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Painting with words
It’s no secret I’ve always loved the written word but I’m also a bit of a Broadway nerd. Give me a good showtune to belt out when nobody’s listening, and I’m a happy camper. And if I can have a one-person kitchen dance party, well, that’s even better. Occasionally, those two loves come together. I was singing along to the soundtrack from Hamilton in the kitchen this morning when I was struck again by these words from Eliza, Alexander Hamilton’s wife, about the immense volume of writing he did over his life and how the language of his letters affected… 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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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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Anne and Maud
Not Anne, but my favourite and well-worn LM Montgomery books Anne and Maud – what “real” Canadian girl doesn’t already know where this blog post is going just by those three words! This is a modern-day story of a number of things that had to fall into place to make magic happen. Canadian school girls grow up on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s wonderful Anne of Green Gables stories.And while personally, I was more partial to her Pat of Silver Bush stories, Anne Shirley, with her carrot-red hair and imagination was always a wonder to me. When she smashed a slate over Gilbert… Read more…
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Celebrating gold
For the last couple of weeks, anyone who knows me on Facebook has been subjected to a barrage of posts and photos of my daughter’s choir, which picked up both a silver and gold placement at the World Choir Games. To say I was a proud “choir mum” was a bit of an understatement. But today, my family is celebrating a different golden accomplishment.Fifty years ago today, my Mum and Dad tied the knot, back in England. My parents won’t let me throw them a lavish party – or any party at all – and they don’t want gifts. But… Read more…
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Inspring Women in my Life: Thoughts on International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day, and I’m embarrassed to say I’ve paid little to no attention to it in the past. For some reason though, it’s on my mind this year. I’ve been inspired by a lot of women in my life. My own Mum was fortunate enough not to need a paying job and was everpresent in our schools and in the community whether it was on field trips, extra-curriculars teaching girls to knit, directing school plays and performing in community theatre and singing groups among other pursuits. My first boss was a true inspiration. She was a respected force… Read more…
