A couple of my favourite books are Parnassus on Wheels and The Haunted Bookshop, both by American author, Christopher Morley. I recently read that after he passed away in 1957, he left a message to his friends and readers. It bears repeating.
‘Read every day, something no one else is reading. Think every day no one else is thinking. Do every day something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of a unanimity’.
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And on the subject of books, I was sad to see Chapters/Indigo close its store in Dalhousie Station. Obviously, there wasn’t a market for the written word – and my big beef was that a growing portion of the books area was filled with smelly candles, purses and the like. And the adjoining Starbucks will certainly be missed by many as a place to congregate.
Now I notice a big banner outside to inform us that it will be another location for Shoppers Drug Mart – at least there will be a few magazines on display.
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Not very often one sees a For Sale by Owner sign on a house these days. Spotting one recently, I thought it must be a difficult task. I know when I sold mine it was a huge relief to pass on the job to a professional real estate agent who took care of the necessary deeds, advertising, showings without me, gathering and giving advice on bids, arranging a 10-minute trip to a lawyer and signing-off on a good sale. Don’t try it yourself, you could be met with some real headaches.
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As one of three wise men who gather together to solve the problems of the city and world quite regularly, the subject of wealthy Calgarians came up. The answer to a question on the size and cost of some of the new custom homes being built used to be answered with, “Must be old money or oil and gas.” One response was, “Must be old money or a dermatologist.”
Although veterinarians must be up there too. Some people spend more on the health of their pets than they do on their own wellbeing.
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Love Spruce Meadows – but wish it was in the city boundaries.
Access Bus service is a wonderful operation that helps people in wheelchairs get around the city. We can go from Glenmore Trail and Elbow Drive all the way to Rocky Ridge or Copperstone for $3.80, but as one of the city’s finest entertainment places is across the road from the houses in Bridlewood, one has to take a taxi with a ramp.
To spend a day at the splendid Masters tournament cost me $46.90 plus tip going there and another $53.70 plus tip – was I jipped? – for the return trip.
But an outing well worth the expense.
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Another of life’s great mysteries is: who determines the expiry dates on food and drugs? Is my can of beans a safe bet on March 9, 2027, but ought to be thrown out on March 10?
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An avid reader but still trying to understand poetry. Read a quote from Don Marquis – not sure if he’s the Amercing philosopher or comedian – who likened poetry to dropping a rose petal into the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.
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Final words: Silence empowers the oppressors.
