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What’s in a name?
I changed my last name when I got married. Thirty years ago, that wasn’t uncommon. I went from a bland 5 letter surname to a bland 4 letter surname. 15 years ago, I got divorced and I kept that name. It was the same name my children had, and I wanted to cement the connection – and not make another change in their young lives. In the last year or so though, I’ve begun to wonder. Should I change it back? Professionally, I was only known by my maiden name for 6 months, so it hardly makes sense in that…
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How does your garden grow?
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? This nursery rhyme was part of my childhood. I remember as a very young child, walking through our garden in the summer evenings with my Dad when he returned home from work. In my memory, I was fresh from a bath, with damp hair down my back, my little hand in his great big grownup one. I’ve carried that love of gardening into my own grownup life. One of the great joys of working from home has been watching my garden come to life this spring. From the very beginnings of… Read more…
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COVID Blessings
There have been so many grumblings about what COVID-19 has brought us – mine included – that I thought it was time to reflect on some of the good. Here are ten of the better things that I’ve enjoyed during this pandemic. The spring migration. I’ve so enjoyed watching the birds return, grow into their summer plumage and build nests, with the melodious accompaniment of their song. The daily changes in my garden – and the fact that it’s finally just about warm enough to see if I can do my work meetings from the back patio (shh, don’t tell… Read more…
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Breaking the cycle of boredom
Today, I brought a colleague a chair. It was the highlight of my day. I haven’t set foot into another retail establishment since mid-March although I have done a couple of curbside pickups. It’s not quite the same as browsing through the racks. Coronavirus lockdown is wearing on my nerves. Like everyone else, I’m keeping my distance, I’m limiting the number of interactions I have and I’m staying home. Grocery shopping trips are quick and infrequent. I had to pick up several tubs of margarine during my last to check if they were vegan, and when they weren’t I put… Read more…
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Breaking bread
I finally broke. After weeks of self-isolation and alternately mocking and cursing the people hoarding baking supplies (I really did run out of baking powder), I finally joined the ranks of those baking bread from scratch. A few of weeks ago, a dear friend sent me a care parcel (courtesy of porch drop-off by her husband) of lentil soup, Turkish delight and – wait for it – sour dough starter. The starter sat in the back of my fridge in hibernation until last weekend, when I realized that I’d better bring it out, warm it up and start feeding it, so hibernation didn’t… Read more…
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Silver linings
Forty-something days into self-isolation and the hair jokes are running rampant. Beards, mustaches, hair needing a cut, bad haircuts that have been undertaken and roots – the dreaded roots that have bottled blondes worried about becoming brunettes and brunettes worried about lighter colours growing in. My own locks are long enough that a month or two without a trim isn’t noticeable – and I was fortunate enough to have gone to my trusty hairdresser just before the world changed. So the most noticeable change for me is the silver halo I’m now beginning to sport. In my case though, the… Read more…
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Moving Day!
Today is moving day. After carefully nurturing my public musings through their babyhood and toddler years, my blog has outgrown its original home and is ready for more. When my kids were six, they all left the safety of their kindergarten classes and headed off to a new school to begin Grade 1. It feels rather fitting that my blog (my fourth baby?) is making a move at the same age. So today, I unveil the new Act2 Scene1 in its new home. You’ll find new features, including a graphic identity, a more robust commenting feature (I do hope you’ll use it and… Read more…
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Coronavirus conundrum
So. We’re three weeks into self-isolation and home working due to COVID-19. Everyone’s lives – all around the world – have been turned absolutely upside down as we do our best to ensure we stay healthy and don’t transmit this illness to those we know. I’m fortunate to be fully employed, and even if there has been a pay reduction, work keeps me busy during the days, and money in my bank account. For that I am very fortunate. But it’s still hard. I’m missing my coworkers. I’m missing the jokes in the hallways, the coffee room chatter and the… Read more…
