Good murals add colour and interest to an inner-city neighbourhood. I admire the designs and appreciate the amount of work that goes into creating them. It doesn’t matter what city I find myself in, I always come across murals that draw my attention and engage my thoughts. A few days ago, I came across a […]
Clinkers are bricks that have been over-fired and have become misshapen. Clinker bricks used to be discarded by Edmonton brickyards but the owner of a hardware store saw value in them. In 1927 he used them to build his house. James Rutherford built a house eight short blocks from where I live and it is […]
My Friday walk around the neighbourhood brought a few messages to my attention. I saw these on 118 Avenue and they provided heartwarming messages of solidarity in a time of crisis.
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: more black-billed magpies get divorced in Alberta than they do in South Dakota. It’s true. They usually mate for life unless one of them dies and then the remaining magpie may find another mate. Divorces do happen, though, and one seven-year study found divorce rates up to 63% […]
In December 2019, my niece and I enjoyed a tour of adobe buildings in Monterey, California. The first building we saw was the Royal Presidio Chapel of San Carlos Cathedral. It was early evening and the light from inside the chapel was warm and welcoming. The exterior of the building was also illuminated and created […]
When not looking at my feet and trying to avoid ice today, I saw some sights that made me smile including some balloons, a snowman with an icicle crown, a garbage can eating a spider, and a very Canadian mitten. After being in quarantine for two weeks and being housebound because of the cold weather, […]
Inertia: 1) a tendency to do nothing or remain unchanged 2) a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line unless that state is changed by an external force. (via Lexico) When I first began my 14 days of quarantine after arriving back […]
You’ll need: Dishcloths (could use any cotton cloth but slightly thicker is better) 20 gauge metal wire cut into 2.5″ pieces (could use pieces of a thin wire hanger instead) Elastic cord (could use rubber bands or strips of cloth instead) A sewing machine Good scissors Crochet needle and sharpies Cardboard I’m following the pattern […] […]
Given that we find ourselves living in the future and that the future does not include toilet paper, I feel it my duty to explain the tow rag. Back in the days of sailing ships, the sailors did not have toilet paper. What they did have were rags. Cloth rags. After having completed their daily […]
Before the rush on the supermarkets got really bad, my family bought me some groceries that included a large bag of oranges. I knew I could not eat them all before they started to go bad, so I wanted to preserve some of them. The only way I know to preserve oranges is in marmalade […]
Someone whom I love dearly provides an essential service. She and her team are on the front lines of those who are meeting the needs of the most vulnerable in our society. They know the risks and are taking them anyway. That would normally be as much or more than we can ask of anyone, […]
A week before I left California I enjoyed another walk with my sister around Lake Cunningham in San Jose. There are lots of different birds, ducks, and geese living on and around the lake, and I cannot identify them all, but I have done my best here as you will see if you click on […]
One of the unanticipated side effects of staying home for self-isolation is that some people start drying out. I’m one of them. In case you were wondering, I haven’t stopped drinking alcohol. I still enjoy a couple of glasses of wine in the evening. In fact, I look forward to 5:01 PM when I allow […]
Here is a selection of the miscellany of thoughts that cross my mind and questions that Google can’t answer. Does anyone who is not a product buyer for airlines actually buy those hard dry cookies they give you with your cup of tea? Why does my city think icy sidewalks and seniors’ isolation are two […]
In September 2016 I enjoyed a wonderful visit to New York with my younger son and his partner. We went to some great shows and saw many memorable sights. Among them was the building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It is home to the NBC studios where Saturday Night Live is produced and performed. As such, […]
For all of you who are housebound, watching too much TV, and wishing you had something to do, I have a remedy. I have a mystery for you to solve. Yesterday as I was out walking around my neighbourhood and keeping the required two metres from other people, I came across an ID card for […]
Until today, my major concern in relation to Coronavirus was to avoid contact with other people. I did not want to bring the virus home and I did not want to carry it to the people I love and live with. Before I returned to Canada I spent a week in self-isolation. I didn’t leave […]
