Story and Photo by Gloria Woolridge

It is spring!  It seems that summer passes quickly here on P.E.I., so the thought today is to plan ahead to make the most of the season before it actually occurs.

How?  Schedule a recurring appointment for a weekly mini vacation into your iPhone or Smartphone this summer. A mini vacation is a few hours set aside in your regular routine to stop.  Yes, stop – long enough to enjoy the weather, think happy thoughts, and allow yourself to simply be.  Taking time to do this will increase the likelihood of having lots of treasured moments to reflect upon, rather than seeing little more than a blur when you look back at your summer.

Cost and preparation is minimal; the reward, great.  We tend to rush around allowing our schedules to be dictated by the tyranny of the urgent: family, work, appointments, and daily responsibilities. We tell ourselves we are going to sit on the deck to relax and before we know it, those few precious hours we thought we had somehow have disappeared, and it is time to go to bed only to get up and do it all over again the next day.

May I suggest a mini vacation spot?  The Gardens of Hope at the P.E.I. Preserve Company is one of my choice spots to take a lawn chair or a blanket for a mini vacation.  Getting in my car and driving there is doable, and it is a way to relax without the constant visual reminder of laundry, yard work, or giving in to the temptation to answer e-mail.

There is something very refreshing about being surrounded by flowers, green grass, water, and silence that refreshes and recharges the spirit.  That atmosphere of peace, the visual of beautiful birds and flowers (this year the butterfly houses will be active, and feeling the wind on one’s face – all those things that activate our senses are truly something Mastercard© cannot buy!

After a bit of solitude, take a walk around the property, through the woods, and mosey down to the P.E.I Preserve Company and order a cup of tea or coffee along with a snack and enjoy it without interruption.  While you are enjoying it, take a few moments and reflect on all the things for which you are thankful as this mini vacation is a worry-free, thankful zone.  The neat thing is, the more you consciously cultivate an attitude of gratitude, the more things you will find for which to be thankful.

You will be amazed at how this practice will enrich your summer.  The owners of the P.E.I. Preserve Company have worked hard to provide a TOB (thing of beauty) for Islanders and visitors alike.  Enjoy what they have created, plan your time wisely, and have lots of mini vacations this year!

Schedule.
Follow through.
Relax.
Repeat.

The Storyteller -

by Ann Thurlow for Red-The Island Storybook Vol. One

“Come on right into my house” says Mary Cousins as she holds the door wide open. “Come right in and sit down”.

I was first drawn in to Mary’s circle because I worked for CBC and did a story about her and her remarkable friendship with folklorist Sandy Ives. Mary came to Sandy’s attention because she knew the songs of  her district – songs made about things like the O’Halloran Road and Uncle Dan Riley.

But Mary also knew the stories of her area – the hamlets and settlements around the mid-part of the western shore of PEI. By the time I met her she was well into her seventies, and had told those stories hundreds of  times – so many times that their edges were burnished and smooth. And it occurred to me as I sat at her table that it wasn’t me she wanted to see. Not really. What she wanted was a new audience.

Being Mary’s audience offered ample rewards. As well as being a consummate story teller, she was a generous hostess. You would not arrive at Mary’s small house without getting a large meal. By the time I knew her, her health was flagging a bit, but her will was strong – fierce, even. So at some  point in the afternoon one, and sometimes more, of her nine children would show up bearing a pie or a pan of squares and, once, a huge roast turkey.

This is how it went: we ate, Mary talked. I’d say something like “Mary, tell me about Uncle Dan Riley”. And she’d take a napkin and partly unfold it and smooth it on the table. “Well,” she’d begin “Uncle Dan was actually a relative of mine,” all the time folding and smoothing the napkin.

Can a story be a mantra? Because by the time Mary finished telling one of her stories, we had all undergone some sort of fundamental transformation. The stories usually had a sad part, “and of course Dan passed away – he never married.” And everyone at the table would be downcast, heavy hearted over their turkey and pickles and cherry pie. But then Mary would say brightly, “but of course he wrote so many good songs and people will always remember him for that.” And we’d all laugh, relieved.

Mary was more properly called Mary Elbridge — her husband’s name was used to distinguish her from the other two Mary Cousins in and around her community of Campbellton. “People marry for many reasons,”she began, as I asked about Elbridge, “but I married for love.” And as she began talking about her husband, so long gone, her face took on the aspect of a girl. She told me about the big man who teased her when they first met. She told me about his deafness, endearing stories about the way she stopped people who tried to take advantage of that. She told me how Elbridge fished in the summer and went to the lumber woods in Maine in the winter, leaving her in a small house with nine kids. “But Mary,” I said, “wasn’t that difficult?”

“Of course it was,” she said, putting my daft question in its  proper place, “but there was no time to think about how hard things were, and no point.”

Mary told me stories about other singers in the community, how they’d come to visit in the evening and how they’d entertain. She told me stories about telling stories – about how a good story teller was “as good as anything you’d see on television.”

What she would not tell me was any story that contained a whiff of scandal. Was she a Pollyanna? Absolutely not. You can bet she knew what was buried under every rock from Seacow Pond to West Point. But, in the elaborate etiquette of Mary’s life, I was a relative stranger. Certainly, the hardship and loneliness of life in her area yielded it’s own share of tragedy, but she would not tell me about that. The best I got was a cluck of the tongue, a shake of the head and a cursory “Oh yes, that was bad.”

That, however, did not stop her from trying to get information out of me. We had a few mutual friends. And every visit included what appeared to be casual musings. “I always wondered why he never married” “I wonder does anyone ever see her in Charlottetown”

All these questions had a dangle at the end – an expectant look at me.

But, truthfully, I think if I had answered these questions, I might have slipped in Mary’s estimation. It would have been gossiping and Mary Cousins was not a gossip. She was a story teller. She was a person who, through words and music, kept the threads of her community knit together. She understood the relationships, and the comings and going much better than any sociologist or historian ever could.

In some ways. her story was typical: the wife of a fisherman who went to the woods; the mother of nine; an avid church goer. What set Mary apart was her ability to turn everything that happened around her into a story. She knew how to set a mood, how to draw her listeners in, and how much to reveal and when. Had she been born in another place and time, she could have been a novelist and would probably have won a Pulitzer Prize.

Instead, she lived in a time and place where the ability to tell a story was prized over all. And for a few happy years, I was her occasional audience, her devotee, her fan.
All of us at the Preserve Company appreciate David Weale & clan for their harvesting and sharing the rich bounty of life stories that Prince Edward Island provides. They have done such a wonderful thing in creating a publication called RED – The Island Storybook. Anyone wishing to subscribe or order an issue to be mailed to their address of choice best contact David and the team through http://davidweale.com/red-the-island-storybook/.

RED – THE ISLAND STORYBOOK – CONTEST

We are pleased to give an annual subscription and three runner-up prizes to RED – The Island Storybook to our readers and fans through a contest on our blog and our Facebook page.

Contest Details: One Ballot will be awarded to everyone who posts a comment about this story on this blog. Another ballot will awarded to those who join us on Facebook, and share the story with their Facebook friends, as well as make a comment either on the blog or our Facebook page. In essence you could earn two ballots.

First prize a annual subscription to RED, the 3 runner up prizes will be a copy of the issue in which The Story Teller story runs. Volume 1. The draw will be made on March 30. All the best, and have some fun.

Painter Stephen B. MacInnis lives and works in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, where he was also born and raised.

His work is distinctive for its bold use of colour and playful reliance on humour. His figurative paintings are surrealist, allusive, and deeply narrative. Stephen works primarily in oils and watercolours. He paints prolifically, sometimes working on up to four works at a time. His work does not shy away from surface ornamentation or from sheer lush colour, often built up in transparent glazes. Stephen’s work is distinctive for its bold use of colour and playful reliance on humour.  For the past several years he has been exploring abstraction, and recently completed a 3 year project entitled Long Series, a series of 1000, 12×12 inch mixed media paintings. His figurative paintings are surrealist, allusive, and deeply narrative. His work over the past year has shifted away from figurative painting, and moved towards abstraction and assemblage. He continues to try to expand his creative process through experiment and study.

He invites viewers to rely on their imaginations and to trust their own interpretations; hence Stephen is reluctant to comment on his paintings’ meaning.

Stephen formally trained as a commercial designer at Holland College in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island but left commercial design to apply his graphic sense to more imaginative works.

His work is represented in public and private collections in Canada, the United States, and overseas.

Stephen B. MacInnis’s work has frequently been selected for book covers and has featured frequently on the cover of The Buzz. Prince Edward Island’s leading arts and entertainment monthly.

From time to time we will be showcasing Island artists and musicians on our blog.

We are so pleased to offer Stephen’s “Black Hearts” as a prize for our Valentine’s Day 2011 draw; click here to enter.

Interested at looking at items Stephen has for sale . Enjoy. We like Stephen’s work, but then again we appreciate all Island artists who are true in working their head, hands, and heart! Congrats Stephen, you go it!

Every year between late early November and early December we bake Pecan, Butter and Chocolate Chip Shortbread as well my favourite; the Oatcakes. A big Thank you  must go out to Lynn and Darlene who do all the festive baking in our restaurant kitchen. Hard to believe but we have had cookies available for over 15 years and have thousands of fans all across North America! We so grateful for those who continue to order them year after year during the limited time the cookies are available. We are also grateful to have many companies who request personalized labeling for their gift giving; just another way of being of service that we enjoy so much!

We use only local butter in our cookies and no oils or lards are used. Our handmade cookies come in packages that include one bakers dozen or two bakers dozen. Order now.

As we begin our journey with our new website we would like to start by honouring those who took the time to write comments on our previous site. A big thank you to all of you.

From Kristine September 2011

Dear Bruce,

Last week I came into your wonderful place twice for tea with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws during our big family vacation to PEI. Next to Green Gables your establishment was my favorite spot. I have never had such delicious scones and preserves!! I just finished having some with my evening tea tonight.

Your staff was very friendly and made us feel at home. I plan on ordering from your store this holiday season. I hope to one day return to PEI and when I do your restaurant will be first on my list.

Thank you and God Bless. I wish you much business!!

Kristine
Worcester, MA USA

From Maria August 2011

We have been coming to Prince Edward Island every summer since 1984. We discovered your wonderful store and restaurant in 1994 and it is one of our favorite places on the island. Our summers in PEI always include several trips to your restaurant for breakfast on the beautiful River Clyde.

From Mona January 2011

What a beautiful place! Visited this past summer with my boyfriend (he’s from PEI) and enjoyed it so much. I especially enjoyed the red pepper jelly and the Cavendish Sunset tea…very tasty!

From Melody Christmas 2010

What a wonderful place your Preserve Company is. I was on a cruise in early October from Boston to Montreal, when I took an excursion that included a stop at your lovely establishment. You lobster lunch was superb. . . but your raspberry pie was “out of this world”. I will definitely visit your Preserve Company again if I am ever in your part of the world. What a FABULOUS place!!! Bruce your hospitality and personality are amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

From Dottianne Christmas 2010

Hi Bruce and all of the wonderful folks at PEI Preserves. Over the years, I have ordered every Christmas for gifts. The years that you couldn’t send to the US sent cries of disappointment rang through the Philadelphia area on Christmas when my family and friends found out that their Christmas breakfast would be missing PEI PRESERVES.
I first visited your shop when I was on a bus tour of PEI and the Maritimes. I loved your Marmalade with Chivas Regal (scotch for breakfast what a treat!), that Christmas I decided to give your preserves and oatcakes as part of a Christmas breakfast basket that I was making up for friends. At the same time I was making my order on my computer, my sister with whom I live was placing an order on her computer. The next day, I received a call from the wonderful woman who was filling orders. She noticed that the order she was filling had the same last name and address as the one that she had just filled. She was calling to make sure that we really did want the two orders. WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!
Well, your customer service has again exceeded any expectations. Yesterday, I received a call from Shawn (excuse me, please if I am spelling her name wrong) to tell me that I had ordered 21 items, and if I wanted to add 3 items to my order, I would save on shipping. I was flabbergasted!!!! A company wanting to save customer money!
Bruce, thank you for creating a business that has wonderful, delicious product(s) and a “corporate” culture that allows your employees to go the extra mile to serve your customers.

I wish you all the love and blessings of this Christmas Season.

From Dale in Michigan November 2010

Your Cavendish Sunset Black Tea has been a hit with so many people here in Michigan. I know of at least two people who have ordered some from you after I served it to them. Now my daughter-in-law has introduced it to her staff at the hospital and they loved it. Earl Gray used to be my favorite tea, but this has replaced it in my home.
Well Done!

From Paulette in New Brunswick October 2010

Hi Bruce and Shirley,

Yes, it is Halloween morning and I thought I would have lemon mascarpone pancakes and adorn them with your lime curd over a tablespoon of mascarpone as well. They were heavenly. Your lime curd made them wonderful.
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
one large egg
buttermilk to desired pancake consistency
grated lemon rind
1/4 cup of mascarpone (don’t over mix)
I cook them as my Mother did in a skillet with crisco as the base.
Spoon warmed up lime or lemon curd with a dollop of mascarpone…….
Maybe a bit of maple syrup………
Enjoy!

From Donna October 2010

We were visiting PEI the third time along with three others who had never been to PEI. We love the island music and noticed that you had a noontime concert with Rowan and Caleb Gallant. These young men were fantastic. I hope they’re back next summer so we can enjoy them again.We came twice and also had lunch at your wonderful restaurant. The views from the dining rooms were wonderful. We purchased jams to bring home to Maine as gifts. The walk through the gardens was so peaceful and we love the idea of a cottage for those with illness.

From Eva October 2010

My husband and I have just returned following a cruise to the east coast. Visiting the Preserve Company was definitely a highlight. Tony was warm and welcoming and his preserves were outstanding. I am delighted to have visited and will continue to order your preserves on line. It’s a welcome addition to our meals.

From Hazel September 2010

We were in PEI last week on a bus tour & visited your store. We loved the lunch (fish cakes) & also bought some goodies at your gift store there. Your speech about inviting the world to your doorstep was very touching! It’s great to see Canadian business owners with a heart like yours! From Toronto we send our love.