My sister has pulled herself out of a life of drug addiction and street living. In her sixties she finally managed to kick the habit and now lives in assisted living for the elderly in a nice little apartment, enjoying her life. She loves a visit, a meal out, getting her hair done, or just … Continue reading My sister keeps living and loving
A little library in a little village sees Change
This summer I took on a job that gave me no end of joy, running the Summer Reading Club at my local library. I created programs and crafted and played and read with children all the day long. I was surprised by the high numbers of participants in our program over the summer. I have … Continue reading A little library in a little village sees Change
Moving through time
When they say empty nest, do they mean to paint such a sad picture? Is it an abandoned nest? Is it broken, or infested with bugs? Maybe it is quiet and warm. Pretty, full of colour and spots to lie down and rest. It is quiet though and there are ghosts flitting about, children in … Continue reading Moving through time
Still young in spirit, that’s true
During the Christmas holidays this year, I fell asleep to the sound of my three adult children laughing and talking. It was delightful.
Walking in the Woods
When I first moved to the coast of New Brunswick more than 20 years ago I was a bit nervous to walk in the woods alone.
the joy and power of community
Maybe I am being thanked for doing something just for the sake of beauty and shared joy.
I didn't start making the calendar until November. I had made no promises. But one day I just started working on it and before long the momentum had carried me to the printers and I had invested in 40 printed copies of a calendar for my neighbours. I really didn't think I was going to … Continue reading the joy and power of community
the joy and power of community
Neither Use nor Ornament
I love the saying 'Neither Use nor Ornament' and I think it should be on my tombstone.
Just a Sensible Idealist
I smiled back and he opened with "I wish I had been brought up in the sixties". I would have liked to see my face expression.
The Not So Secret Sickness in our Society
The psychological wound is deep and ragged, prone to infection. If it festers, unwatched and unacknowledged, the infection can even lead to a poisoning of the whole body.
Summer in the Country
They must have been dreaming of living there. There must have been dreams.
I Do Believe in Science
The blood samples were freshly collected data that was ready to to be analyzed within the context of the bigger longitudinal study. There were so many factors to compare and calculate. This was real science.
Grandmas
I only had one grandmother that I remember that was a full bodied person who lived in society and that was my Grandma Margaret, my mom's father's second wife. They named me after her, as far as I can tell, though not much was made of that and my parents were strict in their use of Meg instead of Margaret.
marriage of true minds
We did not start our marriage by thinking we must tie the knot, we must make public betrothals, we must have children. We planned nothing.
Little Mouse in the City
But as I stepped into the street I paused in awe. I found what I saw mesmerizing, but what was it?
My eclipse
I was so close to achieving totality, if that is a thing you can say with any dignity, that I decided I had to try.
Back to Belly Dancing
It is a good thing I stuffed my jingly clothes in a sparkly bag and left it in the back of my wardrobe.
Death Doula
Now I am in my sixties and guess what? I have no interest in birthing anymore. Not surprisingly I have become more interested in death. Who would think it!
Putting Isaac to Sleep
Dreams and spirits, maybe there is a heaven, let there be a heaven where you can move freely, hunt and leap.
I’ll give you neuro diverse!
It has been hinted that I might be ADHD. Or have ADHD? Or some sort of condition that falls along the broad neuro diverse continuum?
Returning Home
An old poem floating about
Just Like Mama
When I started menstruation my mom celebrated with me, she laughed and hugged me and said I was a woman now. She was just starting menopause. With her menopause came a huge life change. She felt like she could be a woman again, and not just a mother. Our nuclear family blew up like it … Continue reading Just Like Mama
Mama – Last Word
I made one more trip to see mom before she died. I went straight down to see her and was dismayed to see how lifeless she was. She had not been sitting up for a few days, and she had stopped eating. I knew that, and I knew what was happening, and I knew why … Continue reading Mama – Last Word
Mama
My mom’s dying is so gradual that I feel like I am watching a tree return to the earth. She hardly moves now, and Parkinson’s is stealing her voice and her expressions, just as she feared. But if I sit beside her and look into her eyes I know what she is thinking. Her eyes … Continue reading Mama
Mama is Preparing to Leave this World
Every time I return from Toronto I know that these trips will be over soon. After my dad and his wife died I never went back to Victoria. The home, the chairs sitting in the sun, the desk with the photos, the box of tea, the couch where I crashed, were gone. Those very things … Continue reading Mama is Preparing to Leave this World
East Coast Challenges: Buying Furniture
'Gathering' is a necessary strategy out here in the east, a survival technique for the barren grounds of the Maritimes, where the couches no longer roam free.
The Long Form Census and Moi
Part of me wanted to defend myself, ‘but I only just lost my job last spring, and I may get a new job soon, I am waiting to hear…’ But another part of me wanted to throw her tiny ass out in the snow so I just looked at her. “Have you worked for the government for long”, I asked.
Artists are Drawn to Baie Verte
At a lively dinner party last night my neighbor insisted that I write about how artists are drawn to Baie Verte because of its beauty. I nodded my head and sated with our delicious and happy dinner party, I said, 'I’ll do it'. When I organize a party for local friends at the Baie Verte … Continue reading Artists are Drawn to Baie Verte
Marriage is like a nice old carpet
Who’s arguing anyway? My husband and I have been together for 27 years and are becoming our parents. We have plenty of good times, laughter and joy, but we argue too. Sometimes they are important arguments and sometimes they just end in “Oh, fuck off.”
All Present and Accounted For
Sometimes just as I am going to fall asleep I feel my mind turn over and wake up. It clicks into a different gear. Oh no.
Working in the Library
The young have a built in radar for insincerity and dishonesty that I love. Children and teens are watching your every move for inconsistencies or disingenuous statements.
An Old Marriage
It was her foolishness, this idea of sitting on the grass. I wondered if he was thinking that. Maybe she was thinking it too.
Lord, Lord, Mother Lord.
Sometimes I just say 'Mother' and that is enough. This is my new go-to swear word that I use when I am feeling tested.
Home Wife
A poem from my old life
Book Review of Six-Figure Freelance Writer – A Holistic Guide on Finding Freedom in Freelancing
The best path to creating a good work/life balance is pretty clear and simple: work for yourself.
Drop out or Opt In?
For some reason this crazy suggestion of adding new 200 buck bill every month was my last straw.
Notes from a Sinking Isthmus 