I rarely say no to something I haven’t done, and doing a garbage art sign was exactly this. I said ‘yes’ before I even thought about it. It’s a good thing, as if I gave it more than 3 minutes of inner debate, I probably would have declined. And that would have been a shame. Saying this was completely different is definitely an understatement. It wasn’t one piece, it was 7 different pieces, even though 2 of them were the same character. Ling Uan, or The Fat Monkey in English, is a long established restaurant here on Koh Lanta. The menu boasts Western, Thai and Fusion delights, a slew of creativ ..read more

I love cats. Of course I do! I’ve called my home in Thailand, Happy Cat Villa, I make garbage art cat faces, and my whole recycled bag collection is made from cat food bags. My passion is always on display, out front and centre, absolutely. I’m proud of it, and want to share it with everyone and anyone. Why would I hide it? It would be like hiding myself behind something, like I’m afraid or ashamed. Sure not everyone loves, or even likes, cats, but that’s okay. They have their own passions. Nothing is right or wrong here, just different. I encourage everyone to celebrate their passion, no ma ..read more

What to carry when going for a walk, is always a challenge.  Do I stuff my keys, money, and cell phone in a pocket, or into a waist or cross shoulder bag?  It’s all too much for a pocket and the straps and fasteners on the bags are bothersome when walking. Some tell me to leave my stuff at home, but that’s not reasonable. Even though I’m walking, I want my cell phone with me so I can listen to music or podcasts, as I’m out there for up to 3 hours with my long Sunday walk. And I need my keys, and a bit of money, and maybe my glasses, if I’m going to stop at a shop. And some ..read more

Retired Way Out There: My evolving life on Koh Lanta, Thailand is the story of my transition from tourist to retired local, way out there on an amazing island in southern Thailand. Do you ever think about retiring abroad, on a small tropical island?  I did, and now I want to share my adventure with you.  Read about my many trips to the island, and my decision to retire there and get a home. You can marvel at all my adventures, perils and discoveries, as I transition from a tourist to a local expat. The book is interesting, fun, and full of the crazy situations I’ve got myself in ..read more

This excerpt is dedicated to my parents, my heritage, and to my birthplace Ottawa, Canada. I love cats. I’m a cat person and have been since I met my first cat when I was three years old. I truly believe that my house isn’t a home without a cat. My parents weren’t really into pets. Being the children of immigrants who had fled to Canada during the Russian pogroms in the early 1900s, survival and integration into the new community was the focus in the new country, not pets. My roots are exactly as portrayed in Fiddler on the Roof. My grandfather (my mother’s father), was a tailor who traveled t ..read more

The manuscript for ‘Retired Way Out There: My evolving life on Koh Lanta, Thailand’ is now in the review process, with a Summer 2022 publication launch target. My book, which I had a blast crafting, covers my 20 years on Koh Lanta, a small island in southern Thailand. I first came to the island two decades ago as a tourist and fell hopelessly in love with it. I continued to visit the island and after 10 years decided it was where I wanted to retire. My book tells the story of my years as a tourist, and then about how I found a home and transitioned from a tourist to a local expat. ‘Retired Way ..read more

I took the plunge and created an NFT Collection in cyberspace to celebrate my passion for cats. Yes, even at my age I love to try new things, and so should you. Including Koh Lanta in the collection name is because I’m very happy that I picked Thailand and Koh Lanta for my retirement. Looking at this collection as a celebration of both my love for cats and for my home here seem appropriate as the planet begins to open up post-pandemic. Designing the Happy Cat Koh Lanta Collection Designing the collection took longer than anticipated, not due to the processing for it’s creation, but due to the ..read more

What is an NFT? NFT stands for non-fungible token, but what does that mean?  And more importantly, should you care?  The second question begs me to ask if you care about new trends in technology, currencies and collectables.  Do you want to be up to speed with pop culture?  Many of us just don’t care, and if that is you, I give you permission to stop reading.  However, if you’ve been hearing about the growing popularity of NFTs in cyberspace and wonder what it’s all about, continue reading as I will simplify it all for you. Fungible and Non-Fungible For me my two cats ..read more

“I’m in my late 60s; too old to make a difference!” I hear this all the time from friends as the reason for ignoring the changes taking place in our evolving world. “The media is full of climate change news, green-house gases, and how our garbage footprint is ruining the planet. The news gets too complicated. Best to let the younger ones handle it.” Such a load of crap! For the past few centuries, the natural resources on our precious planet have been pillaged, without thought to how it can replenish itself. Now the planet is in jeopardy. It’s time for all of us to do something to help, even ..read more

Happy Cat Laptop Case Happy Cat Recycled Animal Food Cases and Bags are made from recycled Thai cat food bags, padded with up to three layers of bubble wrap, and lined with quilted fabric remnants from local sewing ladies. Only the zipper is purposely new, to ensure it continues to work. The food from each bag was eaten by rescue cats and dogs here on Koh Lanta. These empty bags were tossed in the garbage, making their way to the landfills or into the sea. Happy Cat decided to be creative and innovative with this garbage, making something beautiful from the garbage. Happy Cat Recycled Animal F ..read more