In 2024, we spent the summer in Newfoundland with our kids. We knew it was our last chance for a big family road trip while they were still living at home so we took advantage of the opportunity. Most of our time was spent in Gaultois, my husband’s home town, and we fell in love with it. It’s a small outport community on Long Island, accessible by ferry off Newfoundland’s southern shore.
In 2025, we bought the house we had stayed in the year before and spent about six months in Gaultois before heading back to Ontario for what would become our last year of teaching. Dion had always wanted to return to Newfoundland, and living in Gaultois would give us a chance to retire a few years earlier than originally planned.
And now, over the past month, we retired, sold our house in Red Rock, packed up a trailer with our stuff and set out on the road to Newfoundland for our next chapter! We’ll have some time to adjust to all of the changes that have happened while we renovate our little home over the next while and I can’t think of a better place to settle into retirement mode.
After 27 years of #teaching in Ontario, my husband and I decided to #retire early and settle in #Newfoundland in his home town of #Gaultois . We sold our house, packed up our stuff into a trailer and made our move into an epic road trip halfway across Canada. Note: I have a new respect for anyone hauling *any* kind of trailer. 😳 Cooper was the bestest and bravest boy, catching his share of long naps while we drove an average of 8 hours a day. We made up for it with lots of treats and snuggles ❤️ Now we can begin to renovate our little retirement home… let the adventures continue! #Canada
It won’t be long until we visit our family and friends back in Red Rock and Thunder Bay, and I’ll cherish each moment we share together. Maybe living farther apart will make our visits that much sweeter.
In a few days, I’ll head to St. John’s to have my newest painting scanned at Newfoundland Canvas and to check out the proofs of The New Dawn NL. I can’t wait!
It makes me so happy to think that people enjoy my art and want to have it in their homes. When prints are purchased, one of the best feelings comes when people send pictures of framed pieces in their living spaces – part of their lives every day. It is awesome.
While I wait to head to town, I wanted to keep my hands busy (isn’t there a saying about idle hands?) so I gathered my courage and tried making something I’ve wanted to make for years. Cream puffs!!
Like any good researcher, I looked through Pinterest for a user-friendly recipe that wasn’t too intimidating — and had good reviews. Natasha’s Kitchen met all of my criteria and even provided a video! I was sold. I saved it to my recipe board, ordered any missing grocery items I needed and told myself I could do this. If not, there’s always wine to pair with a failed recipe, right?
Making a recipe for the first time will test your skills! I re-read the instructions (and then re-read them again and again), then watched the video repeatedly until I felt like I was properly prepared.
Yes, I even put individual eggs into these cute little cups because that’s what Natasha did in her video. It made me more confident. lol!
Check out the handy video below:
I’ve never watched someone prepare cream puffs, so this was a bit of an adventure. *And,* I’m still getting used to a new-to-me stove, which brought an unexpected challenge about 7 minutes into baking my precious puffs. The smell of something potentially burning…
The instructions said not to open the oven door, and this oven doesn’t have a window, so I turned down the heat by 25 degrees and promptly opened all the windows and a door to (hopefully) prevent the smoke alarm from going off!
I learned that my oven prefers glass over metal – the cream puffs that were baking in the metal tray were a little darker than those that were comfortably baking in the glass pan. (I don’t have a baking sheet in our summer home here yet)
One of the most exciting moments happened when I sliced into the first cream puff and found that it had a hollow centre! (phew!)
It was fun preparing the filling ~ I followed Natasha’s recipe and filled about a third of the cream puffs with the whipped cream mixture, then a few more with a combination of whipping cream and a bit of jam.
The last third of the cream puffs were filled with a combination of whipped Fussell’s Thick Cream and whipped cream. I think these are my absolute favourite ~ they’re a little less sweet and the creaminess reminds me of bakeries we visited while we were in Europe.
Shoutout to my husband, who introduced me to Fussell’s Thick Cream when we were dating. It’s delicious on date squares!
I will definitely make this recipe again and again. It’s so tasty, and lovely to give to friends (which I’ve already done because I can only eat so many cream puffs… lol).
My grade 10 English teacher gave us the best piece of advice ever, and even though it was meant to help us become better writers, it relates to most things in my life. Keep it simple. Don’t try to impress anyone. I have a feeling that our group of keeners was trying to impress one of our favourite teachers (he was awesome) with complicated terms and confusing (impressive?) sentences in our essays.
Now that grade 10 English class is but a foggy memory, his advice still pops up in my mind every now and then. Today was one of those days — not that I was making things complicated but because I found myself completely immersed in the simple crafts and activities we chose to enjoy this week. Ethan just finished his first year of classes and has a week before tech session begins so he and his girlfriend, Maria, decided to join us for a week of relaxation and fun.
I love making pancakes in the morning. They’re so tasty and they’re Ethan’s favourite thing to eat for breakfast so of course I had to make some!
I mixed equal parts of Carnation milk & 2% milk in this recipe and it made a big difference in the taste of the pancakes! There’s something about the combination of canned milk and the smell of vanilla together that made pancake prep so satisfying.
Here’s the recipe in case you’d like to try it out:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, combine:
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk (I used half milk, half Carnation milk)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Stir the wet & dry ingredients together, spoon onto a hot frying pan and serve up with your favourite toppings! (yum)
We enjoyed our slow morning with full bellies while we crafted and listened to old CDs. Gordon Lightfoot’s smooth vocals played in the living room while we finished a few friendship bracelets and crocheted a few more granny squares. We should have lit a few candles to make it a true hygge experience!
The sun decided to clear the clouds away after several days of rain so we strapped on our shoes and hit the trails for some much-needed vitamin D!
I’ve cleaned up the pillow and blankets from the floor in front of a glistening new painting, still shiny wet, sparkling in the morning sun. It’s beautiful – not just the painting, but the feeling of finishing something and enjoying it. And I actually made myself clean my brushes. That’s a huge accomplishment.
This painting was fun to create, and I’ve learned so much along the way. It came with its own challenges, but with a bit of inspiration from a new artist friend and some suggestions from online helpers, the challenges didn’t feel as intimidating.
Firstly, let me introduce my artist friend to you. Sabrina Pinksen arrived in Gaultois shortly after we came here. She had responded to a Call for Artists for an outdoor mural in Gaultois. It was a huge project so I couldn’t wait to meet the brave artist who was setting up her studio in the Community Centre.
You know that feeling when you’re a bit nervous to meet someone new? I get this from time to time – especially with artists, because it’s great to meet other creatives and I always hope to connect with them. I wasn’t disappointed when I met Sabrina – she has to be the friendliest, most down-to-earth artist I’ve met. And unbelievably talented!
So, shortly after she left Gaultois, I rolled up my sleeves, rearranged a few things in my kitchen and set up a larger studio space. My easel didn’t fit in the truck on our trip to Newfoundland so this lovely big canvas was set on the floor and so was I. Who needs fancy equipment, right?
I think the most exciting new step (this is for the art geeks out there) was applying a few colours to some parts of the canvas before the final painting. I’d been curious about applying tinted gesso under acrylic paintings but hadn’t developed the courage to attempt an underpainting while working with oil. After watching Sabrina use “chaos mapping” to prepare her composition, I knew I needed to push past my perfectionism to have fun with the creative process.
As I got closer to the foreground, I had even more fun, imagining the colours of plant life under the snow and exaggerating both real and imagined colours. With a bit of help from my playlist, I actually played with this artwork. It was amazing!
I will admit though, that sitting on the floor and painting did require a few extra stretching sessions but I’m ok with that. Cooper and Chloe were more than happy to snooze beside me next to the yoga mat.
Finished! “Sanctuary” Oil on canvas, 36×48” This painting is based on a photo from a hike with my friends at sunset a few weeks ago. I loved the way we felt so small amidst the trees & rolling hills and mountains, while feeling completely secure and in awe. It’s almost too much to absorb all at once, and so wonderful too. *available (once it dries) & prints will be available #gaultois#newfoundland#hike#hiking#canada#canadian#canadianart#painting#landscape#mountains#studio
My cheeks are a little rosier after spending the day in the sun ~ it was AMAZING, especially after a long winter. I’m sure we still have a few storms ahead of us but man oh man, it sure feels great to enjoy some sunny rays and blue skies!
I do feel a bit guilty enjoying such a beautiful day since my family & friends are dealing with a nasty storm back home in Northwestern Ontario. But I’m sure we’ll have our own spring storm here soon enough. For now though, I’ll soak up what I can!
At the very least, I hope my friends get a well-deserved snow day from the storm. It’s only fair, right?
I took Dion on the same trail I enjoyed with the girls last week, and was amazed by the difference. There are different kinds of plants and mosses that don’t lose their lovely green colours during winter so now that the snow is melting, all that vibrant green is dazzling and oh-so-good for the soul.
Today’s hike was refreshing and reinvigorating. I think I built up enough energy to begin a new painting in the studio tomorrow & can’t wait to get started. There’s nothing like getting outside to recharge. Cooper didn’t mind either.. 🙂
This is my view ~ our little house on the hill is starting to feel much more like a home. We’ve been busy organizing, fixing things up and I’ve even been able to finish my first painting here this year.
As you might expect, spring in Newfoundland brings plenty of fog, wind and rain — the perfect kind of days to fill your home with good smells in the kitchen, especially if you decide to make a good, hearty soup.
A few days ago, I roasted up a whole chicken which always gets used to make a really tasty bone broth. As luck would have it, my friend had cooked up a big ham so she gave me the leftover ham bone because she knew I’d use it for pea soup. Feeling like a homesteader, I made two nice batches of soup between yesterday and today. The smells filled our house and the soup filled our bellies. Yum!
I usually cook the soup much longer than the time that is recommended in the recipe. It helps to break down the peas for a slightly smoother texture.
My Mom recommended grating a potato into the soup for the last half hour, which is a great alternative to adding leftover mashed potatoes (making the soup even heartier).
With all these tasty soups, I hope the rain clears up so I can go on even longer walks and burn off all the dumplings I ate!
When I haven’t been making soups, I’ve been painting — and it feels great.
I began painting this landscape using acrylics but it didn’t take long to switch to oils. They’re so much creamier, making it easy to blend and play with colours ~ it gives me so much more freedom with my palette.
I used to use nothing but acrylic paint but after discovering how much I enjoyed using oils, it’s been difficult to use acrylics. At one point early on in this process, I posted this question in a few places:
I think the best piece of advice I got involved tinting gesso and applying it to the canvas before painting. People also recommended being generous with gesso so that the texture of the canvas would be smoother, and hopefully preventing the paint pulling away from the grooves in the material. Maybe this is why I see some artists sanding their primed canvases before painting???
It’s so handy to know I can reach out to get advice from people who generously share their techniques and experiences. To those who reached out with tips & tricks, thank you! I even had some handy suggestions from people who were willing to research for me even though they don’t paint. That’s so nice! (thanks, everybody!) 🙂
I wasn’t expecting it, but I was so happy when my friends surprised me with a beautiful cold plate and some angel food cake yesterday. I ate so much that I looked like the frog balloon from Shrek. I had to stay on the couch for a while because I couldn’t move.
No picture of angel food cake. It disappeared too quickly.
*btw, cold plates are very popular here in Newfoundland. We even had them at our wedding!
I was taught to never return a dish empty, so I was glad that I saved pictures of my favourite recipe that I could use in our new house. If you read my blog post yesterday, you’ll see that my kitchen isn’t at its best — but it’s getting there! Fortunately, scones don’t require a ton of ingredients or equipment.
As you can tell, this recipe has been used for many years. I’ve changed up a few things — I no longer use currants, and I don’t cut them with a biscuit cutter — but everything else is good.
A foggy day is perfect for baking!Notice the 2-litre milk holder?
When I began looking through my cupboards for the supplies I’d need, I quickly realized that there were a few things missing. I didn’t have a pastry blender, and I didn’t have any measuring spoons. Hopefully my ability to estimate wouldn’t mess things up!
This looks like a tablespoon, right?Cooper kept a watchful eye on me while I made scones…
What I like about these scones is the ease with which they’re made. It’s a super-fast recipe to whip up, and as long as you don’t make the scones too thick (like I did today), the baking time is fairly standard.
I prefer to slice the dough rather than cutting it into rounds ~ much easier!
As I mentioned above, my dough was a bit too thick, so after ten minutes, I used a knife to separate the pieces a bit and cook for about 4-5 additional minutes.
What I like about making scones like this, is that the little round shapes make them easy to wrap up and give to your friends ~ which I was able to do when I returned my friends’ dishes this morning. 🙂
Warm scones are perfect with some butter, jam and a good cup of tea, especially if you get to share them with a friend.
If you decide to use the recipe, let me know how it goes!
It’s been one week since we arrived here in Gaultois, and we’re beginning to settle into our little home. We go through spurts of shuffling, organizing and re-organizing. Deciding, bit by bit, how we’d like to help our home in ways that will make it even lovelier without breaking the bank.
Why is it that you need to make a mess before you can clean things up? From the looks of this mess, my place is bound to be spotless …eventually.
We also need to think about the way we balance our time since we’ll be here until mid-August. We’d love to get a bunch of things done but it’s important to relax and enjoy ourselves too. There’s fishing to be done and paintings to paint, and an island to explore!
The geography in Gaultois is unreal; the steep mountains create breathtaking landscapes that change with each step you take. My friends took me on a few hikes over the past week, and we were treated to some magnificent views:
We feel spoiled living in this spot. Even though our house needs a bit of TLC, we love it. We’ll spend a bit of time and money making whatever improvements we can, but we won’t push ourselves too far. At this point in our lives, we’re learning how important it is to keep things in perspective (for the most part).
I’m enjoying a cup of coffee while I take in the incredible view from my window and soaking in the silence. It’s so wonderfully quiet here.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might recognize this view. We’re staying in the same house we rented last year ~ we loved it so much that we decided to buy it, and as of a month ago, it’s ours!
Dion and I are on a self-funded leave this year so we have much more flexibility with our time. Since the kids are off to school and we don’t have to work, we had the freedom to pack up the puppers, load up the truck and head halfway across the country. In February. The perfect time to travel…
Despite the wintery temps, we had fairly good driving conditions and made it to North Sydney ahead of schedule. With a bit of luck on our side, we called Marine Atlantic and switched our ticket to an earlier crossing to get to Newfoundland sooner than we’d planned.
We lucked out with good weather, which meant that there weren’t high winds and we could rest well in our cabin. The dogs were more than happy to snuggle with me in one of the beds until it was time to start our journey across the island the next day.
Since we had the earlier-than-scheduled crossing, we hadn’t looked ahead to the forecast and didn’t see a massive system moving in over the entire island of Newfoundland. The trek would alter our destination and bring us to St. John’s instead of Gaultois, which meant a very long day of driving — most of it, still hauling our U-Haul trailer… just for some extra fun.
If you look closely at the screenshots, you can tell how long our day was. But hey, it makes for a good story and great memories right?
We were more than happy to reach our Airbnb and get settled for a week in the city. *Ethan is studying at the Marine Institute so we couldn’t wait to surprise him with a visit.
Take it from me: staying in an Airbnb is so much better than staying in a hotel room. There are plenty of hosts who allow you to bring your pets with you too, which worked out well for us. It’s so nice to have space to relax and get comfortable (and a kitchen to make your own food instead of relying on restaurants!). Although, there’s something to be said for finding amazing little spots like this one:
Our week flew by ~ we enjoyed spending time with Ethan and his girlfriend Maria, we saw a few sites like Cape Spear and Signal Hill, and got caught up on laundry (if you’re used to traveling, you’ll appreciate anywhere that has a washer & dryer..).
We left St. John’s this morning & arrived in Hermitage this afternoon. Gaultois tomorrow! …if there’s ferry’s running 🫣⛴️ #roadtrip#newfoundland#stjohns
Off we went to Hermitage, where we stayed for two nights because the ferry to Gaultois was storm bound. But it was all worth it by the time we finally arrived on the island.
*note: Gaultois, pronounced Gaul-tus, is a small town on Long Island, off the Southern shore of Newfoundland.
Dion and I are overjoyed to be here in our little home on a hill, soaking in what we’ve been missing since last summer. We’ve missed our friends, and we’ve missed the culture and traditions that make this place oh-so-special.
Back in 2022, I didn’t know what was going on with me. In the spring and summer, I made numerous trips to the emergency because I began to feel tingling on the left side of my face. It would last for a few hours and then go away for a while.
To rule out some more concerning conditions that have these symptoms, I went through a variety of tests. I had several tests for stroke, then epilepsy (a condition a close family member lives with), and was sent to the MS Clinic in Toronto.
What added to my stress, which seemed to grow at an exponential rate, was the fear that my life as I knew it, was ending. I had been already been diagnosed with Cervical Dystonia in 2021, so these new symptoms were particularly worrisome.
As more symptoms popped up, I continued to feel like I was in the dark because I had no diagnosis. My muscles felt like they had been targeted because it felt like they weren’t sure what to do.
Many evenings were devoted to stretching because my muscles felt so restless. And as odd as this sounds, they felt like they were “crawling.”
Stretching wasn’t enough to take care of my body, so I began to move more. Walking began to be part of my daily routine, and I found it helped quite a bit. When the temperature dropped to -30C or lower, I’d bundle up in so many layers that I looked like this kid:
Movement helped me feel like I had some ounce of control over whatever was happening, which I was so grateful for. I knew I needed more help, so I reached out to Sullivan & Associates to see if I could work with a therapist to help me through this time in my life. I’ll forever be grateful that I did.
You wouldn’t think that learning to breathe would help so much, but it really does. That, along with grounding techniques and CBT, can change the way your body behaves while you begin to sort through wayward thoughts and emotions.
My family were incredibly supportive but we all felt lost. How do you fix something if you don’t know what it is?
One day, my husband called me and told me that he was listening to a show on CBC radio and that I needed to see if I could find it online:
I wish I had found her sooner, but I can say with certainty that it was better late than never. In this post, she is sharing the work of Doctor Lisa Mosconi, whose work focuses on the extreme changes that women’s brains go through during this tumultuous time in our lives.
I still have a lot to learn. I still have a long way to go.
But I’m better than I was.
This is a work in progress – literally and figuratively. I began this artwork while I was in the midst of the scariest period of my life. When I didn’t know what was happening, but I needed to do something. So I made art.
It will change as I do, but I wanted to share it with you in case it helps somebody that might be facing similar struggles. Because that’s what we’re here to do, right? We might as well help each other along.
It may not be one of my prettiest artworks, but it means so much to me.
If you are going through perimenopause, menopause or if you are post-menopausal, feel free to share anything that has helped you. Maybe your advice can make a difference for someone else.
Second Wind Studio 