Somehow, I’ve gotten this far in life without realizing that you can buy chicken in a can. I know about the chicken of the sea, but I had no idea that you could buy chicken packed like tuna. I now have three cans in my pantry and one in my belly. …
I’ve been taking a harder look at how much garbage we create. I won’t go into my embarrassment about London’s lack of a green bin program again. They say it might be coming. But beyond recycling everything we can (can! see what I did there?) it’s also about reducing the demand for single-use stuff. …
How have we, as a species, not yet come to a consensus about what to eat? …
This letter arrived in the mail last week. It was a wonderful surprise. …
There’s something to be said for keeping one’s mind off the thing that’s being a bother when all you’re doing is repeating the same information on a loop. It’s alluring to keep going over it in your head, again and again. But I’ve found that distracting myself can be just as healing. Instead of running repeat laps on the same mental track, when I come back to the issue or the thing, it’s like driving a car with a fresh set of tires. …
It’s part of the deal. Pets don’t live long enough and we know that going in. Adopting a senior cat likely meant even less time and maybe that’s why most people don’t want to do it. You know it in your head but no one tells your heart. …
When I moved into the house almost ten years ago, I ordered a large wardrobe from Ikea. It helped solve the lack-of-closet-space issue that many houses of this era have. If our home was a person, it would be getting its pension and planning its shopping trips for senior’s days. …
One of life’s little delights is discovering that the artist whose work you admire is also a great human being. So often it happens the other way. I’m looking at you, Louis ck. …
My brother and I argue about the most inconsequential things. Last week, we spent more time than I care to admit in opposition over what a piece of melted cheese looked like. …
What a difference a name makes. When fake leather was known as pleather it was considered cheap, as in, spend a few more bucks and buy real leather. Now that it’s got a better name – vegan leather – it’s the cool and cruelty-free thing to own. …
When we were kids, I’d look at my little brother and think, who is this alien life form? Why is he in our house? And is that why there is no cheese left? …
We like to get out and explore on our own. One of our favourite side trips from Las Vegas was to Oatman, Arizona. They call Oatman a ghost town because it’s settled in the Black Mountains of the Mohave and once boasted a population of 3,500. That was in the gold rush days. Now about 100 people live in the old west throwback town year round and wild burros roam freely through the streets. …
It’s been nine long/short months since we lost our Dad to complications of Parkinson’s disease. Grief is like that. It’s fast but it’s also slow. I feel it most acutely on weekends because that’s when I’d hit the road to see him. His absence is huge and created a hole in our lives that will never be filled. …
It’s risky. A woman of a certain age writing about her cats. Readers might throw around phrases like “cat lady” and “crazy cat lady”. But it’s a chance I’m prepared to take. …
You can learn something every day if you’re doing life right. My brother introduced me to the YouTube channel, Smarter Every Day. Host Destin Sandlin delves into all sorts of fascinating scientific experiments that are understandable by non-science types like me. The videos are high quality and most are nice and short. …
A couple of years ago, I wrote about how I became an unwitting subscriber to the magazine Camelid Quarterly. My subscription finally ran out and I no longer receive their newsletter. But these animals still fascinate me. …
Thursdays on the News/Talk 1290 Morning Show, we host a segment titled Ask Me Anything. Our guest is someone with an unusual job or hobby. Last week, we welcomed Brian Salt, founder of Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre in Mount Brydges. …
It took a long time to figure out what Spice and Sugar were to each other. Were they reluctant spouses? Roommates? It was about a year into their relationship before they cuddled up but they still have little spats. Spice still dominates her in little ways. He’ll shoo her away from the food bowl if he feels like it. Sugar will back up and sit patiently until he’s feeling more like sharing. We’ve determined they’re brother and sister. …