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Life has no reset button – or does it?
I read a blog recently from respected Canadian business man, Peter Aceto. The president and CEO of Tangerine Banking argued that there’s no “reset” button in life. I have to respectfully disagree with him.While we are all a product of the experiences we have in life, there’s no rule book that says those experiences have to define our future. We can reset, reinvent ourselves and rechart the road ahead. In retrospect, I think what Mr. Aceto really meant that there’s no chance to have a “do-over”, and in that, he’s right. We cannot change the past. The decisions we’ve made and the experiences we’ve… Read more…
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Of moors, magic and martians
When I was a young girl – no more than eight or nine – my grandparents came to visit in the spring. This was a big deal. My parents had immigrated from England in the mid-60s, part of the exodus of recent science grads looking for a better life in Canada. We didn’t see my grandparents often, so each visit was a treat. As a grownup, I realize it must have been difficult for my mother, seeing her parents only every three years or so, but those infrequent visits have left indelible memories with me. My grandfather was special. Looking back at him with… Read more…
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Your children are not your children
A few weeks ago, my daughter’s choir hosted a treble training festival for several other children’s choirs in southern Ontario. They’re always great events, when these well-trained choristers come together, work with a guest conductor and finally, hold a joint concert where they raise their voices in song and raise the rafters of whatever church has been borrowed for the occasion. The kids work hard during that day, as evidenced by the 87 pizzas we the 150+ choristers put back for dinner! But that’s not the point of this story. I like to sit quietly in the back while the (mostly)… Read more…
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Lady bug, lady bug, fly away home
The lady bug appeared in the middle of dinner. Indoors. In January. So as we sat, drinking wine and enjoying the meal (why is it that food prepared by someone other than yourself is SO delicious!?), we watched this lady bug with fascination. She wandered all around the dining room table and then made her way up the butter dish, right to the rim. She then proceeded to go round and round and round that butter dish, taking extra care to go out of the way of the one speck of butter that sullied the edge. A busy little orange… Read more…
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Where do babies come from?
When I had my first child, I was determined that I would teach my kids proper words for body terms. No “willies” and “special girl parts” for me. My kids were going to understand that babies grew inside my uterus and that they weren’t brought by the stork. They were going to understand that a special milk for babies came from breasts. That led to some – well, let’s call them interesting – discussions in some less than ideal places. More than once, a little one piped up more loudly than I would have liked in a shopping mall that… Read more…
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Time to make a mess
“When humans create,” he said, “it’s a messy process.” I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to those words last Sunday morning. I was more concerned, I admit, about the harmonies in the next piece of music we were to sing. Besides, I’m not so good at “messy”. As little girls, we’re taught that messy is bad. We are taught to sit nicely, speak politely and generally not be the whirling dervishes our brothers allowed to be. After all, boys will be boys, they tell us. And so it sticks. As a grown woman, I like things to be… Read more…
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A penny – or five – for your thoughts
A penny for my thoughts? Today, I’m remembering the record collection my parents had when I was young. I loved music and would sing along with everything from the Singing Nuns (who knew my first French words would be “Il ne parle que du bon Dieu”?!) to Camelot (and what 6 year old shouldn’t be singing about the Lusty Month of May?!) to whatever else they had playing under that scratchy needle inside the giant stereo case my Dad had made to house the speakers, turntable, and – wait for it – the NEW cassette tape player. But no matter… Read more…
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Cozily content, post-Christmas
Tonight, I’m curled up on the couch in my family room, glass of wine at one hand and new books at the other. The fire is blazing across the room and the lights on the tree are shining bright. The Christmas season is almost done for another year. Something was different about the festive season this year. I can’t remember the last time I was so impatient for it to begin! Just a few days ago, I waited, impatient as a small child. The presents were wrapped, many with what I hoped were witty clues to their contents attached. The… Read more…
