CFFC: Diagonal Lines

June 27, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A mountainside offers a diagonal view: (Olympic National Park, Washington State, U.S.) A coastal view the same: (Washington State Coast) This sea lion hopes this slope is slippery enough to procure him lunch: (Oregon, US) The delicate lines of a spider’s web intertwined with lacy fingers: (Ontario, Canada) (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is […]

Confessions of Losses and Gains

June 26, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Illness comes at a cost, yet even as the losses add up, there are gains. With the onset of summer, I recall leisurely hours spent golfing with my husband, or friends – a pastime we so loved. My clubs now take up residence elsewhere, these muscles unfit for the exertion required. My tennis racquet sits […]

The Gift of Friendship

June 25, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

I am the one who put forth the relationship challenge this week, and I have to confess, I am struggling with how to articulate my feelings. Fast approaching my sixtieth birthday, I find I am sentimental, or maybe, it’s that after years of isolation due to illness, I now treasure relationship more than ever. […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #4: Relationships

June 25, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

“The people we are in relationships with are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs, and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs.” – Shakti Gawain A friend of mine used to say (and I paraphrase). “May you experience as many relationships […]

Reflections on Nurturing Wonder

June 24, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Thanks to all who participated in this week’s challenge. (It is never too late to join in, if you feel so inspired.) Tammy at Tammy’s Reading/Writing Life wrote a post about feeling magic that so resonated with our theme, I invited her to share. She speaks of finding magic in children’s rapt attention, Christmas, bookstores, […]

Responses

June 24, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Indifference How is it that you overlook my presence, as if I am no more than a blade of grass, a ripple on the water, our passing insignificant? Allegiance You are flesh torn from my flesh blood coagulated, still flowing – hearts tied in forever. […]

VJWC #3: Muskoka Wonder

June 23, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

It is the combination of trees and rocks and water that holds such allure for me. Here in Muskoka, it is easy to understand how artists such as the Group of Seven were inspired to capture such beauty. The weather has been perfect for our visit on Sparrow Lake, and my body has graciously […]

Muskoka

June 22, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

North of Toronto, Canada, there is an area of lakes known as Muskoka. Having traveled extensively over the winter, and marvelled at many new and exotic landscapes, we return to the places of our youth with a new appreciation and respect for what we have here at home. Muskoka and the Haliburtons are vacation destinations, […]

“The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”: a review

June 21, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

It’s World War II, and the denizens of Chilbury are faced with the loss of their church choir as their men leave to fight for the cause. Enter Prim, an upbeat teacher, with a fresh outlook, who encourages the women to defy protocols and create their own chorus. Jennifer Ryan’s novel about the life of […]

VJWC#3: Nurturing Wonder

June 20, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

On the road, everyday is defined by a sense of adventure and discovery – an attitude I feared I’d lose on returning home. In truth, these past six weeks of settling back in have focused on family and friends and doctors visits. All good, and yet, already, I notice that carving time for writing is […]

Relevance of Story

Stories have power. Parents, teachers, public speakers, and therapists understand that the secret to engaging an audience or connecting with others is through illustration: storytelling. I see it in the eyes of the my grandchildren, who love to hear tales of family history. I’ve seen in the eyes of students, when recognition and understanding light […]

Is This War?

“War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.”– unknown The bomb has droppedcontrol slips from our grasp We pray for a parachutefor someone to pull the cord numbers escalate,lives plummet We offer encouragementisolated voices faltering moment of impact imminentthe implosion inevitable impact reverberatesresponsibility moot. ( Image my own.)