Oh! To have someone call me ‘Fancy Face’ as I set my wide jaw to indifference – though my eyes would say otherwise – would be the be-all-end-all of romantic endeavours. Or so I thought.

Romantic Dreams

Many things change over time, and as you age, so does your perception of that perfect love. Gone are the longings for daytime drama-like romances where demonic possessions, kidnappings and love-child sagas are the things romantic dreams are made of. And having a long thought dead husband return to reclaim his lost love after she’s fallen in love with another? No thanks! Who need the stress of tossing a messy love triangle into the already muddy mix of love and marriage? Not I!

There comes a time in life when seeing a partner load the dishwasher is all the foreplay one needs, or when not having to clean up the crumbs after them one night out of six means that what you have must really be true long-lasting love.

Now? In my fifties? I’m fascinated with ‘older’ couples who seem to have it all figured out. You see them around all the time. Hubby waiting outside a store as his lovey picks through the racks. The fella keeping the car warm for his missus outside the Costco, one eye on the door so he can drive around and fetch her when she pops out with cart chinched.

The duo out for a wee stroll holding hands and looking like they might actually be enjoying one another’s company. Swoon-worthy relationship goals. 

Of course there’s other more visible role models when it comes to love and romance and marriage.

The Queen isn’t a bad one to look up to when thinking of long-lasting love. The Queen and Prince Philip were married 73 years and if either ever strayed outside their marriage for comfort from another, rest assured the paparazzi would have grabbed the snaps and we’d all have read about it.

The image of the Queen sitting alone at the Duke’s funeral will long stay burned in my mind. That image of lonely is how you’d imagine you’d feel after the loss of your life partner, and that picture spoke a thousand words.

Other public couples also stand testament to long-lasting love, even though theirs would be considered a tad unconventional. Gene Simmons and NL’s own Shannon Tweed come to mind. Sharon and Ozzy are another rock ’n’ roll couple who are proof that through sickness and through health (and through all kinds of other strange, scary stuff) marriage can last and love can endure for who knows what rhyme or reason.

Against all odds

Even the most brilliant minds knew better than to analyze it. It was Albert Einstein who said wisely, ‘you can’t blame gravity for falling in love.’ Against all odds, love can last in Hollywood. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been in love since their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1983 and Kevin Bacon has been anything but ‘Footloose” since meeting Kyra Sedgwick in ’87.

As for Fancy Face and her Bo?

Their love lasted and like the Queen and Philip, only death separated those lovebirds. Bo died in Hope’s arms in the same park where they first met. Be still my beating heart! And let’s not forget Nikki and Victor, who have been married and divorced at least once a decade over the last forty years and are still together in spite of near-deaths, reported demises and enough affairs to cast doubt on any possible romance rekindling. Proof there’s hope for the rest of us.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

When any Newfoundlander’s yarn begins “Well, we were on our way for a bit of Mary’s (Mary Browns Chicken) and on our way back we stopped at the Irving…” then you know you’re face-to-face with a family that keeps it real and that the tale they are about to spin will be a good one.

In this particular case, this Big Mary followed by a bit of gas yarn just happens to belong to the Furey’s and Dad Andrew Furey is the Premier of Newfoundland Labrador and Mom Allison Furey is an emergency physician at the Janeway Children’s Hospital in St. John’s. 

Dr. Premier continued. “There was a gentleman (at the Irving) changing his tire and he was struggling a little bit, so we offered help.”

Dr. Allison picked up the tale, ‘cause as many hubbies tend to do, the tale got all tangled. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but it was actually our daughter, Maggie, that noticed that he was struggling with his tire change. And she said, ‘Mom, we need to do something.”

‘You’re the Premier’

Corrected, the Premier continued. “Right. Yes. I was in the Irving and when I came back out Maggie said, ‘You should help that guy over there.’ So I went over and helped him. And his wife asked what do I do for a living, and I think Allison said I was a surgeon and they were getting ready to leave and the guy turns and says, ‘Hey, you’re the Premier.’”

We ask the two how their relationship has changed or evolved over the past year and a bit since combining politics with a pandemic. “I think everybody’s relationship has changed because COVID happened. You know, when we started this adventure, I put my hand up for the leadership before COVID had really impacted us all. Before shutdowns happened,”  the Premier began.

How have those challenges, combined with turning into such a public figure, changed their lives?

“If anything those things have strengthened the relationship, made us more cognizant of each other and for me, made me realize how important it is to have Allison and the family around.”

While he tries hard “not to bring the office home,” that’s not always an easy endeavour.

“Always the responsibility of the province and working through the pandemic is large and I wear that so sometimes at home it can be a challenge so having an understanding partner and family has allowed me to navigate all that easier on a personal level.” 

The family Furey

Mrs. Premier agrees. “From the start, Andrew becoming Premier and simultaneously the pandemic striking has really highlighted for me the importance of stability at home for everyone. We’ve always had the attitude that anything we get involved in we do as a team. That could be the Premiership or as a surgeon or doing volunteer work overseas. Whatever it is, partnership is really important and our relationship has become much stronger from an emotional and supportive standpoint since March 2020.” 

The family Furey is made up of Mom, Dad and children, Maggie, Rachael and Mark. Like most families in the province, they struggle with balancing busy schedules and children who – when we spoke at least – were attending school at home. How do they do it? Very carefully, they shared.

“Allison is able to work at home a little bit, but we focus on that sense of responsibility where we have to make sure the kids are being educated. Always, hats off to the hardworking teachers out there who are teaching online. That’s not fun for them, either. I’m sure, like every parent, we’re balancing screen time and trying to make sure that the kids are physically active. COVID means that I get to do more from home, too, but when I can’t, when I get home, I try to make sure that the kids are doing something outside of the confines of the kitchen table or their desk in their room,” he shared. 

The Premier and his wife have moved beyond their usual daily duties during the pandemic as well. Dr. Allison has lent a hand in Ontario during the worst of the crisis and the Premier/Dr. has administered vaccinations throughout Labrador. Don’t they have enough on their plate, we ask.

“I always felt that you had a responsibility to give back with the talents that you had, some of which were natural and some of which were built on the backs of opportunities like having a solid medical education,” the Premier said. He’s long felt a “responsibility to give back to our own community and communities around the world,” he added. 

“If a call comes for vaccinators, for example, that’s something I can do. Knowing the demand is there, knowing that was a natural fit and just to be able to do it and to be contributing and learning was good.” 

Helping others

We ask if such things, like heading to Labrador or flying with a medical contingent to Ontario, were tough decisions to make.

“I don’t think it was a difficult family decision at all. The kids are pretty used to one of us going away to help the greater community in some way or another. Andrew’s been to Haiti several times. I’ve gone to Bangladesh. It isn’t outside the realm of normality in our household, so I don’t think it was a difficult family decision. It was a natural decision to go. I had a skill set and the opportunity presented itself.” 

Not going would have been the harder family conversation to have, the Premier added. “If we didn’t do something, we’d be answering questions over ‘why didn’t you do something?’ The kids are used to us traveling around the world to provide medical care and education and here’s an at home crisis.”

The children would have been left  wondering why they didn’t do anything, they added. Thinking of the paths they’ve taken in life, the Premier reflected.

“I think as an individual, you’re the combination of your past, present, and your future. The trajectory that my life has taken has largely been built on the shoulders of my family,” he said. 

His father, Senator George Furey, made politics and service a passion and a priority for the family. But beyond “growing up in a political family,” he also says he feels “responsible to ensure that we’re not subscribers to cynicism, but dreaming of the possibilities and solutions.”

“I hope that we are setting the right example for the children. I feel the responsibility of having those eyes on me at home. The call to public service is a noble one and I can only hope my children take something positive from the experience of me being Premier, and from my time with Team Broken Earth,” he said.

It would have been so easy, he continued, to simply say; there’s nothing we can do.

“It could be said easily, ‘what can we do? We are from St. John’s, Newfoundland Labrador.’ I don’t believe in that cynicism. I don’t believe in that philosophy and approach to life. And I hope my kids can really dream of the possibilities and then execute those possibilities.” 

A typical family

Allison feels equally as strong, she shared. When it comes to setting good examples for their family, that’s number one. “I don’t think (our efforts to help others) goes unnoticed in the household. They’re conscientious kids and I hope that our example is one of possibility for them and their future.” 

Having spent time with the Furey family in the past, it’s obvious they try and keep things real. From sports to music and mealtimes to video game championships, theirs is pretty much a typical family on most days.  

That the two share that family keeps it real is no huge surprise. “There’s a silver lining in this (pandemic) time for me and that’s as Premier, there’s less travel by mandate, and there’s less social gatherings, and obviously less political gatherings so as a result, I’m able to sit home and watch the news or Mandalorian or Harry Potter with the kids and that keeps me grounded and humble. My kids don’t mind telling me when I’m an idiot,” he said laughing. 

Since Valentine’s Day is pending, how do they keep the romance alive? There’s some joking about hesitancy to answer and about who fell in love first, but they agree theirs is a strong bond.

“Romance is a dynamic notion and concept that changes with the changing phases of your life and I’m still growing in love with Allison every day,” the Premier shared sweetly, evoking a chorus of ‘awwww,’ from his wife and the interviewer. 

‘I love you’

“When it comes to romance, we definitely celebrate each other and our relationship in small ways and I think it’s a constant that we work on,” Allison shared.

We ask them to describe their love for one another. Is their long term relationship more like the Titanic theme song My Heart Will Go On, or is it like a Dolly Parton love song?  Is there a song that causes them to instantly gaze into each other’s eyes if it’s heard? 

Allison is quick to respond. “I would have to say that our wedding song probably would be the song and that’s The Beatles, In My Life.” 

And how did the Premier respond to that? By using a simple one-word quote from perhaps one of the most romantic movies of all time, Ghost. Like Patrick Swayze’s charter said as he responded to Demi Moore’s character’s “I love you,” the Premier eloquently responded a very romantic; “Ditto.”

Enough said. 

There is one more message from the Premier. No matter how it’s celebrated this year with COVID restrictions in place, make sure we celebrate love.  

“I’d like to wish all of the other couples throughout Newfoundland and Labrador a very happy Valentine’s Day.”

So, how has this winter been in contrast to previous years?

“The last two years featured significant amounts of snow across the Island and long stretches of bitterly cold temperatures,” he shared. “In comparison this winter has been very, very different. Snowfall for many areas, especially central and western Newfoundland, has been well below average. The overwhelming theme from folks across the Island is one of disappointment for the year. It’s been tough for winter sport enthusiasts due to this lack of snow. Even in Labrador snowfall has been below normal and temperatures relatively mild … for Labradorians.”

Unpredictable at times

Though quickly becoming accustomed to what we can expect in our turbulent weather patterns, Sheerr still admits that ‘normal’ Newfoundland weather is still unpredictable at times to him, as he’s only been an honourary Newfoundlander for three years.

“It’s hard to me to say what a “normal” winter should be like,” Sheerr admits. “This is my third winter in NL and my first two were very cold and very snowy and this one has been quite a bit less extreme on both accounts. Some of the storms have been difficult to predict, but that comes with the territory. Snowfall has been below normal this year for most areas and temperatures have been close to normal … until recently. We’ve had some bouts with temperatures into the teens at the end of February and the long range suggests that may become more common over the coming weeks. Perhaps an early Spring is in the cards for us to make up for the less than stellar summer? All that being said, it’s still March and some of the very big snowfalls can, and have, occurred this month and in April.”

One thing that has defied our norm is the early emergence of Icebergs this year, something which perplexes Sheerr and weather pundits in general.

Iceberg  season

“I’m a bit perplexed as to why we’ve seen so many early season icebergs this year,” he shared. “The weather pattern last summer and this fall was unseasonably cold for parts of the North Atlantic. The biggest driver of this was the long durations of the easterly and northeasterly winds due to high pressure centres sitting northeast of the Island.

I’m not 100 per cent sure if that has anything do with the early ‘bergs, but it may. Icebergs take a long time to travel from Greenland into Iceberg Alley, roughly 3 years, so I suppose there could be a multitude of factors going into this. Sea ice between Labrador and Greenland is also slightly below normal this year, which could also play a role … I think. I’m no expert in sea-ice and icebergs so there’s a chance my hypotheses is completely wrong!”

NTV Road trips

Sheerr has been hitting the open road and making stops in various towns across Newfoundland in recent weeks, becoming much more accustomed to our picturesque island and its warm and welcoming inhabitants.

“The NTV Road trips I get to do a few times a year are a blast!,” he shared. “Just last month, in February, I did two different trips in back to back weeks. The most memorable experience from this last round of trips was definitely square dancing at the Centreville-Wareham-Trinity and Indian Bay Winter Carnival. I don’t fancy myself much of a dancer, but apparently I did okay for a newbie! Getting out and about across the province is something I really enjoy. The history and culture of this Island is so rich and interesting. The more of both I learn and see, the more people I meet, the more ingrained I start to feel in the community that makes up Newfoundland and Labrador. This place which was once felt very foreign now feels like home.”

Feeling of home

That newfound feeling of home has recently become amplified for Sheerr, as the seasoned meteorologist recently revealed his engagement, with plans to wed right here in Newfoundland and Labrador.

“Some things in life happen for a reason,” Sheerr shared candidly. “The path in life I’ve taken thus far led me to Newfoundland, and to Susan. We met almost a year ago to the week and it was the best thing that ever happened to me! I asked Susan to marry me on Christmas Eve and to my delight she said yes! We’ve been working on the wedding plans and do have a date set for later this year. The wedding will be taking place on the Island and I’m excited for my family and friends that haven’t been to NL yet to see what a beautiful place this is.”

The simple things

With an open love for his new home and his bride to be, Sheerr takes comfort in the simple things these days, so it was only fitting that we asked the question as to what we can find him doing on his rare days off?

“I’m a huge technology nerd, so I’m always reading tech blogs to find out what’s latest and greatest in the world of technology,” he shared. “Drones are some of the coolest things to come out in the tech world and I recently got one of my own. Hopefully I’ll have some breathtaking videos to share this summer! I play ice hockey twice a week in the winter and once a week in the summer. I love playing golf and hope to get out more this year than last.

Last year was my first season rowing for the NTV crew and this year will be my second. Rowing is the most challenging and rewarding sport I’ve even participated in. I can’t wait to get back out on the pond in May!”

As for what remains in store for us Newfoundlanders and Labradorians weather-wise, Sheerr gives his most educated and informed estimate.

“Astronomical Spring arrives on March 20 so hopefully we’ve only got a little more winter to go before the weather turns! If the rest of the cold season is like what’s we’ve seen through the majority of the winter, we may not see much more in the way of snow. As is always the case, large snowfalls across the province are certainly possible through late April and early May. This has been a year with an unusually strong El Nino (warmer than average water near South American in the equatorial Pacific). Strong El Nino years, in the past, have resulted in a fairly nice spring season for much of the province. Hopefully this year will be the same.” Sounds good to us!

Check out the ‘NTV Evening Newshour’ for your daily dose of Eddie Sheerr. 

I know I’m in for an enthusiastic ear full (which always makes a walk go faster) when mom’s jaws starts flappin’ before the door even closes behind her. In those instances, the topic is usually my father. Risking a tongue lashing of my own for sharing secrets, the last walk yarn we had started something like this;

“Mr. Anal Retentive is taping today. Going to start painting, he says. By the time he gets every corner taped – just so – we’ll be into next week. And then he’ll start. Swish, swash, swish, swash. He’ll go over every spot a thousand times with that damn roller. Swish, swash, swish, swash. I’ll have to run up to your place when he starts, otherwise the roller might end up up his ….”

I dare you

Few married folk would blame her for wanting to shove something somewhere dark. Haven’t we all been there? After almost 50 years of mostly/sometimes wedded bliss, both my parents are entitled to their jam-it-where-the-sun-don’t-shine moments with one another. Bring up (I dare you) the topic of driving with either of them sometime. Both are convinced the other is the worst driver on the face of the earth, and they will vigorously defend their point. Better than a concert, if a concert involved bulging veins and mouth spittle.

But then every married couple have their guaranteed to start a racket topics. My husband and I can’t grocery shop together. Between sparing over which grocery store has the better whatever, to sales vs value vs points vs airmiles; when we venture into the grocery isles together, guaranteed one of us (him) will be walking home.

He hates how I load dishes into the sink before poking them into the dishwasher. He also loathes how I load the dishwasher  – playing Jenga again, he’ll snarl. He also despises how I overflow the garbage before taking it out. He’s also ready (if he hasn’t made the call already) to have me committed for planning for the Apocalypse – judging from our jammed kitchen cupboards and over packed freezers.

Honey don’t list

No worries, I have my honey don’t list too. I hate how, when he’s home, he puts everything on the planet on the kitchen table. I also wish he’d learn what a hanger is for, understand the concept of a movable toilet seat (if it goes up, it must come down!) and learn that sugar belongs in his coffee cup, not on the floor and counter top. And just because you carry the laundry basket up from the laundry room, doesn’t mean you actually did the laundry. It also takes him six hours to do what I can have done in one. And I’m just gettin’ started!

After our last walk was over mom grabbed my arm. “Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “Your father has a doctor appointment on Monday at 3, so I can’t get Elia off the bus. I worry about him, you know, and I want to be there to make sure everything is good.”

I smiled, told her I understood, and then watched her walk into the house to be reunited with Mr. Anal Retentive.

On March 9th my husband and I will celebrate 26 years of marriage. Trust me, both our “justifiable reasons to shove something somewhere” lists are long. But really, they’re also filled with mostly petty complaints, so I’m willing to bet there’ll be a year 27. Maybe even a 28 – as long as we don’t venture inside a grocery store together, that is. After all, a shopping cart simply wouldn’t fit where I’d want it to end up.