Best of the West
When Erin and Rob come to visit, there’s food, fun and lots of laughter. Their arrival coincided with Rob’s birthday so we made sure our wait staff at the Mandarin were aware of that fact. …
Personal Life
Spring Fling
So, this is what our basement floor looks like! I haven’t seen this much of it since it was installed!
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Thankful Thursday – My Oprah
It’s quite alright to come in second. …
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For Better or For Purse
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. …
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Rosie is Riveting
In real life, Roseanne voted for Donald Trump. That’s a fact. She told Jimmy Kimmel that she felt abandoned by the Democrats. She also told Kimmel to lay off criticizing Trump or they ran the risk of Vice President Mike Pence being put in charge of the U.S. and, “Nobody wants that!” Â …
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Clean Getaway
Derek and I have been looking around to invest in a vacation retreat. Something modest to match our budget. A little place near water we can spruce up and customize. Our summer home when we’re ready to become snowbirds. We’re looking everywhere – from other provinces to other countries. Nothing is off the table. If you’ve explored the cottage areas of Ontario and you don’t have a million dollars to spend, you know how difficult it is to find something affordable close to home. …
Leftover Rant
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. …
Short Cuts
Sometimes, I’m quite alright with cutting a corner or two. Farm Boy makes better gravy than I do. Lasagna is very time-consuming and there’s a frozen variety that we like. I once wrote a column about house-cleaning short-cuts that included pouring a little bleach down the sink, because the smell of bleach gives an illusion of “clean”. …
Keep Talking
I’m concerned that the new era of openness about harassment, bullying and toxicity is going to have an unintended consequence: driving the sexes even further apart. …
Ducks Aplenty
The humble duck plays a major role in my home life. It’s all because of this scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We insert a duck into every conversation that we can. …
Weighty Matters
I’ve only ever known how it feels to eat whatever I want for short periods of time. I’ve been on Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and always have a few Lean Cuisine dinners in the freezer, so I don’t get caught without anything to eat and have to tear into an entire elephant or something. Whenever I’ve strayed from the basic tenets of Weight Watchers, I’ve put on weight. True, the formula is calories-in, calories-out, but I’m not about to become the marathon runner my metabolism apparently wants me to be. (Darn you scoliosis!)Â …