Identity theft is a particularly devastating kind of fraud and deception. It can take years to sort out one’s affairs after someone taps into your personal data and takes over your life. You Can’t Catch Me by Catherine McKenzie is the fictional account of such a crime. It hit home with me because a couple of years ago I had my wallet stolen from my purse…
The New York Times declares “Sweatpants Forever”
The other day I announced to no one in particular—actually, it was my husband, but he never listens to me and as proof, he didn’t even bat an eye—that I want a whole new wardrobe. Pandemic frump fashion has destroyed my self-image. For nearly five months now I’ve worn nothing but yoga pants, athletic shorts, loose tee shirts, and the same pair of sandals—day after…
Emma Donoghue delivers an intense best-seller with The Pull of the Stars
Best-selling author Emma Donoghue’s newest novel The Pull of the Stars is a timely commentary on history repeating itself. The story takes place during the Spanish Flu pandemic in the final days of World War I. Julia Power is a twenty-nine-year-old nurse who recovered from a relatively mild dose of the potentially fatal disease so she is considered immune and able to return to her work…
Do you remember your multiplication tables?
Something unsettling happened the other evening after dinner as we were sitting under the gazebo in the back yard having a cup of tea. We were discussing the birthday party we’d thrown the day before for our little Yorkie who turned nine. Now, before you get all harsh and judgey because we threw a birthday party for our dog, keep in mind that under current…
The solution to the problem with the Toronto Maple Leafs is so obvious
Even an ignorant non-sports enthusiast like me can see the solution to the problem with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They tanked, blew it, and generally lived up to their dismal reputation in the psuedo run-up to the Stanley Cup finals again this year. Ho-hum. Tim Horton, Johnny Bower, George Armstrong, and their teammates must be absolutely horrified as they look down from the big gondola…
To nap or not to nap? There is no question
I’m a world-class napper. One of the best. A friend once said I could sleep on a clothesline. My mother had to register me in morning kindergarten so I could still have my afternoon nap. And the habit stuck—to this day—and I’m now 72. Churchill, Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and me. We’re all committed nappers. And, the recent restrictions and self-isolation have allowed me to indulge…