A friend of mine told me about a friend of his in Romania – a photographer. He is marvelous:
Check out his photos when you have a moment.
13
Dec
2011
blog
14
Nov
2011
Press pot coffee
We use a press pot to make our coffee. When I make it – well, it is not nearly as good. I went to this site: Coffee Geek and checked out a section on how to use a press pot and discovered what I was doing wrong. That was good but the site is great! If you like coffee or would at least like to do a better job of brewing it no matter how you make it, there are great tips here for learning those little bits that make a difference.
11
Nov
2011
Toronto Brickworks – Evergreen Brickworks
Twenty-five years ago, I was a brick layer in Toronto. We used to purchase a lot of brick from the brickyard on Bayview Ave in the Don Valley. It was called Toronto Brick at the time. So, for me it was a treat recently to back and see what has been done with the place. It was closed years ago and for a long time just sat there. I’m not sure who decided to do something with this but I like what they have done with it. There are all the kilns that I never really saw way back when. They have left these pretty much as they were.
There is a very nice restaurant and a shop there that we saw. We were there on a rainy day in the fall so it was kind of dreary but I love the chance to walk about.
The picture here is of a steel piece of art representing Toronto with the rivers coming through it into Lake Ontario with plants behind the metal growing through to show the parks along the rivers – very cool.
There is a lot more information at Evergreen Brickworks(Toronto Brick) as to what is going on and the activities.
02
Nov
2011
How long should you keep your mattress?
Maximum – ten years or so. Lots of factors will go into this. One is the quality of mattress you purchase in the first place and the type. A water bed will likely last longer. A regular ‘spring’ mattress, I figure, maximum ten years. Now this will be affected also by who is sleeping on it as well. If you have someone 300 pounds it likely won’t last as long as a child of 50 pounds.
Also, certain types of mattress are more prone to having dust mites as well as certain climates. I would probably tend to recycle a mattress that was in Florida more often than one in a dry climate, all other things being equal.
I travel a lot and stay in various hotels and also people’s homes. Some of those mattresses are OLD. To me it is totally worth it to spend the money on a decent mattress. If I sleep well, I’m more efficient, get more done, etc. A good sleep is worth a lot.
When you shop for a mattress next time, try out a number of different kinds. Air bed, Tempur-pedic, pillow top – see what is comfortable and don’t go for the cheapest.
20
Oct
2011
Egyptian ‘cotton’ sheets
I have attended a LOT of trade shows and I have been watching people purchase thousands of the inexpensive sheet sets that were originally touted as Egyptian cotton. Most places you go now will no longer have the word ‘cotton’ in their promotion or on their banners. This is because the products were never cotton and regulatory boards in different areas forced most people to be a little more honest. Any of these sheets that I have found are 100% synthetic.
I cringe every time I see someone carrying these cheap sheets around at trade shows!
The best thing for sleeping is to use cotton sheets. There is a great article/video here by Dr Mercola that tells you why this is so. Dr Mercola about bedding.
Synthetic sheets are less expensive but you will pay for it in less restful sleep. He likes wool as a filling – personally, I prefer silk. Silk is lighter and I find cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and is lighter. And dust mites and other insects will not pass through it.