When we lived in London (Byron, specifically) we had a huge pear tree in the back yard. One year, we noticed a Kijiji ad asking for pears. A lovely older couple came and harvested them all. We weren’t pear people and in previous years we struggled with fallen fruit and wasps. So many wasps.
…The Secret Life – and Death – of Plants in my CareRead More »
This one’s for anyone who wants a treat that doesn’t contain white sugar. Or who’s craving chocolate with vitamins in it. And it’s for parents who can’t get their kids to eat a vegetable. Oh heck, it’s for anyone who wants to try something different!
…Healthy (Really!) Two-Ingredient Chocolate PuddingRead More »
It could be weeks before there’s a conclusion about the cause of Matthew Perry’s death on the weekend. Toxicology test results, whether there were any chemicals in his blood, take time. He had prescriptions for medications. But he clearly hadn’t relapsed into the waiting arms of his cruel addiction.
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I almost didn’t post a blog today. I had several ideas, all of them bad. And it’s the idea that’s the most difficult part of being a writer. Once an experienced writer gets a great idea, the words spill out like too much water overflowing a cup.
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I don’t know whether I was the first female in my high school to take shop class. But I was the only girl in the class when I took it. We learned to weld, use a wood lathe, and other things that scared and thrilled me. I also studied harder than anyone and pissed off my male classmates when I aced every test.
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Overall, 2021 will be remembered as mostly a suckfest. It was the year that deprived Betty White of her 100th birthday, just a few days away. We lived in a terrible tug of war with personal freedoms. One day we’ve got them, one day we don’t, as we attempt to stay out of the coronavirus’s way. But some good things did happen last year.
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As a Stoic, it’s my goal to accept things as they come. That means not wishing away a flat fire or tummy ache or worse. Acknowledge the moment, deal with it head on. Notice that I said it’s my “goal”. As a typically flawed human being, it can take a little time for stoicism to kick in.
…I do love a good meme. Starting the day with a positive bit of prose or a good laugh goes well with coffee. Universal truths somehow seem to resonate when they’re put into fancy script with a pretty background. But every once in a while, the meme maker gets it horribly wrong.
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Officially, we won’t be country bumpkins in three days. The big move-out is on Friday. Some straggling stuff will still need to be hoofed over to Port Stanley. But for all intents and purposes, on Friday we’re out.
…Does everybody’s weekly budget look like this?
Gas: $0. Movies & dinners out: $0. Groceries: $62,176.23.
Mail delivery resumed last week and with it came an ongoing, scammy letter that had me going for a few minutes. …
We had one expectation for this long weekend: free time. It included some friend time, some “we” time, and some time to do a few little things around the house. I had hoped to put wood protector on the deck but it was too hot out. (Yay!) Derek finished a project that – let’s face it – was more important to me than it was to him. …
When did being progressive become a bad thing? …
I don’t believe in saying “never” to anything on the food chain. If someone tells me they will never eat bread again, but they absolutely love bread, I’ll hold my tongue but I want to tell them they’re crazy. Where is the joy in depriving yourself of something you love? …
I was “let go” from a magazine before I even got started! The Managing Editor hired me to write a column titled Brandt’s Rant and then she left for another job. The new M.E. didn’t see me as a fit for the mag unless I wanted to write about something I have no interest in. And so it goes. …
The “progressive” part of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives was removed from their name on the weekend. What a mess. The Liberals were the real winners of the PC leadership debacle that elected Doug Ford. …
It’s been too cold to drag a saw out of the shop and cut wood. Too cold to sand or stain or paint for that matter, even in shop #2 in our basement. But it’s not too cold for stencils. …
