I have a crush. It doesn’t happen often, but I am completely intellectually smitten with Colleen Fitzpatrick after sitting in on her sessions this past Sunday at the Alberta Genealogical Society convention. Dr. Fitzpatrick (she has a PhD in nuclear physics) is a forensic genealogist, author, and speaker, now that she isn’t doing contracts forContinue reading “Crushing on Colleen”
Author Archives: dmcadmin
From Princess to Coupon Clipper
There are a fascinating array of reality shows out there dealing with the vagaries of personal finance. My favourites so far include Gail Vaz-Oxlade as quirky yet hard-ass host of Til Debt Do Us Part and Princess (still haven’t been able to catch the TDDUP Home Edition on HGTV since I gave up cable, though!Continue reading “From Princess to Coupon Clipper”
Working Out with What You’ve Got
When I lived in Wyoming I was spoiled fitness-wise. Sure, it could get cold in the winter – especially with the wind – but it was sunny most days, I could shovel the snow with a broom, and there were lots of wide open spaces for hikes with the dog. The recreation centre also hadContinue reading “Working Out with What You’ve Got”
Healthy Pantry Living
In O Magazine’s February 2011 issue I saw an article about combatting pantry clutter, so when I realized I was bumping up against the limit of my monthly food budget I decided to set myself a challenge: create meals for four days based solely on what was in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. A quickContinue reading “Healthy Pantry Living”
Murder in Life and on the Page
I often write about aviation history these days and am invariably asked if I’m a pilot. Back in university when I was focused mostly on First Nations history and missionaries, people also made assumptions about my religious background (although interestingly few wondered if I was FN, even though I fit right in at Kahnawake andContinue reading “Murder in Life and on the Page”
Margaret Atwood and Me
The last few days a bad cold meant I could barely hold my head up, let alone sit at my desk. But I could read, and luckily I was in the middle of Rosemary Sulivan’s fascinating biography on Margaret Atwood’s early years: The Red Shoes (1998). I have always been ambivalent about Atwood and IContinue reading “Margaret Atwood and Me”
We don’t need no education
I’ve had education on the brain quite a bit recently. After all, I was just involved with the Young Readers’ Conference at a local Junior High last Friday, and really impressed with the innovative teaching happening there. Although, a couple of weeks ago I chatted with a disillusioned friend (M.Ed) trying to teach critical thinkingContinue reading “We don’t need no education”
Passing the Conch
Last Friday I spent the morning as one of the speakers at a Young Readers Conference in Edmonton. During each of the two 40-minutes sessions, I worked with 25-odd students ranging in age from 10 to 15, talking about aviation history. It was terrifying. Exhilerating. Fascinating. I got an email about this “gig” out ofContinue reading “Passing the Conch”
Up-Ending the Pile
Blogging has unfortunately dropped to the bottom of the writing pile. Before it comes tweeting, facebook status-updating, grocery-list writing, emailing, powerpoint slides, website copy, grant applications, and magazine articles. But this blog entry still comes before poetry and my book projects, which sit in boxes on the highest shelf, just out of my reach. SnippetsContinue reading “Up-Ending the Pile”
Expanding Horizons
I’ve been a little quiet on the blogging front since my return from the Yukon, which I blame mostly on all the shovelling I had to do last month. According to my Edmontonian friends and colleagues, it is definitely one of the snowiest winters in living history. Now that the storms have moved off andContinue reading “Expanding Horizons”