… November is my least favourite month of the year. If it happens to be when you celebrate your birthday or anniversary or any other occasion that’s important to you, please don’t take it personally. My distaste for November has nothing to do with you.
I don’t like it because it’s dreary. Dull. Sure, there’s the odd sunny day, but mostly it’s grey and damp and dismal. The days get shorter. It gets dark earlier. Piles of leaves cover the roads and sidewalks and Continue reading
Canadian Thanksgiving was this past weekend. And considering how, for the past two weeks, I’ve been talking about what I’m 
grateful for, I figured this was the perfect time to continue that particular conversation. And then I’ll give it a rest, I promise. Which you’ll be thankful for, I know.
Right off the top, I’m grateful for my sense of humour. There’s all kinds of shit going on just about every place you can find on a map — not to mention the crap we all put up with in our own lives — so being able to find Continue reading
My least favourite time of the year is fast approaching. November. Actually from now until it snows and everything looks pretty again. At least 
until the snow turns grey and slushy. Dirty looking. And then that’s a whole other kind of ugly.
The signs and signals are there. Trees are really starting to lose their leaves; and whereas in the summer branches are almost totally hidden by foliage, now it’s the opposite. Now it’s the branches we can see clearly, while the leaves that are left are just sprinkled here and there. Drifting to the ground, as we watch. Some in slow motion. Others, in the blink of an eye. Floating. Fluttering. Twisting. Turning. Twirling. Being carried by the wind. Lifted. Lowered. Landing. Somewhere. And on an on it goes, until none are left.
Small trees are already completely bare.
And just the other day I noticed that most roads, sidewalks and lawns are already covered with leaves. On rainy days, like yesterday, they’re hazardous, because they become very slippery when they’re wet. Any day now, they’ll be stuck to the windshields of cars that are left outside over night. And again, when they’re wet, they’re hell to get off the glass.
Why is it that they always stick to the windshield wipers? They hide in that little groove where the wipers stay, until you use them. Sometimes you can’t see them there. And then, there they are, as soon as you turn Continue reading
Here, in Canada, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in all the food we’ll be serving, the 
menu, the recipes, the shopping and cooking (myself included), we forget what this celebration is really all about:
A time to take stock of our lives and give thanks.
The world is in such turmoil now. Politically, socially, culturally, religiously, economically, environmentally, every which way. So there’s probably never been a better time to remember how grateful we are (or should be) for all our blessings, whatever they might be. It’s different for everyone. Some are small and might be considered Continue reading
Can’t deny it any longer. There has been a pretty dramatic change in the temperature. And it is damn cold out there. After a summer of mid- 
thirty degree weather (mid-nineties) practically everyday, I am getting up every morning now, to temperatures that hover around the 8 degree (48) mark. And it’s not been getting much past 12 (56), even at midday.
So like it or not, it’s time to put the summer clothes away. No more sandals. No more bare legs. No more lightweight, summer dresses. No more jeans and T-shirts. No more cropped pants. No more straw hats and canvas summer bags.
I finally had to give in the other day, and grab a shawl to wrap up in. I love this shawl, actually. It’s black, fringed, and queen-sized bed, size. It’s a blanket and an evening wrap. Doubled it’s really, really warm. If I leave it as is, it’s so big I can wrap myself up in it, like Continue reading
We’ve had one of the hottest summers I can remember. Hardly any rain. Temperatures most days in the mid 30s (mid 90s Farenheit). And with the humidity it felt 
more like the mid forties. Day after day after day. I am not a fan of cold weather, but even I found the heat almost unbearable.
I was thirsty, more than hungry. And when I did want food, all I really wanted was fruit. Berries, of every description alone, or with yoghurt, cereal or tossed in a salad. Peaches, nectarines and plums that were ripe, juicy and not too sweet. Grapefruit and orange segments, mixed with lime juice and a drop of honey. Honey dew, cantaloup and watermelon, enjoyed by themselves or added to other ingredients to become lovely, light and refreshing meals. Cubes of watermelon, feta, kalamata olives, lime juice and fresh mint, for example. I was eating it by the bowlful.
And then there were the frozen pink lemonade bars I found at Whole foods, that quickly became an addiction. Very low in calories, they’re tart, cold and the perfect antidote to blazing hot temperatures. I couldn’t get enough Continue reading
365 And Counting 