In the spring it feels good to wash away the dirt and grime of the muddy season. It’s a time to shake off the dull and put a fresh spin on everything. For me, I usually have a project or two around the house to finish. Last season it was making a slightly bigger deck so we could lounge and... READ MORE >
I was shopping with my mom on a Friday in Buffalo. If I ever see a penny on the ground, I pick it up saying to myself, “And all day I’ll have good luck.” I found a flattened, grubby coin in the Wise Penny Thrift Store parking lot. You never know what’s in store for the rest of your day.... READ MORE >
This is the winter of all winters and I have recently read that many, many people are suffering from a Vitamin D deficiency. Until I was an adult, I had never heard of Vitamin D and unless it came in a Flintstones vitamin, I never gave any vitamins much thought. As I look outside it’s sunny. That’s where we can... READ MORE >
I seriously believe that I remember the first time I smelled chocolate. My mother was baking a cake and I was about 2 or 3. The house smelled wonderful. She frosted the cake with chocolate frosting. When we had desserts at the supper table, they were next to our plates throughout dinner. My dad would sometimes hide our desserts if... READ MORE >
We have a 3-year-old great-nephew staying with us for eight nights and nine days while his parents and older brother go on a cruise. He is a treasure. Really cute, super sweet and doesn’t sleep according to my schedule. Boy does that bring back memories. Last night he went to bed at 7:30 p.m. I should have followed suit. Unfortunately,... READ MORE >
I wrote my first column for the Annandale Advocate in November of 2006. That’s over 300 columns collected over the years. My mother has kept a copy of each and every one in scrapbooks. People often ask where I get my ideas for stories and recipes. They come from readers, friends, neighbors, my childhood memories and relatives. All in all,... READ MORE >
The year was 1979, and I was a freshman at Cook County High School. I wasn’t nervous because in the ’70s we entered high school in seventh grade so I had already spent two years walking the halls of good old CCHS. However, I hadn’t had Mr. O as my English teacher. His real name was Mr. Ouellette but most... READ MORE >
It’s that time of year again….giving, giving, giving, receiving, receiving, receiving. Yet I challenge you to ask yourself and your loved ones to name one gift they gave or received last year that was a true gift from the heart. I may be getting old but the commercialism of the season wears me out not just financially but emotionally as... READ MORE >
I am just going to say it, our house can get cold. I woke up the other day to just 59 degrees. I could not see my breath, but it was definitely a morning to don a pair of slippers to avoid the chilly floors. I turned on the fireplace, poured a cup of coffee and cuddled under a blanket... READ MORE >
My daughter Zoe and her partner Quiller are visiting us from New Zealand this month. It’s fun to see them both and catch up on their travel stories. Quiller is from Prince Edward Island. They recently spent some time in Thailand playing with monkeys and tasting the local foods. Now they plan to travel to New York to sell Christmas... READ MORE >
