homefront 08-25_Homefront - Letters 11/27/19 3:36 PM Page 11
Contributors
Meet the people behind the magazine
Helena MacLean
Kim Thistle
Helena MacLean grew up all over the island of Newfoundland, from Corner Brook to St. John’s, Gander and Stephenville. She now resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. In this issue, she presents the story of her grandmother, Ena Constance Barrett, past poet laureate of Newfoundland and Labrador. Helena’s grandparents were very important figures of her childhood. She writes, “My fondest childhood memories are of my grandparents. My very earliest memory of all is of Granddad lifting me up in his arms before bed to show me the full moon and ‘the old man in the moon,’ which I always said I could see but never did! Even then I would not disappoint him. My grandmother always made me feel I was a source of joy. What a gift to give a child! From her I learned kindness and a love for the written word.” Helena has spent a great deal of time researching her grandmother’s fascinating life, and has written several articles and short stories of her own, some of which are about her grandmother.
Kim Thistle is Downhome’s new gardening columnist. With more than 35 years of professional experience in horticulture, she’s ready and eager to share her knowledge with our readers. Kim grew up “under the benches,” as her mother would say, of her parents’ gardening business in Steady Brook, NL. She hated gardening when she was young, but during post-secondary school, she realized gardening was in her blood and grew to love it. She studied horticulture in Nova Scotia and Alberta before returning to western Newfoundland. When her parents retired, she and her husband, Sean, purchased their business and moved it to Little Rapids. Today, The Greenhouse consists of three acres, four greenhouses, a retail shop, vegetable gardens, a demonstration space, consultation and design services, and a wonderful staff that are practically family. Kim and Sean have two children, one grandchild and three cats. When she’s not tending a garden, Kim enjoys sewing, hiking, skiing, reading and swimming.
www.downhomelife.com
January 2020
11