Once upon a time I added some pet links to my column and some pet links to this newsletter. Other than that I'm not in favour of pets.

I do like animals, I've supported cats. Never say you have kept or owned cats. We all know that's just a myth. But, I've supported cats, fed them, built them shelters they usually ignored, that sort of stuff. My cats lived outside all year round. Most of them were feral so it suited us both just fine. If I had bags of money to get rid of I would start a program to catch and neuter/ spay feral cats. I think the Humane Society means well but they just miss the point. Being choosy about good homes is never going to help wind down the unwanted pet population. Better to go with the Chinese method and eat them than to store them in tiny cages and then kill them when space gets too tight. At least eat them, it's the natural process. Costs less too.

Anyway, now that I've offended, disgusted and sickened everyone, in one way or another, let's get on with the discussion of pets.

I don't think people should keep pets. The odd family dog is ok, if you have the space. Having the space is vital. Dogs needs space, they need places to drool, bark and do all those other annoying dog things. Bet you never would guess I'm not quite a dog person, eh?

But, keeping several dogs and topping that off with cats, fish, birds, reptiles and rodents is taking things way too far. You are not a zoo! I've never really seen this set up work well for the people or the animals. It's just not healthy for people and animals to share the same home. The pioneers did it cause they had to. The livestock helped keep the cabin warm and in turn the livestock had a better chance of surviving to feed the family come Spring. But, we moved on from there, right? I seriously think anyone with more than one pet should be looking for space to build a barn. If only for the smell situation!

Then, we come to those exotic pets. Let's just say NO! and leave it at that.

Animals should have their space to be wild, free and in constant danger of being eaten by each other. It's how things work in nature. People should leave it alone, it worked much better before we started keeping pets. Ugh! Pet keeping is one of my little pet peeves.

Aren't you kind of impressed with people who know what things like stoneware, enamelware, toile and so on are? I love that sort of thing. Fancy, old, traditional stuff you keep around your home. To me, those things make a home over just a house you live in.

Everyone has their finishing touches. I like old and traditional. Not so much antiques, they are a responsibility. New old stuff is what I like. Don't get the idea that I'm looking for that fakery stuff. I do not like new stuff that has been made to look old. Scratched, burned, cracked, glued, etc. - that's not my thing.

I prefer a new enamel pot. It's something new based on an old idea. I wish I had a list of all the old fashioned things. Likely there is a website for this somewhere. I could just sink into all that information, especially if it comes with pictures or some kind of illustration to daydream over.

This is my home and garden fetish. I watch Martha Stewart just cause she indulges my fetish with things (like paper twist flowers, stoneware and toile), some of them, previously unknown to me.

What's your home and garden fetish? You must have one... don't be shy.

NOTE: The last newsletter (about family and antique methods of cleaning and maintaining a home) didn't go out to everyone, you can find it in the archives at BackWash

Now that the snow is beginning to melt and our houses, cars and gardens are thawing, do you feel in the mood for Spring Cleaning?

Notice the use of capitals on Spring Cleaning. Just like it's an international holiday. It is, kind of. That first feeling of Spring, that day you realize you won't be able to hide behind hibernating for the Winter and soon people will begin visiting! Yes, soon you will have neighbours, family and friends coming over for garden talk, card games and lots of eating in between whatever they end up doing on the side.

So, Spring Cleaning is here. The homemaking/ women's type magazines have starting printing their articles about how-to clean and how-to organize and how-to find more space to store all your stuff. I especially like the ones that offer a cleaning schedule. They do have some good ideas and if you follow them you could find yourself cleaning things faster, as you won't be backtracking and cleaning up after yourself. My big cleaning order tip is to leave the floors for last. That way you can dust everything onto the floors (floors are so convenient and accessible that way) and then suck it all into the vacuum when you're done.

Some of the cleaning gurus would probably think that's not the best way to go about the whole Spring Cleaning thing. But, hey, I'm not looking for a new religion, not even a new hobby, I just want to get the job done so I can move along and enjoy the change in the weather.

I like odd ball retro sort of stuff. But my version of odd ball retro stuff. Today I was at the GoodWill store. I ended up buying an old pair of kids red jeans. That will become a great backpack/ purse eventually. I also found a hand knit hockey sweater in perfect condition. I gave that to my nephew. He was as impressed as any 7 year old boy would be. He did look at it, that was enough to make me happy.

One of the retro things I would like to get more of are those 70's style big eyed girls pictures. You know the ones where some of the girls are dressed in harlequin outfits? Anyway, I first saw those at a neighbours garage sale. I bought about 5 but one of my sisters insisted on taking 2 of them. Later she tossed them out, never offering them back to me. It just takes a real connoisseur to appreciate these things, I guess.

I'm also a sucker for practical or bits of useless old fashioned things. Like the enamelware kettle I bought at the Lions steer roast last Autumn. I think that thing is great. I've yet to actually use it though. It's cream coloured inside and green outside. It looks like a kettle for boiling water, with a lid and spout. But, the lid has wholes in it. The kettle is meant to be used for pot pourri or mainly to put water back into the air. Is that a humidifier? I always get those two mixed up. Anyway, I love that kettle cause it's old fashioned and yet practical. Also, it's in pretty good shape compared to some of the enamelware things I've seen.

So we all have our stuff, hanging around, collecting dust and amusing the dust bunnies and spiders. In fact, that is my new reason for resisting buying new great odd ball stuff. I just decide who will get more use out of it; me or the dust bunnies.

I'm not tired of Winter exactly. I'm just sick of being cold. It's ok when I'm outside, brushing off the car, shoveling off the path or walking around just cause that's what I choose to do. But, I'm really getting sick of being cold all the time inside the house.

We have electric heating. It's expensive and since each room is on it's own heater you don't heat the whole house. Instead you choose which rooms you will keep livable. In my case I've pretty much kept that to the bedroom. So, the rest of the house is freezing and I'm sick of it.

I want to be warm. I'm warm when I go out somewhere, even if that means going in to work an hour early. Mostly I'm warm sitting here in my bedroom, in front of the computer.

Really, if it wasn't for things like eating, washing clothes and actually going to work, I could just hibernate right here until Spring. Would that be so bad? Now that I think about it... I could save all kinds of money. No need to shave, brush my hair, or even my teeth, just sit right here and be extremely frugal. If I gave up eating I'd be thin by Spring. This idea is sounding better all the time.

But, I don't think I could really stand it. For one thing I'd have a raging case of cabin fever. For another, I like being clean, or at least cleanish. I'm not a fanatic about it. No one is every going to mistake me for Miss Perfectly Groomed.

Plus, in the long run, I'd become a complete Internet addict. Probably a recluse or hermit type person. Or maybe one of those oracle types who people come to for great advice and my powers to see into the future and the past and understand and know all things. Yeah, that would be kind of cool.

I have to go to work on Tuesday. I'll just be a recluse oracle till then.