Mission Insurable
Honestly, if I were being paid to do nothing, nothing is exactly what I’d be doing. I’d welcome a something-for-nothing job. Bring it on. I am a former federal government employee. Okay, insert your laughter here. I retired early, in 1996. I wanted to go back to school. I had a dream-plan for myself. But, […]
Answering the bell
When duty called last Saturday night at the Germain Arena in Fort Myers, Florida, Ryan Donald answered the bell. The native of St. Albert, Alberta circled in his own end of the rink in anticipation of the referee’s whistle to participate in the shootout. Donald buried his chance. Not a soul had left the arena, […]
Why I walk
Crows have long been considered magical. Often when I walk a quiet path I feel like I am in Sherwood Forest and the crows perched high in the treetops signal Robin and his followers that a stranger nears. At other times I see the crows as messengers calling to us about the creation and magic […]
A star is born
Champagne gained its initial following in England, because it was transported in casks and bottled after arrival. The English manufactured bottles in coal-fired ovens, resulting in a stronger construction; they also reintroduced cork as the stopper of preference. When Champagne underwent a secondary fermentation in this improved container, it didn’t explode or leak. And the […]
Blue hat, big ideas
I see from last week’s paper that new County manager Merlin Dewing has said that the County is doing more than it can afford to do and must either stop something or find new sources of funding. Our publisher says it is “likely to be the most painful exercise this young council has yet to […]
Lessons
When I was a kid, about seven years old, my Mom gave me two choices, regarding my after-school entertainment. “Music lessons or a swim coach?” Without hesitation (as I remember it), I asked for music lessons. My thinking was, a person can’t breathe under water, which is where I spent most of my time at […]
Pond hockey – part one
For those of us who have grown up in northern climes, we can be excused if our eyes mist a little when we think about pond hockey. South of the border, the fifth annual Winter Classic hockey game has just taken place in Philadelphia. The Rangers snuck by the Flyers, with Henrik Lundqvist thwarting a […]
Sunday, January 8th, 2012-Dear Diary:
I’ve been thinking (and as you know it’s a rare occurrence and a dangerous process) the chances of me going to the Mayor’s Levee today are slim-to-nothing. That is to say, I’m not really interested in getting dolled up to head out in the cold to spend too many minutes looking for a parking space […]
Troublesome bubbles
Over the next two weeks I want to delve into the history of a wine that began as a run-of-the-mill still wine, but evolved into a unique sparkling wine that figures as the centerpiece for so many celebrations today. That wine, of course, is Champagne. We all know the story of how the monk, Dom […]
Happy New Year 2012
From 2005 to 2008, a couple of Toronto kids skated around the ice in North Belleville at the Sports Centre to celebrate New Year’s Day. The Bulls have traditionally used the afternoon to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. Shawn Matthias and P. K. Subban were teammates on those very successful Bulls squads. Nowadays, […]