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Life is fragile; handle with care
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the fragility of life. How we take it for granted and how we put things off until ‘later, when we have more time.’ In my circle of acquaintances, there have been four deaths in the past month. One was an elderly person who had been fighting an illness for a long time – a blessing some would say, that his is no longer suffering. But the others have all been lives snuffed out far before they should have been. A sudden illness, a tragic traffic accident, a mental health crisis. Families changed forever.… Read more…
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The value of touch
I miss human touch. I miss the loving embrace of a hug. I miss handshakes. I miss the feel of lips that kiss a cheek in greeting. I miss feet that meet in the middle of a couch on a sleepy Sunday afternoon with the newspaper or with books. A head that drops on a shoulder in a darkened theatre. I miss the feeling of a hand that clasps a shoulder in recognition of a job well done. Damn pandemic. Scientists have long since proven that which we all know from experience. Human touch soothes. It is compassionate and loving.… Read more…
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For the love of coffee shops
I miss coffee shops. I miss the smell of freshly ground coffee, the hissing sound of the milk frother and the thump thump when the barista empties the coffee grounds. I miss the background music and the constant buzz of noise as patrons come and go. When I first imagined my sabbatical, I thought I’d spend a lot of time writing in cafes and was looking forward to trying out lots of new ones to find the right creative vibe. When I needed a break from writing, I’d read. I had a stack of books waiting for me to have… Read more…
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Show’s over…almost
If you’ve been following along with me for more than a year, you know I love fall. Long walks along my local paths, gawking at the show of colours that Mother Nature puts on without fail every year. I love the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet and the smell as they begin to break down. I love watching as the goldenrod go to seed and the milkweed pods open up. I’ve just finished a week of #staycation and I’ve ventured off to many other locations along the Niagara escarpment to check them out. I’ve hiked to waterfalls,… Read more…
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A plan without a plan
A few days ago, a friend of mine posted a quote on FaceBook from Mandy Hale that struck me. “You don’t always need a plan,” the blogger turned author wrote. Sometimes you need to just breathe, trust, and see what happens.” It seems particularly appropriate this week, as I’ve got “Sabbatical 2.0” as I’m calling it, papered over at work. While it clearly wasn’t meant to happen in 2020, 2021 is my year – one way or another. At this time last year, I was almost vibrating with excitement. I had my plane ticket booked and my flat booked. I’d told old… Read more…
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Empty pockets
My pockets are empty. Like – hold them upside-down and shake them out, looking for a penny – empty. Like tons of other people whose vacation plans were upended this year by COVID-19, I’ve turned my attention inward and had a close look at the four walls (and garden!) in which I’ve been spending all my time. Contractors have been doing booming business as all the money we would have spent on travel has been plowed into home renovation. In my circle of friends, there have been patios built, home offices constructed, basements finished, pools installed and gardens expanded. In my… Read more…
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First tentative steps to normal
I had my first socially-distanced back yard get together with more than two people a few weeks ago. With a bit of fear and trepidation, I emailed a few single girlfriends and suggested that if their risk tolerance was high enough, that we might sit in my back garden for a few hours, drink wine and catch up in person – for the first time in months. In fact the last time I saw this particular group of lovely ladies was for my “going away” dinner, just before my sabbatical got stomped on by COVID-19.We were very good – we sat… Read more…
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Melting
I’m melting. Full-on puddle of sweat on the living room floor. We’ve been in the middle of a heatwave. I thought I had it all planned. My air conditioner had never worked well since buying this house a few years ago. And original furnaces often grind to a halt in houses of this age. So, in an organized and responsible fashion, as soon as I figured these people were working, I had quotes on replacing them both. I chose a contractor and I scheduled replacement. Piece of cake! I’m not one to turn on the A/C early or often. I’d rather… Read more…
