Remember the kid in class that you didn't want to have on your team for the spelling bee? Well I was that kid. I was also the kid that you didn't want to have on any sports teams, but that is a whole other story. I can't spell. Never could. I absolutely hated the spelling … Continue reading Spelling Bees And Piano Keys
If you're not familiar with Pavlov's dogs, let me offer a little history. In simple terms Ivan Pavlov was a Russian Scientist who ended up discovering and studying the process of learning known as classical conditioning. He realized that dogs that normally salivate when food was present learned to salivate when an unrelated stimulus was … Continue reading Pavlov’s Dog Of Bladder Control
I woke up at 9:39 this morning, well rested and ready to roll out of bed. I had read until 12:30 a.m. A book called Writers and Lovers, which I have to admit I am enjoying. I read every night in bed and go through a lot of books. I tend to be picky about … Continue reading On A Blustery Morning
Do what? Create blog content that's what. I am at a loss to figure out how some people can create so much content for their blogs while I currently find my brain lacking stimulus and my life pretty uneventful. There are bloggers out there who create one and sometimes more than one post every twenty-four … Continue reading How Do They Do It?
So it was time to take it all down. It was January 2nd and the holidays were over and the tree had been up for at least a week longer than previous years. But I was hesitant. It was so cheery and pretty this year. It had been so well behaved and hadn't made a … Continue reading The Day It All Comes Down
On New Years Eve, twenty-nine years ago, I entered the hospital pregnant with a baby who had been due on December 24th. Ask me how glad I was that I didn't have a Christmas Eve or even worse a Christmas Day baby? That certainly wasn't the plan. I was expecting the little bugger to show … Continue reading New Year’s Eve
Today is The Doc's Birthday. He is a relatively quiet man who isn't really big on celebrations. But like everyone else, he likes to be remembered. When I met The Doc, he was a manager at the Data Centre of the company where I worked. The Doc taught me how to use the computer terminal, … Continue reading The Doc Appreciation Day
The way I see it, Christmas comes down to the two Mr. C's. These two people, whether one believes in them or not, have had more influence on the month of December than any other people, real or invented, past or present. There is Mr. JC, also known as the Saviour, who has a history … Continue reading The Two Mr. C’s Of Christmas
You didn't think I would play by the rules... Did you? I was nominated by Margie from Back Roads and Other Stories to participate in the 10 travel photo challenge. Now I really like Margie. These days I live vicariously through her blogs. You should check them out. Plus she is an avid follower of … Continue reading Bending The Photo Challenge Rules
The Birthday Bitch has a reputation for being cranky and unappreciative. This has less to do with growing older than it does with sleep depravation. It doesn't matter whether it is her birthday or not, The Birthday Bitch is not someone you want to be around if she is lacking sleep. Certain relatives, morning people, … Continue reading The Birthday Bitch
Like toilet paper in April, fresh Nova Scotia Christmas trees this December are the product of panic shopping. This craze was aided by a few news stories discussing the fact that more trees have been exported south to the states this year. Apparently Americans love Canadian Christmas trees so they are considered a hot-ticket item … Continue reading The U-Cut Christmas Tree Appointment
In these times of heightened concerns about scams and identity theft, I would like to know who’s brilliant (read this with a sarcastic tone) idea it was to take my name and address and print it over and over again on ugly personal labels in an attempt to entice me to donate to a cause. … Continue reading How Dare You Use My Personal Info
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That’s me having a conversation with myself. Usually an ongoing commentary on my daily activities. Actually more like an instructional video that sounds like: OK, first you're going to do this. Then you're doing this, followed by this, with the word "this" changing to reflect my list of tasks. There … Continue reading Talking To Myself
Six years ago this month, my short story collection, Prerequisites For Sleep, was published. At the time, I spent my days as a graphic designer who did some copy writing. I was in my mid fifties and had worked long and hard to make the book happen. In reality, it took ten years to complete … Continue reading That Elusive Writing Career
Why jazz? you ask. Because it is the music that moves me. It is the music that makes my body want to sway, my knees want to bounce and my feet want to tap. It is emotional, sexy and free and I have loved it for a long time. Long before I knew what jazz … Continue reading Dreams Of Being A Jazz Pianist
