VJWC: Driven to Succeed

Children understand the mechanics of accomplishment:  take a risk, try and try again, and bask in the accolades that follow. As I grow older, I wonder at what point in life I lost that simple understanding.  Now, as I watch my granddaughters, I feel compelled to regain some of that old spunk:  tackle the new, […]

Read More

Learning From Bowls

“We’ll give him a few more minutes, shall we?” The kindly old man seated across from me crossed one leg over the other and sat back as if he had all the time in the world to wait. “The thing is…I mean…,” I hung my head in shame. “I don’t think he’s coming.” “Ah, yes.” […]

Read More

V.J.s Weekly Challenge #3: Nurturing Wonder

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our sense to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats Travelling across North America and back this past winter, every day was filled with discovery, awakening new passion for life. The challenge, I recognized, as our trip wound down, would be to keep this sense of wonder […]

Read More

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #1: Shift

Challenging myself to do better is an ongoing process.  I am interested in personal growth and a deeper connection with others and life in general.  This quest leads me to be more introspective, and to ask the big questions.  I guess you could say, I am a seeker. As a teacher, I offered my students […]

Read More

A Writing Process

Sleep beckons, but the mire of anxiety and issues that surround me right now threaten.  I push them aside and think of the positive – visualizing our new home, and imagining how I will furnish each room.  The power of the mind to shift focus amazes me and I jot down these words: We keep […]

Read More

Still Dreaming

Jen at Tripping Through Treacle has inspired me to rewrite my bucket list.  Instead of focusing on loss, I can rethink my aspirations.  I love it!  This is a perfect activity for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis awareness month. Actually, I feel like I’ve just had a bucket list year.   Thanks to my husband’s determination and constant willingness […]

Read More

Art: Still Learning

Clouds mesmerize me.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a clear, blue sky, but clouds are the stuff of poetry, lending themselves naturally to personification, often drawing my lens to their ever-changing moods. I searched for You-Tube videos on how to paint clouds.  After watching three different artists work rapidly and with great confidence I […]

Read More

Cathedral Grove

Highway 4 cuts across the interior of Vancouver Island, twisting through the mountains.  It’s been twenty years since I’ve passed this way and yet, when the endless rows of trees open to reveal the stillness of Cameron Lake, with mountains in her backdrop, my reaction is the same:  the sheer beauty brings tears to my […]

Read More

Thriving Under Pressure: TEDx Talk

One of my favourite bloggers is Dr. Andrea Dinardo whose posts offer straightforward, and sometimes tough advice for how deal with stress and develop resilience.  Especially poignant for students, her message is now available through TEDx video. Dr. Dinardo’s blog, Thriving Under Pressure is available here.  

Read More