My dad and I were talking recently about of friend of his who has been blind since birth. We are in complete awe of her ability to function almost as normally as a sighted person. Sure, she has a seeing-eye dog and some cool electronic gadgets to help her out, but she is amazingly capable … [Read more...]
Book Review: “The Good Neighbor” By Amy Sue Nathan
You know the saying, “You marry the man, you marry the family”? (And boy, isn’t that the truth ladies?) I’ve found out recently that a similar relationship forms when you buy a piece of property. My husband and I had a list of “must-have” criteria when shopping around for a cottage last year. We … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Bliss” By Shay Mitchell And Michaela Blaney
Last Saturday morning the handle of my coffee cup broke off in my hand. The cup was a leftover from a club I belonged to in university: Sigma Tau Delta—the Honours English Club (exciting, I know). It made me sad…the mug was practically vintage. Every once and a while I’m struck by the fact that … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Furiously Happy” By Jenny Lawson
I kid you not: I was at the gym the other day and the guy on the elliptical machine next to me was eating a candy bar and drinking a Coke. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing, and I thought to myself…well, I’m sure you can guess what I thought—you’re probably thinking the same thing right … [Read more...]
Book Review: “At the Water’s Edge” By Sara Gruen
Okay, I’ll admit it: I’m a big baby when it comes to cold water. My mom used to call me a wimp, but my husband is a bit kinder—he says that I’m delicate. I enjoy swimming, but I have a narrow temperature range when it comes to full-body immersion. On average, 78-82 degrees is just about right for … [Read more...]
Book Review: “The Other Daughter” By Lauren Willig
My trip to England two years ago was magnificent, until I had a tantrum in the middle of a street. My sister, niece, aunt and I had looked forward to the trip for months. We had never been to London before, so we didn’t want to miss a thing: Westminster Abbey, the Globe Theatre, St. Paul’s … [Read more...]
Book Review: “The Girl Who Wrote In Silk” By Kelli Estes
I have a confession to make: I am super envious of anyone with a beautiful singing voice. I would love to be a singer… not a performer mind you, but someone who sings well. That way I could belt out tunes in the shower or harmonize with the car radio without completely embarrassing my child. I … [Read more...]
Book Review: “The Secrets We Keep” By Stephanie Butland
At 11 years old, my daughter is officially a "tween". I love that word. In case you don’t know its origins, 'tween is actually a contraction of "between", as in between the ages of 10 and 12. It’s true—I looked it up. According to dictionary.com, a ‘tween is somebody who is too old to be a child … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Fishbowl” By Bradley Somer
Cats are so weird. Take my cat Leo, for example. Every morning I spend several minutes realigning throw rugs and straightening couch pillows in order to tidy up from his 4:00am wild tear around the house. Of course Leo is sound asleep (in the dog bed) when I’m awake, so I make sure to nudge him a … [Read more...]
Book Review: “Pretty Is” By Maggie Mitchell
My family doesn’t watch a lot of television, which is why I became a tad bit suspicious not long ago when my daughter told me (within the total time lapse of about an hour) that I needed to buy an elliptical/treadmill cross-training machine, a no-more-tears detangling brush and an amazingly painless … [Read more...]