Nailed It Dad!

January 11, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

Did you try some of the soup, Mom? I glanced around at the many pans, ingredients, and baking paraphernalia lining the kitchen counters; not to mention my son-in-law and granddaughter who where firmly planted at the stove. No, I messaged back. It’s a little busy here. An unexpected trip back to Ontario landed me smack […]

Two By Two

January 10, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Two, two-footed bumps on a log… One unlikely pair… A tango for two… And two snuggle-ducks… (For Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: pairs)

Travels

January 9, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

First frost we are plotting –elaborate schemes to escapewinter’s unforgiving chill. Palm trees and blue waters,the flight of parading pelicans –such allure for aging Northerners. Years past, we have travelled far –Europe, Scandinavia, and Mediterranean –this season, Texas has captured our hearts. (For Lens-Artists challenge: my travels.)

Bedside Conversations

January 8, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Mom, I want you to know that I don’t harbour any ill will toward our past. If I seek to know what happened, it is only to understand myself so that I might heal.” Mom nods, considers my words. “There is so much I could have done differently.” “No. You did what you could with […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #30: Windows

January 7, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

I find myself obsessed by windows, sizing up the framed image for photogenic qualities and potential watercolour subjects. What is it, I wonder, that has so captured my imagination? For two-and-a-half years, confined to a bed, windows were my only connection to the world – one framing bird feeders and happy activity, and the other […]

And So, We Turn the Page

January 6, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Years gather as links in a chain, some unremarkable, some adorned with jewels, and some bearing the marks of hardship. 2018, for me, would have an arrow shaped charm, pointing upwards, as this year heralded many firsts – a rebirth of sorts. For 2019, I pray to keep the momentum rolling – that I will […]

Shake Ups

January 5, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

The new year grabbed me in a choke hold and hog-tied me before I had a chance to even think about what it might bring. It started with a text that my mother was in hospital, followed by a harried searching of flights and anxious speculating about how I’ll get home. Me, who hasn’t ventured […]

Plans Change

January 3, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

‘Transition’ is the focus of my challenge this week. At the time of composing, I thought I would be reviewing last year’s lessons and gifts and preparing myself to greet the new. Life, of course, seldom fits into our neatly packaged plans. As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room, with my alarm […]

A Day of Intended Rest

January 2, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

A day of rest is on the docket, and I ponder whether or not to get dressed, but when I open the blinds, the heron is in attendance, and not long after I hear his throaty alarm. A Great Egret has decided to show up also, so I get dressed and grab my camera. A […]

Disappointment, and then…

January 1, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

I don’t get to sleep till after 3:00; he wakes up at 4:30. At 7:30 we both decide to try again, so by the time we are ready to do anything, it is late morning. “Why don’t we go out for breakfast?” We pick a restaurant nearby that looks like it would have all day […]

This Life A Road

This life a road –the way preparedsigns to guide me,and still, I get lost. Construction, distraction,disobedience – throw me off –tendency to choose tougher routes,broken down and been sidelined And yet, the road still beckons,invites progression, thrills.A rolling stone gathers no moss,my father liked to say, and so… I push ahead, keep motoring,trust the obstacles […]

Wings

(Written during my bedbound years with ME/CFS)

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis awareness month. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this disease is characterized by exhaustion after exertion. The exertion can be physical -taking a shower; emotional – worrying or obsessing; or mental- filling out forms. The best source of information about ME/cfs, as we call it, is the Bateman Horne Center. They […]