Choosing Life

December 6, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Buying time –resetting the dial,deviating from the norm… a healing place, here we go again,600 miles from home,recharging batteries… this might have beenan un-lived life. (My challenge this week is to make poetry from previous post titles. For this one, I chose to select only the titles that related to our recent journey.)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #26: Titles

December 3, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

In the late 1980’s, I began to study the psychology of dream interpretation as offered by our local university. One of the exercises our professor recommended when doing dream work, was to give each recorded dream a title, and then periodically list those titles, in order, to elicit new understanding. The assumption behind the exercise […]

Lens-Artists: Splash!

November 28, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Imagine the courage –to flow freely –make a splash! undaunted by outer noise –neither rush, nor gush –totally unabashed Afraid I’d have to reset time,go back to simpler days –undo this lived crash. (Submitted to Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Splash, and V.J.’s weekly challenge: un-lived lives.)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #25: Un-lived Lives

November 26, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

“I met one of my un-lived lives at a party last night” is the title of a post on bone&silver’s blog. I loved this post, and idea, so much I decided to make it the focus of my challenge this week. How precarious are our lives, or are they pre-charted? Does destiny hold all the keys, […]

Deviating from the norm:

November 25, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Typically, this is where I tie up the week’s challenge with an anecdote, then a link to all the participants. However, this time I’ve decided to do something different. Using the title of each post, and borrowing a line, I’ve created a collaborative poem. Links to the originals are highlighted. Glass Casketsauthenticity oppressed Deviation becoming the […]

Resetting the Dial

November 24, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

At fifty-nine, I was certain that I knew myself – accomplished, defined and established – but illness changed the framework from which my remaining time would unfold. I became a non-entity in my former career, and a ghost to friends. My children mourned the loss of their vibrant mother and settled into lowered expectations. […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #24: Deviation

November 19, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. – Frank Zappa For several years running, I was invited to speak to the Sociology of Deviancy class at our local university. Each visit, I opened by joking that I was never quite sure whether the invitation was a good thing or not. Truthfully, though, I […]

A Bevy of Characters

November 18, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

“The light is not very good for taking photographs,” Ric remarks as we turn onto the road along the river which has fast become our favourite drive. “I know.” It’s not in my character to give up just because circumstances are not ideal. In my mind, there are always photo opportunities. The river flows […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #23: Character

November 12, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

It’s a funny thing, character, the way it brands people as they age rising from within to leave its scar – Kate Morton, The Distant Hours The school board I worked for introduced an initiative to promote character education in the classroom. Acceptance, caring, honesty, respect, empathy, perseverance, and responsibility were among the traits targeted. At the start […]

Sacrifice’s Wrap Up

November 12, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Up until August 1st of this year, my husband and I lived in motor home for a year, having travelled across North America for six of those months. It was a drastic change of lifestyle for us, and an incredible journey. As with all change, it required certain sacrifices. We let go of our bricks […]

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 […]