I have a theory about Valentine’s Day: Valentine’s Day is a crushingly discouraging day for those in the midst of heartbreak. A reminder of al that was lost. It is salt in the wound for those that are single, irritating the soul that seemingly everyone, save you, has someone to share romantic cards and dinner …
Word Inspiration
I love words. My 15 year old self would not believe my current love of words to be real. I knew how to get a near perfect math mark because equations just worked. English was frustrating to me because of its subjectivity…how does one write a perfect essay? Words annoyed me in ways numbers didn’t. …
A Gratitude Returned
Husband has long invested in his Junior Tribe Members. More than most fathers, I think. One more reason why I love him so much. His is seasonal work. He works long, hard hours in the summer, and less so in winter. When his JTM’s were small, he was often at home during the parenting during …
An Open Letter to Indigenous Peoples of Canada
Update: In case you’re interested…more recent thoughts on the discoveries of the unmarked graves at numerous locations across the country was written for Canada Day, 2021 Dear Indigenous Peoples of Canada, I feel like I have to write this letter. I’ve been apprehensive about writing it because I fear that my white privilege will be …
Storyfull gifts
I have everything I need, and many things I would want. So…knowing my birthday was coming up, and knowing the Junior Tribe Members might ask me what I would want for my birthday, Husband and I cooked up a plan: I would ask for stories for my birthday. Several weeks ago, we gave each person …
Expansion of life through loss
Exactly two dozen years ago today was the very worst day of my entire life. No, that’s not melodramatic. That’s the absolute truth. That was the day that I found out that the little, precious lives inside of me had ended. Mine may as well have ended too…or so I thought at the time. I had …
TEDx Winnipeg 2017
I love TED…I love listening to “ideas worth spreading”. TED has changed little things in my life: the way I tie my shoes, my posture before I go onstage for speaking at a public event the way I dry my hands in a public restroom TED also has changed my life in a fundamental way. …
We’re a pair…of Levi’s
Dear Husband, Two years ago this week, we put the Gerber daisies on the tables, and set up the volleyball nets in the gym. The friends we invited came, and the relatives we invited but didn’t think would come came too and gathered around as we exchanged vows of commitment to each other. Our kids …
Sweet’n’salty
Salted caramel cupcakes Chicago mix popcorn (cheddar cheese popcorn and caramel popcorn mixed) Salted caramel chocolate bar It’s only been in recent years that I have discovered these wonders of these decadent treats. It wasn’t that long ago when I would have thought that sprinkling seasalt on a dessert was utterly disgusting. And then I …
A letter to Stuart McLean listeners
Hello there… You feel like you lost a good friend, too, right? When Stuart McLean died yesterday, we lost someone with whom we used to spend an hour a week with…and maybe more, if we bought or read his books or listened to him on podcast. Stuart was a part our our lives, and it …