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Mind over matter (aka throwing oneself at the ground)
I have never wanted to throw myself directly at the ground. Not once have I considered skydiving or bungee jumping. Being parallel with the ground is a different matter. I love ziplines and would paraglide in a heartbeat. And watersports are a definite winner. But throwing myself at the ground just seems foolhardy. A few years ago, my kids and I took a the big “blowout” family holiday – the last chance we would have for one before my eldest became a fully-fledged grownup with the lousy vacation schedule that comes with a first job. We went on a Costa… Read more…
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Sharing fiction fearlessly – well almost fearlessly!
Finally, 2020 is coming to a close. Just a few more days left. Vaccines are in the offing, so there is a reasonable chance that 2021 will be better. I’m counting on it. Way back in March, when the world went crazy, I sadly – and a bit angrily – slammed the lid back on the box of my sabbatical writing plans and turn my attention back to corporate writing and communications. That worked for a while, as we were insanely busy through until at least September. But recently, the seal of that box seems to be failing. Ideas keep…
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Virtually giving thanks
It’s been a strange Thanksgiving weekend. There was no family gathering, no turkey, no stuffing and no cranberry sauce. Without the festivities to keep me occupied, I put the garden to bed and covered the patio furniture. These are things that remind me we’re about to be shut in our houses, with cold weather coming. It usually reminds me of gatherings in front of fire places, red wine shared and the promise of Christmas coming faster than I want to admit. But this year, there’s a depressing painting spreading out in front of me. The global coronavirus, and our inability… Read more…
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The hard work of families
Families are hard work. Whether they’re the ones you’re born into, the ones you marry into, or the ones you grow along the way, the roads are full of bumps and bruises, tears and hurt feelings, temper tantrums, secrets and exasperation. Of course, they’re balanced by – and hopefully tipped in favour of – sweet memories and raucous laughter, sticky fingers and kisses, stolen glances shared moments and celebrations. I grew up in a very small family. My parents were immigrants from the UK, so every time we sat down for dinner it was a family reunion. But even back in… Read more…
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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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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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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…
