Musings
About retirement… and random other things!
These blogs first appear as weekly columns in the Red Deer Advocate
Thinking of Joan this Seniors Week
It was so great running into Joan. I had been watching for her for a few weeks, since I didn’t have the opportunity to stop and chat last time I caught a glimpse of her. Today, though, the slight and elderly lady stood in the sun with her usual smile. There was a lot of traffic zooming by her in the hectic parking lot, but she had lots of space....
Protect your attention
When I was scrolling through the e-affirmations that arrive in my inbox each morning, I glanced down the usual reminders about living in the moment and grabbing an attitude of gratitude. I stopped at one prompt on the list I hadn’t ever seen before. It read ‘Protect your Attention.’ My attention immediately went to the guy in the truck who honked...
There’s no place like home
You know that heart-pull feeling of nostalgia you get when you think about your childhood home? Or the deep stare you cast its way if you happen to be able to drive by it? I recently had the chance to step right inside my mom’s childhood home and I found myself absorbed in every room, imagining her as a young child and teenager in that very...
I thought I was having a nice time
I took on a freelance project for a school division south of Calgary recently and had enjoyed my time interviewing students and visiting schools. I checked into the hotel and asked around for a place to have dinner, deciding on a small locally owned Mexican restaurant. They brought my beer and I got a headstart on the next day’s work by going...
Small theatre, big heart
Gotta love smalltown theatre. It might be a neighbour or co-worker who you get to see onstage, or you might be involved yourself by stitching up a costume, painting a set or pouring wine during intermission. Every role is voluntary, from the folks at the corner store who help sell tickets to the president who is on the lookout for scripts, grants...
One book that all of Canada should read
I have a complicated relationship with Margaret Laurence’s classic novel, The Stone Angel. My first go-round with the novel came when my mom bought a beat-up copy from a garage sale at the senior’s home where my grandma lived. It would have been the late 1980s and it cost her a dime. When I accepted it, I must have had a confused look on my face...
Climbing the ladder
On my third trip to the hardware store to get the right lightbulb, I had my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t come face to face with the same sales clerk again. They were patient the first two times as I scrutinized the confusingly long aisle of lightbulbs this morning, but I know patience reaches a limit. Plus, I had encountered a little incident...
A field trip to the big library at last
My friend and I had tried to get to Calgary for a day at the ‘new’ downtown public library every year since it opened. For a whole bunch of reasons, it has taken us eight years to accomplish this field trip. But we got there a few weeks ago and loved every square inch of the magnificent gathering place! It was destined to be worth waiting for,...
Funeral for a friend
After months of visiting her at Calgary’s big new cancer centre, it was time to travel to her funeral. I’m so fortunate to have had her as a friend for a very long time. What I have been most amazed at, when I reflect on her life, is how many times she adapted her career – even into retirement. She was a dedicated and talented Registered Nurse,...