Spring has slammed into summer like a renegade shopping cart in a crowded parking lot. The leaves are already dark-green chlorophyll buffets for tiny caterpillars with an indeterminant place on the food chain. In the coniferous corner, this year is turning out to be a bumper crop for fir babies. Every variety of evergreen is […]
Is this the real life? Is it just fantasy… Read More »
The Charles de Gaulle Airport is a chaotic conundrum that holds steadfastly to its belief that at worst stooping to install signage is unpatriotic and at the very least insulting to the French notion that if you don’t already know what’s going on it is your problem. I am sure Monsieur de Gaulle is happy
The 905 is the nickname based on the area code for the suburban sprawl that stretches East, West and North of Toronto and smacks up against the border of the 519 and 705 (area codes that used to be in the ‘are you nuts?’ category of commuting consideration but are now the new normal coordinates
Alice in Wonderland Read More »
If you are approaching Versailles by road from the outskirts of Paris, you wind through mostly pleasant countryside on the A5, which is infested with transport trucks that somehow don’t seem to annoy the cows lounging on the receding farmland. Our helpful guide says you can tell what country is schlepping Euro goods by checking
When we got to the marina, the sun was shining, the winds were moderate and the car said it was 24 degrees outside. A borrowed boat was waiting and we even had gas. The requisite stuff for opening weekend was loaded without incident, including the bag full of linen, the fridge basics, the box of
The good, the bad, and the ugly Read More »
Once upon a time In a world of men, I complained. I probably imagined it It probably wasn’t a big deal It couldn’t have been what he meant And anyway I should just suck it up At least that’s what the woman from HR said And what he said when she made me explain myself
You might think the Anna Maria Oyster Bar specializes in oysters. That’s certainly what I thought. Judging from the decibel level that accosts you at the front door, the AMOB is considered by many people to be the place to see and be seen on a Florida Saturday night. The ambiance is Eau-de-Margarita with whiffs
An adventure in dining Read More »
No female childhood in the 1960s was complete without a Barbie or three. In the beginning, there was only one version, with long dark hair in a permanent ponytail. Of course, the permanence of the pony tail was not initially evident. This feature was discovered when Carol, who lived next door, decided to style Barbie’s
The rise and fall of Barbie Read More »
I can never find a pen when I need one. And when I do locate the stash of pens in the back of the junk drawer none of them works (although technically they still all work as advertisements for the companies that paid for them). Back when pens were a business accessory, everyone had a
Oh dear, it has started already. Not the snow, at least not in these parts. And the Christmas music started way back before there was frost on the pumpkins. What’s started now is the annual ‘best of the year’ lists and prizes. I guess there is no point whatsoever in doing anything list-worthy in December
It’s the most wonderful time of the year Read More »
