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Sweet memories of love
Valentine’s Day can be a bit morose for a single woman. And I’m not ashamed to say I’ve drowned my sorrows in chocolate and red wine more than once. But this year I’ve decided to take an optimist’s view of love. Love comes in so many shapes and forms that it seems foolish to concentrate on only one kind. I have loved and have been well-loved in my life and it has been good. I’ve regretted none of it. A parent’s love is the first we experience. It’s a love we are so sure of that we push and we… Read more…
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Searching for direction
There’s a lovely little inukshuk that sits on my desk at home. It’s not really meant to be there – it was bought as a gift for a friend who I didn’t connect with this past summer. I look at it sometimes, searching for direction. Maybe because it wasn’t for me, it’s not giving me any answers. Inukshuks are a quintessentially Canadian stone figures, although they can be found throughout circumpolar countries. Used by Canada’s native Inuit people, they are monuments of raw stones that traditionally show that someone had been there – or that you’re on the right path.… Read more…
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With apologies to Clement C Moore
Twas the day before Christmas and though joy’s in the air,All creatures are rushing, no second to spare.With carols to sing and stockings to stuff,The kitchen’s a whirlwind of baking and love. The concerts are finished, our voices are strained,Yet songs still ring out, as the season ordains.My son’s home from uni, he’s raiding the fridge.Exclaims nothing’s there, he’s eaten all but a smidge! Family visits are next, a once yearly meet,As others pour from offices, filling the street.Once more back home, with all good deeds done,We start to think, “Perhaps the holiday battle is won?” The family arrives, grandparents… Read more…
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Recapturing Christmas
It gets harder every year. With every season that passes, life gets busier. There’s more to do, more to deal with, more chores that need to be done, more activities that kids need to be shuttled to and from, more stress at work. It gets harder every year. Gifts and gadgets on Christmas wish lists are more techy and more expensive. With family becoming more spread out, it’s harder to stay close and to know what is the right present for the right person. Commercial Christmas songs ring out and decorations appear in the stores earlier and earlier, starting the… Read more…
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Random thoughts from a self-enforced moment of quiet
Are you strapped in? This week begins the “OMG, it’s less than a month before Christmas” panic that seems to afflict people – and especially mothers – throughout the land. The perfect joyous season our friendly advertisers bring us also results in a lot of stress and anxiety. There’s so much to do, so many places to be and so many events to attend that it can all feel a little overwhelming. This year, it seems particularly stressful. December is a whirlwind of Christmas concerts – between my daughter and I, our performances number close to 10 over three weekends.…
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Discomfort in a world gone mad
Paris. Oh, Paris. How the world is mourning with you after the latest tragic attacks on your beautiful city on Friday. We are shocked, horrified, saddened by the senseless deaths – so many of them – and pray for the safety of all Parisians as we work to uncover the hows and whys behind the attacks. Events like this draw people together and the best of humankind is in the spotlight as we react together with a strength of conviction that we will not let events beat us down. Hashtags like #prayforparis, #jesuisparis and #lovetoparis are filling my social media feeds. Social… Read more…
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How many innings in a hockey game?
Okay, I’ll admit it. I have failed my children. None of the three know much about – or have any interest in – team sports. It seems almost sacrilegious to say this, but I will have no trouble deciding what to watch on Monday night. National election results will be on my TV; the baseball game will hardly cross our minds. The kids come by their sportslessess not only by virtue of lack of exposure, but by genetics. Neither their father nor I had the gene either. I’d much rather compete against myself than be part of a sports team.… Read more…
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And now for a commercial break: a little personal PR
Don’t change the channel; this commercial break is a good one! You know that little frisson – that thrill – of excitement you get when something goes well? The kind where you feel just a little invincible?It’s been a good month. Why? Nothing huge – just a bunch of little things, but ones that add up to more than the sum of their parts. And it has me feeling pretty positive about life. Early this month, son #1 was moved back to Ottawa for school. It went smoothly. He’s living in an apartment with friends this year it was only a few days… Read more…
