Who knew my reaction to the election is not unusual …

I read a fascinating article in last Sunday’s New York Times. It’s about how the election is sending America to the couch,  a whopping 52% of Americans, to be precise. Both Republicans and Democrats, by the way.

Before we go any further, though, let me clarify. In my case, there is no therapy involved. I have nothing against therapy, far from it, but for me, a Canadian, to get so carried away over this presidential race that I’d need to talk to a professional about it would be quite

Tuning out for a while …

I’ve always been a news and political junkie.

But it was getting out of control. I was obsessed, glued to the TV, devouring every OpEd piece, report and editorial I could find. And then one day, around the time of the Conventions, I realized I was becoming way too frustrated, angry and stressed out over (a) something that I have no control over and (b) as a Canadian it isn’t my

When is enough, enough?

I really think we’ve sunk to depths we would once have thought unimaginable. 

It’s bad enough that the republican nominee for president of the United States has lied and cheated his entire life … that he has bent the rules to suit himself … that he has left countless people holding the bag … that the only words that come out of his mouth are vile, vicious and frankly, libelous … that he insults, bullies, threatens, taunts, incites violence and instills fear … that he advocates torture and the use of nuclear weapons … that he cozies

A word to the not-so-wise …

I’ve got two cats. Sundance, a ginger tabby, and Bartlett, pictured here on the right. They’re quite different.

Sundance is interested in food, me and getting into trouble. When I’m on my computer for too long he sits on the keyboard. When I’m trying to get dressed to go out he swats at me incessantly. If I ignore all his efforts to get my attention he misbehaves. Television bores him to tears and if I put it on, he either barrels out of the room or goes to sleep.

Bartlett can’t get enough of me either and loves cuddling more than

Feeling blessed …

Listening to all the speeches at both the Republican and Democratic conventions and then watching as Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, it suddenly hit me: How, when it comes to family, I won the lottery.

My maternal grandmother was one of nine children, four boys and five girls. They were all open-minded, tolerant accepting and opinionated at a time when that was not so common. They came by it honestly enough, my great

Really???

Is all the mean-spiritedness of this year’s presidential race (and the last eight years) starting to rub off on me? Am I missing something? Am I just an old stick-in-the-mud? Or is the carnival-like atmosphere of the GOP convention also making you wonder how the US ever became a super power?

I know the Democrats do it too, although from what I watched on TV last night it didn’t seem as bad. I know it’s the way it’s always been done. And while I admit it’s always given me pause, I’ve usually just shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

But this year, when so much is at stake, when the country has never been more divided, when nobody’s life seems to

What the 2016 Presidential race is not …

Sorry to spring this on you so late in the game, but you’re all barking up the wrong tree. This election is not about the Democrats, the Republicans, the Independents or the Socialists. It’s not about insiders versus outsiders. It’s not about gender, it’s not about age, it’s not about experience or the lack there of.  And sadly, it’s definitely not about the issues.

This race is about rational versus irrational. From the candidates, to their surrogates, to the parties, to the

Talk about extremes …

To be honest, I don’t quite know how to describe this last week and, more specifically, last weekend.

On Friday I spent the better part of three hours watching the memorial service for Muhammad Ali. Never will I forget the sight of that flower- bedecked stage, filled with religious leaders, representing so many faiths, sitting side by side.

Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Baptist, you name it they were there, in peace and