On Gratitude
An encounter with a woman in Oregon has stuck with me. We didn’t even talk to her but an increasingly loud conversation she had with a woman at the front desk at a hotel, although brief, was memorable.
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General
Re(something)ment
I haven’t accepted the word retirement and I don’t think it’s accurate. But everyone who wants to know how I’m doing asks me how retirement is going! My fondness for food and shelter means I need to work. But it’s kind of like branding; a brand doesn’t get to decide how it’s seen by others. It’s defined by the way it’s perceived. …
A Little Something Extra
On our recent trip south, at a steakhouse in Bandon, OR, the server brought us a little plate with the bill. On it were two tiny, triangular bites of their signature dessert. “Just to say thank-you”, said the server. It was a nice touch and we hadn’t ordered dessert so we enjoyed it. …
A Real Faker
“Whether you agree with it or not, what I do is an art form. The stuff that I write a lot of the time – I read it and I laugh at myself. It’s ridiculous.” ~Christopher Blair to the BBC about writing deliberately fake news. …
Technology Transition
A word doesn’t exist in the English language that accurately describes the contempt I feel for my iPhone. I’ll have to make one up: flerm! …
Throwback Thursday – Performance With a Paycheque
Maybe it happened before I played Becky Thatcher in our grade 8 production of the musical, Tom Sawyer. But if it did, I can’t pinpoint the moment. …
Throwback Thursday – Performance With a PaychequeRead More »
Keep Talking
The human voice fascinates me. This is probably not surprising! But a new study out of Western caught my attention. …
Thankful Thursday – Wonderful Women
Today I’m sharing with you a failed attempt to honour all of the women I’ve met through my work, who have affected me in a positive way. …
Perfect Imperfection
Not long ago, I found a bunch of old letters I’d written to my parents. They dated to the early-and-mid-80s when I was striking out on my own. They were full of confidence and professed a knowledge about work and the world that I don’t know I’d feel comfortable espousing now, so many years later. The older I get, the less I know for sure. …
Living on the Edge
We’re starting the week with something heavy, but heavy often equates to important and that’s the case for today, September 10. Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. We talk about mental health and specifically suicide much more openly than ever before. Companies have programs in place for people to reach out for help. We’re more likely to notice certain behaviors in family and friends and consider whether there might be an issue there. So why are so many people still committing suicide? …
Nobody Drank the Kool-aid
I’ve said it. You’ve said it or heard it. “They drank the Kool-aid.” It’s a reference to the Jonestown Massacre in November, 1978. A settlement of The Peoples Church in Guyana, numbering more than 900, killed themselves or were killed at the direction of their leader, Reverend Jim Jones. …
The Artist Deep Within
No throwback today, and it’s not a Thankful Thursday, even though I’m always thankful, but I want to show you something our friend Jane Charbonneau created. …
The Tuna of the Land
Somehow, I’ve gotten this far in life without realizing that you can buy chicken in a can. I know about the chicken of the sea, but I had no idea that you could buy chicken packed like tuna. I now have three cans in my pantry and one in my belly. …
The Swiffer Picker-Upper
I’ve been taking a harder look at how much garbage we create. I won’t go into my embarrassment about London’s lack of a green bin program again. They say it might be coming. But beyond recycling everything we can (can! see what I did there?) it’s also about reducing the demand for single-use stuff. …
Over-Talkers
There’s a diner in St. Thomas that we like to go to once in a while. The food is fresh and fast, and they serve a huge selection of all-day-breakfast items. There’s only one aspect of the experience that bothers me. …
Treading Water and Diving In
I’m taking off my water wings now. Last week was so busy, I didn’t have time to wave my own arms to stay afloat. Busy is good. …
Where’s the Beef?
How have we, as a species, not yet come to a consensus about what to eat? …
Catching Up
Last week, this website was a living, breathing, evolving creature. Thanks to my friends at MakeShyft, who took a broken, neglected and out-of-date piece of the web and gave it new life, quickly and economically. I’ve appreciated everyone’s comments about it and hope it’s easy to navigate now.
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