
You are the Sunlight (Soap) of my Life
Brr, June. You made me dig out the warm fuzzy socks and snuggly sweaters. Is this normal? It doesn’t feel right to me. I don’t remember hearing the faint hum of the furnace at this time of year in the past. Every time I hope to get outside and do something in the back forty […]

Flagstone patios
Consistently, natural flagstone is one of the most sought after items for outdoor renovations. Homeowners still gravitate to the look of real stone pathways and patios, myself included. Natural stone is special in part because every single stone is unique. With different shapes, colours and grains, natural stone is a feast for the eye. Unfortunately, […]

The naturalized landscape
One of the biggest challenges any homeowner or landscape designer will ever face is to create harmony between a home and a naturalized outdoor space. Frank Lloyd Wright has always been praised for his natural gift to do just that. This is even more evident when trying to manipulate the area around a cottage so […]

Wine facts
The first long weekend of the spring-summer season is in the books. From what I’ve heard, it was busy. Really busy. And people are already talking about how busy it’s expected to be through the summer. In an effort to help prepare you while you’re talking to strangers on the street, waiting in line at […]

Ice Cream and Old Age
Don’t you just hate it when you wake up and realize you’re old? That’s it. I woke up. I’m old. That’s all I’ve got. And then? Well, and then I figured it could be a whole lot worse than realizing I’m old. I could be old and cranky. I could be old and ugly. I […]

Riesling
Many people will refer to Riesling as too sweet and often overlook its charm and character. The word itself may conjures up Blue Nuns and Black Towers, but the truth is, riesling is one of the greatest grapes. Part of the reason most rieslings are sweet is because without the sugar, the high acid in […]

Curb appeal
People start to assess your house based on the very first glance they get of your home. Even if you are not selling today, tomorrow or in five years, making the best first impressions will ensure that you get top dollar when the time is right! We are currently in a buyer’s market, so maximize […]

Ride or Die
Here’s a topic I haven’t raved-on about for a while. Cyclists. Not motorcyclists. Bicyclists. It’s time to bring up some of the things cyclists (I’m a cyclist) can do to protect themselves and show respect for others. It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense science. First of all, if you really care about yourself and […]

Stepping and Schlepping
Whew! By the time this hits the street we’ll have endured a snappy “snap election”. I’m not a praying kind, but I am grateful all of the snappiness is over. Come on! I bet all y’all are feeling the same way. Am I right? You know I am. And I am hoping we have a […]

David and Goliath wine
Large scale wineries, at a scale large enough to feed the LCBO stores, do have some benefits. They are often connected to universities and training programs, providing research and funding to winemaking programs. In the last 20 to 40 years, understanding of wine at a microbiological level has increased more than in any other time […]