I did it. After many years of good intentions I am officially Diet Coke and caffeine free. Both cold turkey. My method? Remember that bout of food borne illness? As long as I wasn't consuming anything, good or bad, it was an opportunity to quit some vices and not notice the withdrawal symptoms. This was…

Next time they predict a La Nina year, if I'm still living in the in the rainforest I'm running the other way. There was way too much rain for my brain. When the clouds lifted from the sky and the fog from my head, there was still snow on the Lions. The cherry trees started…

Meet the Zauberball. Translates to Crazy Ball and the colour translation is Tropical Fish. To complicate matters, this particular style is called Crazy Zauberball, meaning Crazy Crazy Ball. It fits: I had always wanted to try the Zauberball, but couldn't justify the going price. Blogless Masha and I lucked into two balls in the sale…

Isn't this a clever invention? Just in time for April showers, a birthday gift from my daughter. It saves lots of time toweling off Ms.Grace in our rainy climate. Look, her belly hair is coming  back! No more post ultrasound nakedness. She looked so embarrassed with that pink piggy tummy. The best part is –…

Thank goodness I'm over that bout of illness. I thought, in the past, that I might have had food poisoning. I know now that I didn't. And I hope I never have to experience it again. Thanks to you all for the get well and birthday wishes.  When sick, and unable to avail yourself of homemade…

Label this one under "poor me," a 100% feeling sorry for myself post. I went to San Francisco and all I came back with was a severe case of food poisoning. Thank goodness I was under the care of my daughter, the nurse, and had an understanding hotel manager who let us stay in the…

Apologies for an unplanned absence. The formula of airfare bargain + opportunity for a few days off = a trip south to meet with childhood friends, a highlight of which was a visit to the Southeastern Guide Dogs: I think this was where the expression puppy love, in its most literal sense, was invented. One…

In the sharply divided world of animal lovers, I align with the dog people. That is, unless I meet a cat who behaves like a dog. I think you know what I mean. In the world of needlework, I align with the knitting, but if I find crochet that behaves like a knitted object, I'm…

It's a La Nina year weatherwise. It means more rain but spectacular quickly changing skies. We call them Steven Spielberg skies after the beginning of the movie, ET, where the clouds moved quickly overhead. His was a special effect. Ours are real. From our street on Wednesday, I took these pictures, all within about two…

First things first. A couple of you asked for a picture of a banana slug and as they are colourful creatures they will be included in this post: Yukk, eh? And considering the comments from my Noro review, many of us are in it for the colour. We're willing to sacrifice a bit of softness,…