Pocketful of Memory Cards

As you probably know, February is Heart Month in Canada (maybe in the U.S. too) and for the fifth year I am canvasing for the Heart and Stroke Foundation .  Thanks so much to those of you who responded to my email and donated online.  I spent this morning traipsing around my nieghbourhood in the falling snow, and despite lowering it to $300 from last year's $500, I am not even 1/3 of the way to reaching  my goal.  That includes my own donation. I never met my maternal grandfather, who died of a heart attack when he was only a couple of years older than I am myself.  Thanks to the generosity of others, and dedicated researchers, his children did not succumb to the same fate and two of the three are still with us today, despite their own issues with heart disease.   This is a cause that is very close to my heart and it would be a wonderful thing, if you could make a donation to help me reach my goal this year, perhaps in honour of someone close t...

I was momentarily surprised to see an empty dog park when I pulled into the parking area near the Greenway trail entrance at 10:30 Friday morning.  The sun shone brightly and temperatures were mild enough I didn't bother with a hat or mittens.  The trails were completely free of ice and only a little muddy.  I expected the place to be bustling with people running, biking, walking their dogs or horseback riding.   During my hour long stroll I did see some fresh hoof prints but no horses.  One runner passed me by and gave me a dirty look when Max tried to say hi.  I greeted a senior couple and stopped to chat with an older gentleman whose earbud cords snaked out from beneath his deerstalker hat.  He was listening to the Canada/U.S. hockey game of course.   I didn't have my earbuds with me, but since there wasn't anyone around, I pulled out my smart phone and put the game on, just in time to catch the very exciting third period.  I con...

I recently came across this Laura Miller quote: The first book we fall in love with shapes us every bit as much as the first person we fall in love with.   I really don’t remember the first book I fell in love with but my favourite childhood book was “ Go, Dog. Go !”  For the uninitiated, it's a "Beginner Book" about a bunch of dogs, meant to teach kids about colours, numbers and opposites.  Several times through the story, a stylish poodle and a beagle-ish dog cross paths.   Each time they meet, the poodle asks the beagle “Do you like my hat?”.  Each time he says he does not.  Each time they part unhappily until their final meeting, when she is wearing a very impractical hat.  It’s more of a basket really, piled with candy canes, a dog bone, fishing rods with objects dangling from it’s hooks... there’s even a potted plant.   “Now do you like my hat?” she asks. He replies, “I do, I do, I like that party hat.”   And...