Moments

August 12, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

The trips along the river have decreased, replaced by ongoing texts and emails. A family of cardinals, newly hatched, line our windowsills, their curiosity endearing, yet; my camera remains on the desk. My health has taken a plunge – not unexpected, but despairing. I’ve been locked away inside fighting the sludge. August the 23rd, our […]

Numbers

June 13, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

525: the number of displaced Ukrainians on my list needing hosts. 525 out of the 300,000 who have applied for refuge in Canada. I am one of a team of a dozen. 7 days ago I hit a wall. The pain just doesn’t want to subside. So now my team is -1. The numbers haunt […]

Renewal

April 6, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Once relied on a day-a-page diary to keep me on track. Chronic illness freed me from that. Calendar now sparse, I have yet to learn to the art of renewal. Grateful for awe-inspiring moments. What helps you recharge? (Image my own) (Update: We are still processing the death of my husband’s son. In the meantime, […]

Don’t Take It Personally

February 9, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Spurred on by my mother, I left home at the age of seventeen. It was the right thing for all involved, but when my parents replaced me with two cats, I couldn’t help but feel slighted: I’m deadly allergic to cats. When my mother-in-law spiked a meal with milk, hoping to prove that food allergies […]

Limping Along

December 15, 2021.Reading time 1 minute.

Ruled out: COVID, heart failure, cancer, and blood clots. Twelve hours in emergency, under intense scrutiny revealed no answers. Symptoms continue. You need “restorative rest” the ER doctor emphasized. “Hire help if you can.” I suspect this is just another stage in my journey with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. The least amount of effort tires me, leaves […]

Life Takes A Turn

December 10, 2021.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Life, like the weather, has taken a turn. No answers at the moment, but I am once again confined to bed rest. Restorative rest, is what the doctor has ordered. Limited screen time, hired help to run the house, no outings. I have a few posts pre-scheduled on my poetry site, and will visit when […]

Chronically Hopeful Award

June 11, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Terri, at Reclaiming Hope, has nominated me for the Chronically Hopeful Award, created by Pamela from There is Always Hope. I am so inspired by Terri’s commitment to health and her no-nonsense, honest advice for coping with the ongoing struggle. Finding Terri here in the blogosphere has been a highlight of my experience and I […]

Avoidance Therapy

May 10, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

I just want to sleep. Situational, my therapist calls this type of depression. Saw my family doctor this week, and she confirmed that the skin condition could be cancer. At best, it is a rare condition that will need specialist care. It is both itchy and painful, but there can be no treatment until the […]

Trails and Goals

April 13, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Seven trails follow the two rivers that cross through our little town. Last Autumn, I touched on a few of them, but know that I’ve only just scratched the surface. This one runs behind our community, just beyond my capacity to wander…now. I have goals for myself. One of them being to strengthen my legs […]

Shopping Saturday

March 2, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

I promised I wouldn’t inundate this site with our new adventure, however, the thrill of seeing my own designs on products merits sharing. Trouble is, I want to buy everything. So far, we’ve purchased a mug, a tote bag, a carry-all pouch, leggings and a t-shirt. We’re pleased with the quality of products, and can […]

The Lie

I lied. The initial seed of disappointment has fermented,and in the absence of confrontation, grown roots written sorrowful chaptersconclusion: unworthiness Why couldn’t I just have said:I don’t understandthis makes me unhappy? Where did I learn that prevarication protectsthat I alone am responsible for emotionsthat I do not matter? Decades laterI still cannot uproot the weed.The lie […]

Orchids

On Silence

“When you sit in silence long enough, you learn that silence has a motion. It glides like water. Its colour is silver. And silence has a sound you hear only after hours of wading inside it. The sound is soft, like flute notes rising up, like the words of glass speaking. Then there comes a […]