We’re jamming (and I want to jam with you)
Perhaps it’s frugality, or perhaps it’s a love of food, or perhaps it’s the smell in the house … but we love making jam. And other things that we can can, or bottle up for… Read More
Tag: Home front
A walk in the woods (and a run towards the danger)
It started with the idea of going to a concert, and it wound up including a few days of getting lost (quite intentionally) in the woods. It also included conquering a fear, getting out of… Read More
Delirium might look like Alzheimer’s, but it isn’t. It’s also a medical emergency
It was a crisp winter evening, right after work, and I had just arrived at my parents’ house in St. John’s. I knew instantly that my mother was out of sorts. “You!” she cried out…. Read More
Happy birthday, Martha: 65 reasons to smile
My wife, Martha Muzychka, is celebrating her birthday today, and it’s one of those “milestone” birthdays. She’s 65. We got a jump on things on Saturday, when I threw a party for her and an… Read More
On some Saturday mornings, you can find me at ‘Canadian Tire’
Several times a year, I have a calendar item that says “Canadian Tire.” I’m not off to the hardware shop; it’s a wink to a funny story I heard from the woman who keeps my… Read More
A reset in Eastport
I’ve been taking photographs of this bench — it’s on a cliff just around the corner from Sandy Cove, on Newfoundland’s Eastport Peninsula — for years now. We all have a happy place or three,… Read More
After the fall: Mom recovered from an injury, but Alzheimer’s exacts a toll
The call came in around 3 in the morning, and we were sound asleep. It was a nurse, telling me my mom had fallen in her bathroom. It was a Sunday morning, and ordinarily, I… Read More
Summer afternoons: They’re more prized as they dwindle
“Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”— Henry James There are things about late August and early September that seem to contradict… Read More
Julita’s paella: The dish that feeds and delights a crowd
Over the weekend, we hosted some visiting friends for a dinner, and Martha reached for a true family favourite for the main course: the paella recipe she learned from her mother. Julita Muzychka moved from… Read More
Tubthumping: A shower person reflects on bathtubs
“There are two kinds of people in the world: bath people and shower people.”— Yoko Ono We’re in the midst of preparations for — finally! — replacing the little bathroom attached to our bedroom. The… Read More
I’m slowly personalizing my laptop, but I don’t know about a nickname
“Once you get to naming your laptop, you know that you’re really having a deep relationship with it.”— Cory Doctorow The Toronto-born author and blogger Cory Doctorow wrote these words in his novel Little Brother…. Read More
Leftovers forever: In praise of making more than a little extra
“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for 30 years she served nothing but leftovers. The original meal was never found.”— Tracey Ullman The British comedian Tracey Ullman’s insight into home dynamics (if… Read More
Today is not that day: Alzheimer’s hurts, especially when the patient is self-aware
Most Saturday mornings, we head over to Mom’s for a visit, with a purpose. This is the time when Martha, my wife, gives my mother, Sheila Gushue, a manicure complete with polish. It’s relaxed, it’s… Read More
Spain 4, Italy 1: A fun night with friends (and the hangover to shake later)
We had some friends over for dinner last night, and it was lovely: six of us in all, dozens of stories, too many laughs to count. Jessica and Brock were back in St. John’s for… Read More
The days of Bill Gushue: A song of gratitude for my dad
Two years ago today was the last day of my dad’s life. Bill Gushue died in his home on July 30, 2024. It was not a shock: he was 95, and he had spent his… Read More