I remember a time – early in the days of parenting and smart phones – right when the digital natives started figuring things out faster than the people who actually owned the phones – when if the kid got the phone they just started taking pictures. Turns out when those kids become adolescents the joke…… Continue reading January recap

Highlights from this past month in pictures The 11 year old made me breakfast. 19 years of marriage. A queen bumble bee on a walk with some students in the learning garden at school. A full moon With lots of good questions And some late night spaghetti. A rainbow Make that a double rainbow! Make…… Continue reading Gratitude for October

If you had told me 19 years ago that 19 years was enough time for 3 kids, 2 chased dreams, 5 career reboots, 1 masters degree, 4 homes, 3 foster dogs, shared opportunities to be the stay-at-home parent, a shameful number of double features at the movies, circumnavigating the globe, a great art collection, east…… Continue reading 19

103km That’s about how far I walked with her. Mostly on residential streets. Some of it through brush and bramble. A good chunk of it in the dark. There is a lot of time and space to think over the course of 100km of walking. Time to contemplate new jobs. Time to reflect on passage…… Continue reading Stevie’s gift

I am beaming. Both literally and figuratively. In my enthusiasm to collect Charlotte from the camp bus today, I neglected to remember to pack a hat and, whilst standing in the parking lot waiting for the luggage to show up, I got a sun burn. Incidentally, the bus was so jam packed, they ran out…… Continue reading Off the bus

Is there a better time to contemplate freedom than Remembrance Day during a global pandemic? I don’t know. Much opinion has recently been offered on the state of our freedom. It seems prudent that, as we navigate these turbulent times, it is worth taking pause to assess the status of our freedom at some regular…… Continue reading On freedom

Hammock stand – pre-verathane Aggressively scrubbed with a wire brush Vacuumed Sanded: 80 Vacuumed Glued and clamped Laminated and reinforced by metal Sanded: 80 Vacuumed Wood filler applied Sanded 120 Steel wool applied to old and ragged bolt holes Vacuumed Sanded 220 Vacuumed Stained, 2 coats Will it hold? He asked again Have courage!

This is the face of my recent Grade 8 graduate right as she walked out the door with 4 devilled eggs. She was on her way to her grandparents house, full of pride and confidence, to share the delicious mayo and mustard egg yolk goo that we oo’d and ah’d over at dinner tonight. She’d…… Continue reading Deviled eggs

Yesterday, while refurbishing a hammock stand I found at the side of the road, it occurred to me that very often my ambition far outstrips my ability to get things done. I noticed the hammock stand on a Monday while taking a bike ride with my children. When I went back by on a Wednesday…… Continue reading Hammock stand