The case/cover for my new Kindle Paperwhite arrived a few weeks ago.
This lightweight cloth case makes the reading experience feel more like a regular book.
A nice feature is that the technology in it puts the screen to rest when you close it.
When you open it, the screen awakens, so no need to use the on/off button and this feature makes the experience even more “real” book-like.
Earlier this spring, my blogging friend Betty, over at chambersontheroad.com, created a post about the porch goose fad that had caught on in her neighbourhood in Missouri.
At that time, I hadn’t seen any sign of this new outdoor decor fad catching on here … until recently.
Now, they’re everywhere!
The one in my feature photo is in front of a downtown art studio. Lady Honksworth is chained up because her predecessor was kidnapped.
A few weeks ago, her ladyship was sporting a cap and gown in celebration of 2026 high school graduation.
Around the same time, I went upstairs in our condo building to visit an owner who had just returned home from hip replacement surgery. Guess what was greeting me at her door.
Canadian Tire is a huge and much-loved department store chain focused on home maintenance, sporting goods, and automotive parts and repairs. You can also find kitchenware, small appliances, electrical needs, tools, and there’s a big outdoor section that now includes … you guessed it:
I wonder if “Goose on the Loose” (my own term) will become as popular and enduring as “Elf on the Shelf”.
Have any relatives of Lady Honksworth taken up residency in your neighbourhood?
Towards the end of last month, I traded in my iPhone 15 pro for the current newest in the line, a 17 pro.
There were several June promos happening at my dealer’s store, so I jumped on.
After my trade-in and all of the perks, I was out of pocket only $10.59 CDN ($7.45 USD) for a $1650 CDN ($1160 USD) phone, and this included a high-end case and an installed tempered glass screen protector!
The deal required me to maintain a 2-year contract with my provider, at the same price point as the previous year. I’ve been doing this with my provider for as long as I’ve had a mobile phone, and am very happy with the service.
I upgrade my phones according to the new technology in the cameras. This time, I liked the 48mp capability because this allows for large prints. I’ve always wanted to print some of my best shots on large canvas. Now, I can.
My greatest excitement is the optic-quality 8x zoom native lens. It’s not a true optical zoom because it combines zoom and cropping to achieve the outcome. I’m OK with that.
The above image was my first attempt with the 8x zoom. With shooting practice to ensure stability, and more experience with post processing to fix focus, I’m sure I’ll get satisfactory clarity.
There are many other excellent upgrades to the iPhone camera in this model. I’m learning as I go.
So far – zero regrets on the upgrade.
We’re currently spending half of our lives living in the USA, where we’ve made many very good friends over the years.
Through WordPress, I’ve also been blessed with many cyber friends who live in the USA.
Have a Safe and Happy 250th Birthday! 🇺🇸 🎂
As I was cutting my freshly-baked muffin for sampling (I sample everything I bake), I wondered if the way I cut and eat my muffin says anything about my personality.
I was greatly amused in my research because other bloggers and instagrammers have already broached this subject – no doubt tik-tokkers have too, but I don’t use that platform. There are also many muffin personality tests that come up with Google research on the subject.
Who knew that how you cut and eat your muffin, as well as your preferred kind of muffin says so much about who you are?
My all-time favourite is the wheat bran muffin, and this one isn’t even listed in the type of muffin/personality list. I wonder what that means? Wheat bran is unheard of where we winter in south Texas, so I take a winter’s supply of it along each fall.
Apparently (according to one blogger), the way I cut and eat my muffin indicates that I’m a realist and am getting things done. That post also says, that as a 50-50 person, I don’t care much about food except that it’s for fuel. Hmmm. And I thought I cut it that way because it’s more aesthetically pleasing on my plate.
What’s your favourite muffin and how do you cut/eat it?
We’re still a very young country by global standards, yet in our short lifetime, we’ve made many important contributions to the world:
Medicine and Health
🌌 Science and Technology
🏀 Sports and Culture
🌍 Global Leadership and Peacekeeping
🚜 Agriculture and Everyday Inventions
OH CANADA ❤️ 🇨🇦 ❤️
Community Living is an organization in our province that collects gently used clothing and small household items that are re-sold in Value Village thrift stores. Proceeds go to support those in the community with intellectual disabilities.
The Yellow Bin website explains:
The clothing and small household items you donate go directly towards helping people with intellectual disabilities. We take the money raised by your donations and use it to help fund the programs offered by Inclusion Saskatchewan. Thanks to your donations, people with intellectual disabilities are provided the support they need to pay rent, buy food, find employment, and be included and valued members of society.
Whenever we hold a garage sale, we contact Community Living when the sale is over. They send someone to pick up everything that’s left. Besides not having leftover items go to the landfill, it’s a convenient service and an easy way to donate.
Since returning home from Texas, I’ve been struggling with my French macarons.
A part of the problem was adjusting to my new oven.
Good/OK: The first batch I baked, using the Swiss Method, looked OK, but the shells were so fragile that you couldn’t touch them without leaving a dent. The shells weren’t shiny and they sported a bumpy surface. Plain shells with vanilla bean ganache. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my Callebaut Belgian chocolate, so the filling was just as “iffy” as the shells.
Better: Back to the drawing board for my next batch. This time, I adjusted the cook time, because I had a feeling that my new oven wasn’t holding stable temperatures.
I used Swiss method again. This batch wasn’t as fragile. The shells were espresso flavoured and the filling was an espresso French buttercream. I tried some new edible glitter to decorate, but didn’t care for the end result. The surface, even without the glitter dust was shinier, but still too bumpy for my liking.
Best: My feature photo was my third bake, with the troubleshooting adjustments I figured out along the way.
I purchased a finer strainer for sifting the dry ingredients.
I switched back to the French Method that I’d always had good success with.
I increased the bake time by two minutes.
My order for Callebaut Belgian chocolate finally arrived.
These were almond flavoured shells coloured with a hint of pink gel food colouring. I used sanding sugar to decorate. The filling is a white chocolate strawberry ganache flavoured with freeze dried strawberry powder.
These are the best this non-pastry chef can turn out and I’m happy with them.
Radically Retired 