Monthly Archives: December 2012
Happy blogging: 2012 in review
A friend of mine the other day said “I’m not sure I understand what a blog is, but I sure enjoyed reading this.” Which was a great compliment from someone whom I consider to be a great writer herself. I started this blog on Oct. 1, also not really having an idea of a blog’s […]
My daughter needs a role model. I’m going to take a bath
It’s one of those in-between days. Midway between Christmas and New Year. One celebration ended, another yet to begin. So let’s take a break, take a breath. Or take a bath. Which is what, for the first time in months, I was able to do the other day. No, no, not the kind that my […]
Laugh! At Christmas, all our families are dysfunctional
We hosted Christmas day/dinner for my parents/aunt and cousins. Perfect blog material. My parents have been divorced for 30 years. They’re only here because I began refusing to run between their two homes for Christmas. If they want to see us, they’re welcome to come to my house. So far, no one’s refused. My daughter […]
Fleeting images of the season
One of the best things about the holidays is the ability to take some time, listen to stories, visit with friends and make some memories. For me, nothing says Christmas like the late Alan Maitland of the CBC reading the O Henry story Gift of the Magi. It’s about a young, married couple and the […]
A cat, a hat and a piece of string
If you could choose three items to take on a desert island with you, what would you pick? I’d probably be practical and choose a Swiss army knife, a tarp and a pot. But what would I do without a book to read? When British author Joanne Harris was asked, she whimsically said: a cat, a hat […]
The sister who stole Christmas
I stole Christmas from my brother one year. He still resents me for it. But I didn’t steal as much from him as I did from myself. It was about 4.00 in the morning. Christmas Eve. I’d been sitting by the tree for about an hour. I’d already opened half the presents – but it […]
Protecting my kid from a madman
What happened in Newtown, Connecticut is horrible. But it’s not something my 8-year-old daughter needed to know about. We’re a newsy family. The TV is usually on with a 24-hour news station running in the background. And my daughter is a fairly aware and mature kid. She looks forward to Tuesday nights because her favourite […]
Why Bob and Mary hung a banana over the balcony
Bob and Mary gave me some of my best childhood memories. I only knew them for a few years and last saw them when I was about 4 years old. That’s when my brother was born and we moved to a bigger apartment. But until then Bob and Mary were a big part of my […]
Very inspiring blogger nomination
Thanks so much to dressed to quill for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger award. As she rightly points out, this nomination comes with responsibilities which include: * Display the award logo on your blog (hopefully I’ll figure out how to do this – meanwhile, it’s set as my featured image). * Link back to […]
Sprained but not broken
After 4 hours of waiting in the emergency room at the local hospital, I’ve learned two things: 1. My wrist is sprained, not broken. 2. I’m glad I’m not sharing a room with the woman who yelled “Why, why, why” for about 4 hours straight. She was waiting to be admitted. And I’m sure I’m […]
The world is not a newsroom; Joe Citizen’s not a journalist
The hoax radio station call to the hospital where Kate Middleton was staying after her recent bout of morning sickness – and the subsequent suicide of the nurse who put the call through to her room – has exposed an increasingly large gap between how the media and the public understand the world. So, these […]
Why it’s a privilege to feed the homeless
I’ll spend Saturday morning making soup that I won’t eat. First browning some chicken for the stock – keeping the skin on because the homeless need the extra fat. Adding a big bag of carrots. Celery. Onions. Tomatoes. Egg noodles. I pay as much attention to the taste and texture of this soup as if […]
Midway 