Happy New Year

The equinox may still be three weeks away, but the approaching Labour Day weekend marks the end of summer for most of us. For forty-six years, as student and teacher, the resumption of school was the annual milestone that marked the beginning of a "new year" for me. It's impossible to shake that feeling.

And so, I've decided to make some changes to the blog, minor ones, but I hope for the better.

It's now a year and a half old and has had more than 7,300 visits. Lately, the cocktail, and especially the travel and points, posts have proven very popular. So I've decided to continue with a "drinks" post, once a month, on the third Thursday. Look for posts on Dessert Cocktails, Boozy Coffees, and Winter Beers in the coming months.

Last September, after a dinner party conversation with friends about my travel points and miles obsession, I undertook to explain in a post the basics of collecting and redeeming loyalty rewards. That turned into a nine-part series (starting here). In the year since, I've posted what I thought were travel and points offers that might be of value to my readers. I began with a quarterly/seasonal summary, but soon found that there were so many offers out there that I was posting almost monthly. And so, I'm going to continue with a monthly roundup, the first Thursday. (This month's will be next Thursday)

Also, some things have changed since I wrote that series of posts from last fall. Some point-offering credit cards are gone; new ones have arrived. Some programs have changed, and I've revised my thinking on some things. Later this month, I'll revisit last year's posts and update you on the changes and what I've learned since then.

Of course I'll still blog about whatever's on my mind, whenever I feel the urge. That's why I started 500 Words in the first place. For those of you who indulge my headwashing with patience and good humour, my heartfelt thanks.

Enjoy the last of summer. All the summer cocktail recipes are accessible, right there on the left side under the months of June, July, and August. See you next week.