Picture yourself in a university extension classroom in Edmonton with nine strangers; all female, all ages. Add a skilled, compassionate, funny instructor, also female, and you get a sense of what a Women’s Words course can offer. If you come open to the experience, bring your best to the writing prompts, and learn to give… Read more »
Last Friday, I spent an exhausting day helping my elderly aunt find, display, and price her household as she prepares to move. She was lucky to be able to sell her collection of Bossons heads and Royal Doulton figurines as a lot. Like many of us, she had china dinner sets, an assortment of crystal… Read more »
More than once I’ve used this space to rant and vent and wonder what in the world gets into people. I’ve recounted dumb criminal stories. I’ve lamented individuals who seem out of touch or just plain kooky. Sometimes I’ve tried to guess at motivation and failed miserably. Interestingly enough, the older I get, the less… Read more »
Whenever a team of astronauts is on its way home from a space mission, we inevitably hear about how they are re-entering the world’s atmosphere. And while I’ve never experienced zero gravity or been part of a mission, I too have felt re-entry. This past weekend, I was in Winnipeg for a course. I had… Read more »
When you reach a certain age, it seems that the losses and heartache outweigh the joys and celebrations. For example, there seem to be more funerals than weddings, more sickness and disease than births. And while a lot of people bemoan that reality, not many take action. Not us. This past Saturday night, about 50… Read more »
Anyone who is a regular news junkie has no doubt stopped, scratched her head, or laughed out loud at some of our fellow Homo sapiens foibles. During Jay Leno’s Headlines segment he regularly anguishes over the dumb criminal stories that come his way. Often Roy and I just turn and look at each other when… Read more »
On Saturday six women gathered in my mother’s kitchen for a work bee. We were there for a few reasons. With Roy’s milestone birthday party now only two weeks away, we wanted to make a batch of pereshke. For those who have never tasted this Ukrainian treat, you have no idea what You’re missing. With… Read more »
Have you ever been baffled by life? I don’t mean the really big life questions; just the niggling little ones. Like why Roy and I can be in a car on our way to file income tax in a town 50 kilometres away, and be in that comfortable, relaxed silence (born of 37 years of… Read more »
Some days—okay, maybe quite a few days—this past winter stretched out before me like rich, perfect bolts of silk. They were pristine and pure except for the tiny, nubby blemishes inherent in any natural fibre. Just as every day begins with promise and opportunity. The usual encroachments to this chunk of time are built-in responsibilities… Read more »
When the rigours of daily life grind you down and the bad news-good news ratio is running about eight to one; when the losses column is now in two volumes and the blessings list fits on the back of an envelope (and a small one at that!) It’s time to take drastic measures. It’s time… Read more »