If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot

Come June and it is Woofstock time again in Toronto. For years my husband and I had been considering adding a dog to our family. But busy careers and constant travel and mobility kept us in a state of suspended animation for much longer than I care to remember.

However every year, we were unanimous in our mutual agreement to visit the Woofstock festival and pretend for a space of time that all the dogs there belonged to us!

This year, we took our little Ginger out on her first outing to meet other waggy tailed people of her ilk. Our earliest observation of her behaviour towards other dogs is that she did not care much for canine attention. Especially when inquisitive little dogs snuffled her ears and were generally annoying to her. She is her own little person with a royal identity of her own.

I knew from my experience of walking her last summer, that she was terrific for my waistline as I dropped two clothes sizes in a few short weeks and have been looking forward to shedding my store of winter pounds as quickly as I could. Little did I know that Ginger could help our health in other ways too! Read More→

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts. – William Shakespeare

They rolled out the red carpet again today and the world waited by their television sets to watch the parade of glamour, style, dazzling beauties in their  exclusive haute couture gowns, dapper polished gentlemen and young shy debutantes out on their first foray into the glamourous world of Hollywood Royalty.

The seasoned pros were careful to show a neatly turned ankle, make un-classy comments about which fashion house had dressed them up for the occasion, and although happy to be nominated, took care not to appear too eager or bashful and tried hard to pretend that it would not matter if they did not win. That being nominated was enough. But is it? Read More→

There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all.

September 23rd was the European Day of Languages and it was celebrated in grand style for the first time in Toronto at the Goethe-Institut at University Avenue. Four of the major Language Schools combined to present an event that was marked by the warmth, hospitality and cultural flavours of the different countries of the world that they represented.

As I am passionate about learning foreign languages and speak three of the 5 languages represented, of course I wanted to participate in any way I could.  Quelle joie !

The evening started by a Salsa dance presentation and the joie de vivre of the dancers set the tone for the event. There was a table bountiful with hors d’oeuvres and cookies and specialities representative of the different lands and fine wine flowed copiously matched ably with the finest chocolates. Read More→

Life is the childhood of our Immortality – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On the spur of the moment and intrigued by the event, we decided to pack our bags and go to Collingwood’s Blue Mountain Village for the  commemoration of Elvis Presleys 75th birthday.  Known as the largest festival celebrating his life, the event is dedicated to honouring his memory through his music in street pageants, worship events, look alike and sound alike  competitions and many other events.

The main street was teeming with candy coloured cadillacs and Elvis clones representing various stages of his life – buck-toothed Elvises jostled with handsome gelled armyman Elvises. Pudgy Elvises waddled through the crowds of people handing out flyers inviting people to pancake breakfasts and collided with tall goodlooking rhinestone studded blue eyed Elvises who goodnaturedly posed for pictures with the visitors who included blond wigged elderly ladies representing the Elvis fans from the sixties. Read More→

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace.  ~Milan Kundera 

Read More→