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Home Sweet Passive Home: A Passive House in the Gaspereau Valley By Genevieve Allen Hearn To recognize Earth Day on April 22, The Grapevine interviewed Phil Dennis about one of the most energy efficient homes in the Valley. Phil, his wife Mary Sweatman, and their two sons live in a custom-built, 2,500 square foot passive home in the Gaspereau Valley. The Grapevine (GV): What does passive house design mean? Phil Dennis (PD): Passive house is a standard of construction that sets limits on energy consumption and air leakage. Passive house isn’t really passive at all; the concept relies on active…
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What’s Growing at the Harriet Irving Botanical Garden: Welcoming New Family Members! By Adrien Rawley Not far from where I sit, beneath warm grow lights, nestled together on carts, a small miracle is taking place. A miracle that never, ever ceases to amaze me. Since November of 2017 our loving team of volunteers and greenhouse and gardening staff have been working towards the coming of this particular spring with great excitement. Many months ago the first steps were taken to introduce new members to the family of native plants found within the gates of the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. While…
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Why See A Yoga Therapist? By Loreen Keddy Yoga is already well-known for its many health benefits, but have you heard about the emerging field of yoga therapy? Yoga therapy is a whole-body approach to healing that often has amazing results. Here is why you should consider seeing a yoga therapist as part of your wellness goals. 1) Move better, feel better Your patterns of movement are influenced by your daily life, activities, age, and your health. It is these patterns that can lead to dysfunction and physical weakness, and manifest as pain, tingling, and tightness in your body. Yoga…
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What’s Growing at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens: A Seasonal Perspective By Melanie Priesnitz This past winter has made it easy to get outside, as we’ve had so little snow. No gear other than warm clothing and a pair of ice grips have been needed for walking on the beach or hiking in the woods. Despite the ‘easier’ season we’ve had, cases of the winter blues were high this year. Increased feelings of malaise may be in part due to the limited days of sunshine we’ve had as well as the amount of time spent indoors staring at screens. I…
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Book Review: Dark Angels by Hubert E. Devine By Jim Morton Motorcycle gangs, the backdrop of Dark Angels, aren’t usually the flavour of my literary escapes, but I am drawn to the work of Nova Scotia writers and Hubert Devine’s first novel is highly engaging, charged with excitement and surprise. Dark Angels introduces Will Alexander, a bright, athletic 19-year-old Saint Mary’s University dropout who idolizes a father he’s never known. As the tale opens Will is a newly-minted member of the Dark Angels motorcycle club. From that beginning Devine maps a maze of intrigue and suspense as Will is buffeted…
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Review: Something is Always on Fire My Life So Far: Measha Brueggergosman By Evelyn C. White World renowned opera singer Measha Brueggergosman has lived in the Annapolis Valley for the past several years. In an unvarnished and highly entertaining saga that validates the adage “you are only as sick as your secrets,” she bares all in her new memoir. Infidelity. Insolvency. Sexual improprieties. Gastric bypass. Emergency heart surgery. The in utero deaths of her twins. The births of her beloved sons. “Some part of your life is always going to be in flames,” she writes. “If it’s not your finances,…
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