Back by popular request after his Part 1 post, here is my husband, that man who once complimented me by saying, “You’re the third funniest woman I’ve ever met.” Enjoy his guest post on what it’s like to be married to a farm girl. I am the DH. I am the Dear Husband, butt of […]
Ironic Mom
Thing 1 & Thing 2's Excellent Adventure: Stop 2 = West Virginia!
Stop 2: Minden, West Virginia Host: Kathy B. Owen Distance Logged Since Calgary: 3565 kms/2216 miles Next Stop: Jefferson, Maryland Fresh off their adventures in Tennessee, Thing 1 & Thing 2 traveled to Minden, West Virginia where they were entertained by Kathy Owen and her family while they went on holiday. Kathy is a mystery […]
The Ironic Restaurant
The Ironic Restaurant reopened last week, with Vivian once again serving as the waitress, chef, and owner. She made her way around the room, taking our orders with an accent that could have been charged roaming fees. “What vould you like to drink?” she asked her dad. He looked up from his crossword. “What do […]
16 Reasons to Love or Leave Canada
I am thrilled that Clay Morgan is guest posting here today. He is a very hot commodity. In the past two weeks, he’s landed an agent, been Freshly Pressed (featured on WordPress’s homepage), spoken at a large conference, and been a star at Muckfest (see photos below, except the alligator one). You’ve seen his name […]
Thing 1 & Thing 2's Excellent Adventure: Stop 1=Tennessee!
Earlier in July, Thing 1 & Thing 2 had the first stop in their around the world adventure. They were hosted by the generous and hilarious Jessica Buttram, who writes beautifully at Meet the Buttrams. The things went by airmail in a padded envelope from Calgary, Alberta to Knoxville, Tennessee (2922 kms/1816 miles). If you’re […]
On Being a Farm Girl and a Younger Sister
Autumn 1996 I walk onto my apartment’s balcony holding the cordless phone to my ear. “So,” I tell my brother who’s taking his PhD in Agriculture in Manitoba, “I’ve signed up to take a six-week self defense workshop.” “That’s cool,” he says. “Any particular reason?” “No, not really. My friend wants to take it, and […]
Adult Doodling Gone Wrong
I like to doodle, not because it’s a skill I possess, but because my hands seem to belong to another body, gesticulating wildly when I speak. Doodling sometimes contains them. The other day, my mom, dad and I were having our nightly, pre-dinner game of cribbage. While waiting for my mom to deal me a […]
10 Examples of Vacation Weirdness
My twins and I tend to spend most of July at my parents’ house in Manitoba. My husband joins us for a week, then hightails it back to Calgary, where he is now. I love being a kid again. And I’m lucky: being at my parents’ house is comfortable and easy. But the first week […]
If your kids want a pet, lie
This week’s post-from-the-archives originally appeared in November 2009; it marked only the seventh time I hit publish. Vivian and William, of course, are now 7, and they still talk about getting a pet. They also talk about flying to the moon on a broomstick. My 5-year-old twins desperately want a pet. They’d love a cat, […]
Car Travel Games (a.k.a. Hit Your Head Repeatedly against the Window)
We recently drove 800 miles with our seven-year-old twins. We’re lucky; our kids are good travelers. Throw a DVD on repeat play, and they’ll stare at the screen without noticing our Loser Cruiser came inches from killing Bambi’s mom. Every now and then, though, Guilty Mother Syndrome (GMS) hits me. I shut off the DVD […]