And now for something completely different …

… how about we all get on the same page?

Am I the only one getting really fed up with all the mixed messages regarding the third vaccine? I don’t understand why everyone’s saying something different and there’s a new variation of the story every day.

First it started with Pfizer, who announced months ago that they thought it was necessary for people to have a third vaccine and they applied for FDA approval. Immediately — and surprisingly I have to say — the CDC, Dr. Fauci and the White House disagreed.

It’s truly gobsmacking …

I know, I know, we have enough of our own problems with our own politicians in Canada to question what’s going on in the U.S. — but honestly, I can’t believe Donald Trump is still in the White House and not behind bars.

David Leonhardt, a NY Times opinion columnist wrote yesterday that Trump’s recent conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukranian president, during which he admits to pressuring him to dig

So how smart are you, eh?

We celebrated Canada Day this past weekend.  I’ve talked a lot about how proud I am to be Canadian, so I decided to spare you from hearing me blather on about it again. Then I saw this Historica Canada quiz yesterday in Huff Post Canada Weekend Digest and I thought I’d give it a try. I like quizzes anyway and it seemed like fun to see how much I know about this wonderful country I live in — or, conversely, how dumb I am.

I’m relieved to say that out of 30 questions, I only got four wrong. Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re sitting there thinking I should have known them all. Well it turns out I did better than most of the 1002 Canadians who

Accentuate the positive …

Today marks 12 years since my mom passed and I’m dedicating this post to her. She was an eternal optimist who always looked for and found, the good in people and in life. 

There was a time I did a lot of blogging, here and for Huff Post, on US politics. I finally gave it up because it was making me tense and angry and I decided I wanted to change the channel.

I didn’t only stop blogging about it, I stopped watching the news — primarily CNN, where’s there’s an endless loop of misery 24/7. I haven’t stopped watching completely but I have cut back dramatically. There are days now when I don’t watch at all, weeks when I only tune in once or twice, and only for the briefest

Busy, busy …

While it was certainly tempting to crawl into a well-heated cave and hibernate until Spring during our recent deep freeze I was, instead, taking advantage of some of the many things Toronto has to offer.

Yes, with the exception of only a few breathtakingly cold days cocooned at home, wrapped in a blanket, I bundled up in multiple layers of sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves and down-filled coats, braved the sub-zero temperatures and enjoyed some great films and an assortment of terrific breakfasts, lunches and dinners with family, friends and former colleagues (some of whom I haven’t seen in years and years). And

I am SO over it …

I’ve never been a winter enthusiast, but over the last several years, I’ve started to embrace the changing seasons and have stopped kvetching about snow and colder temperatures.

Well, I’m here to tell you that my honeymoon with winter is now over.

Last Fall it was predicted that we would have a brutal winter this year. Long, very cold and lots of snow.
For a while, I thought Mother Nature was going to prove them wrong. November and December came and

Fingers crossed …

Hell, I’ve got everything crossed, including my eyes. Today’s a big day. Mid-term elections in the U.S. and I’ve got to say my emotions are all over the place. One minute the polls seem hopeful and then I remember what the polls showed during the 2016 presidential election. So I’m not getting ahead of myself.

You might be wondering why I’ve got my knickers in such a twist, me being Canadian and all. Easy. You don’t have to be an American to be sickened or afraid of what’s going on in the land of the less-free-than- it-used-to-be. The current reign of terror impacts all of us, no matter where in the world we live — the

One week later …

This past Sunday I decided, on the spur of the moment, to visit The Danforth, otherwise known as Greektown in Toronto. It was warm and sunny, glorious really, the kind of day that always attracts locals, visitors from throughout the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) and tourists to the Danforth in droves. Not surprising with its abundance of boutiques and family-friendly restaurants and cafes — most with terraces and patios.

But of course, this wasn’t just another summer Sunday on The Danforth. One week earlier, on a beautiful summer night, this lovely, lively, friendly, family-oriented, safe, beloved neighbourhood was the scene of a horrific crime.

As seniors and twenty-somethings and students on summer break and parents with children talked and laughed and ate and sipped and licked dripping ice cream cones, shots suddenly rang out. And

Good old days …

Amid all the ugliness last week, I did get some glimpses of sunshine; and I’m not talking about the  weather. Twice, I spent time with people I haven’t seen in years, and I do mean years, reminiscing about all the good times we shared.

The last several years I lived in Montreal I was doing advertising and PR in the fashion industry; and, after a couple of years at a tiny agency that specialized in the fur industry, I ended up working for a manufacturer and

Feeling inspired and hopeful

The world is horribly messed up. But amid all the darkness and misery I am beginning to see some positive signs.

Strange as it might sound, I started to feel this way after last week’s tragic shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was the reaction of the students who survived.

Because despite their shock, their fear, their anger, their