A couple of days ago we decided to break the daily routine of cottage life and drive to a nearby town to buy a new television set for the cottage living room. We had discussed replacing the tiny ten-year-old flat screen model when we did our annual budget for cottage repairs and replacements. This was […]
Enjoying Retirement
Retirement Happiness — Designing my Summer
Hurray — summer has arrived! This is the time to delight in every moment, take advantage of the long days, break out the beach umbrellas, serve flavoured ciders on ice, and barbecue every day. Because it’s so easy to let this precious season pass without paying attention, I’m taking the advice of Gretchen Rubin, my […]
Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday
Hurray — On July 1, Canada celebrates its 150th birthday! All Canadians should celebrate. Just for fun, I’ll list my 150 reasons for celebration. A great place to live. I would not choose another country to call home. Indigenous heritage. Canada has a horrible history with indigenous peoples yet, I believe that most indigenous peoples […]
Are you having fun yet?
The Urban dictionary describes the phrase ‘are we having fun yet?’ as “an annoying phrase used by dipshits at convenience stores, offices, or pretty much any place of business”. Too bad that I didn’t understand this during my days at the office where I heard the phrase too often! Since retirement I’ve heard this term […]
There are Babies at our House!
What a welcome surprise to have babies at our house! When we returned from the cottage after the May long weekend, we noticed that the landscaper had trimmed some of the shrubs. One large shrub outside our bedroom window had a knob of branches and leaves on top. I wondered how this spot could have […]
What does ‘home’ mean to you?
What does ‘home’ mean for you? Is it simply the place where you live? A dwelling for shelter and rest? Is it a place of comfort, safety, refuge, happiness? Is it where you can truly be yourself? The meaning of home is unique for each of us. Whether home is a palatial residence or a […]
Why is Food a Hot Topic?
Twenty or thirty years ago, who would have guessed that food would become a hot topic, perhaps even an obsession? It’s difficult to pick up a magazine, have a conversation, or open a computer/tablet without finding a reference to food. Pictures of food dominate many social media sites, specialty television channels feature cooking programs, websites […]
Do you have a happy place?
Do you designate a special place as your happy place? Being content, at ease, and happy is supremely important. Many people carve out a special happy place in their homes where they can relax and de-stress. It might be a room, or a chair, or a sunny window seat. For others a happy place is […]
Why I Love Bookclubs
Until I retired in 2010, I never belonged to a bookclub. Joining a bookclub was an aspiration for which there was never enough time. Life was too busy. During hectic ‘career’ years I was lucky to read a book each month for pleasure. Most of my reading consisted of professional journals and industry publications — […]
Learn to Tie Shoelaces Correctly
As we were driving home from Florida last week, I heard several radio commentaries maintaining that most of us needed to learn how to correctly tie shoelaces! The first time I heard this bit of news trivia, I ignored it. However, it was repeated several times on various NPR (National Public Radio) stations as we […]
