Category: Uncategorized

Trivets. What are they? That is the question I posed to myself this morning while seated in my favorite chair in the barn apartment, enjoying a cup of coffee I brewed myself because Polly is too busy cataloguing something or other at the library to bring me one. The coffee was adequate. The cup was…

Saucers. What are they? Most people would say they are small plates, and most people would be right. That is what they are. Small plates. I was thinking about saucers the other day while enjoying a cup of coffee at the Old Stone Mill, where I was dining alone because no one in Pickax has…

Linoleum. What is it? That is a question I have been pondering lately, and I believe the residents of Moose County deserve an answer. Linoleum is a floor covering. It goes on floors. Most people walk on it. Some people don’t. Why don’t they? That is their business. I was sitting in my converted apple…

Haberdashery. What is it? That is a question many residents of Moose County have been asking themselves lately, and I, for one, believe they deserve an answer. A haberdashery is a place where one purchases hats and men’s furnishings. There. Now you know. You’re welcome. I was reflecting on this topic yesterday evening while enjoying…

Mittens. What are they? Most people in Moose County probably own a pair, and yet how many of us have truly stopped to consider them? I suspect very few. You’re welcome. I was reflecting on this topic yesterday evening while seated in my favorite chair at the apple barn, nursing a cup of coffee I…

Earmuffs. What are they? That is the question I found myself pondering this morning as I sat in my converted apple barn, sipping a cup of coffee I did not pay for, courtesy of Lois’s Luncheonette. It was cold outside. Very cold. Moose County is cold in winter. Most people know this. My moustache was…

Lint. What is it? Most people never stop to think about lint, and frankly, most people lack the intellectual rigor to do so. I, however, have given it considerable thought — at least since sitting down to write this column forty minutes past deadline. Lint is small. It is fuzzy. It accumulates. These are facts.…

Flashlights. What are they? Most people have one somewhere in a drawer, probably without batteries. That is a fact. Here in Moose County, we know a thing or two about darkness, and therefore we know a thing or two about flashlights. Do we use them enough? Probably not. Should we? Almost certainly. I was reflecting…

Gravel. What is it? That is the question I found myself pondering yesterday while standing in my driveway, which is made of gravel. Gravel is small rocks. Sometimes it is medium rocks. It can be gray, or it can be a slightly different gray. These are facts. You’re welcome. My moustache began tingling the moment…

Buttonholes. What are they? Most people never think about buttonholes. I never think about buttonholes. But my moustache began tingling this morning while I was fastening my shirt, and I knew — as any seasoned journalist would — that buttonholes deserved investigation. You’re welcome, Moose County. A buttonhole is a small hole in fabric through…