Holiday Greetings 2022

Can it be! Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa will be over six days from now! And, in the blink of an eye, the 2023 celebrations will be on the near horizon. Time goes by so quickly as we get older!

This year’s seasonal celebrations will be a return to normal after two years of Covid restrictions. Once again families will gather to enjoy each others’ company and age-old traditions. Last year I had some suggestions for the holiday season. I think that they are worth repeating.

Suggestions worth repeating 

  • Smile and be kind!
  • Contribute to a charity of your choice – think of the homeless. Then and only then….
  • Buy and, more importantly, drink plenty of Champagne!
  • Splurge on better wine – it is such a shame to waste calories on bad wine.
  • Don’t just think turkey – think oysters, lobster, crab, shrimps, smoked salmon.
  • Think roast beef with foie gras!
  • Roast your potatoes in duck fat ….. black or white truffles anyone? or fresh and fragrant rosemary?
  • Get fabulous cheese. If you can find it, buy Mascarpone Gorgonzola – very decadent and a treat with homemade fruitcake.
  • Oh! and drink champagne with breakfast! and lunch! and dinner!

And be thankful

OutHourse Your E-Mail
  • Argentina won the World Cup! When it got to the quarter finals I was still hoping that the Morocco Miracle would continue! But alas …. and I knew I couldn’t stomach Les Bleus – just too much arrogance.
  • Canada won tennis’s Davis Cup!   The first time ever after participating for 109 years.  Montréal’s Jarry Park, once the home of Canada’s only baseball team has become a tennis factory. 
  • The growth of outdoor dining ! Many restaurant owners have invested heavily in year-round outdoor spaces. Plants, awnings, heaters, artificial grass, LED table lights! Alas, in Montréal, easy snow clearance still takes precedence over the fun of cold- weather outdoor dining.  
  • Icelandic tourism commercials – You have to love the sense of humour. My favourite above but just use the link to see more. 

My gift to you! 

I can’t wrap up a post at this time of year without something Scottish. From Robbie Burns as sung by Robyn Stapleton, I send you Ae Fond Kiss!

Ae Fond Kiss

So Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate! Something for the New Year next week. Maybe a Christmas poem!

Odds and Ends 1

August 22, 2024

A headline from the New York Times ! Off the Grid, Extremely Online – August 14, 2024  Am I the only person that thinks this is an oxymoron? How can someone claim to be off the grid and still have a million YouTube followers?  A sense of humour may be necessary  if you read these […]

Optimism is for the Brave

August 1, 2024

I have only written the occasional article over the past twenty-four months – twenty-four months working with Anastasia Mourogova-Millin on innovative concepts designed to attract financing-at-scale to invest in  urban nature and bio-diversity. Recently we have re-defined our working relationship. I continue to believe in the ideas she is pioneering.  However, we are at different stages […]

Cities are in Crisis

March 7, 2024

Anastasia Mourogova Millin, March 5, 2024 Earth’s urban population will grow by 2.5 billion people over the next 30 years. Over the same time period, urban land expansion put at risk the survival of 855 different species and will threaten the homes of over 30,000 animal and plant species. Add in the impact of climate […]

The Co-working Concept, Issue 80

January 22, 2024

Co-working space came to mean the notorious We Work model. When I had been asked to opine on co-working I tried to steer the conversation away from the Adam Neumann / Softbank  flimflam growth model. Instead, I suggested that property owners look at usage and users. While I doubted We Work’s ability to survive I […]

The Affordable Housing Conundrum

October 3, 2023

Before I fall completely into the trap of opposition politics, I have decided to take a break from never-ending criticism and to start suggesting solutions to the affordable housing conundrum. Do I have a plan? No, more a collection of ideas To start with, I think there are three key issues: Home ownership is not […]

We Should Know Better

August 26, 2023

I know! I am going to sound like a grumpy old man. Maybe that is because I am. I have been scratching my head in wonderment at the Taylor Swift phenomena. Is she an Incredible song writer, composer, and performer? I really don’t know! A discussion for another time? But probably not. At my age […]