Scratching out a living

I haven’t tortured cat-haters with sordid tales about our girls recently, but that’s only because I’ve been busy helping them set up a business. Yes, you read that correctly, and my husband, Dwight, and I are indeed proud. At just 1 1/2 years of age, our resident entrepreneurs – sometimes known as Butterfield and Iris …

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The fine, fine art of winter dressing

Every year, winter takes me by surprise. It’s in the driving, of course, that first time I hit the brakes and hope the snow tires actually work. And that comes after the howl of outrage when I emerge from the house and spot the snowdrift on the car roof. (Of course, I’d heard the weather …

Back to the Future Redux

Action! The camera zooms in on a reasonably pleasant, reasonably capable, reasonably skilled adult – that would be me – leaning comfortably on a podium at the front of the Norwood Town Hall. Smiling even. Eager to launch her presentation. Cue black-and-white flashback, set in the high school just a couple of blocks away: Said …

Happy birthday, girls!

Our kittens officially turn into cats today (May 16) – a whole year old! With festivities in full swing, I’ve decided it’s an appropriate time to reveal a secret my husband and I have kept to ourselves for a month or so. We've discovered Butterfield has a superpower. More than one even. Butterfield: "Could you …

Diaries capture life’s forgotten moments

I now have proof of what I’ve long suspected: my memory bank is as porous as a kitchen sponge. I can recount – in detail – youthful incidents where I behaved stupidly or where circumstances piled up against me. But moments of youthful glory? Not so much. One day while I was rummaging around in …

The traveller’s conundrum

It's easy to be virtuous when the thing you are railing about is out of reach. And so it is, in my pandemic soul-searching, I have decided we will not rent full houses or self-contained apartments when we (ever) get back to travelling.  Well, unless we have no choice. Or unless the temptation is just …

So, is this joy or junk?

Here’s a philosophical question for our times: If a tree falls on the coffee table and no visitors are around to see it, does it matter? Ok, so we don’t have trees in the living room, unless newspapers count. But we also don’t have visitors. And COVID’s never-ending emotional drain has made me wrestle with …

‘Bucket list’ is full of holes

During the pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and early 2021, I didn’t dream about hiking the Inca Trail, camping under the Northern Lights or skydiving (as if). Sure, I missed vacations, but most days my so-called bucket list was much simpler than that. Bliss would have been “dinner and a movie” at our local rep theatre, …

You know your life has shrunk when …

My life ground to a halt during the pandemic. Our home, back patio and front porch became a fortress against uncertainty. Venturing out for a carefully distanced walk with a good friend was like a beacon of sanity. Warm weather was a symbol of hope. But you know you’re slipping into dangerous waters when the …

The power of the pen

During my youth and middle years – i.e. The Olden Days when cellphones, email, Messenger, etc. existed only in my brother’s subscription to Popular Mechanics – writing letters just made sense. Sure, you could use the telephone, solidly anchored in the kitchen for all to hear, but a long-distance call was a luxury. Actually, when …