Here’s what I came across in the past few weeks:

LUSH COUNTRY LANES

EYE-POPPING GARAGES

Drive much?

SECRET WORLDS

FLORA

FAUNA

URBAN PLANTERS

LUNCH

“HOW MANY MILLIONS???”

QUIRKY TOUCHES

AND OF COURSE, BIG CITY RECYCLABLES

So put on your shoes and search for a road less traveled. I highly recommend it.

When you’re looking for a thriller, try Devil’s Knot.  Not sure how how this one passed me by, considering it’s directed by Atom Egoyen and stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood. The cast includes Reese Witherspoon as a grieving mother and Colin Firth as private investigator, not to mention a myriad of other familiar faces that pop up in smaller roles. It’s based on the true crime story about “the West Memphis three”, a trio of teenagers accused of murdering three little boys in a small Arkansas town.   Can you say Salem witch hunt?

When you’re looking for a romance, try 5 to 7.  In France, 5 to 7 refers to the time of day that’s best suited for an affair – the two hours between work and home, when one’s time is not always accounted for.  Anton Yelchin plays a young writer who falls in love with a beautiful French woman (Berenice Marlohe) he meets by chance on the street. The catch is she’s married, and can only meet him between 5 and 7 at a New York City hotel.  Star crossed lovers get me every time!

When you’re looking for your next buddy cop show, try Scott and Bailey.  This British show follows two female detectives as they work to solve crimes and try to disentangle their messy personal lives in Manchester, England. What I love about Scott and Bailey – and many other British shows – is that it is so much grittier than most North American programs.  The cops here aren’t all glossy, with shiny hair and perfect white teeth. And gadzucks, they actually wear the same outfit twice!  Oh, and the accents. Love the accents.

When you’re looking for a comedy, try The To Do List. Parks and Recreation’s Aubrey Plaza stars as a sexually inexperienced high school grad who’s got a sex-filled bucket list she wants to work through before she heads off to college.  Some well-known comedians fill out the cast list, including SNL’s Bill Hader.  It’s all a bit silly, yes (not only because Plaza looks about 28) but at times, it’s also spew your wine out funny.

Got any movie or TV shows to recommend? Please do pass them along! And Netflix, if you’re reading this, when is Bloodline season two coming?

“The world welcomes Justin Trudeau, Canada’s ‘super hot’ new leader” (The Globe and Mail, October 20) The election of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is arguably a more significant story than any other Canadian leader since, well, his father. It’s been a long time since the world cared so much about us having a new PM (catch a profile of Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau in next month’s Vogue magazine.) And while it’s too early to tell what legacy Trudeau 2.0 will leave, it is clear he is setting Canada on a new path. The economy is the top concern of many Canadians and his government’s over simplification of tax numbers worries me (taking from the wealthiest and giving to the middle class turned out not to be a simple wash after all. Go figure.)

But I like the fact that Justin – it feels like we can call him that – seems like a with-it kind of guy, exuding youthfulness and optimism. And that matters. (Incidentally I was in a charity fashion show with Sophie several years ago. I speak from experience when I say she is warm and approachable.) And following through on the plan to bring more refugees here and to do it swiftly and with sound screening measures in place is a good sign.

Photo courtesy ctv.ca

” The refugees at our gates” (The New Yorker, September 8) Of course, 2015 isn’t the first time the world has faced a massive migration of displaced refugees, but it may feel like it. That’s partly due to today’s never ending news coverage. Still, hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing war. They don’t only come from Syria, but also Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and other countries. Some are stateless. Many are middle class people who had jobs and homes and they are putting themselves and their children at grave risk to escape. Babies are being born in refugee camps. They shouldn’t grow up there.

Some may not remember the wave of refugees after WWII because we weren’t born yet. But I have a personal connection to that one. My father was a “displaced person” when his parents fled Estonia in the early ’40s and they lived in a German refugee camp for a time. If it wasn’t for my quick thinking grandmother I wouldn’t be here today. (All refugee applicant’s were required to have x-rays. My father’s came back with a spot on his lung due to a serious fever he had as a baby. When immigration officials came to take a second X-ray my grandmother sent my dad’s younger brother in his place. No spot on his lungs and the family was deemed healthy and cleared for entry to Canada.)

Many Canadian citizens have a story like my family’s and it is part of the reason we need to open our doors now. My father put himself through university (attending Harvard no less), became an architect, a celebrated artist and raised five children who went on to become educated, develop careers and contribute to the Canadian economy. For goodness sake if it weren’t for my grandmother you wouldn’t have had The Shopping Bags!

“Clown Runs For Prez“ (Daily News, June 17) Apparently, if Donald Trump has anything to do with the future, the U.S. would close its doors to all muslims. Hard to believe in this day and age. Or maybe not, as he appears to be giving a voice to some small, disenfranchised section of the population. Let’s hope Donald has nothing to do with the future and that his bid for presidency is recorded in history as a simple and ridiculous footnote. (But still the mere possibility makes it an important story.) I suppose the upside is he’s got more people interested in politics. I am beyond curious to see how this one turns out. Go Hilary.

Photo courtesy the Daily Mail

“The global fallout of the Ashley Madison hack” (France24.com, August 20)  When personal details from the accounts of 33 million Ashley Madison members (a dating site for cheaters) were first dumped online for all to see I didn’t consider the reverberating fallout. I thought simply of those who have suffered at the hands (loins?) of philanderers and would-be philanderers and considered it a wink from the karma gods. “I only joined out of curiosity!” “I was only looking!” Please. And the revelation that almost all the members are men and many accounts that supposedly belonged to women turned out to be fictional was an eye opener that made me laugh out loud.

But the story goes much further than that. The revelations meant painful life changes for some. There were suicides attributed to the story. Some hacked email addresses ended in .sa which is Saudi Arabia, where infidelity is punishable by death. And if you needed another reminder, your online life is anything but anonymous. Don’t do things online if the exposure of such will wreck your life or someone else’s. (A good rule to live by offline too.)

Internet security is a concern for all. Be vigilant about your passwords strategy. (My LinkedIn account had an uninvited visitor recently who, in addition to snooping, sent out a rash of unwanted connection requests. Luckily I employ a crackerjack IT security consultant and it is remarkable what he was able to find out. A reverse hack! More on that another time.)

Here’s hoping for a peaceful, joyous and prosperous 2016 for all.

Photo: Note, not my actual car. It looks like this one but mine’s dirty and needs a wash.

My Car

People always stop to ask me how I like driving a Mini Cooper.  Like it? I LOVE it! It’s the first car I’ve ever owned that truly feels like me. It’s perfect for city driving, not to mention city parking.  (Though sometimes I squeeze into spaces too small for my own good.)  It’s cheap to fill up and because I don’t drive much, a full tank lasts about three weeks.  Granted it’s not the most expensive set of wheels and I bought it used, but it has definitely been worth it. And even though it’s a 2004, at only 80,000 kms, I’m not planning on getting rid of it any time soon.

My Coffee Maker

I used to be a french press devotee.  Then I progressed to stove top. Now, I’m a diehard Nespresso fan. It makes good coffee and it makes it FAST.  The machine isn’t cheap (around $300) and neither are the pods, especially as I go through about 2-3 a day. Still, three pods are less expensive than just one trip to the neighbourhood coffee shop.  And while I know this isn’t the most environmentally-friendly way to consume coffee, I dutifully recycle all the pods.

My iPad Mini

When I first received the mini as a Christmas present, I thought I had no use for it and almost took it back.  (I already had a full size iPad.)  But now this baby is my constant companion, even more so than my iPhone.  I use it for emails, to surf the net, watch TV shows and movies when I travel, and, most importantly, to read. Plus, it keeps track of my lists, calories, recipes, music, photos and who knows what else.  Well worth it.

My Mascara

As a general rule, I’m not really into buying makeup.  Yes I wear it, but I keep it pretty simple with just a handful of products and MAC is usually about as high-end as I go. (Even that I get at a discount through a makeup artist friend.) But there is one beauty product I do splurge on and that’s my Dior Show mascara.  It doesn’t clumpy or get gooey and the brush is perfection.

My KitchenAid Mixers

I have a stand mixer, a hand mixer and a food processor, all from KitchenAid.  All in red. They are powerful, effective and have never failed me in the kitchen.  Not to mention that they look as good on the counter as any appliance possibly could.  Keep an eye out for department store sales on this one.

Now my new dryer? That’s a different story. Considering that it takes about two hours to dry two towels, I’m thinking that perhaps I should have bucked up!

It all starts on Sunday night when I decide, in that back-to-school spirit, to organize my office.  One of the must-do things is to back up my computer, which I confess, I haven’t done in a while.

In the middle of the back up things look funny and I power off. That may have been my fatal mistake. When I turn it back on, everything is gone. No email files, no photos, no documents, no iBank, my favourite accounting software.

Not only are they gone but the computer doesn’t recognize me any more, only allowing me to log on as a guest.  I check the backup. It looks like it’s there, at least some of it, but access is blocked.

Panic ensues.

I don’t sleep, thinking of all things I’ve lost. By morning, I’m calmer. Most of my older photos are on the external hard drive and newer ones are on my iPad.  Documents I’ve currently been working on have been emailed to other parties, so they have copies.   Thanks to my iPhone/iPad, I have my contacts and my calendar, and I’m in possession of my dog and my jewelry, not to mention four walls around me and my health.

The Apple support line tries to help but we don’t get anywhere. I head to the Apple Genius Bar yesterday and spend two hours there with two different technicians – one had to go for lunch – and they manage to save most of my files.  (Keenan, I think I may love you.)

I’m told to go home, back everything up and then, return asap. Disk Utility shows errors and it’s time to ERASE THE HARD DRIVE. Now if that doesn’t instil fear in every desk jockey, I don’t know what does.

Six hours later, it’s all backed up. At least, I hope so.  I also printed out a bunch of stuff, uploading things to google docs and, in sum, overcompensated.

This morning, my email launches but won’t stay open.  Many of my settings have been scrubbed.  I check my photos, nothing’s there. Clearly, this ship is sinking.

My Apple appointment is at 2:30 and I’m nervous. Did the back up work properly this time? Will my work emails from 2008 still be there? Will I ever know what I paid for my brown couch?

I’m making light of all of this because I am trying very hard to keep my computer problems in perspective. Humour, remedy, etc. etc. But I do want to take the time to thank the folks at the Genius bar. Yes, it’s their product that’s crapping out on me (only three years old) but they do offer a great free service.

Wish me luck!

Craigslist can be a great way to get find and sell things, but as those familiar can attest, you have to go through a lot of ugly ducklings to find what you’re looking for. Plus arranging to meet strangers can be tricky. (I’ve sold stuff at my local Starbucks.)

eBay let’s you keep most of the profits and it opens you up to the huge worldwide marketplace. But figuring out postage, not to mention making that trip to the post office, can be a hassle.

All this is why I was excited to learn about a new free app called breez. It was started by five partners out of Vancouver, all entrepreneurs with backgrounds in tech, finance and start-ups.

Vancouver’s resident fashion expert Susie Wall is the company’s creative director and, full disclosure, married to one of the partners.

“breez is a shop and sell style marketplace with a focus on home and fashion. Just how Uber connects drivers with clients or AirB&B brings owners together with like-minded renters, we connect shoppers and sellers in a safe, socially-savvy platform focused on Vancouver,” says Susie.

So here’s how it works. You download the free app and sign up. Create a profile, much as you would on any app or social media platform. You can then start loading pictures of items you want to sell, including product information and price.

Despite the focus on clothing, jewelry and housewares, I did spot a vehicle, a Range Rover no less, posted on the site.

“As long as it’s cool, we want you to post it. If it’s in good shape and you don’t need it, we want you to #breezIt,” says Susie.

I definitely found it easy to use, as you can upload pictures from your phone without having to go to your laptop and without having to re-post on Craiglist every day to stay near the top of the feed.

“We noticed that Vancouver needed something better, easier to use, more socially intuitive and more geo-centric,” says Susie. “I don’t use Craigslist because I don’t want to interact with strangers, which is a major roadblock for a lot of potential users, especially women. To solve this issue, we’ve opened a breez Trading Post in Vancouver’s Armoury district, which works like a pop-up.”

The stores will be open once or twice a week, depending on demand. You’ll be able to drop off your items to be sold, or you can arrange to meet with buyers there, a secure place.

“We also offer a concierge service, which other apps of this genre do not. Our style team will collect your items from your house, steam, shoot, bag, bin and store them at a secure facility. When a transaction begins, we will sell your item on your behalf at the Trading Post. The process could not be easier for the seller. You should see some of this product we’re rolling out – our rolling racks are like backstage at fashion week.”

If you opt the concierge route, breez will take a 30% cut of the sale.

Another feature that I like is that if you see items you like, you can follow that particular seller – there maybe more where that came from.  (Susie, I’m talking about you.)

Currently, breez is only available in Vancouver but the plan is to roll out in other cities like Toronto, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

I’ve posted two dresses under my breez name, KrisMatis. So far, no takers, but lots of lookie loos. Of course, the more people who sign up and start browsing, the greater the chance my super awesome dresses – and anything of yours – will sell too.

Plus there is no doubt food cooked over charcoal produces that true smoky barbecue flavour with just  the right amount of charring that gas just can’t mimic.

But charcoal has always been a messy mystery to me. Those big heavy bags. The one time I tried to light it I didn’t get very far and how do I control the heat? And how long will the fire last? Of course, my avoidance is really just about fear of the unknown. Plus it’s always been a man job. Well enough of that nonsense.

So I’ve been practising all week and here’s what I’ve learned.

First, your shopping list:

• A chargoal grill. I like Weber.
• Charcoal. Don’t buy the briquette variety that’s infused with chemicals. You can taste it in your food. Go for 100% hardwood lump charcoal. It is charcoal in its purest form and it lights faster and burns hotter than briquettes.
• A starter chimney. It’s like training wheels for your barbecue and it makes all the difference.
• Newspaper
• A lighter

What to do:

Turn starter chimney upside down. Roll up newspaper and line the bottom of chimney.

Now turn chimney right side and up an pour in charcoal. (Less than half full for grilling a couple of pizzas. More if you want a bigger fire for longer). Light the newspaper. It’ll smoke for a few minutes. Don’t panic. That means all is going according to plan. The smoke burns off as the charcoal begins to light.

Wait about 15 minutes until you see the charcoal beginning to turn white. Hold chimney by the handle (it’s not hot) and pour into the bottom of your barbecue bowl.

Place grill over top. Wait for the charcoal to turn white. Voila. You’re ready to grill! I whipped up a pizza with fontina and arugula in 35 minutes, including the time it took to light the grill.

Cooking over charcoal, where controlling heat is much more challenging then with a gas grill, will take some practise. Pizza is a good place to start since it doesn’t require exacting results. All you need is to see the crust blacken and the cheese melt.

Next week, your Father’s Day menu!

Then I received an email from The Cross, one of my favourite stores in Vancouver. They were holding a two-hour flower-arranging course one evening.

Coincidence? Fate? The cosmic muffin telling me to practice what I blog?

I asked my mom if she wanted to join me and off we went to flower school.

Celsia provided the instruction and blooms, The Cross the setting and refreshments. (I highly recommend drinking champagne while trying to learn. If things don’t go well, you can always blame the champagne.)

The next two hours weren’t pretty. I literally broke into a sweat (no creative hyperbole) when I looked around me and saw all the other beautiful bouquets taking shape, including my mother’s. At least I got height, if not the green thumbs.

My mom’s gorgeous bouquet

At one point, I pulled everything out and started again.  I’m still no pro, but I did walk away with some excellent tips:

1. The vase should be about half the height of your flowers.
2. If your vase opening is too wide, either put some chicken wire inside to keep the flowers from splaying. If you don’t have chicken wire or your vase is clear, use clear tape create a grid at the top. This can give your arrangement support.
3. Remove any leaves from the lower stem that will end up in the water. This will help prevent bacteria from developing.
4. Trim your stems at a sharp angle. If you cut too much off, which I always seem to be doing, add pebbles or marbles to the vase.
5. Use one element or type of flower at a time, starting with the greenery. The greens can help you determine the width and the height. (I listened but the greens were telling me little.)
6. Envision a clock, with one part of the arrangement dipping towards the 10 o’clock position (the taller flower/stem) and the other, the 4 o’clock position to create a valley type, naturalistic shape.
7. Next move to the focus or mass flowers. They’re usually the biggest ones and are often full and round.
8. The heavier the bloom, the lower in the arrangement it should go. Like the peonies above. Makes sense, as these will likely droop first.
9. Avoid being matchy matchy and overly symmetrical. Instead, put like flowers and colours close together. After all, this is how they appear in nature.
10. After the greenery and blooms are in, add fill. And then, add more fill. You will need more than you think for a lush display.

With much help from multiple instructors, I can hardly claim to have created this on my own.  But eventually, I left with this beauty.  And the best part? The fragrance. Heavenly!

If you share such a desire for a life made simpler, if only in the objects we surround ourselves with, you’ll want to copy my list of SIX of my latest favourite things that help me achieve just that.

1. The basic T-Shirt – It will be the most versatile item in your closet, because it can be incorporated into any look, no matter how fancy. Personally, I love to wear a t-shirt with a suit. Or leather pants. Or a pencil skirt. Stick to the neutral colours of grey, white, black and navy and your Ts will go with everything you own. And choose a brand made with a high quality fabric. My current favourite is Kit and Ace (No ironing required!)

2. Essential oil – It doubles as a moisturizer and a perfume, which makes it fantastic for travel. Plus, essential oils are usually cheaper than department store scents. My current top picks come from Saje.

3. The Apple iPad – I am now fully entrenched in all things Apple. I love that I use my iPad to read magazines, watch TV shows and take pictures. It’s a television and a music remote, not to mention a telephone!

4. Lemons – Squeezed over any dish, seriously, any dish fresh lemon juice takes flavour up a notch. And you should start every day by drinking a glass of lemon water (as an antioxidant it’s great for the skin). A lemon is a fridge deodorizer and a cutting board refreshener.  Lemon is at the base of so many simple sauces, there is no need to buy the pre-made variety. Grab some olive oil and salt and you’ve got salad dressing or a fish marinade. Don’t bother bucking up for organic unless you plan on using the peel.

5. The fedora – it’s trendy, it allows you to go incognito, it hides a bad hair day and unlike other items in your closet like, say, jeans, you only need one. I love my Eugenia Kim fedora.

6. The corkscrew – I am mystified by the gigantic battery operated wine opening contraptions that sit on people’s kitchen counters. Is that a bottle opener or a dildo? It looks like a wine bottle opener on training wheels and it takes up too much space. Learn how to use a classic waiters’ corkscrew. It’s what all the professionals carry and it is the elegant choice. Look for one with a long coil and a double hinge. It’s a great gift idea and it will become a prized possession.

Let me know if you have any favourite, life simplifying items to add to my list!

Having decided to have a stay-cation while most of their friends are out of town, there is a lot of time to sit around and think up things to do. This tends to louden my inner voice calling out, do they like spending time with me? Do they like my cooking? Why don’t they put dishes in the dishwasher? Are they bored? Do they think my ideas are dumb? This morning I suggested taking the dog for a hike, one kid agreed but I fear only because she’s being polite and the other said he just wants to watch TV.

Being a non-parent, I have a unique perspective. I don’t worry about the things their father does, like how they’ll buy a house when they’re older or will they get caught up with a bad crowd. Or I think about them in a different way anyway. I am no parenting expert (who said anything about parenting? That’s not what this is.) but when I first met the little darlings a few years ago I developed key guidelines for my own behaviour that helped set us off on a solid path:

• Kids are like animals – they smell fear. The best way to develop an authentic relationship is to not try too hard. Let them come to you.
• Be honest. There is always a way to give kids the real story, even if it’s a very simplified version of it. This allows for learning opportunities and growth. Most importantly it makes them feel respected.
• After the age of about 5, don’t treat them like kids. Treat them like regular people. I’m learning that when given the opportunity to think like a grown up they start acting like one. The 13 year old in my life keeps showing me she’s more mature then a few 50 year olds I know.
• Be careful with discipline. Unless they’re behaving like hellions and setting fire to the sofa, it’s tough to send them to their room and you might just be setting yourself up for a good dose of, “you’re not my mom!”. I find a gentle approach of telling them how I feel when they do certain things or letting them know it would really help me out if they’d take out the garbage makes them feel accountable and will usually get you what you want.
• When in doubt, serve white food (pasta, bread, chicken strips, Rice Krispie squares).
• Above all, be a friend.  Being interested in their lives and letting kids know you can be a sounding board and source of support is the foundation of a lasting relationship. (It’s also an opportunity to learn what’s really going on in the world. I had never heard of Kik.)

As the kids in my life age it seems my guidelines need expanding as I sense I’m becoming a bore. This is something I didn’t anticipate. As we get into the years of being obsessed with all things related to boys, girls and their iPhones,  I sense a waning interest in anyone over the age of however old Taylor Swift is. (Which is a lot younger than me.) I can’t get them talking the way I used to. Sometimes I don’t know the answers to their Crack Trivia game app (why does anyone need to know who invented the bi-focal?) I could use some help. Please send your thoughts and survival skills, especially if you have unique ideas for what to do on a cloudy Friday afternoon! In the meantime, I’m making them go for a hike.