Page 190 - WDT Winter 2018 japan

Almost every family had an accordion or fiddle and eve- barbequed beans. The second table was covered with beer
ryone could play spoons, but most people had no access to caps, driftwood, nails, screws, colored pipe cleaners, plastic
drums so they created the Ugly Stick. googly eyes, tassels, pompoms, feathers, various doo-dads,
All the traditional folk songs were passed down at kitchen hats, caps, gorilla glue and a glue-gun. Sue handed me a
parties and the music helped define the eclectic sound of mop, pointed to a pile of boots on the floor under the table
Newfoundland musicians. and told me to pick one. I chose
I loved the idea, so when I a classic olive green Wellington
learned about an Ugly Stick- boot.
making workshop in Newfound- Sue was a pro with the electric
land, I signed on. drill. In seconds, she’d drilled the
My home was a cottage boot to the bottom of my mop
overlooking Conception Bay handle and I banged it on the
where you could see whales ground, imitating a kick drum.
spouting in the distance. In the Perfect. Next was the fun part –
back yard was a shed where decorating. She drilled a large
the Ugly Stick workshop was empty tin can beneath the mop
to take place. The participants strands for the face. I braided
were me and three locals and the workshop was led by the stringy hair and fitted a bathing cap onto the ugly Stick’s
Sue, who was also the owner of my cottage. In the shed, her head because my Ugly Stick was going to be a diver. I glued
neighbor was cooking Toutums (pronounced like “POUT- on googly eyes and then covered them with an old pair of
ums”) on a hot plate. This Newfoundland specialty is leftover swim goggles. For the mouth, I shaped a red pipe cleaner
fried bread dough served with molasses, and they were so into an “O” big enough to hold a snorkel.
good I ate at least seven. One woman was making a “diva” with a feather boa and
There were two large tables, one set for a dinner of mini pie tins running up the shaft. Another made a New-
Toutums, home-made pea soup, freshly-baked bread, and foundlander with two pompoms for eyes, a bright yellow

190 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018