I'm writing this because I read Edward Keenan's column in the Toronto Star newspaper today. It made me sad, angry and frustrated, with our city, those of us who live here, and most especially with those we elect to care for us and our city. Mr. Keenan wrote so well about how this city was once known as Toronto the Good, and it was at one time that people here cared about each other. Now, not so much, as Mr. Keenan wrote, it is Toronto the Hostile...I'll add Toronto the Uncaring.
We give to
Do you ever wonder what you're doing? Sometimes, I think that I don't think at all. I do things often without enough thought, and then there are consequences to deal with—not always huge ones, but still enough to make me wonder.
Lately, I've been telling myself that I need to get up to write and set up a daily routine. I'd get up, but I found all kinds of excuses not to write anything at all.
Yesterday, I decided, for some health reasons, to make life more like a job now that I no lo
Lately, I've been interested in the psychology of gratitude. As I suffer greatly from depression, I like to try anything that I can to keep those feelings at bay. From what I've been reading, writing down what you're grateful for helps people manage their environment, deal with others, and live in general. So, basically, if you have higher levels of gratitude, your life is better, and in turn, you are more grateful—a neverending spiral of goodness.
If you're interested in doing this, it is
So, as some of you know, I stopped working on September 1, 2023. I didn't really retire; I can't do that for twenty-fourish years, but I did quit doing paid work. I realize I'm very lucky to have this opportunity. I am grateful to my Husband, Michael, for making that happen.
So, what do I do with myself? Not a lot. I spend time at home, looking after the house, and with spring here, there's the garden, which will keep me busy. I've completed a few knitting projects and have started to make
This morning i was thinking about a conversation i had with a fellow writer last night, about a forum post i read and a newspaper column i read a few minutes ago.
Then I thought, what the f*ck? If you took all of those and used them as examples to explain what life is and what living is, no one in their right mind would want to live one.
None of it was good news or happy news. My friend's life is hard right now. The forum post was from a writer whose life is painful and difficult due
So... Kidnapped is still nearly finished, i've added a few more chapters, and i think i'm finally working on the last one. I sort of got interrupted by working on the Secret Author story. I will finish Kidnapped and post it. Then there's the one for the anthology. That needs to be finished too. It's a maybe, if I'm honest.
What else? Oh, we are living now with our other partner, Dan, in his nice smallish house. It's mostly quiet here, and i love the garden and sitting out there with Michae
While i've not gotten Covid, it did a number on me and lots of others, too, i know.
This week i managed to write and post a poem, the first in what 2 years? I am so very nearly finished with Kidnapped (working title) ... i have edited the first 6 chapters and finishing writing chapter 20. I will finish it.
i was inspired to after events in the last week. my FiL has cancer he's been fighting it for over a year now, and on Saturday, my MiL called and said that he'd like to see everyo
************* WARNING... thoughts about death and dying. **************
To be honest, the thought of dying was terrifying to me.
i thought about it all the time. First thought in the morning and the last at night. For years.
Today, maybe i'm more accepting that, frankly, there is no damn choice in the matter. Now maybe how i die is what i dwell on. If given a choice, i'd rather just go to sleep and not wake up.
That's why surgery really doesn't scare me. If i di
Someone said, "I just want you to be happy, tim."
He's a sweet man. A friend.
i thought about what he said.
Happy. What is that? I'm not unhappy all of the time. Sometimes i am. Suppose everyone is.
Most of the time i am aware of the hollowness in my chest. It sits next to my heart and i wonder about the ache and emptiness there. It feels like a hole or entrance to the past. i fight to find and to shut that door, but it never truly closes.
I don't believe in happ
***Warning: This is a bit of mess. It's rather like the head it came out of. Just be glad you don't live here full time.
So, i've been away for a while. i'd pop in here and there but i found i just couldn't be here for any length of time.
There's a lot of sadness here for me. Things have happened. People deciding things about me, without discussion. Deciding things about me for reasons i'll never understand. And as is normal online, they can just stomp out of the room rather th
We signed up for weekly veggie delivery. Their mandate is to distribute fruit and vegetables that are not 'good' enough to sell to the usual markets and stores and sell them to subscribers weekly. It's $18 for the 'solo' box and $3 for delivery.
So far it's been great. We've eaten everything, tried new things and enjoyed it all. We've had the most amazingly fresh food. It's cheaper and so much better than what we can purchase in our local grocery store. We've had the best peaches and cantal
Canada Day, July 1st. A National Holiday in Canada, but what is Canada Day? Well, to lots of us it's a day off work.
To me, it is just that normally. But since I'm writing this blog, this year it's been on my mind a bit more.
The Government of Canada website says this: It's the Day Canadians across the country and around the world show their pride in their history, culture and achievements. It's been a day of celebration, where many festivities are held across the country, since 186
Amateur.
That word usually conjures up negative thoughts. Like: "They played like a bunch of amateurs" or something done poorly.
The thing is it doesn't really mean that. It means doing something for the love of it, for pleasure.
My favourite quote about being an amateur comes from an old film... A Christmas Without Snow. i saw it on tv one Christmas season afternoon, while Jeff and i huddled in our room. i was writing what would become my street poems then, and i remember this
