Musings
Saturday, December 27, 2025 • 2 min read
Yesterday was our busiest and noisiest day yet of the Christmas holidays in that we were at my sister in law, Valerie’s place, for the family dinner — which is normally on Christmas Eve but, because of work and other commitments by the young’uns, everything was moved.
It also meant my sister in law was the one on driving duties. She had to come all the way from to Beaupre coast to pick us up, and then, head out of town into the sticks to collect my nephew, Cedrik. Before taking us all back up the coast to collect the mother in law. This journey, on a good day, would normally take about 45 minutes (with clear roads) but, due to it being early morning, Boxing Day, the plan went out the window, as it were, and the journey, due to traffic snarls at all the major intersections, took us an twice as long: 95 minutes to be exact.
Truely I have never seen so much traffic on the road. Everyone, and I mean half the population of the city, were in their cars determined to go to the Boxing Day sales at one mall or another.
It. Was. Insane. Out. There!
Crazies aside. Being late back to Valerie’s meant all hands on deck to start peeling veggies and getting various things ready and or cooked; except the turkey, thank god, which Valerie had cooked Christmas Eve. Throw in two LARGE excitable Newfoundland dogs demanding attention and belly rubs, and it was none stop chaos.
All the rushing was for naught as my nephews partner was working and got off work late, and then, had to drive out of town just as everyone else were leaving the malls for home. So, of course, it took her twice as long to get to us. I guess a late dinner is better than no dinner, right?
Anyway, in the end, all was well, we ate, we drank, and we made merry as if it were Christmas Eve, and enjoyed ourselves. Oh, and what did I get for Christmas from everyone?
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 →
Well, the time draws near for Santa to be out on his sleigh so I’d just like to say to one and all (old and new) a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming New Year!
Monday, December 8, 2025 →
Been a crazy ass morning running around like a headless chicken doing errands and, of course, I had to go see the nurse this morning for more blood tests.
And I’m only now sitting down to my fav tea in my fav mug.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 →
It’s a gloriously sunny day out there today. Problem is … it’s also minus 15 degrees.
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 →
It’s snowing … again … get use to it … I’m going to be saying this a lot … it’s winter!
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 →
I turned the heating down earlier, I may have made a grave error in judgement.
Friday, November 28, 2025 →
So. Damn. Funny!
Friday, November 28, 2025 →
We’re enjoying one of those weird wintery days were despite the fact the sun is shining and the clouds are high and light, it’s snowing. It happens when the temperature at a certain level turns any moisture in the air into snowflakes.
Just enough to dust the grass but not heavy enough to coat the trees, yet!
Thursday, November 27, 2025 • 2 min read
Are you a big spender at Christmas or, like me, are you a frugal re-user of wrapping paper, bows and ribbon, and a repurposer of unwanted gifts?
I take great delight in salvaging Christmas paper, gift bags, bow and ribbons, and why not? If they are still useable and in good nick, I will set them aside and if deemed useable again, will keep them. I’ve even got the OH doing this. Especially with our own Christmas presents, i.e. the gifts we give each other on Christmas morning.
I’m also big on going to the Dollar store to buy their bargain holiday items. And I love their crafting section to make homemade gifts. Nice glass jars get filled with candy, candles, or other silly items. And I love to make stocking stuffers with found or repurposed items. And no, I’m not ashamed to admit regifting presents to someone else who might appreciate them more. I don’t do baths, so what use is an expensive bath-bomb to me?
I like to spend my money on one or two important gifts for the people I love, and wrapping isn’t one area I waste time and money on. I can make a gift look like it came from Harrods with the right addition of bows and ribbon. It’s not about costs, it’s about presentation.
And you, what do you do? Come on, fess up your own secrets. Did you home make those scented bath salts for granny and put them in a $2 jar from the Dollar store? Yeah, I know you did.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 →
Sadly, all too true …
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 →
Well, we went from minus five on Monday and wintery weather to an almost balmy plus 4 and rain here, this morning.
Rain now for the rest of the week right on through till Monday, they say. Bah humbug!
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 • 1 min read
If you want to understand time — which is how you come to befriend life — turn to stone.
Climb a mountain and listen to the conversation between eons encoded in each stripe of rock.
Walk a beach and comb your fingers through the golden dust that was once a mountain.
Pick up a perfect oval pebble and feel its mute assurance that time can grind down even the heaviest boulder, and smooth even the sharpest edge.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Sunday, November 23, 2025 →
What is it with shopping regulations that says you cannot buy a perfectly useable stick of dynamite on a Sunday to blow up your ailing/aging washing machine that takes this moment in time to suddenly spew some gunk and turn your nearly brand new crisp white bedding set into a murder scene, as if a mouse got drowned and mangled in the tub!
It’s sacrilege, that’s what it is, sacrilege I tell you.
Does anyone know a plumber?
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Friday, November 21, 2025 →
To quote a line from William Shakespeare’s The Tempest …
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 →
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 →
“Book collecting is an obsession, an occupation, a disease, an addiction, a fascination, an absurdity, a fate. It is not a hobby. Those who do it must do it.” — Jeanette Winterson, author of The Passion
Yep, pretty much spot on!
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 →
Why, yes, this did make it to my Christmas list. I eat a lot of noddles.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 →
My sister in law called last night talking Christmas and, of course, presents. Not ten minutes later, I got a text from my nephew’s girlfriend (the sensible organised one in that pairing) also talking presents, asking what did I want this year?
So, of course, 8 year old Alex is now sat at the computer, a million windows open, surfing the entire world wide web looking for stuff to add to an ever growing list of things I would love (price no object) that I’m going to share with them all.
Here, you asked, and I responded.
What? I can’t have a dirt bike at my age? Driver’s licenses? I’ll break my neck?
Can I at least have the squishy bunny night light for my bedside table?
Pretty please?
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
Wednesday, November 12, 2025 • 2 min read
Way back when, and I’m talking the mid-60s in Singapore, when my sister, who was ten years older than me, worked part time for an Army liaison officer. She was part of a team who organised rock bands tours, and, as a result, I got to meet with some of the biggest bands of the era.
This included, at the time, over a 3 year period I remember, bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds (inc. Jimmy Page), the Walker Brothers, and later, Jimmy Page’s brand new band, Led Zeppelin. Then there was the Kinks, along with Manfred Mann and later, Herman’s Hermits, with Peter Noone.
I can remember being in and around all these young up and coming rock stars of the day, dressed in my Sunday best, following my sister around as, star struck, she got autographs and propositioned to come on tour with them. I remember shaking hands and, at the very grown up age of 8, talking to various members of these bands like they were my older brother, asking about their mothers and family like we were all visiting together.
I often wonder what, if any, impression I left on any of them after our brief and sometimes, lengthy encounters. Especially as I had my photograph taken with any number of them. It would be fun to think that somewhere down the line, in a book, or museum, or on someone’s mantle piece, there’s me lurking in the background of a photo of a famous mega rock band who even now, are still rocking the world.
I also wonder if my sister still has her collection of photos and autographs, along with her memories? Probably or, maybe not. Who knows.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧