I just about finished reading a book, Dream States, by John Lorinc. He is a new-to-me author who writes about the urban scene.  Being a city fellow, I’m always curious about the current urban scene and how we got here. One tiny portion of the book deals with curbs. Now please calm down. Curb your…

I like to solve problems by looking first at the extremes of a continuum. In this case, I can either resist something I am trying to avoid or adapt to it. Let’s look at some examples. One example I’ve seen often is how we try to prevent snow from drifting onto roads or walkways. So…

I became aware of 5 major celebrations around this time of year. I wanted to share these. Some were new to me. So in alphabetical order, down the rabbit hole, we go. Easter:The springtime celebration of Easter is a Christian tradition marking the day Jesus Christ is said to have come back to life. The…

I had heard this phrase but never fully understood it, nor did I  follow up until recently. There it was in a Ted Talk. Narrowly defined, it is about reaching out to those who are non-verbal such as folks with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The concept gives verbal folks a way of connecting. Here are a…

I was making a reservation for the fanciest meal I would ever attend to celebrate with my wife for her milestone birthday. They called my purchase a ‘ticket’ and not a reservation. Potato, potato. You get my meaning! I read the large print. It was paid 100% in advance. It clearly stated that the ticket…

I have heard this word used in many situations, confusing me with its sometimes contradictory meanings—time to check it out. One of the earliest references using the word ‘woke’ goes back to the 1930s, meaning a broader awareness of social and political issues affecting African Americans. It was a variation of being ‘awake’ about social…

I have used the phrase occasionally. Recently I thought of a variation to explain a recent provincial Heath policy decision. The expression’s brief definition means taking something from someone or place and moving it to another person or place. What is the origin of this expression? Glad you asked. Many attempts to find its origins…

I do not mean the money kind. I am referring to the bread kind. I was starting to make another 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. I picked up the 3 mixing options to pick out the bread dough hook. That got me wondering about who invented the three options. The whisk is simple. The…

I am not Irish. For some, that might seem sad; others are grateful. But I want to take a moment to talk about celebrations from which some may feel excluded. Think how the Irish feel about all humans qualifying for membership. I haven’t met an Irish person who objected to a global membership. It is…

I could have chosen to write about my ‘wealth gap’ – the difference between what I need to retire comfortably and what I actually have. I could have chosen to write about the wealth gap between Bill gates and me. I decided on a different exploration this week. I chose to write about the wealth…