Musings
About retirement… and random other things!
These blogs first appear as weekly columns in the Red Deer Advocate
A poignant loss on November 5th
November 5 will go down in history as a very sad day. It’s the day we learned of the passing of Chief Justice Murray Sinclair, this country’s exquisite example of the best in humanity. So many accomplishments in his lifetime, but for me it was his role as Chair of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was most impactful. I had the...
Do you read differently than you once did?
Someone recently mentioned to me that they are feeling less confident about their writing and they figure it’s because of what they have come to read. This thought was shared by an incredibly successful entrepreneur who has a number of degrees and interacts with corporations and governments as part of his work. Now in his 60s, he mentioned his...
Not everything has to be orderly
You know when you enter a coffeeshop early in the morning and you can float restfully through the ordering, waiting and obtaining lines pretty mindlessly? One morning I arrived to my neighbourhood spot, laptop in hand and ready to find a quiet table and a coffee to kickstart my ambition, when I discovered a smattering of people all...
A beacon for every season
The geese are honking their way through another autumn in droves. A whole swack of them flew right over me while I was walking the other night and, even though none of them uttered a sound, there was still such huge volume with their wings flapping and the air stirring around them in their perfect V formation. There is such strength when you...
Soliloquy for the Saddledome
One of the final hockey seasons is underway in the Saddledome and it’s making me think of all the great memories from that notorious building. I remember when it was first built and we all thought it looked like a maxi-pad. Be that as it may, it was built for the Olympics and Calgarians hold that time close to their hearts. My first time inside...
The days of our lives
(Me with the toque on The Great Wall in 1984) As of today, I have been on this earth for 32,014.5 days. The half is because I was born midway through my first day. I know this because my dad dropped my mom off in the morning at The Calgary General Hospital, where he worked, before he headed to the office. He checked on her in the maternity ward...
Choose the right attitude, which is always kindness
We’ve all seen the signs: ‘Be kind to our staff - abuse in any form will not be tolerated.’ It seemed confusing to me when they first started popping up. I would be waiting in reception at the dentist’s office and think it must be a notice for people who are anxious about their appointment. Isn’t fear of dentists right up there on the list? Then...
Just open up and sing!
I surprised a lot of people a few weeks ago when I mentioned I wanted to join a community choir – especially my friends who have heard me sing! Before they start planning on how best to console me when the rejections start coming in, I have since experienced another epiphany. I think what I might actually be looking for is opportunities to sing...
Harvesting a grateful heart this Thanksgiving
(Harvesting my little carrot bowl on the patio!) I distinctly remember my ah-ha moment of making a personal connection to where food comes from. It was in the early 60s in Vancouver, when my family stayed at great-aunt Bella’s house while on vacation. When we arrived, this ancient stranger asked me to go out to the back garden to bring in some...