The title is the recipe for the best birthday surprise given to me by my son. We recently were talking about how much we miss our Gracee dog and that, although it's not likely we'll be able to get another one, there is still room for a Scottie in my life. Grand-scotties are also not…

Although disappointed for not having been discharged from Occupational Therapy only three months after my surgery, the OT, noticing the necessity of further development of the fine motor skills of my hand, has recommended, wait for it….knitting. He noticed my Summer Flies scarf and asked if I was a knitter. Yes, as a matter of…

An accurate description of our lives right now: the final moments before a significant event and the procedures carried out during this time. In chronological order: 1. May: The big R's, retirement for both of us. This was a big and scary decision, but it feels very good. Fretting for years regarding a retirement without…

The knitting has been non-existent with the recent surgery, however I managed  160 stitches of crochet. Aaaaaahhhhhh, colour and texture are back in my life. The painting, however, has satisfied the colour aspect, a semblance of texture, as well as the need for creativity.  The latest is a Himalayan Blue Poppy:

Odd as it seems, I have amassed a collection of signs taken in washrooms (as we say in Canada). The first one was a ladies' room mission statement taken at Busch Gardens in Florida:  Their mission didn't include excellent punctuation. This one is posted at my favourite Thai restaurant in Bellingham, WA.  It reminds me…

I thought these two recent paintings were appropriate for Valentine's Day. Puppy Love, my grandson and his little girlfriend:   Wedding flowers, a sentimental gift:  

This painting reminds me of the student’s name in the Kung Fu Movie. I signed up for three watercolour workshops with an accomplished Palm Springs area artist, Diane Morgan, who doesn’t announce the subject matter until you arrive at the class. An interesting strategy, because if I had known we were painting grasshoppers, I would…

Do: – go to Algodones for dental work, but make sure you know the name of the dentist that will actually do the work. Check out his/her credentials in advance. My daughter saw a dentist in Cancun, claiming to have attended the University of Michigan and having an affiliation with the ADA. A check online…

Reasonably priced dental care, prescription drugs and optometry services lure uninsured and senior Canadian and US travellers to this "quaint" Mexican border town where there are 300 dental clinics in about six square blocks. There are more dentists here per capita than anywhere else in the world. The town is so geared to dental patients,…