This old gal is still kicking. It’s been two years since my last post and thought I’d write down a few words other than simply updating my copyright / all rights reserved year to 2026.

No recipes or food photos to share today. I spent a bit of time reading through past posts and am delighted if not shocked how active my posts still are, stat wise, and how far back they go. Started writing in 2009 with observations about the neighbourhood which quickly morphed into a food blog.

A lot has changed, yet nothing has in 17 years. I’m a bit smaller. Our expensive Dualit toaster that was supposed to outlive us, died. A toaster that required preheating, close watching, and manual toast rotation for even toasting. We are now using a $25 Hamilton Beech that produces perfectly toasted toast. We are still using a 1980-something Gold Star microwave that we thought was dead about 10 years ago, but it’s still working.

We still go to Vancouver Island but I have been bitten by the cruise bug and get myself on a ship anytime I can. It started with a transatlantic journey, followed by Alaska, Hawaii, and California/Mexico. Of the four sailings, I came home sick twice. Doesn’t stop me from wanting to go again.

On the thought of cruising: People often say, “oh you must love the food on a cruise”. My response is stock: “it’s a step above hospital food, and step below an average family restaurant”. I don’t expect much. I am a practical gal and consider the logistics of what ships have to do to provide all that food to cruise passengers. This is a blog post in itself, but I’ll finish with this. The food is just fine. You won’t go hungry. I’m there for the basic drinks package, a lounger facing the sea, and a pool nearby to bob around in. That’s it.

We rescued two kittens during the height of Covid – Sidney and Ollie. This is likely the most significant change in our lives. These two cats turned us into THAT couple that is completely obsessed. Sadly, we lost our Ollie December last year. She became very sick and we had to make a difficult decision. We still mourn her and likely will to the end of our days. Now we smother her sister with extra love, if that’s possible.

We still apartment dwell in the same place we’ve been since 2010. The Edmonton skyline has changed in those years.

It’s nice to connect back to the old blog. Maybe it’s time to make it more active. We will see.