Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
A local craft shop owner makes votives in yellow and blue with sunflowers on them and all proceeds go to Ukrainians. A BC retailer saw her work online and ordered 100 candles, selling them at $5.00 each. Ryan Reynolds saw the effort and doubled the intake. She sent much of the proceeds to a non-profit […]
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The twins went to school…for a day. Mom and I celebrated with lunch out, except then one got sick and so only one boy got on the school bus while the other lingered home, and when he was finally feeling better, the other 4-year-old came down with a cold. Of course, the first day we […]
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One twin is precocious and full of life. He jumped from the car the moment they arrived and hugged me. “Babuschka VJ!” he exclaimed. The other was asleep upon arrival and slept most of the next. He ran away when he saw me at first, and startled at any unexpected noise. “He has regressed,” his […]
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“Her water broke!” The moment we’d all been waiting for, in fact; we’d had a betting pool going: who could guess the date and time of birth. No one had picked the first of July. By 4:00 they were headed to the hospital. By 6:00 my daughter-in-law had an epidural. At 11:30 I messaged for […]
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“Hi Mrs Knutson,Hope you are well!I saw that you and your husbandare hosting a family of refugeesfrom Ukraine….“ The writer of this message attended a school where I once taught. He was not a student of mine, but I did coach the boys’ soccer team, with this young man’s help and direction (he was our […]
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“Sending out a collective prayer of sincere thanks to all who have supported my journey. Hope I can do the same for others, paying it forward.” These were the last words I posted on the blog that appeared last Monday. Within hours of hitting publish, two things occurred: An old friend contacted me on FaceBook […]
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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 […]
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“Mom, we’re renovating the old theatre, and, well…I think…” “There is a ghost there.” I finished my son’s sentence. “Yes. He’s quite famous.” “Really? I’m all alone here, in the basement, and I’m getting creeped out.” “His name is Ambrose Small, and he’s been hanging around for quite a few years, so I’m pretty sure […]
Read MoreI spotted him as soon as I exited the back door of the school. He stood on the field, just off the paved area where students were now scattering after the final bell. He wore a bulky, beige parka, fists shoved into jean pockets, a few locks of dirty blonde hair falling over cold grey eyes; […]
Read MoreAssuming my faculties have regained some semblance of functioning, I will drive again. I don’t anticipate the first run will be without incidence – traffic is known to snarl, and accidents are a regular occurrence – but I have faith in my ability to respond appropriately. I’m reminded of my first car and that one […]
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One Woman's Quest II 