November never disappoints
November never really disappoints me. The weather is always “as expected”, that is to say “the unexpected happens” in November. It’s overcast and rainy one day, then brilliantly warm and sunny the next and perhaps a combination of sunshine, cold temperatures with a bit of a breeze to shake the last of the leaves from […]
Pick a Tree!
If you’re at all like me and choose to have a real tree in your home for the holidays, then NOW is the time to go out and get it. I realize that those homeowners with a faux tree may already have theirs up, but for us ‘traditionalists’, waiting until the cold snap has hit […]
It’s complicated
I always figured when I got older things would become less complicated. In some respects “things” did become easier to handle. I don’t have any debts. I don’t have to get up in the morning and go to work. I’m not worried about driving a Rolls-Can- Hardly—and I’ve driven many of those. Old Age Security […]
My front door for the holidays
I was recently surprised to find out that my new front door has the best return-on-investment of all my home renovations. That puts the front door ahead of the new kitchen, the updated bathroom and my back patio according to Remodeling Magazine, 2022. It makes sense in an odd sort of way. Think of the […]
Beware the watchdogs
Let me start with this: The Empire State Building in the heart of New York City took 18 months to build. Think about that. The tallest building in the world, at the time—a year and a half. What has happened since then? Lots. Bureaucracy, and tons of it. Maybe way too much. I understand that […]
I Will Remember
Remembrance Day was a great, big deal when I was a kid. Of course, I didn’t really understand what it was about or that my dad was a veteran. I saw the photographs of him in his uniform, but it never really occurred to me what Remembrance Day was for people like my dad or […]
How may I waste your time?
Time is a weird thing. According to science, time is a constant. If you look at a clock, that’s probably true. It doesn’t matter how you measure it—it’s still time. In France, after the Revolution, they moved to the metric system, which later caught on around the world, except for American citizens, who are totally […]
You’re welcome
The Hallowe’en treats have barely hit the big bowl in the front hall and someone out there is whining about whether or not they can say “Merry Christmas”. For goodness sake! Nobody cares. There isn’t a law to prohibit the use of season’s greetings of any kind. Any kind! But it certainly is the time […]
Last chance
Its official, winter is on its way. Most of us have seen photos of snow already on Facebook, and there is a decided chill in the air. Even though it may seem easier to stay indoors, now is the last chance for you to get a few things done to set you on the path […]
Round we go
I’d like to start this with an anecdote from my father. Back when he was a teen and a keen car buff, he told me that his father needed to go up the Lake on the Mountain road in reverse. This is the old LotM road, which ran behind what is now County Brewing Co, […]