I come from generations of ferocious volunteers – my father, who worked a full day running a textile business, would come home, eat, and gallop off to a committee meeting two or three times a week, a pattern which persisted for 40 years. In sharp contrast, I don’t like to leave the house except for shopping and parties, and these days I try to wriggle out of even those activities. This, of course, is very wrong and I am going to change. Robert Putnam, the Harvard sociologist who publishe...

Here’s a dirty little secret. I hate cooking. Don’t even get me started on baking. I like the idea of both just fine – it’s the actual doing of same where I unspool like a cheap suit. Recipes baffle me. They’re full of numbers and measurements and sequences of events that my head hurts just looking at them. And they always (ALWAYS!) leave out some crucial tidbit, no doubt assuming the cook in question has a fundamental grasp of food preparation. I stare dumbly at the list of ingred...

You’re back at work after a hectic end of year. You’re settling back into the swing of things and catching up with the build-up of work left over from the holidays when, all of a sudden, your boss announces you’re due to take those two weeks of vacation you’ve accumulated. And soon! Normally, the prospect of a vacation seldom puts a frown on anyone’s face, but quite frankly, who has the time (or will) to plan a proper getaway? Let’s just say that after picking a destination, arran...

I have to admit that I am a Neanderthal when it comes to the digital world. But I am proud to say that I finally bought groceries online through Grocery Gateway. And not only did I save time, it was a great experience. Before Grocery Gateway, I liked to read labels and get a feel for the size and texture of my choices. Given that appearance, smell, and touch are impossible to convey online, I wasn’t sure I could trust a stranger to pick my fruits and vegetables. I changed my mind,...

I’ve given much thought to choosing appropriate living arrangements for seniors as I watched the level of care for both my parents evolve as they aged. Recently, I spoke with Karen Hen of The Dunfield, a seniors’ living complex located in the heart of downtown Toronto, who gave me some tips on what to look for when selecting the right place to live. Karen suggests that when looking for an appropriate residence, lifestyle preferen...

I love my daughters, who are 12 and 10, so when reasonable, I try to accommodate requests.  I figure if I’m nice to them, they’ll change my diaper someday.  We got a 15-foot above-ground pool recently. The pool required: tearing down 4/5 of a two-car garage but keeping a shed; ripping up tons of concrete; two trenches (electrical and gas); landscaping; fences, and a multi-level deck.     Relaxing in the warm salt water recently, I thought I was done when Erin, the elder, asked, “Kev...

My brother-in-law Ben is a quiet genius. He has a strong moral compass and a gentle soul. Ben is deep yet calm, he is wise and thoughtful, with a sense of timing and humour that can be brutally funny. I believe that Ben is one of the top booksellers in North America. He listens and finds out what people like to read, and what they are interested in, before suggesting an author. He’s a great resource for those wanting to dig further into a subject or author. It’s important for Ben to kn...

Buddy, an amorous eccentric with high hopes but low stamina, fancied a visit with his girlfriend the other day, so he moseyed myopically across the bog between our houses and dropped in. Eventually this prompted a phone call between my husband, Don, and our neighbours to the east: “Cindy? Don. Buddy’s here” “Oh. I’ll come and get him – he’s been gone all morning” “Don’t worry – he’s having a nap…..” Buddy is a lovely old spotted “hound” from next door...

Friends have asked me why I sometimes write for Women’s Post. In short, it’s because I think that women are still, by and large, the “silent majority.” Sure, I know there are many prominent women in politics these days, and sometimes these particular women’s voices are every bit as loud as their male counterparts. What of the average woman? What about those who don’t have a public profile? Many of my friends are women, and many would fall into the category that I would call “the...

Building memories around the winter holidays is an important part of many families’ traditions. In my own, decorating the Christmas tree was one of the highlights. Each year, my mother would plan out a theme and use her vast collection of ornaments to decorate the tree. Our stylish evergreen was the centrepiece of our home and of the many seasonal functions we hosted. If you ask my mother what her most valued possessions are, she would probably say her holiday ornaments. Some of them she colle...