A friend of The Frenchman lives with us.  They worked on archeology projects together and he is an archivist and conservator.  His stories around the supper table about his latest projects are always fascinating.  He also replicates antique coins as a hobby.  Check out his website at www.awestruckworkshop.com.  He recently asked the Frenchman for gift hints for my birthday and the reply was “hearts” so he did some researching.  Here’s an excerpt from the site: http://www.sedwickcoins.com/articles/hearts.htm

The Hearts of Potosí were minted in five denominations: ½, 1, 2, 4, and 8 reales (though half-real Hearts are so rare that only a handful of pieces have been confirmed), and apparently only from the very late 1600s (the reign of Charles II) to the mid-1700s (the reign of Philip V). The outline of a corazón can vary significantly, but it is basically Valentine-style yet with a wide, tall stem and a long, tapering tail. Predictably, almost every confirmed Heart has been holed at the top of the stem. Unlike most holes in cobs, these may have been mint-produced holes.

We don’t know for sure why cobs were cut into heart shapes at the Potosí mint, but given their scarcity, their usually careful execution, and their tendency to be holed, they were most likely produced for special use as religious pendants known as “ex votos.” The prevailing theory is that they were intended to be used by church officials, as the heart was known to be a sacred symbol of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also believed that women sewed these images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ into their blouses, a custom which is still observed in remote Andean villages today.

[Note: The Catholic Sacred Heart symbol, as demonstrated in ex votos and other manifestations, is in fact a flaming heart, usually with a long, curved tail. This matches the Potosí Heart cobs precisely, their prominent stems at top apparently representing flames.]

This birthday note was affixed to the gift: “I know you really like hearts and all things turquoise-though not turquoise, it is a South American Spanish heart to remind you of those Azul waters of the Caribbean!”

The coin is two-sided and looks gorgeous when worn as a single pendant.

Kath’s quote: “Lord into your Sacred Heart I place my heart united to all my needs and desires, I present humbly my petitions, please deign to listen to my plea, embrace me with your love, respond to my soul, look at me your child who comes attracted by your love.”-Unknown

Love-that is all.

As a result of last night’s election results, I was happy and reflective this morning.  Here’s why (in no particular order):

1. D and I honeymooned in Quebec City and cannot wait to have a reason to visit again.

2. Our girls LOVE Quebec.  Daughter #1 studied French with the Explore program at Universite Laval and Daughter #2 in Montreal.

3. Our very own “Frenchman” who will officially be a part of our family when he weds our youngest this fall, was born and raised in Quebec and we adore him!

4. Poutine-my favourite indulgence!

5. Pesto Maison-my go-to brand of upscale pestos.

6. Cheese of every description.  I still remember the hot and goey baked parmesan that we ate at a sidewalk café in Quebec City.

7.  Chefs “just get it done” Chuck Hughes and dreamy Ricardo Larrivee.

8. Montreal smoked beef sandwiches.

9. Bagels.

10. Add your own….

Kath’s quote: “I am proud that my fellow Quebecers have chosen unity and acceptance as we move forward together.”– Justin Trudeau

Love-that is all.

Café Savour at 956 St. Mary’s Rd. is pretty much what I imagine our little restaurant would look like, if D and  I ever stopped talking about it and actually did it.  From the hand-painted tables, toss cushions, twinkle-lights and turquoise wine glasses to the photos adorning the walls from the places they have traveled together, this place reflects our personal taste and eclectic style.

We could never duplicate the skill level coming out of the kitchen though.  Chef Louise Briskie de Beer’s menu is imaginative and her creations, oh so delectable.  Her partner Faiz de Beer personally takes care of every table himself and his service is attentive, warm and comfortable. They are the only staff in the restaurant so they only open the limited hours of Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.  We imagined them sharing a bottle of wine when the evening was through as they were tackling all of the dirty dishes.

Their prix fixe menu, offers three courses for $35 or five for $45.  If you are concerned about quantity but want to sample as much as possible, you could follow our lead and order one three course and another five course and share it ll.  As a result, we started with an amuse bouche of house baked breads and dukkah which is a Middle Eastern spice and nut mixture to enhance the tasty breads.  Even though the recipe is a middle-eastern one, they discovered it while travelling in Australia.

Next up were bowls of piping hot soup, in fact the hottest food I have ever had while dining,  Many soups are “held” for the kitchen’s convenience but Louise must heat small portions up when she receives an order.  I could not decide between my savoury bowl of sausage, mushroom and wild rice and my husband’s of cauliflower, potato and curry.  Bother were perfectly balanced and appealing in their own distinct ways.

We shared a South African appetizer trio of “Dhaltjie”-spinach and chick pea fritter, “Frikkadel”-masala flavoured tuna patty and Cape Malay spiced samosa.  All were enjoyable and we concluded that we like the fritter the very best.  We also shared a deconstructed and reconstructed Greek salad where the wheels of tomato and cucumber were presented in a tower accompanied by rings of purple onion, green peppers, olives and feta.

My husband opted for a slow roasted lamb shank smothered in au jus and sweet onions, while I tucked into an unusual eggplant parmigiana that we guessed had been made to order rather than the typical casserole style.

But wait; there was still dessert to come: a chewy cherry crisp and a decadent chocolate apricot pate.  You might suggest that we would have been exhausted by eating such a quantity but the owners provide the perfect sized tastes of the starters and you are more than satiated with the portion of the entrée.  Every taste from start to finish was divine, made even more so by their reasonably priced wines by the glass.

Kath’s quote: “Savour: enjoy something unhurriedly, to enjoy something with unhurried appreciation“

Love-that is all.

I was once asked after we had survived a life-changing crisis in our family, how I managed to stay so optimistic, so full of hope and faith, so joyful? At that particular time, I did not even know that this was what I was projecting to the world and so I pondered their perceptions and this is what I can pass along in wisdom:

1. Bottle up inspiration moments, intentionally allow them to enter your consciousness.  Then remember what shelf you have placed them on in your mind and spirit, because you may have to take them down from that place and open the bottle again to get you through an unpleasant time and inspire you anew.
2. Teach yourself to find pleasure in very simple things.  As I write this, there is a mauve and peach sunrise outside my window, the last of the robins in my yard are singing, my big old dog is asleep at my feet, I am drinking a hot cup of fine coffee and I am warm in my old fuzzy housecoat in my cozy little house.  I am always aware of the little blessings in my life and when I fill my thoughts with these, I do not have any room left for doubts and negativity.
3. Make your life about acquiring a string of deep and rich experiences, not bigger and faster and shinier things.  Celebrate something every single day, for me the celebration usually surrounds food. Today we will celebrate the last day of October with a fire in our front yard.  We will invite our neighbours to warm up with a mug of hot chocolate and encourage them to linger.
4. Carve out time to be alone and quiet every day.  Use that time to pray, meditate, listen to  a favourite piece of music, read inspiring thoughts, it really doesn’t matter but be STILL.
5. Surround yourself with non self-indulged people who are engaged and concerned about you and ooze positivism!

All this pre-amble is about this 5th point.  Yesterday I attended my third We Day and now I have a plethora of positive stories from inspiring people to focus upon.  I am sure that you have seen the tweets and coverage on last evening’s news and the front page of the papers today.  Martin Sheen was impressive as was the former President of Mexico but I was equally moved by locals: Wab Kinew, Megan Fultz, Maria Aragon and ten-year old Hannah Alper who gave me goose-bumps of excitement.

Lastly, a positive association that you likely already know about: many decades ago I started working with The Keg Steakhouse and Bar and my affiliation with the company has continued until this day.  When I am with my fellow Keggers, I am surrounded by intelligent and hospitable people who have big dreams and know that working 2-3 shifts per week, will help them obtain those dreams.  The Keg teaches their staff about the importance of philanthropy and giving back to the local community.  Many years ago The Keg Spirit Foundation was formed and since that time they have raised and distributed millions.  They too support We Day, not just here in Winnipeg but in every Canadian city and with ongoing efforts for Free The Children.  Yesterday Carolyn Torhjelm, the Executive Director of the Keg Spirit Foundation spoke to the assembly of 16,000 of her time in Kenya and then introduced Spencer West.

If there was ever a person to keep in your consciousness for inspiration, it is this humble man.  Spencer West lost his legs at the age of five but has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.  Imagine!

In closing, I could leave you with one of the many inspiring thoughts that I retweeted and scribbled down at yesterday’s We Day event, but I will leave you with this simple phrase, with which I conclude every single one of my blog posts:

Love-that is all.

Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) is an Israeli-based international humanitarian project, whose mission is to improve the quality of pediatric cardiac care for children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease and to create centers of competence in these countries. SACH is totally dedicated to the idea that every child deserves the best medical treatment available, regardless of the child’s nationality, religion, color, gender or financial situation. nnSACH is motivated by the age-old Jewish tradition of Tikkun Olam – repairing the world. By mending the hearts of children, regardless of their origin, SACH is contributing to a better and more peaceful future for all of our children.

Since 1995, Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) has treated more than 3,000 children suffering from congenital and rheumatic heart disease aging from infancy to 18 years of age from the “four corners of the Earth” –  45 countries where adequate medical care is unavailable.  Approximately 50% of the children are from the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Morocco; more than 30% are from Africa; and the remaining are from Asia, Eastern Europe and the Americas.  The annual number of children treated by SACH has grown dramatically from 48 cases in 1996 to 298 in 2012.  At any given moment there are thousands of children suffering from heart disease around the world who require our assistance.