Unkempt
It’s time for my April moral dilemma again. The spark to provoke it is the annual uprising of those prolific yellow weed-thingies: dandelions. They are all over my lawn, and so I again pose myself the Shakesperian question: to weed or not to weed? I’m all over these day-to-day moral dilemmas. In March, I was […]
It’s only the first round
We are only in the first round of the hockey playoffs. There has been more sizzle, more controversy, and more physical play in the past week than we have seen in many a playoff year. The intensity was always there. Year after year, fans began to tune in to hockey once the playoffs began. Players […]
Gimme, gimme
Saturday was a “first” for me. Ya, I’ve been asked if I had a cigarette I could spare or a “light,” but Saturday was the very first time I saw a beggar on the streets of Picton. Yup. The very first time. A woman of a certain age was sitting on the bench next to […]
A legendary spirit
Normandy has been renowned for its cider and beer since as far back as the eighth century. The first distillery, however, was not established until the mid-fifteenth century, on the south bank of the river Seine in the area now called Basse- Normandie. From their already-famous dry apple cider, the Normans an equally legendary distilled […]
The road to the Stanley Cup – 2012
Sixteen hockey teams are about to hit the road, searching for the magic that will lead them to the Stanley Cup. It is the most difficult prize to attain, in all of the major sports. We are in early April, and the struggle often lasts into late May, even early June. My early morning chuckle […]
Water of life
In the past few weeks, we’ve seen how Europe’s introduction to the secret of distilling arts opened a veritable Pandora’s box of alcoholic “evils.” And yet everyone described the resulting cornucopia as the “Water of Life.” The Latin “aqua vitae” underwent a variety of local interpretations. The Swedes gave the name “aquavit” to their grain […]
The smart County—in a box
It’s all just a theory at this point. But you can join a few dots and a picture begins to emerge. You start with the County commissioners’ proposal to sell off our libraries, museums and town halls. Obviously, they are trying to find that big fix that will shake up Shire Hall and still keep […]
Greetings
I love to travel. It isn’t about geography. It’s all about the social studies. The world is a great big mall and I get to people-watch. And, for your information, I had the highest mark in Social Studies eight years running at St. John’s School. Eight years, folks. Anyway, back to social studies and travelling. […]
Dear Sears Canada Inc.
Someone told me, and recent news stories have confirmed it, you’ve fallen on hard times, financially. I want to feel sorry for you but, I don’t. I will say, welcome to our world, Sears. You know, the world of people who are your customers. Your customers know all about hard financial times. It’s been tough, […]
Meet Marc
In last week’s article on the grappas of Italy, I noted that many other European countries make brandy from pomace. France produces several types of this brandy, which they collectively call “marc”: the most notable being “Marc de Bourgogne” that is distilled from the pomace of Pinot and Chardonnay grapes. There is, however, a distinct […]