I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. I love to cook. I love to eat. I love to share my love for food with others. It is no surprise then that my kitchen would be the subject of a lot of my thoughts. While stirring a homemade sauce, I find my mind wandering and my eyes settling on …
Our students should not be schooled in shortcuts and slacking off
Does quantity now trump quality for high school graduates? Does our educational assessment system now pander to the lowest common denominator? I’ve never been a proponent of quantity over quality and perhaps I’m being negative here, but I’m worried. Should we be happy with September’s report from the Ministry of Education that 67 per cent of Grades 3 and 6 …
Remember our fallen soldiers and focus on peace, humanity and unity
This week, we are asked to remember. The Veteran’s Affairs ( www.vac.gc.ca) website says to remember the First World War, Second World War, and the Korean War. There is nothing there about Afghanistan — yet so many have died there. Do conflicts not count? Do the families of those killed there not deserve to have their kin remembered on Nov. …
Get out from under a rock and attend some of our great local shows
This month I made it to three excellent community events. Two were part of the Algoma Fall Festival and one was the opener to the Over the Rainbow Children’s Entertainment series. There was one thing in common at all the events — lots of local volunteers and sponsors, without whom these events would not happen. This is no small point. …
Perhaps the handshake should go the way of the Dodo bird
Please don’t shake my hand. It isn’t that I don’t believe in social pleasantries. It isn’t that I’m not happy to make your acquaintance. I simply don’t want your germs. I am not a clean freak, nor do I use antibacterial soaps or cleansers in my house, but I don’t want to expose myself to germs unnecessarily. I would prefer …
Treat OLG fairly
Are the executives and staff at Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. being treated fairly? Is part of their salary package hazard pay? The media coverage has broad-brushed OLG employees as pigs at the public trough for outrageous spending. The story has been in the headlines for weeks, a very one-sided attack on the minutia of every-day expenses. I can’t help …
Get into the back-to-school atmosphere and learn something new
COLUMN: A time of change and new beginnings September, for me, has always been a time of change; a time of learning. Whether grabbing my lunch off the counter, stuffing a duffel for university, or packing my child’s backpack for her first day of school, it is a different bag, but always representing a new beginning, a new opportunity. I …
Lessons learned from a basket of peaches, a bag of milk and fast food
COLUMN: Draw the line at too much of a good thing Every fall I find my mind wandering from fresh fruit to carbohydrates to prepare my body for a cold winter. This year, my joyful obsession is starting early with the unseasonable temperatures and a not so peachy experience, though my enthusiasm has been “fried” by recent advertising. This is …
We should slow down, get quiet and listen to the little voice inside
Listening to our intuition can be a lifesaver. I was struck recently by the story about the boy who was scared to take a helicopter sightseeing tour with his mother, which ended up saving their lives. His time-wasting tactics kept them off the New York flight that crashed near Manhattan. As I read, I was of two thoughts. Firstly, why …
Make the best of the bad weather we’re experiencing this summer
I have never worn jeans so much in the summer. My summer wardrobe has barely emerged from the depths of the closet. When the sun was peeking out one morning, I reached for shorts. And by the time my hand was on them the weather had returned to a dull grey. I settled on jeans, a T-shirt and . . …