Iron Age
Sometimes in life you have no choice: you simply have to iron. For some people, ironing is a zen activity, something they get satisfaction from. I’m not one of those people.
…Personal Life
All My Stuff is Here…
That’s what Derek said when someone asked him how it’s going with our move to Wallaceburg. “All my stuff is here, everything I care about is here, so it must be home!”
…The Face of Elder Abuse
This post is general and it’s personal. My former mother-in-law has had her life savings, and even her wedding rings, stolen by a couple of family members. Close ones. The ones she would never suspect would treat her like she no longer mattered. I would love to name them and shame them and hunt them down. But it’s not my place.
…Being a Child
…“There is nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.” Erma Bombeck
Bat Out of Hell*
*We don’t know for sure that hell is where the bat was from. But we wanted it the hell out of our bedroom!
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First Wallaceburg Christmas and a Pickle
Between the huge Christmas Eve gathering in Melbourne and the small but mighty Christmas Day gathering here in Wallaceburg, 2018 will go down as memorable.
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A Few of Dad’s Favourite Things
It’s natural to think about those we’ve lost at this time of year. Yesterday, the great Penny Marshall joined the long list of people who left us in 2018. We think of our dear friend Kerry. Mike Cooper’s wonderful wife Debbie. Our warm and lovable colleague, Jodi. And my Dad’s been in my thoughts more than usual, now a year-and-a-half after he died.
…Editing My Own News
Scrolling through Twitter a few mornings ago, it occurred to me that I no longer have to follow Premier Doug Ford. …
You CAN Handle the Truth: Thankful Thursday
How does that saying go? A friend will help you move. A real friend will help you move a body! …
A Little Something Extra
On our recent trip south, at a steakhouse in Bandon, OR, the server brought us a little plate with the bill. On it were two tiny, triangular bites of their signature dessert. “Just to say thank-you”, said the server. It was a nice touch and we hadn’t ordered dessert so we enjoyed it. …
The Scam That Almost Got Me
Mail delivery resumed last week and with it came an ongoing, scammy letter that had me going for a few minutes. …
Lost (One Mind) and Found (One Knob!)
This house no longer feels like ours. With a closing date of December 15th, our ownership of it is rapidly coming to an end. I’m getting a little misty about the ten years we lived here but also excited about our next place. …
In the Palm of our Hands
You know the kind of person who can tell you the street names and highlights of towns and cities they’ve visited only once? Well, I’m not one of those people. I have just dug through a mountain of receipts to remember where we have been! Lucky for us, we mainly drove on one road: highway 101 along the Pacific coast, from Washington to California. …
Fantastic Freedom Friday!
Long before my recent life/work changes, we had planned an amazing trip that will lead us to Erin Davis and hubby Rob. That trip begins tomorrow. Today, we settle the house-sitter in, tell Miss Sugar what’s up, and pack. Tomorrow, we flee! …
The Grinder
It’s a Rob Lowe-Fred Savage comedy that was cancelled too soon. It’s also my new nickname, given by my dentist. I’m the grinder. And I’d like to warn you about a recommended solution that went horribly wrong. Caution: Mentions of Rob Lowe have now passed and there will be no further Rob Lowe info in this post.* If you require more Rob Lowe, please scroll back up to the top and look at him again. …
Decisions, Decisions
When you were a little kid and you needed to make a decision about your life, it was simple. Do you want to go to Grandma’s house or should I turn this car around right now? Okay then, stop fighting, you two! And you and your brother stopped fighting, because you loved Grandma and she probably baked a pie. Not to mention, no one ever noticed you digging into Grandma’s candy dish, where you would eat as many dusty Humbugs as you could free from the hard, sticky ball they had become. …
Our News
In the deepest recesses of my heart, I’ve been longing for a change. Something big, radical, totally different. I wrestled with the idea and it pinned me and held me down. I tried to talk myself out of it but I found it was a better debater. My husband was on board from the start. But how would that change look? What would it take to make it happen? …
I Inhaled
The first time happened in high school. Susan Hopper smoked me up, as they say, under the bridge in Smithville. And then I had to go to a class. The teacher droned on and I couldn’t tell whether or not I was acting normal. I rarely smoked it after that, and never at school. …