From Bad to Worse

My mother in the ER.

What can I say? My mother is old. She is frail and weak. Her days are numbered.

Update on Dorothy

My mother this past Easter, with flowers sent by my sister.

My mother is in her late 80s. A year ago, she suffered a "silent" heart attack that gave all of us an abrupt wake-up call. I haven't posted about her in a very long time, but she's still puttering along, like an Energizer bunny, but with a dwindling battery. (Even Energizers eventually run out of juice.)

On the Road and Off the Rails

Corporation Beach, Cape Cod, MA

I took a little road trip recently, to attend a memorial service for my aunt. It was one of those bittersweet trips where the reason for the visit is sad, but the warmth of loved ones is a treasure. But for anyone who has ever dieted, you will know that these excursions are a recipe for diet failure.

Quiche à Odette: The Easiest Quiche Ever

Quiche à Odette -- the world's easiest quiche

Last year, for pi day, I decided to make genuine quiche -- from scratch. We didn't eat until close to 8:00 p.m. (Dinner at our house is usually around 6.) It was delicious, but definitely not worth the time and effort, especially when compared with this super-easy, crustless option.

An Old Dog Learning New Tricks

Whole almonds and pumpkin seeds, packaged into measured snack-packs.

One of the things I have learned through dog-training is that you can't simply stop one behaviour without concurrently installing a new behaviour. You can try, but the drive to follow through on the dangerous or maladaptive behaviour will still be lingering in the animal's mind unless you give it a new direction.