Jane Macdougall

I’d never given it any thought. I’ve seen it hundreds of times but never questioned what it meant. Just as a barber’s shop is indicated by a helix of red and blue stripes on a… Read More »SNAKES ALIVE!

They’re everywhere. Simply everywhere. The scourge of the greenskeeper and the lord of the lawn’s lament, they resist all attempts at eradication. They arrived in North America as invited guests but, today, are probably one… Read More »JUST DANDY

It was a second wedding for them both.  The bride, a mother of two and a woman in her late 50s, wanted all the bells and whistles.  The groom, a father of three and a… Read More »I DO TIMES TWO

The big, burly men carried small, anxious dogs. Sounds like a line from an old typing drill book, but it’s not. These days, it’s a scene from every pet owners’ playbook. If you don’t want… Read More »INVASIVE SPECIES

I’m going to tell you about my grandfather’s dogs. In doing so, you’re going to learn something, perhaps a great deal, about my granddad. A visit from ‘the old man’ was imminent. Timelines were uncertain.… Read More »WHEN THE GUEST REQUIRES A WATER BOWL

If you want to sleep well, steer clear of brushes with greatness. The risk is a hideous reacquaintance with adolescent insecurities but the upside is you might be reminded that we all put on our… Read More »ENCOUNTERS WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE

It starts innocently enough. The impulse to fix something that’s broken is hardwired into humans. Especially humans at a cocktail party. Casually mention a leaking hose bibb and the room will empty as everyone goes… Read More »CROWDSOURCED DIY

We all went to Europe with the same person. That person was Aurthur Frommer. Starting in 1957 with his classic travel book, Europe on $5 a Day, Arthur Frommer changed the way we travelled. In… Read More »EUROPE ON FUN DOLLARS A DAY

Oh geez. Here we go again. Farewell manicure.  Farewell any sense of “just two minutes”.  Farewell SVB, recession worries and Putin. Hello dirt under your fingernails.  Hello ‘Omigawd, where did the time go?!’  Hello NPK,… Read More »HORSERADISH VERSUS MANICURES

There’s a revolution afoot. Or should I say, abrew. Piping hot coffee is becoming oh-so five minutes ago.   Apparently, Gen Z likes their cup of joe cold. Stone cold. Over ice. Year round. In fact,… Read More »WHAT WE’RE DRINKING NOW