Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.
Squirrels, squirrels everywhere, chirping: “Get ready; be prepared”, hoarding their finds with relish treetop leaping with added zest. The geese are gathering too – like all good Canadians – making plans for the winter weighing the options for flight. Clouds gather to mark day’s end and the influx of autumn weather – and I […]
Stone buildings line the main streets of this quaint little town, their windows a throwback to another era. I walk the trail from the waterfront to the boutiques and cafés downtown. Shops are closed, as it’s Sunday, but the windows beckon. A bird atop a cage peeks out at me from a side window, and further […]
It’s a long weekend for us here in Canada. Traditionally families come together, partake of a large meal and give thanks for the blessings in their lives. It is not difficult to feel blessed when family is gathered together. What else is gathering at this time of year? How does ‘gathering’ factor into your current […]
The past week has been very draining on many levels. I know others have felt it, as well. The surge of emotional and psychological upset has taken its toll on my physical well-being. I spent the morning in bed, and part of the afternoon, and then, since the rain was holding off, I asked Ric […]
In L.A. we watched in awe as two golden eagles soared above. I envy birds their ability to fly – to take to wing as the impulse dictates, and soar. This crow, one minute sitting dockside, decided to fly directly at me. Never quite sure which is a crow and which a raven, these birds […]
Art is an act of intentional attention. The poet invites the senses, observes the flow and twist of words, injects emotion, insight. The painter studies colours, the nuance of shadows, looks for focus and textures, creates a tone. The musician listens, attends to harmonies, gathers rhythms and composes. The photographer selects details, alters the lens, […]
The softness of lilac seems out of place amongst the rusts and yellows of autumn, and yet this patch of flowers decided to make a statement. While my camera lens appreciates the beauty of flowers, I am ignorant of their names. If you can educate me, I would be grateful. (For Cee’s Flower of the […]
Here in southwest Ontario, we grow corn. By August we’ve also a grown an appetite for the taste of peaches and cream corn, buttered and salted, right off the cob. My mother comes from farming roots, but these days all she grows is older. We are all farmers, in a sense – planting our seeds, […]