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Online shopping adventures
I didn’t buy much online before the pandemic. I tried to support local when I could – and they weren’t usually online back then. I like to see and touch things, holding them and thinking about how they will fit with what I already own. Do I really need another pot? Is it really that much bigger than mine? Love the colour of that shirt, but not the feel of the fabric. Will that weighty vase will fit well in my collection Online shopping seemed to deprive me of that tactile and 3D experience – and for me, that was… 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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Here we go again
I was starting to get excited for Christmas. My neighbourhood is all lit up in bright colours and my Christmas tree went up a couple of weeks ago. Presents have been bought from local artisans, supplemented by the delivery man. Plans have been made to bring our little family together. Even with a couple of special girlfriends, we still number fewer than ten. Menus have been planned – no small feat when you consider the vegetarians, vegan and celiac among us. And there’s even been some snow. Last year the answers were hard to hear, but easy to process. Any… Read more…
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Back to reality
And just like that, it’s over. I’m feeling a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz today, except when click my heels together three times tomorrow morning, it will be back to work for me. Six months has flown by and I can hardly remember the fear – and excitement – that accompanied the beginning of my sabbatical at the beginning of March when I closed down my laptop and work phone and left them on my desk in the office. For the first few weeks, I eschewed alarm clocks, routine and the newspaper. I slept (a lot!), read… Read more…
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The half-way point
Time is ticking away. I’m cognizant that Sabbatical 2.0 has hit the halfway mark. I’m amazed that we’re here already. It’s going very quickly. Sabbatical 1.0 was only set for four months and I can’t imagine going back to work in just four weeks. Fortunately, I negotiated in an extra couple of months into the new-and-improved version, so I’m not staring that date in the face just yet. So how’s it going? Despite being basically stuck at home, I’m loving it. I’m writing, I’m reading and I’m even getting many of those “I’m too busy to do it” jobs ticked off… 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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Here we go again
Does anyone else feel like we’re living in the movie Groundhog Day? Cases are down, let’s reopen. Cases are up, close down again, but only sort of. And repeat. Ad nauseam. It reminds me a bit of the childhood camp song we learned from Sharon Lewis and Lambchop. This is the song that never ends… You can thank me later for putting that ear worm in your head! I’m feeling a bit frustrated with the current state of affairs today. I’d like to rant and rave, but there’s nobody to yell at. Some people are doing a good job of obeying whatever… Read more…
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The comfort of traditions
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the comfort of traditions. We’re supposed to want change all the time. Continuous improvement, self-improvement, bigger, stronger, faster. Change is the only constant, they say. But sometimes the comfort of tradition is what we crave. Yesterday, I felt drawn to make crepes on Shrove Tuesday the way my Mum used to make when I was little. I haven’t made them in a long time, but it felt right this year to go back to that tradition. I’m out of practise though and they were not quite as thin as they should be. Maybe… Read more…
