One of the (many) memories I have of my Dad is that around this time of year, he’d utter the phrase “I hate winter!” and be golly, I have to agree with that sentiment right now. As anyone in Southwestern Ontario (which is where I expected most of my readers to be from, but then I get readers from Lulea, Sweden and Dublin, Ireland; to say nothing of Altoona, Iowa; Prineville, Oregon; and Forest City, North Carolina) knows, this area got quite the dumping of snow over the last few days.
My Mom and I are happy to report that a friendly neighbour from down the street who will come and plow out our driveway. That has really made a difference. I’ve also been cleaning off the front and back porches and have made sure our drainpipes are clear of snow and ice, as best as I can anyways. For most of you, this is probably not a huge deal. But when you’re a wimp like I am, it sure does take the starch out of you. (I will say it is kinda fun to bang on the pipes with a hammer and watch all the ice fall out of it.)
While I have continued the job hunt – and helping my Mom with household maintenance (and I say help because, even at age 79, she’s still doing waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy more than my lazy *$$), my Mom is contemplating a new venture for 2026. She’s going to take old furniture (that she gets from second-hand stores), fix them up, refinish them, repaint them (nothing too gaudy), and resell them. (I’ve been saying she should be promoting her projects for some time now.)
So, by next Christmas, if you’re looking for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list, give my Mom a shout. (She’s shy about it right now but I think this is an excellent venture for her.)
This past week, I have had several friends check in – mostly on Facebook Messenger, but one special one via email. It was really great to hear from old friends, especially this time of year and at this point in my life.
As always, if you want to discuss anything covered above (or below), chat me up on Facebook Messenger – either by text or voice message – or via email.
johnmilner.ca 