‘Tis the season… to think about how to change the world. Approaching a new year, I donate stuff from my closets and drawers that I don’t need but hope someone else does, and think about what I could contribute to a bigger, global picture. For me, this starts with ‘in my wildest dreams, what would l like to happen?’ As… Read More »Visions of Social Change
There are times when I envy the renovators who rip out the interior of a house to the studs and start afresh. Then I remind myself that I have a different agenda: aiming to keep as much of the old, and fitting in the new, in a way that respects the historical styles – of construction as well as decoration.… Read More »Trim Decisions
Like the tail-fins on a chevy or the doo-wops in a song, the trim around the doors and windows say a lot about the age and style of the home. My current DIY project, part of a grander scheme to restore my 1927-built house to something resembling an original style of the time, is to replace all the door and window casings. … Read More »Window Trim.
Wonderful stories about a new theory on menopause appeared in the media yesterday. I first saw it here. Menopause, as a topic, is about as socially awkward as puberty with saggier skin, but at least the drinking is legal. When faced with this topic, I do what writers do when they wouldn’t be caught dead admitting something directly effects them, I… Read More »A Romp* through Science Fiction, Theory and Fact.
This should be simple. A commodity, with known nutritional content and availability. Well established supply and demand and therefore pricing. But it’s much more complex. Obviously the value of any given thing rests with the holder, buyer or seller of the thing. If you don’t like tomatoes, aren’t part of the tomato value chain and don’t invest in tomato sales,… Read More »The Value of a Tomato.
I like old houses. This started when I was a pre-teen, when my mother took me to see the historic estate of Parkwood. The history was interesting but mostly what I noticed was the house (picture below) and its architectural and design features. There began my fascination with older homes. How does anyone explain their passions, whether it’s for a… Read More »Why I DIY.