We've done a lot of the prep work for our kitchen renovation, like engaging the design people and the contractor, picking the cabinets, floor, sinks, taps and countertop. We've done more than half of the demolition (our favourite part) and we've bought the appliances. Now it's starting to feel like a real event. The contractor was here today with the plumber to put in shutoff valves so that we can remove the existing sink and dishwasher. He reviewed our plan and briefed the plumber and his own helper, so he can start (we hope) the week after next. Meanwhile, we have repositioned the microwave and much of the kitchen dishes, etc. into the sunroom, where we normally eat our meals. Since we hadn't totally unpacked from our house move anyway, it's kind of like an extension of the moving-in experience, a bit like camping with mod cons. No great hardship.

It's interesting to see how a space can be transformed by what's in it, or taken out of it. Our semi-empty kitchen has an echo, but it has a potential that was smothered by the cabinets that were in it originally. The new kitchen is hypothetical, but I can visualize the new cooking experience, with space to chop and savour and knead and roll out. Time to cook is still hypothetical, too, but cooking is one of those very mindful opportunities. You must eat every day, so every day you have the chance to cook. It's not an imperative, just an option, a delightful choice.

Posted by lynda at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm gradually getting to know the garden here as it reveals itself with the seasons. One of the important things to know about is the need for water. The former owner used several rain barrels to collect water for those times between storms when the flowers get thirsty. Even though it's still early summer, I am watching for plants in need and hand watering if necessary. The rain barrels are nearby of course, serving as excellent habitat for mosquito larvae. Our neighbour suggested a quick remedy: just add a goldfish! For days we have been trying to catch some from the pond and finally this morning I outwitted four of them, three for my barrels and one for my neighbour's. As a secondary measure, Bob has now created screened lids, so that once the fish have enjoyed their private feast, we can return them to their buddies and keep the bugs from setting up their hatchery.

Posted by lynda at 11:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I dedicate this Father's Day to my children's grandfather Francesco Chiotti. He was a lovely man, kind, generous and very much a family man. I don't know nearly enough about him and I have not attempted to fill in any details through my genealogy research, mostly because it means delving into French and Italian records. I remember a sort of elegance about him, perhaps because he had old-fashioned manners, always considerate. He welcomed me as his eldest son's wife and made me feel particularly important as the mother of his first grandchildren. I do recall his quiet delight when my eldest son was born and again when my second son arrived. When I broke the news to him that I planned to give birth to my third child at home, he was visibly distressed. I probably could have been more gentle about that. But my daughter's entry into the world was as much a celebration for him as the other two.

Here was a man who had left his Franco-Italian family for a world of adventure and pleasure as a bachelor in Shanghai before the communist takeover. When events turned ominous, he acted quickly to safeguard his new family and make a life in Canada. In his later years, he was baffled by the apparent discrepancy between his ingrained devotion to family above all and the way people actually led their lives. I feel honoured to have known him. I think my eldest son probably bears more of his imprint than the other two. There is a physical resemblance certainly, but more than that, I think they share a stubbornness that is remarkable.

Posted by lynda at 11:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of Austin's claims to fame is its bats. Went to some great sessions yesterday, but the highlight of the day was my evening excursion, with about 50 other people from the conference and hundreds of locals and tourists, to see more than a million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under a downtown bridge a few blocks from the hotel. They were very hard to see as individuals; it was more like a continuous stream of insects heading out over the trees along the river. Very cool.

Posted by lynda at 09:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tuesday started off with delightful serendipity. At the breakfast buffet I met Ginny Redish, an original guru of usability practice. It was one of her books I encountered about ten years ago that turned me on to the subject when I was preparing to teach at George Brown. The day's session was a pre-conference tutorial by Todd Warfel on persona development, a topic I am actively interested in. I came away with some good advice and more confidence in what I've been doing in persona work. It was a workshop session, so we got a chance to play in small groups. I have to say our group did the best job of generating a persona in half an hour! I managed to hit the bookstore on the lunch break and got Bill Moggridge's book. Wednesday's sessions start off with the conference keynote by Canadian UCD superstar Bill Buxton.

Posted by lynda at 09:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Getting here seemed to take all day, but only because of the pre-flight nonsense at the airport and the waiting in between actual flying. Dallas was 34 degrees but I never left the terminal to verify that and Austin is apparently 33, but I was whisked by air-conditioned hotel shuttle to this excessively air-conditioned hotel, so what do I know? I made a beeline for the conference's welcome snack table and settled down in a free wifi spot with power plug to do this blog and to down a large soft pretzel and a bottle of Dr Pepper. Does that count as local cuisine?

Posted by lynda at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm taking time off from work this week to go to Texas for a usability conference. I know that doesn't sound too riveting for some, but I am pretty pumped about it. User experience design is a major part of what I do for clients and I am looking forward to an infusion of info and ideas from smart people in the field.

Claire just got back from her nine months of work and play in Australia and we're getting together briefly this morning before I leave for the airport.

Posted by lynda at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm back in beautiful Owen Sound this week, but off to Texas next Monday for a usability conference. Each time I return, I find new delights in the garden. This week's discoveries included asparagus and wisteria. As soon as I got home last weekend, I had to harvest the rhubarb that was crowding the shed door so Bob could get the mower out. I'm hesitant to do much reorganization yet, because the previous owner seems to have planned things pretty carefully (except for the rhubarb) and I want to experience all the seasons before I make changes. Of course, there is still lots of maintenance to do, which gets me down to dirt level with each bed.

Posted by lynda at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)