A Wish for Peaceful Resolution

October 19, 2025.Reading time 1 minute.

What times we are living in. One for the history books for sure, as 7 million people took to the streets yesterday in support of the No Kings protest. As an outsider (Canadian), I am pleased to see my neighbours take action, peacefully, to oppose what is happening at a governmental level. I cannot imagine […]

Broadening my focus

February 26, 2025.Reading time 1 minute.

I was aiming for the bird, my fingers wrapped around the lens, ready to zoom in, when the scene spoke to me. “Sometimes”, I reminded myself, “you need to look at the larger picture.” The larger picture, in this case, was stunning, almost as if the sky had a message it didn’t want me to […]

Reading is not enough…

February 12, 2025.Reading time 2 minutes.

Our 2 1/2 year old granddaughter can read. On a recent visit, her older cousin carried her about the house testing her skills with random bottles and things she would not have seen before. She read them all, with total nonchalance while we looked on amazed. One thing she read was a Christmas greeting: May […]

War Continues

January 7, 2024.Reading time 2 minutes.

I survived Covid, and Christmas, and was preparing to take a breather – maybe work on my memoir, or get re-inspired in the art room – when the first call came: “VJ, there is a situation I need your help with!” The caller lived in a nearby town, and was leaving the country the following […]

Life’s a b**ch!

July 23, 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

“You can’t catch a break!” These words from the ER doc last Sunday. After a week of “runs”, I finally went to hospital. “When you were here last, there was an outbreak of C. difficile. Pretty sure that’s what this is, but we’ll take a sample and send it to the lab.” C. difficile! “What’s […]

How To Start a Cult*

February 16, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Find an issue people are able to get passionate about, say, child trafficking. 2. Share information and increase the outrage. Start with facts, but insert the occasional manufactured story to test the waters. Maybe try Pizza Gate. 3. Increase paranoia by suggesting that so much is hidden from the public. Again, use actual cases, for […]

Silence Is Not The Answer

March 25, 2016.Reading time 5 minutes.

Another celebrity has been acquitted of sexual assault charges because the female complainants did not hold up in court as credible witnesses. I was neither a witness to the alleged occurrences, nor present for the court proceedings, and therefore, cannot comment on whether or not justice was indeed served. On a personal level, however; I […]