What goes on in the cranium…
Have you ever had the experience where you’re lying in bed, and you know you should be getting up, but a pleasant dream comes to mind? Let’s say you have entered a crowded room full of beautiful people, who murmur of your arrival to one another in hushed tones. They turn to look at you, […]
Lady killer
It’s the long weekend. The County is filled with folks here to enjoy time away from the grind of their everyday lives. Here to get the summertime off to a good start, to get into the mood for whatever it is that turns their summer-funcrank. As I watch our guests relax and dig into the […]
Mother’s Day stroll
There is sheen to the land. Dew caught in the dawn, wet varnish: On the branches of the dogwood; the tin roof of a drive shed; on the holding wires tracing turned-up ground of a vine patch. A sweet scent of manure and earth; bitter ash from the fire of yesterday’s clean-up; last night’s road […]
Patient discipline
The rich rewards of the Nebbiolo grape requires great patience. While it customarily offers notes of violets, tar and anise, it may take at least a decade of aging to manifest its deep flavours of orange, black fruits, leather and spice. Grown almost exclusively in Italy’s Piedmont, the Nebbiolo vine readily demonstrates the influence of […]
The Road to Hockeytown
To say that Jimmy Devellano is a sports fan would be a gross understatement. He lives and breathes sports virtually 24 hours a day. He has executive roles with the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers, and he follows other sports and teams as well. Jimmy grew up in Toronto and, as a kid, […]
The Hunk Brothers
On the minus side, coming out of our endless and brutal winter, I realize I watched far too many home decorating shows for my liking. On the plus side, however, I have learned that most of these shows have a very similar theme: a commonsense and, quite coincidentally, handsome contractor saves the bacon of a […]
County sisters
On this Mother’s Day I don’t expect flowers, cards, gifts or visits. Nope. Today, Mother’s Day, I am thinking about all of the wonderful women who have helped me become a better mom. Many of those women lived, or are living, here in the County. For those of you who know me, and very few […]
Heartbreaker
The Toronto Raptors certainly captured the imagination of their die-hard fans, and a larger group of casual fans, last week. They played a tight series in the first round of the National Basketball Association championships, losing 104-103 to the Brooklyn Nets in the seventh and deciding game. It ignited the interest in the game on […]
On the cusp
Doing something just because one can isn’t always the best idea. Sometimes you need to consider what should be done. Making wine in Ireland is a cautionary tale. The difference between winter and summer in Ireland is basically the temperature of the rain. It will always be a challenge to get the amount of heat […]
Anyone for a game of…
I had better confess right off the bat that I don’t own a smartphone and have never been into playing electronic video games on any device. So that might colour what follows. What had caught my eye was a short article in a recent edition of the Sunday New York Times entitled “Monopoly Loosens Grip […]