Paper plate
“Mom, I need to tell you something…” This statement can often lead to admission of misdeeds: things broken, last of some favourite treat consumed, confession of petty revenge… those kind of things. When my son said this leading statement the other night, that wasn’t where he was going. …”I wanted to tell you that I…
Devotion
My inheritance stares at me across the wooden barrier that I have erected. My mom’s dog came to live with us not so long ago, and she has become my fuzzy shadow. When I sit in bed, she is at my feet. When I am in my sewing room, she is at my feet. When…
black squirrels playing in a tree
Get up and greet the dogs, make breakfast for the family, shovel, black squirrels playing in a tree, a crow calls out, walk a dog (delegated the rest to the kids, yeah me), tromping through unadulterated snow, the sky rains frozen tears. Everything continues. Seems the same, not the same. It is the day after…
Waiting
My mom is dying. There are no expections of getting better or rallying. We sit and listen as she struggles to breathe. Watching. Visitors come. Seeing them saying goodbye, coming to terms with the end of her life, their relationship to her (sister, friend, romance past and present) is hard. My relationship to them is…
So…January.
So it is January. Christmas’ long done, another New Years’ over and auld lang syne has been sung. Post-christmas coma, no snow to be seen… okay, I was trying to be creative and make this post sing along-able to some John Lennon cheer…train wreck and moving on… Seasonal attack of the snot zombies has turned…
Invasion of the snot zombies
Seasonal illness has invaded my home. It has gradually infiltrated the ranks of those under my care, leaving in its wake a platoon of snot zombies. You can hear them sniffling and snorking, blowing and groaning, mouth breathing, snot whistling, all through the house. They stand and everything about them seems to be struggling with…
All-Star bed wrangling
I decided to tackle the accumulation of dust bunnies that had grown around my children’s bedroom. Dust had grown in size and quantity and I was becoming worried that they were going to become sentient, exclaim they were an autonomous collective, and were laying claim to these lands. I also decided that I would do…
Hamilton Bay
Driving back home, after dropping my son off at work last week, I glanced over at the bay whilst traversing McQuesten Bridge. Low level sun and haze created a beautiful symphony of blues, greys, and white. The view a juxtaposition of wind break trees and Carroll’s point with industrial stacks, chimneys, and structures across the bay, everything softened by…
Dog strategy
Introducing another dog into the fold was a relatively drama free event. There were a couple of moments of snarking, some posturing, pushing and stare downs, but all told we went from two dogs to three dogs mostly pain free. Not having had so many animals in the house at the same time, I kind…
the second annual fricken friday
As Christmas approaches and the weather turns cold, damp, and potentially frozen, there are times that you just need to release some steam. The first fricken friday emerged from a morning of frustration. Things not working, stuff I couldn’t find, time getting away from me. Still trying to keep my curse filters mostly in place…