V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #20: River

October 22, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Everyday, in the aftershock of losing a seventeen year marriage, I sought out the river. I would say a prayer, then walk off the grief and strife, until I came to a bench, where I’d sit and contemplate the message of the flowing water. “Finding my inner peace”, is what my son called it. A […]

A Week of Distances

October 21, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

The distance between one Sunday and the next is always the same, time wise, and yet this week felt so much longer than most. Wednesday brought emotional upheaval, and subsequent exhaustion, and then Friday morning my 91-year-old mother was admitted to hospital, while Ric and I attended a funeral for an extended family member. Life […]

Birthing The Soul

October 18, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

I stuff down the cookies as if the faster I eat the more I can distance myself from the misery that has bubbled to the surface. “Write about it,” my psychologist suggests as she ushers me out of the door, our session having run past the allotted time. I told her about the weekend I […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #19: Distance

October 15, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Distance by Archibald Lampman To the distance! Ah, the distance! Blue and broad and dim! Peace is not in burgh or meadow, But beyond the rim. Aye, beyond it, far beyond it; Follow still my soul, Till this earth is lost in heaven, And thou feel’st the whole. How do we measure distance, between hearts […]

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 […]

Photo a Week: Whimsical

October 13, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Wasn’t quite sure if this crowing rooster was whimsical or forlorn, now that the flowers that had previously blocked it have been cut down. Whimsical is lying in the grass with a pink helmet on trying to roll your tongue: This past weekend we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with a family gathering. A full-length mirror provided […]

Gathering

October 10, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Squirrels, squirrels everywhere, chirping: “Get ready; be prepared”, hoarding their finds with relish treetop leaping with added zest. The geese are gathering too – like all good Canadians – making plans for the winter weighing the options for flight. Clouds gather to mark day’s end and the influx of autumn weather – and I […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #18: Gathering

October 8, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

It’s a long weekend for us here in Canada. Traditionally families come together, partake of a large meal and give thanks for the blessings in their lives. It is not difficult to feel blessed when family is gathered together. What else is gathering at this time of year? How does ‘gathering’ factor into your current […]

Re-Focusing Attention

October 7, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

The past week has been very draining on many levels. I know others have felt it, as well. The surge of emotional and psychological upset has taken its toll on my physical well-being. I spent the morning in bed, and part of the afternoon, and then, since the rain was holding off, I asked Ric […]

Exploring Stonetown

October 3, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Sunday, being the last day of September, spurred my longing to get outside. The clouds hung low, threatening to drop their contents at any moment, but I didn’t care. We’ve been in our new town for two months now, and have had little time for exploring. A river flows through the village, and there are […]

This Life A Road

This life a road –the way preparedsigns to guide me,and still, I get lost. Construction, distraction,disobedience – throw me off –tendency to choose tougher routes,broken down and been sidelined And yet, the road still beckons,invites progression, thrills.A rolling stone gathers no moss,my father liked to say, and so… I push ahead, keep motoring,trust the obstacles […]

Wings

(Written during my bedbound years with ME/CFS)

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

May is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis awareness month. Also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, this disease is characterized by exhaustion after exertion. The exertion can be physical -taking a shower; emotional – worrying or obsessing; or mental- filling out forms. The best source of information about ME/cfs, as we call it, is the Bateman Horne Center. They […]