My husband’s family follows Danish tradition for special occasions. This means they drink that fire water also known as Akavit. That caraway flavoured stuff that burns all the way down and continues to smolder in your stomach, requiring the taste and soothing temperature of cold smoky fish to trick you into thinking you want some…

In my career and in parenting I’ve learned about picking my battles. You have to save your fighting inclinations for the things that are worth warring over. Now, I have a 16 year old and plenty of battles from which to choose. So, when he announced his intentions of sleeping on the sidewalk in front…

Can someone please tell me what Gracee is doing? Our pup can’t eat without extending her leg as in this picture. It takes her a fair bit of effort, circling the bowl, to get into this strange but apparently comfortable position. Chuck’s theory is that she suffers from some sort of cramp, necessitating her acrobatics.…

I’m pulling out the old quote from 9th grade math teacher, Miss Lahrman,  the one she used when we gave excuses for not studying or doing homework. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.This one’s for you, Marina, it’s about your namesake. I made a vow not to start any major projects until…

You learn something new everyday. My sister, a recent knitting recruit, attended a knit-in to make pink scarves for breast cancer. Here’s her story: "I almost forgot to tell you about these two ladies who came to that knitting pink scarfs for cancer night my friend put on.  They were knitting with their hands and…

1. Elann.com gives good customer service. Shop there. The story is: I bought six skeins of Bombolo, a polar weight yarn, for two scarves. The product description didn’t indicate that it was a yarn with graduated colours. It wouldn’t have mattered, I would have bought it anyway. However, when I knit it, this is how…

It doesn’t happen to me often, but I’m having one of those life is out of control days. On the workfront, on the homefront, on the knitting front. Too many things happening at once. Can you imagine defective yarn from Elann, noticed halfway through the project, and finding out about some bad lab results I…

I have a policy of never saying never because, in some way or another, it happens. But I know for a fact that I’ve never said I’m never going to Bratislava and now it’s happening. Are you following this? It was a long week and I’ve had a glass or two of wine. Many years…

Now that’s something you don’t see very often – Vancouver’s North Shore covered in snow.This is sunrise from my deck – it’s a photo of a large neighbourhood, built up against the mountain, but you can hardly tell for the snow. I’ve lived in Vancouver for 22 years and I can count on one hand…

How do you lose underwear?This isn’t a thong I’m talking about, really, can you see me in a thong? Nor is it my usual all cotton granny panties. This is the body shaper I bought for my daughter’s wedding this summer. One of those satiny stretchy torture devices that goes from underneath the girls to…