Yesterday it rained relentlessly, but today the sun shone and I was once again able to enjoy the harbour in Nanaimo. With no apologies, here are more pictures of this lovely place. And, get ready for take-off.
Category: Living and Learning
A Tour of Cowichan Artisans
A few days ago, some friends invited me along on a tour they were making of the studios of various artisans in the Duncan area. It was a delightful day meandering around the countryside, looking at some very interesting arts and crafts, and catching up with each other. I was presented with a lot of […]
Midnight Drive
Midnight Drive by Kenneth Price is available for pre-order at Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble, and will be released on June 1st. It is a gripping crime story that I would recommend even if I were not Ken’s mom.
Waterfront Walk
I arrived in Nanaimo, British Columbia, yesterday and then had the best sleep I have had in many months. I think it must be the sea air. This morning I enjoyed a walk along the harbourfront. It was windy and cloudy, but very enjoyable even so. I saw a lot of people who look a […]
Learning to Speak Robot
This week I have been trying, multiple times, to change the address and phone number on my Bank of America account. You’d think that would be fairly straightforward, wouldn’t you? First I tried to make the changes online, but could not enter any edited data. So, I tried the chat line. The chat person was […]
Covid Convalescence
The major theme of this blog is “Living and Learning,” and this week I have been living with and learning more about Covid-19. I first started to feel under the weather on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning I had a scratchy throat and brain fog. Later that day, the cough set in and continued for […]
Shameless Promotion
This is a shameless promotion for my eldest son’s novel, coming out in a few weeks. More to follow.
Contentment vs Happiness
When I was chatting with one of my singularly remarkable sisters who has recently become single, she said something that captured my attention. Normally, declarations that come with hesitations make me cautious, or even suspicious, but this one was instructive. After I asked her how she was feeling, she said: “I’m feeling hap. . . […]
The Joy of Not Reading
Don’t get me wrong. I am still reading, but lately I’ve been abandoning some books. It all started when I thought I should work my way through some of the un-heard books in my audiobook files and unread books in my e-reader. Most of them have been there for many years, silently waiting for me […]
Being at The Crossroads of Change
A couple of days ago, I told my eldest son that I wanted to thank him for being so supportive of his wife’s success. She recently had some good career news, and we were enjoying a celebratory dinner. My son said it was a “no brainer” to compliment her accomplishment, and I pointed out that […]
I Cannot Cry
I sometimes feel as though I want to cry and all the normal emotional and physical triggers suggest that I am about to cry, but I don’t. I am told it is a side effect of one of my medications, and most of the time I am fine with that. Sometimes, though, I really need […]
Meme Morality
When I checked in with family and friends on Facebook Stories a few days ago, I saw a beautiful sunset in Hawaii, a message about racism at the border of Ukraine and Poland, and an image of a golf resort in England set to relaxing music. It struck me that these three messages encapsulated the […]
When Kneeling Is Respectful
Yesterday, Eminem took a knee at the end of his half-time show performance at the Super Bowl. This should not be newsworthy, but it was. Here is what I wrote about kneeling at public events back in 2018. ********************************************************************** All the brouhaha about the new Nike ad using Colin Kaepernick’s image has raised again the […]
Imagining Better Worlds
These are two books that I heartily recommend, and both imagine worlds that could improve people’s lives. One is a fictional child’s world, the other is a social economic possibility. My grandmother sends her regards and apologises by Fredrik Backman Elsa is a bright and strong-willed seven-year-old who has an eccentric, devoted, grandmother. After Elsa’s […]
From Wrist Slap to Forehead Slap
My doctor invited me back to her office this week so that she could share with me the results of my annual checkup. I knew this invitation was coming, so I prepared by looking up the results on the Alberta Health website. I saw that my blood test was mostly OK, but my urine sample […]
The Tawatinâ Bridge
Today the temperature rose to 7 C and it was lovely to get outside in the sunshine. The sky was blue and the air was warm as my eldest son and I took a walk across the Tawatinâ Bridge. (Tawatinâ is the Cree word for “Valley.”) I have wanted to walk here ever since this new […]
Making Hats in the Cold
I’ve been making hats. It’s a pastime I began a couple of years ago and I picked it up again this winter. When you arrive at the confluence of time, isolation, terrible weather, and a supply of random leftover yarn, that’s what you do. I’m not a great knitter or crocheter, but I can handle […]
Driving In A Winter Wonderland
On Christmas Eve my son drove his family and me out to my daughter-in-law’s family for the holiday. They live in Blackfoot, Alberta and the drive took about three hours. It would normally be a quicker journey but we were slowed down by ice on the road part of the way there. Or, as Canadians […]
The Little Guys Take A Turn
After I hung a bird feeder in the tree outside my window, I expected to see magpies because they are the neighbourhood bully-birds, and they did not let me down. After that first day, though, it has been a delightful surprise to see some of the smaller birds also getting a chance to eat a […]
How a Lumpy Couch Caused a Lovely Blanket
Last winter the springs in my recliner-couch lost most of their oomph and so I went online to buy a replacement. From a popular furniture store sale, I bought an armchair recliner and a loveseat to replace the uncomfortable old couch. I thought I had bought a matching set, but it turned out that the […]
Snowbird of Paradise 