Happy Almost-Galentines Day to all my gals! And, I guess, a Happy Honorary Almost-Galentines Day to any guys who may be reading this. Are there any guys reading this? I have no idea, honestly. It is tradition for me to bake heart-shaped items at this time of year; I will make cookies later in the […]
People Who Watch People
February 5, 2024 by 61 Comments
The world is such an interesting place, isn’t it? It’s wild that a person can go from this: To this, in only a matter of hours. It has been very grey and foggy this week, but it’s so mild and windless that I don’t mind it at all. Our snow is basically all gone, except […]
January 2023 Vacation Books, and Bookends
February 2, 2024 by 43 Comments
In case it hasn’t been made clear yet, one of the great pleasures of my life is reading. I’m not even sure I would call it a pleasure, now that I think about it; it’s more of just an incredibly important part of my day. It’s the first R in REM Y REM, and you […]
Doctor Teeth and the Winter Mayhem
January 15, 2024 by 61 Comments
We received a little blast of winter this past week: a couple of inches of snow, followed a few days later by some cold days, and by “cold,” I mean the low minus 20s. Friends, experiencing forty-eight years of Canadian prairie winters has prepared me for this moment. Never have I felt so hardy. I […]
Live Your Life With Arms Wide Open
January 8, 2024 by 68 Comments
I became a little bit obsessed with Hamilton in the summer of 2020. What can I say? It’s a pretty catchy soundtrack, and I had some time on my hands. The lyrics Look around, look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now became my mantra. Merely repeating those words in my head […]
Holiday Reading and Roundup 2023
January 4, 2024 by 55 Comments
Happy New Year! The house has been deep cleaned and de-Christmased, and life is returning to normal. During the holidays I cozily thought about leaving up the tree and decorations until January 6, the actual Twelfth Day of Christmas. Not to be a tiresome pedant, but the first day of Christmas is actually Christmas, not […]
Nicole’s Favourite Things: The Winter Solstice Edition
December 21, 2023 by 57 Comments
Happy Winter Solstice, everyone! How are we all doing, on the darkest day of the year? I will celebrate by walking in the dark this morning as Rex has a grooming appointment at 8. A clean and fluffy Rex will be a highlight of this dark day; will I be able to keep him that […]
