V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #21: Veil

October 29, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

I thought about skipping over Hallowe’en, but who doesn’t like a good, spooky story? And I have a few…just have to shake them out of my memory bank… Meanwhile, let’s write, photograph, and have fun with the paranormal. And if that doesn’t work, then use the word veil in another context. I know you will […]

Reflections on Gathering

October 14, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

The forecast for last night was a frost warning. “The rooftops were white this morning, did you see?” a neighbour asked me at our communal brunch. I hadn’t noticed, but I am feeling it in my body. Things are seizing up. We’ve had a week of get-togethers, starting with Thanksgiving. Tuesday, we drove into town […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #11: Point of View

August 13, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

We recently attended a dramatic version of To Kill a Mockingbird in Stratford, Ontario. Written by Harper Lee in the late 1950’s, this has been one of my all time favourite reads. Although some of the language is antiquated and no longer acceptable, the themes of the novel are timeless. Atticus Finch, the patriarch extraordinaire of the […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #4: Relationships

June 25, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

“The people we are in relationships with are always a mirror, reflecting our own beliefs, and simultaneously we are mirrors, reflecting their beliefs.” – Shakti Gawain A friend of mine used to say (and I paraphrase). “May you experience as many relationships […]

Currently Unavailable

June 13, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I apologize if my attention appears to be lacking, but I am currently immersed in creativity and the ability to focus, otherwise, has plummeted. (Inspired by Daily Addictions daily prompt: plummet)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #2: Synchronicity

June 11, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

“Synchronicity is the Universe’s way of telling you that you are on the right track.” – Delores Krieger “Coincidences connect us across time, to one another, to ourselves, and to an […]

FOWC: We Couldn’t Hide Our Excitement

June 10, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Five-year-old Sloane came for a sleepover with Grandma and Grumpa this weekend. Imagine the delight when we Sloane and I came upon this mother and her little ones: Mother Mallard was not as delighted to see us and ushered her ducklings into nearby brush: but new life, once revealed, is seldom content with being hidden, […]

RDP #7 -Colouring You Purple

June 7, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I am colouring you purple, for the sacredness of your being, for the majesty of your soul. I am colouring you purple, for the joy that you spread – for the laughter that we share. I am colouring you purple for that is the hue that best expresses the infinite capacity of my love for […]

FOWC: Simple Pleasures

June 7, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I’m really just a simple gal, who finds pleasure in simple things, like a flash of yellow at the bird feeder or the surprise of spring abundance and whimsical notions conjured by a treehouse and the neighbourliness of front porches all made extraordinary, when shared. (The Daily word prompt from Fandango is “Simple” )

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #1: Shift

June 4, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

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 […]

Of Trauma Born

Goodbyes tarnishfaith, like ashesscattered My heart grows dismissal,craves a balm of connectionseeks quiet harbour Remind me what it feels like to be safebreath nurturing life,love a rhythmic flow In meditationI reach for peaceimagine salvation But this wayward chaosunrestrainedcements me in doubt Tainted intentionsI lift up to the Universea tempest without hope My soul incubates malicea […]

Hawk (haiku)

Relevance of Story

Stories have power. Parents, teachers, public speakers, and therapists understand that the secret to engaging an audience or connecting with others is through illustration: storytelling. I see it in the eyes of the my grandchildren, who love to hear tales of family history. I’ve seen in the eyes of students, when recognition and understanding light […]