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Pleasure
The satisfaction that comes from overcoming obstacles. Or watching the sun set into the sea. The sort of things that get me off my arse and away from the tv (or internet). Though should I sit to read a novel, or lie in a bubble bath that is another thing entirely.
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Life is Passing Me By
I can’t believe the year is a quarter gone – it’s passing me by. I had grand plans, but I’ve achieved nothing. Panic has set in.
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The Benefit of a Good Night’s Sleep
We recently replaced our old worn out mattresses. Not before time, because you can’t beat a good night’s sleep.
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Books: to keep or not?
Since I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, I keep falling over intense, library voice (whispered) bookish debates about books – to keep or not.
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Bushfire Dinner Party
This Bushfire Dinner Party is a bit of a cheat because if you’re having a Dinner Party and a bushfire breaks out, it’s time to abandon the party and activate your bushfire plan! Having said that, I was inspired by local tv coverage of a cafe madly making lunches for the volunteer firefighters working to…
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Back in the Swing of my Daily Routine
If you’ve caught up with the Project Worthwhile Life, then you’ll know I’m changing direction. While I’m trying to get back in the swing of my daily routine
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On My Way Back Home
Whenever I come back home, I see a version of this scene. At that point, I feel myself starting to relax. I even feel relaxed just looking at this image!
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Stress Free K-Drama Dinner Party
Still binging on K-drama, but wanting a K-Drama Dinner Party to share some of the food I’m seeing.
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Wishing on a Moon Balloon
We’re blessed by lunar events, including supermoon, blue moon, blood moon, partial solar eclipse, and a total lunar eclipse. Like a big old moon balloon.
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Stress Free Steampunk Dinner Party
I’m laughing a little, because this Steampunk Dinner Party, is an almost but not quite a Victorian Dinner Party, because Steampunk is a futuristic science fiction genre powered by Victorian steam technology.
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In the Quiet Time
My most favourite time of the day is first thing, with my coffee. The quiet time. Before anything happens.
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In Memoriam Pretty Boy: Maidenbelle Snow Tsar (2004 – 2018)
My pretty boy’s gone, chasing rabbits in the sky – neve forgotten
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I miss you so much
One of the key Stoic philosophical foundations is preparing yourself for misfortune. There’s a sort of miss you or make you risk management element to it.
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Yes, Love is Forever – No Matter What
Love is forever. At least that’s what traditional marriage vows say:
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Stress Free Dinner Party When You’re Not Hungry
While a Dinner Party when you’re not hungry seems like a contradiction, it does sometimes happen that for one reason or another you lose your appetite.
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We Can’t All be Cats With Nine Lives
After a transplant rejection scare,we waited dismally for the results. Feeling like we were running out of time. We can’t all be cats with nine lives.
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Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with Depression
Let me start by saying that a Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with Depression is not the end of what you can do.
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The Sun Shines Brightly
I had my second cataract surgery not long ago. When the bandage came off, I was surprised (again) that the sun shines brightly.
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In-laws Dinner Party
I have to start by saying you can’t have a stress free event when your guests stress you out. That makes today’s In-laws Dinner Party a somewhat questionable proposition.
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Unbearable Silence
Sometimes, when you are waiting for something, the wait feels unendurable. A never-ending unbearable silence. Especially when you think that something is really important.
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Red Dinner Party
Today I’m tackling a Red Dinner Party. Just because I’m curious about whether I can. And because red is my favourite colour.
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Alexandria’s Adventures in Asgård
Well, not literally Asgård; but the Vikings: Beyond the Legend exhibition at the Melbourne Museum.
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Rabbit Lovers Dinner Party
Having written dinner parties for dog and cat lovers, I cannot refuse a request for a Rabbit Lovers Dinner Party. By which I mean a pet rabbit dinner party, not one featuring a lapin main course. This has been one of the hardest Dinner Parties I have ever put together!
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Life Takes the Back Seat
I received some disturbing news this week that suggests I’ve lost focus on what really matters. Life goes on regardless, and we think we are making the best of it, but being alive is not the same thing as living a life that’s worth living.
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Dinner Party with Leftovers
Jenine has challenged me to write a Dinner Party with Leftovers There are two kinds of leftovers; planned and incidental.
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Dinner Party During Renovations
It’s been hard to adapt to one bathroom, and as we’re talking about the kitchen… I’m wondering a Dinner Party During Renovations.
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Happy 2018!
It’s time to leave the past behind and embrace the future – there are changes afoot, but you’ll have to wait to hear more about them. Happy 2018.
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Great Depression Dinner Party
I’ve been researching the Great Depression for a while now, and having recently watched The Roosevelts I reckon it’s time for a Great Depression Dinner Party!
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If a Tree Falls in the Forest
During the recent storms, a tree fell on our house [1]. Fortunately, the tree died a long time ago, so it was brittle and broke up when it hit. But as the rain washed the dry earth from its roots, it fell without warning and with such force, the ground shook. And it made so…
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Summer Fruits Dinner Party
I’ve been indulging in a lot of lovely fresh summer fruit lately, so that makes it time for a Summer Fruits Dinner Party.
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My Dog Snores Gently
As you know, my poor pretty boy has been ill. Turns out he has kidney failure and is down to about 25% kidney function. I know how that feels. We might get another year or two with him if we can manage his condition well enough, but he’s not a big complaining attention seeker like…
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Gangsters Dinner Party
Today we’re doing a Gangsters Dinner Party to remember the passing of the US National Prohibition Act on October 28, 1919.
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Spring is Here at Last
Spring is here at last. We’ve had some of the kind of warm days that make you want to start clearing up your yard for the upcoming barbecue season.
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Tennis Dinner Party
Tennis. There’s a bit of it about at the moment, so today’s the day for a Wimbledon inspired Tennis Dinner Party.
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Feels Like a New Start
Things have gone to pot around here recently, but I’ve only just noticed. It’s not pleasant and I feel like I just need a new start.
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Wallace and Gromit Dinner Party
Continuing with our theme of exhibition visits, today we’re hosting a Wallace and Gromit Dinner Party.
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Astronauts Dinner Party
Today we’re getting ready for the American National Moon Day with an Astronauts Dinner Party.
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Mysterious Mysterioso
Mysterioso mysteriously life continues on its path. And if I’m fortunate, there will be another 40 or 50 years of it.
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Exemplum Virtutis
Exemplum Virtutis, n. An example or model of virtue worthy of imitation; a paragon.
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Breakfast Dinner Party
Toseland was describing his recent Oxfam Trailwalker experiences to me and it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a Breakfast Dinner Party.
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Sheepishly I Sit
I’ve been sheepishly waiting a lot lately. With all the legalities I’ve been taking care of it’s been hard not to wait docilely in line until my number is called.
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Soup Dinner Party
While inspired by the idea of a 7-day Soup Diet, this Soup Dinner Party is not an attempt to translate a weight loss fad into an event. It’s just a fun look at whether it is possible to host a dinner party that consists solely of soup.
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When the Darkness Comes
Grief, like darkness comes and goes. It ebbs and flows over time; keeping weird unsociable hours and turning up at inconvenient moments like a door-to-door salesman.
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How to Plan a Stress Free Emergency Trip
My 90-year-old mother has just come out of hospital, so tonight, after an emergency trip I am sitting in a hotel room in the town I grew up in.
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Picnic Dinner Party
We’re in the midst of seasonal change, so let’s do something different and have a Picnic Dinner Party while we can.
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Cat Lovers Dinner Party
Cat-loving Katy felt that if we could commemorate dogs, we should also celebrate cats with a Cat Lovers Dinner Party.
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Dog Lovers Dinner Party
Katy mentioned that she was having a small commemoration for Fido’s passing, so today we’re having a Dog Lovers Dinner Party.
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Impromptu Dinner Party
Now and again things happen, and you may need to host a dinner when you didn’t expect to. But that’s not to say that you can’t plan for an Impromptu Dinner Party.
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Reflections on the Joy of Mastery
It’s getting to the end of the year, and my well of creativity is drying up. I was looking for a different kind of picture for a different kind of post when I found this reflection on the joy of mastery. The picture’s not bad either.
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Alexandria’s Adventures in Food and Nutrition
Following my transplant review, I’ve done some research on food and nutrition. It’s been interesting, entertaining, and frustrating in equal measure. It is a whole other ball of string.
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Cough Cough Coughy Cough
I’ve had the direst couple of weeks because DB kindly brought me the latest flu doing the rounds and it seems that all I did was cough. Cough cough cough.
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NaNoWriMo Dinner Party
So, the key to a Stress Free NaNoWriMo Dinner Party is having everything under control before you start writing then you won’t have to think about it later.
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Alexandria’s Adventure in Adventure
My October adventure was compiling my first business tax return, but I’m fairly confident no one wants to read about that. While I found it was almost as exhilarating and terrifying as learning a little coding, most of you won’t consider it the kind of bold and risky undertaking that we commonly think of as…
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Sleepy Hollow Dinner Party for Halloween
I’m writing this Sleepy Hollow Dinner Party a little ahead of time. Appropriately enough, a bloated full moon is resting low on the horizon providing almost (but not quite) enough creepy light to write by.
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The Feeling of Bliss…
The acutal, literal feeling of bliss you get when you’ve done something really hard. Like get your taxes done.
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I Fear it’s All Chaos; I Must Refocus
It seems I have been too scatterbrained recently; I must refocus.
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Pirates Dinner Party
Tomorrow (September 19) is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. While it’s Talk Like a Pirate Day, it’s as good a day as any to host a Pirates Dinner Party.
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Day is Beginning
August’s Haiku is inspired by dawn, the start of a new day. I’ve noticed that each new day is beginning earlier and earlier.
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Apocalypse Survivors Dinner Party
Our Apocalypse Survivors Dinner Party has to be the kind of food we could get knocking over abandoned supermarkets, and that’s not going to last long.
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Alexandria’s Adventure with The Style Podcast
Sadly, The Style Podcast is no longer available, but I decided to leave this post here, because it’s partly about taking risks, trying new things, and also quite flattering 😉
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Wind Blows Fiercely
I love it when the wind blows fiercely. I’m just the right size to have to fight it; not so small I blow away and not so large I can easily resist it. And I love it when the wind whips my hair about my face and it seems as if my hair is trying to…
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Zombie Dinner Party
Now, it seems very clear why soulless, unstoppable monsters are everywhere. And that makes it a good time to write a Zombie Dinner Party.
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Alexandria’s Adventures in Morning Routine
Following my brush with the collapse of control, I’ve been noticing a lot of chat about “morning routine” in my podcasts and webinars lately, and there has been one thing that stood out for me.
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Looks Like Rain Will Fall
As you know, I have been planning to include pleasure in my life. This year, I am focusing on trying new things. One thing I’m trying is Haiku; an ideal indoor activity for when rain will fall. It’s a traditional form of Japanese poetry, represented in English by three lines of five, seven and five syllables you…
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Gluten Free Dinner Party
Before we dive into the Gluten Free Dinner Party, let’s look at what gluten is and why you might need a gluten free (GF) dinner party.
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Look Forward
I think we spend too much time wishing we had done things differently instead of taking a look forward.
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Alexandria’s Adventure in Shaving Soap Shampoo
I included some of Annette Kellerman’s hair care advice in my book Signature Wardrobe Planning. Including her assertion that the shampoo is a pure soap like shaving soap followed by a rainwater rinse.
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Towel Day Dinner Party
For those who don’t know, May 25 is Towel Day, when devotees of the late Douglas Adams carry towels in his honour. That makes it a good day for a Towel Day Dinner Party.
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Alexandria’s Adventure in 100% Pashmina
I bought a lovely shawl not long ago. It was labelled “100% Pashmina”, but I knew when I bought it that it was not “pashmina”.
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Take a Little Time-out Competition Winner
Thank you all for visiting my site during the little things blog hop, it was a pleasure to meet so many new people. And now it’s time to announce the Take a Little Time-out Competition Winner.
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International Happiness Day Dinner Party
Today (March 20) is International Happiness Day; obviously, we need an International Happiness Day Dinner Party.
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Take a Little Time-out for Yourself
Take a little time out, because it’s the little things that make life everything…
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Alexandria’s Adventure in Bunking Off
I should first mention for those that don’t know, “bunk” (as in bunking off) is also a verb meaning to leave, most notable in The Shawshank Redemption when Andy Dufresne is noted to have “done a bunk, sir”.
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Summer Vacation Dinner Party
It’s quite common for friends and family to vacation together. You wouldn’t typically call this a Summer Vacation Dinner Party but you could feed the kids then put together something grown up for later.
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Alexandria’s Adventure on a Mental Health Day
What with this and that (and the other) I found myself needing a mental health day; a day away from book writing and business podcasts and all that. If you haven’t heard of this, it’s when you aren’t physically ill but need a day off work to unwind and de-stress.
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New Year Detox Dinner Party
After New Years people often “detox”. I believe in moderation and a balanced approach, but if I didn’t, it mght be time for a New Year Detox Dinner Party.
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Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Dinner Party
I’m not sure if you know (or care) that since acceding to the throne on June 2 1953 Queen Elizabeth the Second (QEII), by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith became…
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Titanic First Class (Advanced) Dinner Party
Following on from the Beginners and Intermediate Titanic Dinners, it’s time to tackle a Stress Free Titanic First Class (Advanced) Dinner Party.
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Marie Lloyd Queen of the Music Hall
I followed a link from here to there to somewhere else entirely and found myself in the land of the Victorian English Music Hall, hot on the heels of larger than life Marie Lloyd, the “Queen of the Music Hall” (1870 – 1922).
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Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with a Cold
If you’re the kind of person who likes to look after your sick friends, here’s our cold/flu care recipes for your Dinner Party to Comfort a Friend with a Cold.
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Ruminations on Rodents
Wild rodents can carry disease (and other pests like fleas and mites), they are NOT diseased because they are rodents.
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Ramadan Dinner Party
I’m running a little late for a Ramadan Dinner Party, but there is still have time to give you a hand entertaining any practising Muslim friends you may have. If you are a practising Muslim, please feel free to send me your suggestions and corrections.
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Happy Life
Given our recent trip back to Perth, you may have guessed that the happy life, or worthwhile life has been back on my mind.
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Titanic Second Class (Intermediate) Dinner Party
After the beginners dinner, today I’m looking at people more comfortable cooking and hosting dinners. It’s a Titanic Second Class (intermediate) Dinner Party.
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Misfortunate Life
Today has been one of those misfortunate life days that never really got off the ground, where everything went a little wrong and took a hundred times more time and effort than it was really worth to fix it. One of those days where you would just have been better off if you took yourself…
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The Beauty and Pleasure of Potted Plants
This may sound bizarre, but Katy showed me this and some other pictures of her newly potted plants and I was surprised that she had different kinds of plants in the same pot.
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Titanic Third Class (Beginners) Dinner Party
My book makes mention of a Titanic-themed dinner party, and with the anniversary of its sinking being today (15 April 1912), I’ll start with a Titanic Third Class Dinner Party for beginners.
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My version of string theory
In previous posts I have referred to my life as being like a tangled ball of string – I wasn’t specific at the time, but I imagine it as the kind you get when you give a cat a ball of wool to play with. When you try to unravel it, you pull one strand and all the…
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Ten Ways to Make Guests Turn Up for Your Dinner Parties
Most people want to know how to make guests turn up. They are a great deal more interested in this than making them leave at the end of the party.
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Me and Melbourne are Friends Again
As you know, I was quite sad to lose my feeling of kinship with the city. So I am really very happy to tell you that me and Melbourne are back on! Perhaps it was just been that kind of melancholic can’t find a thing to buy feeling – do you get that too? Sometimes having a firm…
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When Shopping in Melbourne
So today I went into Melbourne to do a bit of shopping and meet Katy for lunch. That sounds very grand doesn’t it?
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Today, on Rabbie Burns Night…
For those who aren’t Scottish and don’t know, today (January 25) is Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759 – 1796) birthday. Or Rabbie Burns night if you are.
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How to Make the Perfect Pizza
One of the rare pleasures of unemployment is the time you can spare to make “real” food. Today, it’s the perfect pizza.
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Virtue of Pleasure
When I talk about excellence in pleasure, I’m not talking debauched sensual pleasures, fun though that sounds. I’m thinking about the satisfaction that comes from overcoming obstacles.
