Brief Update

August 5, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Five bikes – powered by two adults and three children – carried balloons, flowers, and packages across town, voices raised on repeat: ‘Happy birthday to you.” When townsfolk stopped to shout out: “Whose birthday?”, they replied: “VJ’s!” Our family of five Ukrainians have been settled in their own home since June 22, and remain a […]

Are hopes and dreams stored together?

June 27, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Funny thing about this house we purchased on a whim two years ago was that the basement haunted me even before we moved in. The entrance is a wide-open descent from the main foyer – in reverse of the upward rising staircases of dream homes. I would wake at night, in a sweat, fearing that […]

Life Story

June 8, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I can’t focus on what I’ll be remembered for; I am too busy living my best self today.

Robin, Robin What Do You See

May 30, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

I haven’t been to the river for a while, time no longer a commodity. Ric and laugh at quickly our routines were toppled, and how sedate our life was by comparison. Life before 7 in our household, that is. “So that’s what the dining table is for,” he chuckles, since we never used it as […]

After the fear…

May 25, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

How quickly things change…

April 8, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Last Friday, a friend picked me up to go birding, and I thrilled at the sight of the Pied-billed grebe on our river. Saturday, we glowed in the aftermath of a successful fundraiser, supporting the displaced Ukrainians we offered to host – still having no idea who they would they were. Sunday morning we awoke […]

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, […]

And so it goes…

March 28, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The generosity of friends and neighbours has truly warmed our hearts, as we prepare for our Ukrainian house guests. Inspection of our home is set for this week, and just as everything was coming together… it rained…and we discovered a crack in our foundation. Drywall has been ripped out, carpet removed, and the back garden […]

Changing the Lens

March 7, 2022.Reading time 1 minute.

Reading through old journals, so much focuses on lack of money. I express guilt for not providing enough as a single mother, anger for being abandoned by my children’s father, and shame for having to rely on others. The feelings still linger. And then I hear my father’s voice: “The good Lord always provides.” And […]

Hold On!

March 2, 2022.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Some days, you just have to find that rock to hold onto.Tomorrow you can think about letting go. (Another tidbit from foraging old posts and journals. Image my own.)