Hope springs eternal. Initially, I almost killed this plant just after I got it for my birthday back in March. It was so pretty on my shady dresser, and in the busyness of my days, I somehow assumed it would stay that way. Now, it is blooming again for the first time. I am thrilled and grateful that it has chosen to beautify my window sill with its delicate bloom. Simple remedy: follow the directions for sun and water. – Maria

June 6 was the 80th anniversary of the landing of the Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy, France, in 1944. Most of the Canadian soldiers landed at Juno Beach in conjunction with the British and the Americans who landed at beaches close by. It was an incredibly scary, confusing, but brave and necessary operation. The goal, of course, was to peel away Nazi Germany’s hold on Western Europe.

Our mother was a child during World War II, but she remembers the worries, confusion and fears of the adults. It was a dark time, literally and in people’s hearts and minds. I cannot imagine what it felt like for those young men landing far from home, slowly securing land as they moved inward, constantly on guard, terrifyingly aware that death could come at any moment. I wonder what memories, what scars, those old men, mostly in wheelchairs, who were at the D-Day ceremonies yesterday carry with them? I hope they were also proud of having done the right thing, of having made a difference. – Maria

What do you think about best-before dates? How much meaning do you give to them? This bag of microwave popcorn, found by my daughter as she was packing up her belongings post-graduation, has a due date of January 12, 2022. This article states that microwave popcorn does not expire, but is best before a certain date. After the best-before date, the quality starts to erode.

Would you eat it? I know I would. – Cris

My little garden is finally planted for the summer. Fresh basil is one of the great joys of a garden. Fresh pesto, basil tomato sauce, fresh basil sprinkled over a salad. Pesto was created back in the 1600’s but was made famous in a 1863 cooking book by Giovanni Battista Ratto, La Cuciniera Genovese.

The traditional recipe has basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. My brother prefers his pesto with no nuts at all, while I prefer mine with walnuts.

Have you made your own pesto? What do you put in your pesto? – Cris

Cherry season has arrived. Packed with flavour and juice and sweetness.

When I was a little girl, elementary school age, I went to a summer camp. The camp was run by a priest with an old school bus. Each day we were picked up at our homes and taken somewhere new – actually we went to Sunnyside Park and Ontario Place many times – but one day we went cherry picking. We were warned a few times by the employees to not climb up the trees. Unfortunately, we ended up getting kicked out because the priest kept getting caught climbing up the cherry tree.

I love cherries. Do you? – Cris

Author