The Year in Books: June with the Life-Changing Magic Art of Tidying Up

I openly admit that I hate tidying up and am a borderline hoarder. Mix those qualities into a tiny downtown apartment and the result is a disastrously messy home. It drives Donatello, a naturally neat person, nuts. I heard about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing and the title immediately caught my attention. Since it […]

The Year in Books: May with At Home by Bill Bryson

Year in Books, At Home by Bill Bryson

At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson Bill Bryson’s At Home: A Short History of Private Life was a fascinating read about the history of the author’s own rural house, a former rectory built in 1851. Using each room (and even hallways and staircases), Bryson explores the history of such seemingly […]

Our Parents’ Renovation: Before Bedroom

Parents' Renovation, Bedroom

I guess this isn’t really a ‘before’ photo, because the rooms have already been cleared of furniture. Our parents are renovating the top floor of their house, which hasn’t been done (other than painting) for the last 25 years. The top floor used to be a one-bedroom apartment where our parents, Tomiko, and I lived […]

Domestic Scenes from New Brunswick

Domestic Scenes from New Brunswick, Kiku Corner

During our visit in Saint John, New Brunswick I was able to take advantage of a beautiful sunny day (the drive there and back were exceptionally cloudy and rainy). I walked up the road from our friends’ house in the outskirts of Saint John and took photos of the neighbours’ houses and gardens.