Coming across the term a “covey of quails” in a novel prompted me to research collective nouns that enrich our vocabulary. Some I know: murder of crows, bevy of beauties, pride of lions. Many I do not: ostentation of peacocks, damning of jurors, shrewdness of apes. I decided to devise a quiz — for fun […]
INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY
November 19th is International Men’s Day (IMD). Feminists, don’t quip, “isn’t every day men’s day”? We accept IMD in part because feminism advocates social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. When we remember International Women’s Day (IWD) has been observed since the early 1900’s, celebrating the two different days a century later seems fair. […]
FOOD MATTERS
We often hear or read “we are what we eat” in discussions about nutrition. Recently I had the opportunity to put this adage to a test: instead of filling a prescription for a statin to address a new diagnosis of high cholesterol, I took six months to try and lower it through my diet. I […]
HEAD OR HEART?
In this post, guest writer Barbara Richardson discusses her bold and brave decision to introduce a puppy to her life. I love dogs. I bought a Labrador puppy when my son was nine as a companion for us when we moved to Kenya more than 20 years ago. We loved Rafiki (‘friend’ in Swahili) for […]
LIBRARIES FOR LIFE
The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” Albert Einstein (1879-1955) October is Canadian Library Month, when libraries and their partners raise awareness of the vital role libraries play in society. They’re free, welcoming, comprehensive and open to all. This year’s theme: Libraries for Life. Once upon a time […]
MIND THE BRAIN
Watching Christopher Nolan’s magnificent Oppenheimer twice and then reading articles about the “father of the atomic bomb” led me to contemplate the mind and the brain. Although the words differ in meaning, we tend to use them interchangeably. That’s okay for my musings. I admit to being in utter awe of Oppenheimer’s mind, about which […]
DATE YOURSELF
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) Given my title, you may think this post will be about conversations in which you date yourself by revealing, intentionally or not, your age or generation. No. It’s about inviting yourself on a solo date and then doing what’s necessary to ensure a fine time. […]
FUN FACTS FRIDAYS: RIDDLES
Solving brain teasers can help to boost brain power, keep our memories strong, and entertain us. This post offers a baker’s dozen riddles for today’s mental exercise. A man stands on one side of a river, his dog on the other. The man calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet and […]
INTERGENERATIONAL INFLUENCE
Several years ago a brother suggested I write about controversial topics so I did, in a post on discounts for seniors. These days I am preoccupied with the word “woke”. African Americans first used “woke” to mean being informed and conscious of racial inequality and social injustice. The slang word gained popularity since the Black […]
SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS
We know of Mother’s and Father’s Days but how about National Siblings Day, observed annually on April 10th since 1995? Just as we do not choose our parents, we have no say about siblings. My mom and dad had seven children. At the time we weren’t unusual in this large number; when we moved to […]