My sister Suzie has recently opened a souvenir store at Old Harry in the Magdalen Islands (Îles de la Madeleine), Quebec, in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s called La Trappe, after the iconic local lobster traps, and is open during the summer months in the northern part of the Islands.

Our parents originally bought their house in Old Harry during the 1970s when they were developing educational programs with the Magdaleners, and spent many happy summers there. When they died, Suzie ended up with the house and has been living there for several years. Covid brought an influx of Quebeçois visitors, confined to their own province, to this remote archipelago. They were entranced by the spectacular views and endless beaches, and have been coming in increasing numbers every year. The rest of the world, too, has been discovering this gem of a place. So in 2022 Suzie, with twin Katie, decided to open a souvenir store in Old Harry, and it has been doing booming business ever since. You can see it for yourself if you travel to the Magdalen Islands, or go to the store’s website.

I have started thinking about making things to fit in Suzie’s store, and one thing I have come up with is earrings depicting Baubo, the unofficial Goddess of the Islands. The Eleusian Mysteries say that Demeter was the ancient Goddess of Fertility, responsible for all the growth of the land. When her daughter Persephone was stolen away by the God of the Underworld, she became so distraught that the world turned cold and dark, and nothing would grow. In vain did the people try to cheer her up, but nothing worked, and it looked like everything would die. Finally, however, old Baubo showed up, who suddenly flipped up her skirt and exposed her most private parts. Demeter burst into laughter, and the world was saved. Baubo figurines were popular in the ancient Greek world, and I have created a version for the modern age. You can buy the earrings at La Trappe, and Baubo figurines at my Etsy store.

The area was named after the Old Harry rocks in Dorset, England. They look very similar, although they are white and those in the Magdalens are red. Old Harry is an old English name for the Devil, and I have also been working on a lobster who is the Devil of the Islands. Stay tuned!