StephenB

Skating the Loop

It’s January 15th. We are halfway through the first month of 2025 and nearly a full month into winter, though you would never say it by the weather we have been having here in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The temperature has barely dipped below zero celsius and then only on a hand full ofContinue reading “Skating the Loop”

Brothers

Today is the shortest day, or if you prefer, the longest night, of the year, the Winter Solstice. And, for the first time in a very long time, I have a Saturday with nowhere to go and nothing pressing to do (the reason for this is not so great, which I will come to shortly,Continue reading “Brothers”

It Will be an Early Spring This Year

I was looking at the Calendar on my kitchen wall this morning and noticed that, despite the weather here in St. John’s, Newfoundland, we will indeed be having an early spring this year; March 19 in fact. If this seems a little early to you, you’re right. In 2024 the sun will cross the equatorContinue reading “It Will be an Early Spring This Year”

Rediscovering Oysters

Prior to a few months ago it had been years since I’d had an oyster. So many years in fact that I could not remember how I felt about them. I was in my early twenties. I was in a bar somewhere (it seems a lot of my stories from my younger years start withContinue reading “Rediscovering Oysters”

Things to do Before I Die

Since about my late thirties or early fourties, since the idea of my own mortality became real to me, (this came about as the result of a diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve disease) I have kept a list, the kind that has now commonly become know as a bucket list, though I have never usedContinue reading “Things to do Before I Die”

Moby Dick, Again. What Was I Thinking?

In a previous post, Top 10 List of Books That I Would Read A Second Time, My number one pick was Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. Recently, I did read it again, and all I can say now is, “What was I thinking”?

Bowl For Two

Like many people, music is a big part of my life. I love all kinds of music; from Mozart to Marley, from Glen Campbell to Slipknot, from Miles Davis to The Real McKenzies, from… well, you get the picture. My musical tastes are wide and varied. Where once I had a huge record collection, thenContinue reading “Bowl For Two”

You Can’t Judge a Wine By Its Label?

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, I have always believed that you can’t judge a wine by its label. Granted, wine labels contain quite a bit of useful information, such as the Brand Name, the country and region the wine comes from, the vintage, the grape used, the name of theContinue reading “You Can’t Judge a Wine By Its Label?”

Somebody Feed Phil

I don’t watch much TV. I am just not a big television fan. I would much rather spend my limited free time hanging out with my family, playing dinosaurs with my grandson, reading, walking my dog, playing my guitar, or playing cribbage or Trivial Pursuit with my wife, Kim. There are some shows, however, thatContinue reading “Somebody Feed Phil”

The VINYL CAFE Revisited

I know that I said in a post not too long ago something to the effect that life is just too short to read the same book twice. I hereby amend this. Upon reflection I have come to believe that maybe life is too short not to read the same book twice, sometimes. To spend some time with characters that have, over time, become so familiar they are like old friends, can be soul restoring. That is why one evening about two weeks ago I took Stuart McLean’s Home from the VINYL CAFE from my bookshelf and began reading it again. I finished it the following evening, and started in on VINYL CAFE UNPLUGGED. Over the next ten or twelve days I finished this book, Stories from the VINYL CAFE, Extreme VINYL CAFE, and Christmas at the VINYL CAFE.