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A Bite of Sandwich

Imagine living in a medieval town. It’s not something that those of us in California can really make happen but it is an option if you live in Europe. My friends Susan (American) and Robert (British) have spent most of their marriage living in either London or New York and I think of them as big city people. But, in 2021, they decided to decamp to the small, well preserved medieval town of Sandwich in the county of Kent in Southeastern England. Interestingly, in researching… Read More »A Bite of Sandwich

The Great Escape (and Goodnight Moose)

In less than 24 hours I’ll be hightailing it out of the US for several months. While I am happily anticipating putting some distance between me and the US news, it also feels strange to be leaving my life and friends and house behind for so long. Therefore, I like to make an extra effort to enjoy all that I love about the Bay Area before I leave each summer. Last year, my goodbye activity was a solo one-day Bay Area Blitz in San Francisco… Read More »The Great Escape (and Goodnight Moose)

Back in … finally

We’ve been back in our Galiano house since Aug. 3 with the inside mostly finished, though the outside is not. It is an amazing feeling after 9 months of demolition and rebuilding to be able to live in it again. It feels palatial even though the footprint is the same, largely due to the removal of a couple walls, relocation of a stairwell, and changing of one roofline along with new windows and a sanded floor that is now much lighter in color. New kitchen… Read More »Back in … finally

From Reno to Rebuild

John and I are here on Galiano Island overseeing the work on our house which was torn apart and is now being put back together. It all started as the classic “cabin on an island” dream. Speaking of which, I saw this poem/ditty on a headstone as I was wondering in the Galiano cemetery a few days ago and thought it captured some of the romance of being on an island. However, the house we bought last year on Galiano Island wasn’t a cabin. And… Read More »From Reno to Rebuild

Bay Area Blitz

I feel bad leaving the US in its hour of need. With the upcoming election, I feel that I should be spending the summer doing political work but instead I’m playing hooky. If I ever thought of myself as a person who makes a difference in this world, I’ll have to revise my view of myself soon. Frankly, I’ve already done so. I’m leaving tomorrow to spend the summer back on Galiano Island in British Columbia. John left almost 2 weeks ago so I’ve spent… Read More »Bay Area Blitz

Marvelous Moose

This summer, John and I have had the distinct pleasure of hosting Moose (aka Mr. Moose or Moosie), the approximately 8 year old, 90 lb chocolate lab that used to be John’s but has for the past several years lived with his son, Anders, in Vernon, BC. Anders and his mother have been away from Vernon this summer so Moose came to live with us here on Galiano Island, which is pretty much a dog paradise. It’s been awhile since I’ve lived with a dog… Read More »Marvelous Moose

Island Independence

One of the aspects of living on an island is that it requires more self-sufficiency than is generally required in the city. In addition, islands attract those who already tend toward independence, which includes those who look askance at rules and regulations. This fits right in with John’s view of things as he isn’t a big fan of following rules and was thrilled to hear that there are no police and thus no enforcement of traffic regulations, though the many bicyclists and walkers provide a… Read More »Island Independence

Colonial Amnesia

I have been stuck for the past several weeks, unable to write my blog – I am getting this in just under the wire before the end of the month. I had planned, after writing about the history of Japanese Canadians and the charcoal kilns (and after that great clickbait title), to write next about our more distant forbears on these islands, the indigenous people who were here well before the white population arrived. Steve, my neighbor, had me over to see his incredible collection… Read More »Colonial Amnesia

Life On the Scrotum

I figured I’d better start with a graphic in order to explain my title. I have never heard anyone here on the island refer to Galiano’s shape as a long, crooked male member. However, I don’t really see how one can miss the obvious. Maybe this says something about me and John that we immediately viewed it this way. In fact, I was talking about our being on the testicles and it took John’s veterinarian friend, Rick, to correct me and point out that we… Read More »Life On the Scrotum

What Am I Doing Here?

Yesterday, I received an email from an old friend that explained why she couldn’t come for a visit to Galiano this summer. She patiently listed her upcoming trips, her hosting a very large party in early July, her C-level full-time job with possible travel to China, her positions on various boards of directors, and a variety of other activities I won’t go into. It made me laugh out loud to realize the contrast between her existence, based in London, and mine here on a rather… Read More »What Am I Doing Here?