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Solar energy and AC/DC
“That’s how AC/DC got its name,” my husband says confidently though I can’t be sure he’s not joking. We are standing in front of the hydro meter on the side of our house with the sales manager from the company that will be installing our solar panels. She has just explained the installation of an inverter that will change electricity from DC current into AC current and send it to our breaker panel. After the visit, I mention this to my daughter and she adds her learnings from grade 9 science, “AC stands for alternating current and DC is direct current.” Now I am impressed. But still sceptical about the…
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Alone Time
Imagine you are in Florence. In the popular Uffizi gallery. Standing in front of Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. It’s the one with the Goddess herself standing nude on a large scallop shell casually covering her unmentionables with her arm and flowing auburn hair. The painting is famous. People come from all over the world to see it, or buy a replica on a souvenir. There is generally a crowd gathered around the masterpiece. Necks stretched to get a peak. In this instance you are completely alone. The room is empty. Serene. This a moment in Stephanie Rosenbloom’s book, Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities and the Pleasures of Solitude.…
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Bread Bread Bread
The look of an airy dough that has doubled in size overnight. The feel of a soft springy dough as I shape it into a loaf. The comforting smell of baking bread wafting through the house. The delicate crunch of a chewy crust. It’s hard to choose which sensation is most satisfying. Baking bread is gratifying from start to finish. I understand the upward trend in home bakers. I used to think baking bread was a labourious process. This changed a couple years ago thanks to Martin Johansson’s book, Bread Bread Bread or Bröd Bröd Bröd. The Swedish baker has “done everything possible to simplify the baking process” so it…
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The Little Book of Lykke
Looking for a book to read? Perhaps you have some unexpected time at home. How about a happy book? The Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World’s Happiest People. Lykke (pronounced Luuh-kah) means happiness in Danish. It’s written by Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. The book is the second in his trilogy of books on happiness – equally adorable and inspiring as his first and third books. In this little book, Meik takes us on a treasure hunt to find what makes happy people happy and “look for the good that does exist in the world.” So get your marker, get your…
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A rosy point of view at Back 10 Cellars
Sometimes it’s nice to look at the world through rose coloured glasses. If you need a little help to get into your positive POV (point of view) then I suggest the Rose Coloured Glasses Rosé from Back 10 Cellars. The intense shade of pink veers towards fushia. The deep shade is perfectly matched to the carefully designed label reflecting a “city folk living on a vineyard” vibe. When I visited the winery this fall, I learned the owner, Christina Brooks, intentionally matched the font colour with the first vintage of this beautiful rosé, a mix of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Ever since, the matching has been reversed, letting the grape…
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The Art of Making Memories
He had me at Hygge. Then there was Lykke.* And now happy memories. * These Danish words have become quite popular, but as a quick refresher: Hygge (hoo-gaa) is a cosy feeling of contentment and Lykke (luuh- kah) is happiness. Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, has made a trilogy. Cue Star Wars music. 🎵 Duuh Duuh da da da Duuh Duuh… 🎵 A trilogy of insights, advice and tips on happiness research. The Art of Making Memories: How to create and remember happy moments is his latest book from the Copenhagen institute spreading happiness and joy. Clearly, I am a fan of nostalgia. I devote a whole…
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A hyggelig time
There is a warm glow from the fireplace. The air smells of tangy Balsam fir. The soft lights on the Christmas tree twinkle. The dog is curled up on the sheepskin rug basking in the heat of the fire. On the mantle are homemade clay pots from our wedding filled with cedar clippings from the garden, and three little reindeers from my childhood. It’s cold outside. I am cozy in my wool socks, under a soft blanket on my couch, sipping warm cinnamon tea and eating a gingerbread cookie. My husband and daughter are sitting nearby quietly reading. Hygge (pronounced hoogaa). I have used the word hygge so many times…
