I came across a short article about box beds, which were sleeping cabinets people in cold climates used to stay warm. There was a mattress and bedding inside, and doors to enclose the sleeper. There was an old photo showing a double decker bed, with a heavily dressed maid perched…
Author: Sylvie Dale
How my delivery of groceries saved me some energy – and the value of that
I was schedule challenged this week and experimented with grocery delivery service to save time and energy normally spent grocery shopping and loading/unloading food. I find this to be an exhausting and thankless task and frankly, I hate it. So I spent half an hour on a grocery shopping site and had the groceries delivered. While it successfully saved me a lot of time, it also resulted in 25% of my items being substituted because they weren’t in stock.
Mimsy thoughts while editing my email address book
Perhaps it is this imminent marriage of my 8-years-younger brother Alfredo which has me thinking in a mimsy way while editing my address book.
Why I love bees
I was a gardener once, and when I was out among my blossoms I enjoyed seeing the honeybees and bumble bees visiting the bright blooms, their sonorous buzzing all around me. I can tell when they are happy by their buzzes. Low-pitched means contentment; high-pitched means irritation. They warn you…
Thoughts on hope
It’s Easter Sunday, a time we Christians look to for hope and joy as we reflect on Jesus’ journey and what it means for us. But I was not raised a Christian, although I began attending church when I was 13. So for me, the Easter holiday was always a…
Tunisian ‘morality cops’ make asses of themselves over topless feminist
Tunisian ‘morality cops’ have made asses of themselves after becoming enraged by the photographed antics of a topless feminist who writes provocative messages on her chest. Almi Adel has publicly advocated stoning her to death because her behavior might give other women ‘ideas’.
My idea of surrender, and why I need it
I think about surrender a lot, because I am over forty and have learned how to control quite a bit of my life. Something happens when a person reaches that age group. As a twenty-something I would often remark on how bitchy forty year old women were. They just seemed…
Collaborating with your family using social sites
Our family is totally digitally connected. To wit: We have high-speed (N class) wifi throughout the house and a digital telephone line and all six of us can be streaming at the same time with very little slowdown. This is such an important feature of our home that after Hurricane…
Frozen rice mix – great for vegetarians
I’m enjoying a fine vegetarian lunch that was easy to prepare and nutritious. I commute to work by train, so the lunch I take has to be compact and sturdy. Frozen is okay since I have access to a microwave. I have the use of a sink, can opener, refrigerator,…
Quaker meditation – getting focused
Sitting with the Quakers in silent worship one morning, I found a way to settle down into the silence that helped me. It’s like a song with three verses – you can repeat each verse as many times as you like until you reach the right mental state. Chant aloud or silently – it’s up to you. If you try this, I’d love to hear how it worked for you.