There is a myth circulating in present day media that all families who are any good, and any parents who have any control over their kids, will sit down and eat dinner together – whether they like it or not. And I am not sure I subscribe to that popular guilt trip – just as … Continue reading Dinner Table Manners
Family
The Life and Death of Jackie
Jackie was my Mom’s best friend and was always in our lives, swinging around the outside of family events like a satellite for as long as I can remember. She worked as a nurse, and then got her MA and taught nursing. She was a calm, practical person, who was great in a crisis or just out … Continue reading The Life and Death of Jackie
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.”
My Sister Kate
My Sister Kate A friend pointed out to me that I always preface my sister this way; My Sister Kate. I could also say, My Crazy Sister Kate, and she would probably not mind. She called herself Crazy Kate when she was a giggling preteen. Laughing so hard that she would bring tears to her … Continue reading My Sister Kate
Mid Life Mojo
Mid Life Mojo – Low Lying Libido There are times in a mother’s life when she rightly feels that she has lost her ‘mojo’. And the reason is pretty obvious; exhaustion! But I also think that it has something to do with lack of time alone. In order to feel good in your body, and … Continue reading Mid Life Mojo
Only Your Mother Knows for Sure
We live in a man’s world, and any man that disputes that fact is not a man that understands a woman’s life. When my husband was recently in Halifax with our 19 year old daughter, they walked around at night, on any road and through empty dark school yards. He recognized that she would never … Continue reading Only Your Mother Knows for Sure
My Dad Died
My Dad died. A universal experience and yet the pain is so personal. We all come to a stage in childhood when we realize that we are going to have to live without our parents and it comes as a terrible revelation. Then as an adult we bury our fear of death and pretend that … Continue reading My Dad Died
Maritime Baby
Our third child Bliss was born in the Maritimes. My pregnancy was spent breathing in the magically healing stink of the marshes on a low tide. He has seen horses in the field across the road all of his life, and swam in the sea every summer. My husband and I moved to the county … Continue reading Maritime Baby
Home Schooling Works
Home schoolers are an odd bunch. You have those that chose to home school so they can challenge their child more than in the school system, and those that chose to home school to reject curriculums and testing. Some kids are at home because they have emotional or intellectual issues, and some are there because … Continue reading Home Schooling Works
Recognizing your own Madness
I was never officially diagnosed with anxiety/depression but once I was deep in, it seemed like the proper descriptive name. Unexpected surges of adrenalin at any time of day would leave my body exhausted and my nerves frayed. And then, the less I was able to sleep or eat, the more exhausted and shaky I … Continue reading Recognizing your own Madness
Notes from a Sinking Isthmus 