After languishing in the U.S. market, on June 29th - just in time for Canada Day – Tim Horton’s announced its return to the Great White North. Headlines brewed with words such as “Tim Horton’s Canadian Owned Once More!” Click to read the rest!
Sheep shearing is done and I have eight fleeces bagged and ready for washing, spinning and whatever it is you do to transform wool into hats, scarves, slippers and more. Click to read the rest!
This year I am like the opposite of Johnny Appleseed – the guy who walked across America leaving a forest of apple trees in his wake. I walk across my garden and leave a furrow of death and destruction in my footsteps. It’s not my fault. Ok, some parts of it are. Click to read the rest!
It is such a pleasant feeling to fall into bed with every muscle in your body aching from a hard day’s work. Despite the pain, a person can drift off to sleep self satisfied in their accomplishments of a day well spent. If you can identify with that, well, it’s nice to be you. Click to read the rest!
I think TV viewers are getting sick of all the skinny pretty people. Not only do they make us feel bad for not being able to mirror their images let’s face it; most of them are mean. It’s not really their fault, if I had to worry about my hair all the time and all I could eat was half a strawberry and a lettuce leaf I’d be pretty cranky too. Click to read the rest!
At our house the month of May is full of bees but not the stinging kind. Maybe the shed will get painted, maybe the deck will get built, and maybe this will be the summer that I will finally grow all the vegetables we need to get us through until next year when the maybes start to buzz again.Click to read the rest!
BC has finished up their provincial election, while here on the farm the animals have been holding their own springtime bid for leadership n the barnyard. It all started with the sheep. The incumbent of the flock is Patricia. She is slighter built than the other ewes and always on the alert. With head raised high she constantly sweeps the barnyard and pastures for danger and quickly settles any disputes that break out among the flock with a quick bunt to the dispute source’s head. It’s quite effective, though I admit it borders on dictatorship. Click to read the rest!
Winter’s End has arrived and she’s the cutest thing I have ever seen. Weighing in at a mere five pounds she is covered in curly spots of black and white wool. No-one could watch her wobble about on her four tiny legs without saying, “Awww!” at least once. Click to read the rest!
With mother’s day fast approaching I have been giving the whole motherhood thing some thought. Your mothers are like super heroes when you’re little. They know how to bake cookies, drive a car and when it’s safe to cross the street with a single bound. Unfortunately when you hit puberty their brains fall out. Click to read the rest
Two people are sitting in a bar on some other planet when an alien turns to an Earthling and says, “You’re from Earth? Say, do you know Joe Smith?” I’ve had that happen to me. Well, obviously I wasn’t in a bar in outer space, I was in bed. Okay, this is getting worse by the sentence. Let’s start at the beginning where all beginnings should begin. Click to read the rest!
As a kid I loved Dr. Doolittle. I even had a record with Dr. Doolittle songs on it, my favourite being “If I Could Talk to the Animals.” The song explored the potential joy of learning how to speak elephant and chimpanzee. I loved the idea of being able to talk to my many pets. What lovely conversations we would have! I would never have to wonder what they were thinking again. Click to read the rest!
Our bank balance is rarely endangered when I walk past a shoe or clothing store. I am a terrible excuse for a fashion diva. I’m afraid my personal weaknesses run to far seedier things; herbs, flowers and vegetables to be precise. Click to read the rest!
We have a storm moose. Well, two of them actually; an enormous mother moose and last year’s baby who definitely takes after its mama in size. I don’t know where they hang out when the sun is shining, but whenever a blizzard blows in they head for our yard. And by yard, I do mean yard. I am not merely referring to the outer edges of our farm. Click to read the rest
Our Icelandic ram Tuffi has a set of curved horns that would make a mountain sheep weep with envy. Unfortunately, he likes to introduce them everything in sight. Fence panels, posts, trees, even the sheep shelter. Click to read the rest
Three of my house plants almost died of thirst! I am giddy beyond belief. One day my Mable Grey geranium, Rosemary and good old Aloe Vera were succulent green and the next their leaves were curling under in a desperate cry for water. What joy! The fact that they had managed to get so dry when I had flooded them with water only three days earlier actually caused me to break into a happy dance. Click to read the rest . . .
Why does it take a million sperm to fertilize one egg? They won’t ask for directions. Why do men never stop to ask for directions? Because they aren’t lost, they just don’t know where they are. As these classic jokes reveal, the male species seem to have a common aversion to asking for directions when they’re lost. And females seem to have a liking for making fun of this peculiarity every chance they get. Click to read the rest
About a month ago I was given a super power. Now I’m just like one of those characters in that TV show “Heroes”. I know how Superman and Wonder Woman feel. And let me tell you, it isn’t half bad. In fact, it’s incredible. Click to read the rest
I am the recipient – victim? – Of all kinds of mass emails ranging from jokes to warnings to the happy news I have just won 33 trillion dollars in a U.K. lottery. I would be better off hitting the delete button but curiosity – the same sort of curiosity that killed the cat - usually leads me to read all the emails through to the end. An end which more often than not climaxes with some dire threat to my personal or moral being if I don’t forward the message to everyone I know. Click to read the rest
I’m a sucker for antiques. Especially the kind I think I might actually use. Back when we had milk goats I bought a big old cream separator with ideas of making our own butter and ice cream prancing in my head. Click to read the rest
I hate technology. We bought our house based solely on the fact that it was made out of logs and had a wood burning cook stove. I quit using the microwave eight years ago. I don’t miss it. Click to read the rest
I was watching a commercial the other night when an astonishing revelation was revealed to the viewing public. Actors aren’t real. There it was, scrolling across the bottom of the screen for everyone to read: “Real people. Not Actors.”Click to read the rest
Last month Jann Arden came to Dawson Creek and Darcy, knowing what a huge fan I was, surprised me with a pair of tickets. It was minus 42 as we hurried across the parking lot to the warmth of EnCana Centre. On seeing the line up waiting to get in, I felt the first twinge of irritation. What were they all doing here anyway? We found our way to our seats and at five minutes to show time I was pleased to have Darcy on my left and an empty seat on my right. Click to read the rest
There is a fabulous song called "Marching Inland" about a disgruntled sailor who wants to leave the sea behind. When he finally sets foot on land he thinks things over and comes up with an ingenious plan. He decides to throw an oar over his shoulder and keep walking inland until someone asks him, “What is that funny thing you got?” That’s when he’ll know he’ll never have to go to sea again. Click to read the rest
How many of us want world peace? How many of us are willing to give up everything we have for it, including that brand new Play Station 3 with Blu-ray capability? Click to read the rest
2009
SLICE OF LIFE
by Shannon McKinnon
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