Vol 37 • No 08
$4.99
January 2025
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2025 Colour Trends Browse Our Book Nook The Baby in the Mailbag
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins
Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters
Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Destinee Rogers,
Advertising Sales Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett
Emily Snelgrove, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Claudia Hartery, MaKenzie Aylward, Adriana Hann
Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Jennifer Kane,
Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Dakota Buckley, Gemma Johnson
Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $49.44; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of
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best of the best
Contents
JANUARY 2025
44 Submission of the Year Meet the finalists and prepare to vote!
54 Blast From the Past A behind-the-scenes peek into the new season of CBC’s Son of a Critch Nicola Ryan
88 Downhome Recipes Perfect Potluck
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112 Who was the Baby in Mailbag? Learning the story of the SS Ethie Dorothy Bowering Robinson
gather around www.downhomelife.com
January 2025
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Contents
JANUARY 2025
homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers A Shea Heights surprise and a love affair with Newfoundland 14 Downhome Asks Some of our favourite callouts and responses from our readers on social media.
16 Downhome Tours Cuba 18 Then & There Recent news, notes,
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new friends
events, anniversaries and more from across NL and beyond.
20 Why is That? Why do we say ‘three sheets to the wind’ when referring to someone as being drunk? Linda Browne
22 Life’s Funny Sheep Sack Shenanigans Rose Noel
20 three sheets
23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
24 Lil Charmers Snow Much Fun 26 Pets of the Month Snowy Shenanigans
28 Book Nook Downhome dives into the latest and greatest in Newfoundland literature
30 What Odds Paul Warford takes on Trivia night
24 just chillin’
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the feast goes on
32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Kira Sheppard’s The Internet Moon 36 Adventures Outdoors Memories of Hounds and Hares Gord Follett 40 The Labrador Current
36 hounds & hares
Snowbound Nathan Freake
42 In Your Words A Spiritual Experience David Fraser
features 60 You Want it Darker Vicky Hynes reflects on 25 years of A Feast of Cohen Dillon Collins
explore 68 Simply Moo-velous Lester’s
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snuggle time www.downhomelife.com
Farm Chalet embraces cow cuddling Pam Pardy
72 Small Town Big Dreams Volunteers create a safe space for youth in Northwest River Heidi Atter January 2025
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Contents
JANUARY 2025
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colour your world
home and cabin 78 Stuff We Love Out in the Cold Nicola Ryan
78 stay cosy
80 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions.
84 Todd’s Table Cooking Made Easy
96 Down to Earth Plant Careers Kim Thistle
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104 back in the day
reminiscing 102 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
103 This Month in History The College of Fisheries Navigation Marine Engineering and Electronics
104 Visions and Vignettes Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport in days gone by. Harold N. Walters
About the cover A new year means new opportunities for food, fun and fellowship. Our cover illustrates a mouth-watering mac and cheese that would be the star of any potluck gathering of friends and family. Elsewhere we preview the fourth season of Son of a Critch, offer a glimpse of the 2025 colour trends and reflect on 25 years of A Feast of Cohen.
Cover Index Blast from the Past • 54 25 Years of A Feast of Cohen • 60 Perfect Potluck • 88 2025 Colour Trends • 80 Browse Our Book Nook • 28 The Baby in the Mailbag • 112 www.downhomelife.com
108 This Month in Downhome History 116 Memories of my Father Recollections of Benjamin Bowering Prue Bowering Stelling
120 A Curious Case of Ball Lightning Lightning strikes in Carbonear Anthony Griffin
124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish January 2025
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