My friend Penny is the mother of three of the world’s most energetic boys, spaced a year apart. While they were whipping around a Georgian Bay island one summer, Penny was talking about her “winter” life, and the cocktail parties that she and her husband frequently gave for his business. At one of these events,…

Ryan Boulton is a sports nut. It doesn’t matter what the sport is, really; it’s the thrill of human endeavour that he finds appealing. Ryan is also a writer and a photographer with a real commitment to journalism. A graduate of the journalism program at Loyalist College, Ryan took a different route to the employment…

A few years ago I hired a summer student to work with me in editorial production of a magazine I was involved with. Pascal Brunet, a native of Laval, QC, this young woman was working towards a Masters degree in Economics and her goal was to study a year each in Montreal, London (England), Hong…

My friend, Pat Booth, loves to do needlepoint. In the 28 years we’ve known each other, Pat has produced some beautiful works of art… cross stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, hooking… Pat’s ability with colour and design is remarkable. And I’ve been the lucky recipient of several great gifts. People like Pat all over North America are…

I took a trip down memory lane this weekend and nearly did myself in during the process! I agreed to care for my two young nephews for five days while my sister was away. The boys are four and seven… big eyed, enthusiastic little fellows with whom I love to visit. And for five days…

It’s funny where our inspiration comes from. I’m inspired every time I step inside a little shop in the centre of what could be called Barrie’s Central Business District. It’s a cream coloured front, with a big window and inside are women’s and men’s clothes. Called The Hidden Treasures, it’s a consignment shop for upscale…

Now, why didn’t I think of that? Have you ever had the experience of looking at the price tag on some new invention you thought of 10 years ago? And didn’t do? It happens to me alot. For instance, back in 1976, when my husband started his career as a Barrie-to-Toronto commuter, we mused about…

Faces & Placesby Donna Douglas First Appeared in the Barrie AdvanceMarch 26, 2000 Cha-Ching turns into huff ‘n puff Remember $1.44 days? Thursdays were $1.44 days at Woolworths and I fondly remember in my mother – writer juggling days grabbing my wee son and treating him to a tool for his workbench in the hardware…

Rena Lindsay refused to wear a watch. She didn’t want to be hampered by deadlines, by urgencies. She wanted to be able to give the necessary time that people needed for whatever they needed. It’s one of the character traits her co-workers both loved and hated. And if we look underneath Rena’s reason for this…

It’s Sunday morning. You stretch slowly awake and stare at the ceiling. Or, you’ve been up since 5:30 because your kid has a ski race or a hockey tournament and you’re driving three members of the team to an unknown ski hill or hockey rink in eastern or western Ontario. And, as your mind is…