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Reflections on a road trip
Late in the summer, my daughter and I packed up her new car with all her belongings – at least the ones that weren’t already half way across the country – and began what was either the best or worst idea we’d had to date. We had four days to get from southern Ontario to Kelowna, BC, and then one more day to move her to her new home in the Kootenay mountains and for me to get back to Kelowna to fly home. It would turn out to be just over 5,000 kilometres of driving. I admit, I was… Read more…
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Life is fragile; handle with care
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the fragility of life. How we take it for granted and how we put things off until ‘later, when we have more time.’ In my circle of acquaintances, there have been four deaths in the past month. One was an elderly person who had been fighting an illness for a long time – a blessing some would say, that his is no longer suffering. But the others have all been lives snuffed out far before they should have been. A sudden illness, a tragic traffic accident, a mental health crisis. Families changed forever.… Read more…
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Westward ho: does taxi service for kids ever end?!
I’m just back from a mini-vacation with my middle child. In the past, I’ve taken his siblings on one-to-one trips, but his, like so many holidays, was scuttled by COVID. This year, when he decided to tackle a huge hike through the Rocky Mountains (you can learn more about the Great Divide Trail here), he realized he needed a ride about three hours south of Calgary to where he wanted to begin. When we realized it coincided with Calgary Stampede, a mother-son trip was born. The trip did not start well. As we were clearing security, my phone dinged. The flight… Read more…
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Online shopping adventures
I didn’t buy much online before the pandemic. I tried to support local when I could – and they weren’t usually online back then. I like to see and touch things, holding them and thinking about how they will fit with what I already own. Do I really need another pot? Is it really that much bigger than mine? Love the colour of that shirt, but not the feel of the fabric. Will that weighty vase will fit well in my collection Online shopping seemed to deprive me of that tactile and 3D experience – and for me, that was… Read more…
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Happy Mother’s Day: looking at births of a different kind
It’s Mother’s Day today, so Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there who is a mother, or has mothered children at one point or another. I have been properly feted by my children today starting with breakfast and flowers. Mother Nature also celebrated and gave me sunshine and perfect gardening weather. I’m feeling very blessed. I spent some time thinking today about each of the times I became a mother – the births of my three amazing grownup kids. Coincidentally, Halton Health Care posted a piece on LinkedIn (and possibly other social media platforms) yesterday, celebrating the 89th birthday of the OB… Read more…
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Old habits die hard?
A funny thing happened this week. I was at work – actually at work, which is another story – and as I prepared to host a virtual leadership meeting, I absentmindedly went to twist my wedding ring around my ring finger and being surprised it wasn’t there. That would be a wedding ring I haven’t worn in 17 years – more years, in fact, than I actually wore it for. So what was that about? I remember when I first took off my ring being surprised at the dent in my finger. I was expecting the band of white skin… Read more…
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A Christmas gift: A taste of “the” book
What is there to say? Another Christmas marred by a global pandemic. I feel very fortunate to have managed to get away earlier this year to keep my book-writing dreams alive. There should be a real book to hold in my hands before summer (maybe even in the spring. In the meantime, here’s a small Christmas gift – a little excerpt from the still tentatively-titled Another Glass of Tea, of a different Christmas, in make-believe land. I hope you enjoy. The house was in chaos. Well-oiled chaos, but chaos nonetheless. Fiona’s whole family had joined them at the lake, including… Read more…
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The value of touch
I miss human touch. I miss the loving embrace of a hug. I miss handshakes. I miss the feel of lips that kiss a cheek in greeting. I miss feet that meet in the middle of a couch on a sleepy Sunday afternoon with the newspaper or with books. A head that drops on a shoulder in a darkened theatre. I miss the feeling of a hand that clasps a shoulder in recognition of a job well done. Damn pandemic. Scientists have long since proven that which we all know from experience. Human touch soothes. It is compassionate and loving.… Read more…
