember at the show in Montreal seeing Walter as a judge and was impressed at the time. It was nice to have such a good judge here at the show in Riverview. He’s been doing it since 1970 and knows his stuff!

It is nice to be able to see all the different breeds and meet the owners and breeders who came from Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia and beyond to be at the show. It’s so hard to pick favorites from so many handsome creatures, it’s fun to see the kids taking an interest in different cats beyond the familiar housecat.

Speaking of something different: One darling angel was  more of an angel of darkness! The infamous Nofuratu The Cat was on hand in his own private graveyard of ghoulish kittens which was equipped with a coffin cat box! What a sweet little ghoul all bundled up in black swaddling covers!

Now if that cat drove a car then I’m sure it would be a hearse with a license plate that read NVRMORE!!! She has her own blog too so you can keep up with her diabolical pussycat antics and sorcery. You can enter Nofuratu’s realm of darkness and keep up to date with “The Adventures of a Naked Cat” at the official website www.Nofuratu.Blogspot.com

Cat shows are fun and it was a great day for us. I might have wanted to go on both days but I will wait until next year when hopefully there will be a bigger hall to accommodate everyone a tad more comfortably.

When we got home from the show we were happy to see our own cats sleeping and I was glad I hadn’t entered them in the show…they are our own Best of Shows in this house!

Thanks to all the sponsors and organizers who put on the show. It was really good and we loved it! We give it four paws up!!

Websites of some of the attendees and sponsors  of the Fundy Fanciers Cat Club Riverview Cat Show
Bengal Cattery: www.asiafauve.com
Burmese & Bombays: www.seasedgeburmesebombays.com
Exotic Shorthairs/Longhairs: www.milburyexotics.com
Egyptian Maus: www.mausart.com
Birman & Siamese: www.finnfarm.com
Norweigian Forest Cats: www.kerrismacattery.com
Adventures of a Naked Cat: www.nofuratu.blogspot.ca/

The 2014 edition, which will be the 2nd Annual Spring Has Sprung Championship Cat Show will be at the Coverdale Center at 50 Runnymeade Road in Riverview, NB. Can’t wait! See you all in 2014!

Meow Meow for now!

Oh and if you want to meet our cats you can see them here: Jasper & Alaska Burmese Photo Album

Waiting for the Easter Bunny at L’aboiteau Beach

Easter Sunday and another sunny and warm day in New Brunswick, well, here in the South East corner anyway, so we decided to drive up through Shediac, past the giant lobster and go to our favorite beach, L’aboiteau at Cap Pélé.

Forecasters were calling for 10 degrees above so we had visions of enjoying a nice walk on the sandy beach while picturing the blue waves gently slapping the pebbles of the shore.

We packed a lunch, brought something to read, grabbed our beach chairs and drove out for a nice quiet day at the beach.

Oops! When we got there we were surprised to see ice on the water! Actually it was all ice…as far as we could see it was white pack ice! I had thought that since it was the ocean and there were pretty high tides around that there would be no ice. Wrong answer! The entire shore was snowed in and only the dunes were peeking out with little grass tufts waving in the breeze.

We decided to be tough and set up our beach chairs and try and enjoy it…at least it was quiet, but my fingers were freezing as I turned the pages. DD is reading Pavillion of Women by Pearl S. Buck and I am reading Watership Down by Richard Adams.

I figured that reading Watership Down was perfect for today being Easter Sunday and all! My fingers were freezing as I turned the pages and because of the cold I was having trouble concentrating on the adventures of Hazel-Rah and Fiver as they went on their quest for does at the bunny hatch!

We knew that temperatures at the beach were always cooler than in Moncton or Riverview but this was crazy! After half an hour we were getting hungry, likely because our metabolisms were roaring trying to keep our bodies warm in the wind-chill!

Having lunch on the beach would have felt like a picnic in Nunavut so we decided to pack up the chairs and head back to the car. There is nothing like a picnic in the back seat of our car!

We decided to skip lunch on the beach and instead went back to the car for lunch. Sometimes on our trips, when it is too cool outside or raining, we slide the front seats forward and get in the back seat and have our lunch. It is perfect for a little picnic!

Today the sun was warm and we were cozy in the car while we ate. I recently got an iPhone and we used it to watch an episode of one of our guilty pleasure “L’amour est dans la Pre”, a “reality TV” show about some Quebec farmer types looking for romance.

It was like we were at the drive in…well, the screen is a bit smaller but still it was so cozy inside!

DD had rice in her thermos, I guess in honor of Madame Wu! I had some Cadbury Bunnies and we shared those little chocolate Easter Treats and then drove back home to light a fire and warm up.

Can’t wait for things to warm up so we can go swimming and don’t have to wear mittens on the beach!

There’s nothing like a white beach but in this case it was white from snow and ice. Not the same thing sadly!

You gotta be tough to survive winters in Canada and here in New Brunswick even pack ice and snow covered beaches won’t stop someone from getting down to a bikini to do some snow surfing!