29 Oct 2020

Mum’s Stories

Q. Some adults would give anything to hear their parents tell that same old story one more time. But which types of stories do grown kids most enjoying hear from their mums and dads? . A. Many parents come bearing the gift of story from the get-go. Through childhood, the

23 Oct 2020

Forecast Rain

Q. Come late fall and winter, world-weary weather folk in B.C. have to look for awfully creative ways to deliver the same news: it’s raining. Or it may rain. A lot. Hurrah for those days of crisp sun or a dusting of snow. But, what are some old or little-used

19 Oct 2020

Worst Halloween Candy

Q. “Trick or treat!” With each new open door came chatty adults – some beghouled – and new household noises, smells, and Halloween lighting. If we were lucky, friendly dogs would come bounding up to meet us. But, one key question remained: what would these strangers drop in our goodie

07 Oct 2020

Lies Parents Tell

Q. Leaf through enough children’s books and you’ll start to see a pattern: parents telling a lot of little lies and kids starting to doubt them. What are the most common ways in which parents try to bamboozle their progeny? . A. Blue Cross UK surveyed 2,000 parents about the

01 Oct 2020

Creating A Medieval Feast

Q. To many of us, preparing intricate dishes for even one round of a 2020 cooking competition looks plenty stressful. But what was it like to create and stage food for ravenous, judgy royals at Late Medieval feasts? . A. Master Chef Chiquart Amizco offers us a peek in. Poor

28 Sep 2020

The Sweet Smell Of Home

Q. Which scents make people feel happiest in their homes?   A. It’s something people are thinking about more, now that they are spending so much time in said homes. This month, House Beautiful Magazine reports that essential oil diffuser sales are up by 22%. Even before the pandemic, 70%

26 Sep 2020

Top 20 Albums of All Time

Q. Well, what are the Top Twenty Albums of All Time? . A. As if the world didn’t already have enough to argue about. Nevertheless, Rolling Stone Magazine has come out with its 2020 list of the Best Albums of All Time. What would be on your best of the

23 Sep 2020

Robert + His Rules

Q. Who is this Robert and why do so many people follow his meeting rules? . A. Official meetings across the world still sample generously from the rules of Robert: General H.M. Robert, that is. The General’s Rules are particularly handy when we are trying to run virtual meetings where

21 Sep 2020

In Full Fig

Q. What are some lesser used idioms? . A. They are awfully stubborn. The elephants refuse to leave the room, the thoughts cower inside the box, and the tattered idioms worm their way back into innocent conversations. The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms houses thousands of these ‘phrases that behave like words.’

19 Sep 2020

A Match Made In Free Fall

Q. Why do people do scary things on early dates? . A. In ‘romantic,’ ‘reality’ shows – no judgment! Lockdown – daters will be challenged with hair-raising adventures. Rappel down this skyscraper. Or free-fall. Leap off this scenic cliff. Take your fear of heights and climb up the cables of