My #Noirvember (and yours)

There is less than two weeks left of #Noirvember and so far I must confess I have been going through it at a snail's pace. Basically, since day one I have been reading A Dark and Broken Heart by R.J Ellory. At least it is Noir all right, read my post on the 11th about it. I recommend it for all crime fiction afficionados like myself. Otherwise, I have watched a few crime films. I can't complain, but I think next year I should binge read more and make it more of an event on this blog, with more posts about it. Anyway, that is my #Noirvember so far, how about yours?

Les beignes des Fêtes

Nouveau billet de Noël, peut-être queje vais trop vite, il reste après tout dix jours ou à peu près à novembre. Mais enfin bref, mes parents ont fait des stocks de beignes, comme je l'ai blogué vendredi. Un détail sur nos beignes: les trous sont déjà créés lorsqu'on les met dans l'huile. On a un outil qui crée le beigne avec un trou dès qu'on le jette dans l'huile, pas besoin de faire un trou avec un verre ou quoi que ce soit. Tout ça pour dire que je suis bien fier des beignes de notre famille.

Here comes the snow

You know, I try not to think of Christmas too much these days, to fully enjoy what's left of November. I love winter and Christmastime, but I try to take this month as its own thing. That said, it is a transitional month and Christmastime is looming. Case in point: it snowed a lot in Québec recently and looking at the pics my parents sent got me in a festive mood. Anyway, here is a pic of the snow on the crab apple tree.

Les stocks de beignes 2022

Mes parents ont fait des beignes. Ce sont les réserves pour les Fêtes. Je ne sais pas encore si nous irons pour Noël, mais petit loup veut déjà faire un razzia dans les stocks de beignes. Il devrait y en avoir juste assez pour lui.

Parcheesi

As we are getting into this time of year when I used to play board games quite a lot as a child, I was thinking to check if there were any classic board games to buy for Wolfie for the upcoming holidays. And I thought about Parcheesi. I think it might have been the very first board game I owed when I was a child. I vaguely remember my father buying us one. And I also remember liking the look of the board, because it had some fancy exotic house in the middle, but being otherwise bored to tears about the gameplay itself. So we made up our own rules as we went, then stopped playing it altogether. But maybe I misjudged it. Anybody among you ever played it? Is it worth playing? Did I misjudged Parcheesi as a child?

Ciné-Cadeau a 40 ans

Tiens, mine de rien, je me suis rendu compte hier que la cuvée 2022 de Ciné-Cadeau venait d'être dévoilée. Et j'apprends par le fait même que l'évènement incontournable des Fêtes au Québec célèbre ses 40 ans. Je donnerai plus de détails sur la cuvée 2022 dans un autre billet, mais d'ici là je veux souligner l'anniversaire. Sinon, parlez-moi de vos souvenirs de l'émission dans les commentaires, dites-moi aussi ce que vous pensez de la sélection cette année et on en discutera en détails dans les prochains jours.

Lego's Christmas Magazine

A couple of days ago, I found this in our mailbox: Lego magazine, Christmas edition. It was of course for Wolfie. Apparently, it's a freebie he subscribed to, or rather his mummy did on his behalf. Sometimes I think Wolfie receives more mail than us! There are worse toys to play with than Lego, there are worse things to receive than this, yet I cannot help but think: this is way too early. Surely they could have waited until December? Be that as it may, I think this is the very first Christmassee thing that entered this household this year.

"La première neige est tombée..."

Parce qu'il neige au Québec:

Tooth Fairy's Economics

You might be interested to know, but Wolfie has started losing his baby teeth. He lost two so far, one a month ago, one this week. The second one was a bit of an issue, because it bled a bit more, which got him a bit upset. But anyway, that now means he receives money from the Tooth Fairy. Two pounds a tooth, apparently, which I thought was pretty high compared to my youner days. But that is what his dear maternal grandmother told us. Apparently she is in the known. I told her: "So the Tooth Fairy's current exchange rate is £2.00 per baby tooth? Must be inflation." Which I think deserves to be a new great unknown line. Be that as it may, Wolfie had a two pounds coin under his pillow a month ago, then yesterday he got four 50 pences. "So many moneys" as he said. And that's a new Wolfism too.

La remise et la neige

Je partage encore une fois une photo de la neige qui est tombée au Saguenay. Parce que l'hiver s'en vient, d'une part. Et parce que peu de choses suffisent pour donner du cachet à une banale remise. Un peu de neige suffit, en fait. Il y a certains moments dans certaines saisons, l'hiver et l'automne surtout, qui donnent de la poésie au banal. La première neige en est un.

Fog

The BBC had sent a yellow warning of fog for last night and this morning. So when we woke up, it was very foggy. But it did not stay for very long: we barely had time to get Wolfie to school. When I took this picture, around 9:00AM, it was already lifting. All the same, I love foggy days. So atmospheric.

Premières neiges

Premières neiges sur le Québec, dont au Saguenay. Mon père m'a envoyé des photos. Je m'empresse bien entendu de partager.

Dem Bones (from The Prisoner)

Wolfie has been singing this song, which he learned at school. It got stuck in my head. For him, it's some fun catchy song, but for me it is a song that is featured in the last episode of cult tv series The Prisoner, one of my favourite. So here is the version used in The Prisoner, sung by The Four Lads. I have no idea if it is the best or not, but this is the one I know best.

La tasse des coquelicots

Ma femme a reçu en cadeau de fête de ses parents l'année dernière cette tasse artisanale en céramique, avec des coquelicots dessus. Et avec un sous-verre (sous-tasse?) assorti. C'est une tasse parfaite pour le Jour du Souvenir. Elle l'utilise rarement d'ailleurs, sauf au mois de novembre, notamment à cause des coquelicots, mais aussi parce qu'elle est assez imposante et qu'elle ne peut pas juste placer ça dans un coin étroit. On ne veut pas la perdre comme on en a perdu tant, c'est une tasse des grands jours.

The Pequod

I took this picture in Blackgang Chine on the Isle of Wight. Remember when I blogged about Moby Dick's Revenge? Well, right next to Moby Dick, you could see the Pequod. Or, as they called it, Captain Ahab's Pequod. As for the infamous whale, the legendary whaling ship was rather inaccurate if you compared it to its description in the novel, but it was cool to see the ship that fascinated me nearly as much as Ahab's nemesis when I was a child. And if nothing else, it was Wolfie's first introduction to this classic.

Une clémentine

 N'oublions pas que quand vient novembre, c'est le temps des clémentines. L'ironie c'est que cette année, ça m'a pris pas loin d'une semaine pour en trouver et que j'ai dû passer par toutes les épiceries de la ville. En désespoir de cause, j'ai dû me rendre à la fruiterie locale, qui les vendaient à l'unité et c'était pas vraiment cheap. Mais au moins, elles étaient excellentes. Et de bonne taille en plus. Enfin bref, j'ai pris une photo de la dernière qui me restait pour accompagner le billet. Il va falloir que je m'en rachète.

The 11th Hour

I left the blog about Remembrance Day to the eleventh hour, when the Armistice was signed. I was idle and I procrastinated, however to my defense I would say that this is a fitting time for this post. And to commemorate, I share this picture taken from the Facebook page of the British Museum. They shared it today to commemorate Remembrance Day. It was made back in 1779by British artist Mary Delany (I know nothing about her). I have more poppies to share, but these ones will do for now.

Galettes au gruau

Mes parents ont fait des galettesau gruau. Pas mon dessert préféré, mais je partage la photo quand même.

The novel for this #Noirvember

I have not blogged much about #Noirvember so far and I thought I would give heads up for today's post. Because even before I knew about it, November is Noirvember for me. Anyway, I chose almost at random a crime book to read, prolerly Noir: A Dark and Broken Heart by R.J Ellory. First novel of him I ever read. You may notice that I have a French translation: my mother gave it to me as a Christmas or birthday present. I had totally forgotten that I had it, and I thought now was as good a time as any to read it and to get it off my pile of TBR. So far, so Noir: the protagonist is Vincent Madigan, junky police officer that is piling up skeletons in his closet. Very fitting read. Anyway, that's my #Noirvember. How is yours?

Coquilles St-Jacques (souvenirs)

J'ai blogué le 8 sur les coquilles Sait-Jacques, j'y reviens parce que des souvenirs me sont revenus en tête depuis. Je n'ai jamais fait de coquilles Saint-Jacques moi même. J'en mange depuis l'enfance parce que c'était un met que mes parents aimaient beaucoup. je crois que ce que j'aimais, c'était le mélange gruyère et crabe. Toujours est-il que ça a longtemps été mon repas préféré, avec la fondue chinoise. Les enfants ont parfois des goûts étonnants, je le vois avec Wolfie. Mais enfin bref. Durant mes années d'études à Montréal et par la suite, j'achetais parfois des coquilles St-Jacques d'une poissonnerie sur le Plateau (existe-t-elle encore?). Moins bonnes que celles de chez mes parents, notamment parce qu'on y mettait beaucoup d'échalotte, mais quand même fort honnêtes. Ici, j'en ai retrouvé à M&S, mais ça doit faire dix ans que je n'en ai pas mangé. Il faudrait sans doute que j'apprenne à en cuisiner.