DECEMBER 2020

IN THIS EDITION

Christmas in the Bay goes virtual Members share their Christmas memories A salute to our young volunteers Stay in touch with your community - online Christmas in the Bay goes virtual to beat the Grinch called Seaso’s Greetings Covid

Organizers of the beloved afternoon of holiday family fun on the last Sunday of November are moving it all online this year. Because of pandemic precautions, Santa and his elves and singers will kick off the Christmas in the Bay festivities in a one-hour Facebook Live show Carlo and Rebecca Weickert at 5 pm Sunday, November 29, hosted by Susie Reindeer, (better I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our known as Bay Seniors member Bay Seniors volunteers and members the best of the Halina St. James). Lesleyseason. Coolen Thank says you black for your cats, continued like Brynn, support adopted and from There’ll be carols from Cardinal Spayhard Daywork Nova on ourScotia behalf. by a Bay Seniors couple, are Points, and video stories from often the last to be adopted. children and seniors sharing their Even though this has been a challenging year, we thoughts on Christmas. have managed to provide services and communications in many forms to our members Christmas in the Bay will continue throughout the holiday and the community – and we will continue to do so season, and will include how-to to the best of our ability. holiday videos, including easy Enjoy the season with your family and friends, and fudge, real Scottish shortbread, know that better times are around the corner. making a spray for your door, and creating an ornament from Warm regards, costume jewellery. Several videos Rebecca Weickert, feature Bay Seniors members Board President, Bay Seniors Continued on P 3 Poor Dad Member Stories: memories of Christmas by Carl Breckenridge When we were children, fresh widely-spaced, open branches Double-duty Dad oranges weren’t something we that we would cut down. by Pauline MacDonald had very often, so my brother Christmas in my family meant, For safety reasons, those and I were always excited to first of all, attending midnight branches had to be open. We get one in the toe of our mass. We children were also needed to make sure the stocking. But we always included from about 3 years of candles were well spaced and wondered why Dad just got a age, having an evening nap and not directly under any of the lump of coal or a piece of then getting up in the middle of branches. Even the wood. That was just my father the night for church. Dad would decorations had to be placed having a joke on himself. But always be the last one in the on the tree to ensure they were my brother and I certainly truck. Mom would make a point out of every flame’s way. wondered what Dad had done of saying how slow he was. On Christmas Eve, we would to upset Santa so much! always dance around the tree When we arrived home after The Christmas curse and sing carols. It was lovely. mass, Santa had always by Bob Joyce But I admit, I was nervous, miraculously arrived in our especially with excited children When I was around 14 and my absence! The tree was lit and bouncing around, so I always brother Bruce was 19, he came made sure I had a fire home from a friend’s place late extinguisher handy. on Christmas Eve to discover our mother sitting at the sewing And our precautions proved machine and swearing as she effective, as we never even struggled to finish making a came close to an incident. Still, we wanted the kiddies to see how flammable the tree was. So one year, after the holidays, we took the sad, Pauline and Bill MacDonald naked tree down by the lake to and family burn it. We would teach our children gifts for all were under the tree. how quickly a Christmas tree Bruce, Kenena, Bob Joyce We would open our gifts, share could burn. a meal, and go to bed in the pair of pajamas as a gift for our wee hours. Well, do you think we could set it alight? father. This was a tradition I kept with No way. “Mom,” I overhead Bruce say, my own children. rather patronizingly, “Why do We tried many times, but the you swear? Dad doesn’t swear. Lessons from a fresh tree flame simply would not catch. I don’t swear. And Bob doesn’t by Beverly Carlsen It wasn’t until spring, when the swear,” Bruce paused, “in the My husband was Danish, and tree had thoroughly dried out, house.” that we were able to watch the because we loved all the Mom told me later that was one fire roar to life in the fire pit, and Scandinavian Christmas rituals, of her favourite Christmas consume the tree. we always had real candles on memories. That made it one of our Christmas tree. The moral of this story? If you my favourites, too, though I We would load up the family, go want candles on your wasn’t exactly pleased with my to a Lunenburg tree farm, and Christmas tree, always cut your brother at the time. And I still find a fresh tree with fairly own fresh tree. don’t swear in the house. Covid can’t stop Santa as he and his helpers kick-off Christmas in the Bay… virtually Continued from P 1 and volunteers. Other Christmas in the Bay activities are a colouring contest for kids and adults, a return of Kids Cards for Seniors, and a central registry for addresses with the best holiday light displays. Join in the fun on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ ChristmasintheBay/ or on the Christmas in the Bay web page https:// discoverstmargaretsbay.ca/ christmas-in-the-bay/. Santa’s elves, rehearsing before the latest Covid restrictions. They are (l to r) Annalise Bechard, Mikaela Glover, Kate Whalley, Helen Edwards, Gabi Trudel and Quinn LeBlanc. They are members of the East Coast Dance Academy.

Host Susie Reindeer and, right, The Cardinal Points. Christmas traditions: music and movies Bay Rides: making a difference Send the names of your favourite Christmas movie Neil MacArthur (pictured) started using and song to [email protected]. We’ll put the BayRides when it was founded in 2015. “I selections together for a Bay Seniors music playlist decided it was more economical for me to use and movie viewlist for the December update. BayRides than to have a To get us started, Barb Mulrooney polled some car,” he says. Bay Seniors members by phone. “I can get to the library and do other errands. For movies, Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street got 6 BayRides has become votes, while Home Alone and any Christmas movie an essential service, not with Elvis Presley got one vote each. only for me, but for other For songs, White Christmas took the lead with 4 seniors on a fixed votes, ahead of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like income, because it Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Joy to the World, O enables us to stay in our Christmas Tree, O Holy Night, and Silent Night. own homes.” Physical distancing doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch Bay Seniors is continuing to explore ways we can stay in touch with our members virtually. But such technologies only work to stay in touch if they work for you. If you’re online, but don’t have a Facebook account, and would like to learn more about how to use Facebook safely and productively, visit https://bayseniors.ca/ and click on the round NEWS button, Tuesday’s Table, our new food then click on ‘Using Social Media’ for information on how to create a feature on Facebook Facebook account and how to Beginning on Tuesday, December 1, we’re introducing a new protect your privacy on Facebook. Facebook feature, thanks to Barb Mulrooney, who was We are also using the Zoom looking for some recipes for foods and dishes that are platform more often for Bay Seniors energy-boosters. Barb reached out to our friend, nutritionist board and committee meetings, Edie Shaw-Ewald, who was happy to help out. and want to use it for social and Meanwhile, several of our members have continued the other meetings for members. conversation about holiday meal favourites, started in the Zoom is easy to use, and free. To October newsletter. Now a conversation about Christmas learn how to join a Zoom meeting, dishes, it includes the visit https://bayseniors.ca/, click on request for traditional the NEWS button, and then on lobster pie posted in the 'Using Social Media’. Member Marketplace. Edie will post tips on Join us for coffee - energy-boosters, eating on virtually a budget, eating for one, and tasty but healthy Using the Zoom video platform, dishes. Look for Edie’s we’ll offer a weekly one-hour time contribution on the second for members to get together and Tuesday of every month, beginning on December 8. visit informally online. On all other Tuesdays of each month, Tuesday’s Table is a All you need is a computer, tablet place to share your favourite recipes, ideas for using up or phone with a camera and leftovers, memories of special meals, requests for hard-to- internal microphone, a link inviting find recipes and reviews of cookbooks, cooking shows and you to join the meeting, and a cup more. Send questions, comments and stories to of tea or coffee to sip on. [email protected]. Members can choose to join in every week, or occasionally. We Start and end your week with a giggle can have a planned topic, or keep Our own funny lady, Joan Redmond, has gained a faithful it flexible. Facebook following, as she continues to share whimsical We want to hear your ideas. Email reflections in her Monday Musings and a cartoon in her Friday [email protected] or Funny. Enjoy Joan’s contributions every week at [email protected]. facebook.com/bayseniors. Gift Bags for A salute to our young volunteers Seniors still needs ‘some basics’ Michelle MacLean, lead on the Gift Bags for Seniors project, says the bags are filling up nicely, thanks to lots of donations. “The beautiful bags made by our sewing team hold quite a lot, so we still need more of the ‘basics’ we want to include in each bag,” says Michelle, “including small bottles of hand sanitizer, puzzle books, pencils and boxes, rather than purse packs, of tissues.” We’re grateful for many caring young people who are supporting While the Community our members and our work in many ways. Thank you to: Enterprise Centre is currently Angus Whyte and his team, Students for Seniors (pictured), closed to the public in support who have done yard work and piled firewood, are now working on of Covid precautions, gift bag training tools for computer and online skills development, and are donations can be dropped off standing by to shovel snow. at the centre Monday, Megan Ellis, who created our Joining a Zoom Meeting handout Wednesday and Friday described on page 4. between 10 and noon. Please knock on the front door, Mellisa Larson and Elisabeth Edwards, placement students which is locked, and wait for helping with several programs. the volunteer on duty to Olivia Schneider, a cardmaker who created over 150 card kits for respond. our Kids Cards for Seniors program. The deadline for donations is Alexandra Morrison, who wrote a Remembrance Day reflection December 8. for the November newsletter. Buy local and help our businesses survive and thrive There’s never been a more local business or artist has a or Instagram account where important time to shop locally. website with sales options, we we can contact them for Small businesses and artists can shop online and still shop shopping options. “Many and artisans are struggling local. businesses have turned to this year, with events and When a business or artist we creative solutions to serve shows being cancelled, and want to support doesn’t have their customers, including stores having reduced hours a website, Keith Ayling, Bay curbside pick-up, contact-free and traffic capacity. Chamber of Commerce meeting and even delivery,” But with a responsibility to president, says we can often says Keith. stay home as much as still buy from them. Keith says “The first and most important possible, many of us are we should call the business or step is to reach out to the shopping more online. When a see if they have a Facebook business and ask.” Members’ Saturday Sparkle: weekly Marketplace jewellery sale on Facebook Did you donate a mini Thanks to an overwhelmingly brass tea set? While our generous response to our call volunteers were sorting for jewellery donations, our through the jewellery Facebook jewellery sale, donations, they came planned for the last two weeks across a charming doll- in November, will instead take sized brass tea/coffee set, place every Saturday on still sealed in its original Facebook for the foreseeable bag. Pam Fortin and the future. Classic or festive, we have jewellery for all tastes doll’s house team added it All profits will be donated to to the house, and would like the food bank. to thank the donor. If that’s Darlene Pentz, volunteer lead you, please email on the program, says jewellery [email protected]. Pam is being “gently priced to allow would like to thank you and everyone in the community to include you in the list of join the fun.” Everything from donors. very affordable costume Looking for a traditional jewellery to vintage collectible lobster pie recipe? Did pieces to a few valuable your family always eat precious items will be offered. lobster pie on Christmas A new jewellery array will be Eve? Two members are posted on facebook.com/ Bay Seniors fabric masks looking for a traditional bayseniors every Saturday at 3 and bags update recipe for the dish. Email p.m. Betty Learning, sewing team [email protected]. It’s a sale, not an auction, so lead, says that while numbers the first person to commit to were smaller than usual at the Are you computer savvy? buying a piece at the posted Covid-cautious St. Luke’s Are you comfortable using price, through a comment on United Church Christmas Craft Facebook and other social the post or in a private Sale, Bay Seniors made $425, media? We need you for our Facebook message, is the selling 17 bags, 51 adult masks volunteer tech team, to help successful buyer. and 8 child masks. other members who want to Arrangements will be made Betty thanks all the sewing learn. Participation need not through Facebook to team volunteers for their be in person. Contact exchange payment for extraordinary contributions to [email protected] for purchased items. Cash only, Bay Seniors and our details. please. community throughout 2020.

Established in 2009, the Seniors Association of St. Margaret’s Bay (Bay Seniors) is a not-for-profit registered society whose purpose is to promote and participate in the development of wellness living for seniors; to research and represent the interests of seniors living in the greater St. Margaret’s Bay area; and to provide housing and accommodation options for seniors. For more information about any of the topics in this newsletter, visit our website www.bayseniors.ca or contact the Seniors Information Centre: email [email protected] telephone 902-820-3334. The centre is located at Unit 1 – 5229 St. Margaret’s Bay Road, Upper Tantallon, NS, B3Z 4R5. It’s open 10 - 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.