Happy International Women’s Day! This is my grandmother Alice. The woman who I named my business after. My grandfather was a sea captain (he is on her left) and she travelled the world with him. She was also an entrepreneur with a keen sense of what worked. I celebrate her and ALL the women who forged the future that we inhabit now.
I discovered this on a walk today! The Warehouse Market (2867 Isleville Street) held on Thursdays and Fridays. I was meeting a friend for a coffee and arrived early so decided to have a stroll around the neighborhood. What a nice surprise to stumble upon it!
It was this little sign that caught my eye and over I went to check it out…
The warehouse of Afishionado a local fish monger hosts Abundant Acres Farm, Holdanca Farms, Maritime Gourmet Mushrooms Inc., Gold Island Bakery, Pop Culture Brew Co., and Expresso 46 Thursdays and Fridays 11-7pm and Saturday 9-1pm They also have a wide selection of frozen product and an ever-changing supply of fresh seafood.
Espresso46 serves amazing coffee and mouth watering Italian hot chocolate, dark and classic:) through their little window on the world:) A well kept secret except to those who are fervent customers! I ventured into the market and was pleasantly surprised. It is a utilitarian place with a friendly vibe.
There was a nice selection of produce from Abundant Acres Farm. I purchased some fresh pea shoots.
I also bought one of these!! or at least I thought I did:) The watermelon daikon. A bright pink mild and sweet radish, the size of a large potato..I actually picked up the other one…more on that later…
They sell wonderful breads… One of which was a Rye, Walnut and Prune bread which really appealed to me, but next time I will try it.
Fresh Shitake mushrooms…
There were quite a few people there filling their bags with produce and eggs and yummy goodies to take home.This little child was fascinated with me snapping away on my iphone:)
We became friends…
So back to the Daikon…..when I got home and peeled it, I got this!!!
and then this… after slicing into thin coins.
I then did this……
and added pea shoots, some pepito seeds salt/ pepper and tossed it all with a mild vinagrette! Yum! Purple Peaple Salad. The radish is crunchy and mild and slightly sweet.
So if you find yourself in the North end of the city on a Thursday or Friday or Saturday morning. Pop in and have a visit…
Mo and Jules is a very unassuming place tucked into what used to be part of the Esquire Motel on the water side of the Bedford Highway, 813 to be exact. The kind of place you might just drive right by…. don’t! The M stands for Mahogany and the J for Jules!
These two delightful women opened their doors 8 months ago and are super friendly and dedicated to customer service and good healthy food!
Before opening M and J’s they had a busy catering business and clients told them they should open a “real” place:) They found this sun filled spot and decided to put down some roots. (By the way they still cater. Today they had two big catering jobs on the go..).
What is wonderful about this place is that everyone and anyone can eat here!! People with food sensitivities and those who can eat whatever they want and those who choose to eat plant based.The menu is divided into two halves, on the left is everything vegan and on the right is anything goes. This is a sample of the all day breakfast menu! (top is cut off) Tofu scramble available.
M and J’s have daily specials as well, Tuesday was All you Can Eat Taco day!
A freezer holds meals you can take home and have later. I took my mum to lunch here and she took home home a split pea soup and veggie lasagna for later..
When you come in you can serve yourself coffee or a drink from the fridge and then Jules will pop by to have a chat and take your order and answer any questions you might have.
We both chose this!!! Basically a pile of veggies on a bun, and it was tasty!
I had a broccoli salad side with coconut bacon and mum had the sweet potato fries with curry mayo.
The menu is customer driven and both Mo and Jules are anxious to hear what you liked and what you might like to see on the menu and may try it as a special! They love creating food that pleases.The sunlight streams through the windows but from the outside, as I mentioned, it is a place you might not notice.
This is what my mum ordered, the avocado sundried tomato burger with sweet potato fries…
and here she is in blissful contemplation…. YUM!!
People are starting to become regulars and there was a small steady stream of customers. I will be back for sure!!! I hope you pop out to give them a try and say Shelagh sent you:)
“You must first accept that while there are things that have happened in your life that you had no say in, YOU are 100 percent responsible for what you do with your life in the aftermath of those events. ALWAYS, every time, no excuses.” – Gary John Bishop
I am reading, well actually, listening, to a book on Audible called Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life I’m only about halfway through but this book is a real kick in the butt.The ideas are not new, and Gary is not a soft and fuzzy hugs all around kind of guy, but does a great job telling us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and ACT. If you don’t like something, change; change how you view it or act change the situation.
We all have good intentions, grand ideas and plans but……
We are not our thoughts, we are what we DO.
Bishop insists that we need to act on those thoughts and dreams, starting in the tiniest of ways if need be, even if we don’t feel like it.When we choose not to act, we have to face the fact that we’re not willing to move toward what we really do want. Inaction IS an action and can be debilitating, and have a domino effect, leading you deeper toward what you don’t want. You may feel safe and protected in your inaction but it is not serving you.
I hadn’t planned on writing a book review, “pep talk” when I started this post but his words have had an impact on me. There’s nothing in this book I have not heard before but his language and words are to the point and basically tell us life is short and YOU are the key to changing it if you are not happy where you are in it!
Here are some more quotes….
“Remember, everything is solve-able, and if you can’t see a solution, it only means you haven’t worked it out yet.”
“You have the life you’re willing to put up with.”
“Positive self-talk can dramatically improve mood, boost confidence, increase productivity, and more. Much more. In fact, as evidenced by Professor Hart and his studies, it can be one of the key components to a happy, successful life. The bad news is, the reverse is also true: Negative self-talk can not only put us in a bad mood, it can leave us feeling helpless. It can make small problems seem bigger – and even create problems where none existed before. Here’s the breaking news, your self-talk is fucking you over and in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”
Some takeaways…..
-You could change your life overnight if you gave up the idea that other peoples’ opinions matter. Be willing to be judged by others and not let it get to you.
– No one can read your mind. Say what’s on it. Share your plans and ideas. That thing that’s making you crazy, might not be on their radar. They could be completely oblivious.
– Even when you don’t see anything happening, it is. Even when you’re not quite hitting the mark, you’re making progress. Doing the mental work and shifting your actions accordingly, sets things in motion.
Uncertainty is where things happen; it’s your personal pathway to growth.
images copyright Shelagh Duffett
Sunday, February 25, Sea and Sky… in this class we will be exploring sunsets and skyscapes over the ocean. A peaceful and reflective painting. The image displayed here is just for inspiration only. You will be creating your own seascape…..with guidance from me:)All supplies and refreshments included! ONLY 6 spots of limited earlybird registration available $75 Regular registration fee is $88 For more info on this class, and registration, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sea-sky-painting-workshop-with-shelagh-duffett-february-25-tickets-42001616967
Well, well, well… it is January 8 again!! at least it was yesterday! Ha I’m a bit late posting this…. My birthday! and Elvis, Bowie and Hawking all share it too!! I always give away a gift on that day and this year it is a cornucopia of delights! (and an original painting!) All this and more.
So, if you would like to receive this wee bounty, please pop over to my Facebook Page where the draw will take place on January 12 and leave a comment. If you tag someone and your name gets picked I will send them a wee gift too!!! I’ll draw a name on January 12! Happy January 8! Hope you had a good Monday:) Here is the link again: faFacebook Link for prize package
Sign up for one or do em all:)
Unleash your inner artist! We will be creating with colour and shape! I will help guide you and give some prompts but in this class, nothing is wrong:) Start the year with some colour and creativity!!
“When I am engaged in art making I am fully caught up in the medium and tools and mission. I’ve learned not to think about the product that I will end up with because the time spent engaged in the creative activity is what is most important to me. I enjoy the detached feeling I get when working in the abstract—it’s like a dance with my hand and my mind and they take turns leading.”
—Janet Stupak
Abstract art is like the poetry of colour. Fragments of meaning and feeling represented by carefully chosen brushstrokes and fields of colour that are dictated by the heart and subconscious.Who knows why something feels right or looks right to you. it is a very subjective and personal thing) -Shelagh Duffett
We will be painting with acrylic paint on 11 x 14′ birch wood “canvas” or maybe you might choose to do two smaller works:) They have deep 1.5″ sides and therefore are ready to hang when finished. You can use as much artistic license as you please to make it yours. I will cheer you through it step by step:) NO experience needed but if you do have experience and want to join us for a fun day, all the better!
ALL supplies included!
Please bring an apron or wear something an errant drop of paint might enhance. Casual comfortable,crafty clothing encouraged.
Coffee, tea and yummy snacks will be provided free of charge and maybe even a glass of wine for those inclined. Great music, good company and at the end of the day a work of art to hang and perhaps some new friends:)
To register CLICK HERE! ONLY 6 spots of limited earlybird registration available $75 until Jan 7. Last day to purchase class is Jan 19. Regular registration fee is $88
The class will be held at the historic George Wright House on Young Avenue. It was bequeathed to the Local Council of Women-Halifax by the billionaire upon his death which sadly happened as a result of the Titanic disaster.
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Flower Power!
This is a do-it-your-self flower class You can paint flowers in a vase, flowers in a meadow, flowers straight and tall, any colour combination you want! Or you can follow along and paint what I will paint, step by step. We all need pops of colour and the vibrancy of flowers this time of year:) Meander through the meadow you create, get lost in your own personal garden:) Paint yourself bouquet of flowers! You deserve it:) These images here are for painting INSPIRATION! You will paint the colour combos and configurations you want.
We will be painting with acrylic paint on 11 x 14′ birch wood “canvas”. They have deep 1.5″ sides and therefore are ready to hang when finished. You can use as much artistic license as you please to make it yours. I will cheer you through it step by step:) NO experience needed but if you do have experience and want to join us for a fun day, all the better!
Please bring an apron or wear something an errant drop of paint might enhance. Casual comfortable,crafty clothing encouraged.
ALL supplies included!
Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided free of charge and maybe even a glass of wine for those inclined. Great music, good company and at the end of the day a work of art to hang and perhaps some new friends:)
To register CLICK HERE! ONLY 6 spots of limited early bird registration available $75 until Jan 14. Last day to purchase class is Jan 26. Regular registration fee is $88
The class will be held at the historic George Wright House on Young Avenue. It was bequeathed to the Local Council of Women-Halifax by the billionaire upon his death which sadly happened as a result of the Titanic disaster.
Sunday, February11, Valentine Cottage!
February 11, we will be doing a version of this little Valentine Cottage. Everyone will do their own thing:) Are you ready to Unleash your inner artist?? For more info on this class and to register, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/valentine-cottage-painting-workshop-with-shelagh-duffett-february-11-tickets-42003113443
Sunday, February 25, Sea and Sky… in this class we will be exploring sunsets and skyscapes over the ocean. A peaceful and reflective painting. The image displayed here is just for inspiration only. You will be creating your own seascape…..with guidance from me:) For more info on this class, and registration, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sea-sky-painting-workshop-with-shelagh-duffett-february-25-tickets-42001616967
At 5:23 EST today, the sun will reach its Southern destination and turn Northward again creating longer days, and for a few months cold weather will reign. Winter starts. Yet it is a day for celebration! Yule, Yalda, Dongzhi, are just a few of the many traditional ways it is marked. We love to celebrate and the arrival of light back into our lives is a darn good reason to make merry:)
It is one of my favourite dates. I like”turning points”, they are like commas, a chance to stop and pause. Review, reset and renew my intentions for how I want to live my life, what I want in my life, who I want in my life, where I want my life to go, what I want my life to look like, who I want to be….All that good stuff.
As Mme de Saltzmann said, “One must begin again and again” We try we fail, we start once more. That’s the wonderful thing about life. We can keep attempting until we get it right or realize that being right might not be what we thought it was. That’s another great thing about life….we can allow ourselves the uncomfortable (sometimes) luxury of changing our minds.
As I sit here and type, I have a small candle burning near me. Entrancing, full of energy and magic.They need oxygen to survive like we do….just realized that. (I knew it of course, duh, but never connected it to myself:) We breathe together. I make a point of lighting one every December 21, gratitude made manifest for lengthening days and as focus for my thoughts. It is a busy time of year for most, with Christmas and Holidays taking front stage, but this day is a good one to stop for a few moments and take some quiet time to reflect and reboot.
One of my thoughts for this turning of the season is that I resolve to get outside more often and enjoy the brilliant sharp beauty of Winter. I tend to hibernate inside, looking out the window and saying “Brrrrrrr” As someone once said, there is no bad weather…. just bad clothing! That said, I have to improve my exterior cladding:) It will also help my mood. I love being outdoors but deprive myself because of the brrrrr factor. We shall see…….
I also want to create more! I have some painting classes coming up in the new year. Stay tuned! these will be a bit more free flowing and creative. I have some ideas I am excited about! Working harder so I can play harder. Carving out more time for me. How do you celebrate this time of year?
all photos: Shelagh Duffett
It is a rainy foggy day today….. but one hundred years ago the day dawned sunny, cold and crisp. The Halifax Commons, seen here, was soon to become a tent city for thousands of displaced, injured and homeless people.
The Mont Blanc and Imo collided in the Narrows of Halifax Harbour and the largest man made explosion the world had ever experienced occurred. 1 in tweny-five people who lived in Halifax were killed. The entire North end of the city was flattened in a second. White-hot shards of iron fell down upon Halifax and Dartmouth.The Mont Blanc’s forward 90 mm gun, its barrel melted away, landed approximately 5.6 kilometres (3.5 mi) north of the explosion site near Albro Lake in Dartmouth, and the shank of her anchor, weighing half a ton, landed 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) south at Armdale. Houses that weren’t flattened by the explosion were burnt to the ground by toppled wood stoves.
The Halifax harbour floor was momentarily exposed by the volume of water that was displaced. A tsunami was formed by water surging in to fill the void left by the blast and it rose as high as 18 metres (60 ft) above the high-water mark on the Halifax side of the harbour. The Manhattan Project scientists came here to Halifax years later to research the effects of the Halifax Explosion. Hiroshima was the next largest man made blast:(
Thousands of people were blinded by glass windows that imploded. Barely a window in Halifax was spared. The South end was mostly protected from the shock wave by Citadel Hill. This is a window in the Halifax City Club, founded in 1862.The crack from the blast has never been repaired as a memorial to those who perished.
Babies whose mothers had not been located and children injured in the Halifax Explosion on Dec. 6, 1917, were cared for in the YMCA temporary hospital. There were also many new births as the shock wave pushed women into premature labour. The city has survived, the young children grew old and we learned again about the resilience of the human spirit and that no matter what…. people will always rise to the occasion and do what needs doing…
CBC has put together a fascination 360 degree view interactive video of the Explosion, worth watching HERE
We woke up to flurries and Monty found a box:) I immediately called to get an appointment for my winter tires as did 357 other people this morning and have an appointment on the 27th. Procrastination is my middle name. Alas, external triggers seem to be my motivating force! Now fingers crossed for mild weather the next two weeks:)
SHELAGH DUFFETT 