Ya know, Stilly, your house will never be free of clutter if you insist on making stuff out of other stuff. Just sayin'.

Defensive driving is a really good idea, and I wish Canadian insurance companies would give a break to those who not only do the course, but also do the deed. After four days of travel at breakneck speeds on the superhighways of Ontario and New York State, I am here to tell you that defensiveness is not the majority approach to the task of driving on those routes.

Five and a half years have elapsed since I quit my last office job, and the time has flown. There's always lots to do, and when I run out of housework, errands and things to read, there's always music practice, cooking and making the cat happy.