Word of the year 2023

Image: A close-up of sunflowers against a clear sky, with the word: THRIVE, in a paintbrush-like font, in the bottom right corner. Photo by ulleo on Pixabay. Happy New Year! I hope 2023 has been good to you so far. We’re well into the first week of January now, and I found my mind turningContinue reading “Word of the year 2023”

#BringBackMasks

Image: A medical mask. Photo by Ri_ya on Pixabay. Given the current public health and respiratory virus/illness climate, I thought this post, originally titled “People suck & also rock”, was worth a re-post. Sadly, it’s pretty clear that we can’t count on political leaders to #BringBackMasks That doesn’t mean we can’t do it ourselves. ThinkContinue reading “#BringBackMasks”

People suck & also rock

Image: A medical mask. Photo by Ri_ya on Pixabay. People suck. Not us, the others. (Yes, I stole that last bit from Ellen DeGeneres.) Allow me to explain. Get comfortable, this may take a little while. I was very excited to win a 10-play pass for Toronto Fringe 2022 after filling out their survey inContinue reading “People suck & also rock”

It was a very year

Image: A rollercoaster. Photo by Pedro Velasco on Unsplash. As we gradually wrap up 2021 and celebrate the holidays, I’ve been taking stock of the past year. The good, the bad and the ugly. The holiday is both very different and much the same this year; we now have vaccines, but with the emergence ofContinue reading “It was a very year”

Languishing but not totally broken

A stone cemetery monument featuring a relief sculpture of a mourning woman with long flowing hair, her head bent in sorrow as she leans over an urn. Photo taken by the blogger, at St. James Cemetery, Toronto, ON. Hello! It’s been a while, I know. So much going on, collectively and personally. And, frankly, myContinue reading “Languishing but not totally broken”

All the feels

Photo of a pink neon heart, shining from an apartment window, by Valerie Gow. Happy really belated New Year! It’s been a while since I posted here. Like many of you, I’ve been taking some time for self-care and reflection as we transition into 2021. I celebrated the holidays this year, a year unlike anyContinue reading “All the feels”

Safe & happy holidays

And, suddenly, it’s December. It’s Winter Solstice today, and the final weeks of the holiday season are unfolding unlike any other before. Many of us are in, or about to go into, lockdown. Favourite holiday traditions, family gatherings, shopping and outings have had to be cancelled or rearranged to follow public health protocols and localContinue reading “Safe & happy holidays”

Random acts of kindness

This is the true story of some random acts of kindness during COVID-19. Out of the blue, a woman gave a friend $50, to be used however she wanted or needed. The friend was surprised and grateful. Finances had been a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, but her work and income had picked up recently,Continue reading “Random acts of kindness”

Practising gratitude

As we head into week 17 of public health measures to protect ourselves, others and our health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s hope for a shift into stage 3, being reunited with loved ones, and looking forward—with both trepidation and excitement—to what the world will be like when we come out of this.Continue reading “Practising gratitude”

Melanie Peterson’s “Christmas Breaks My Heart” a gentle, melodic nod to holiday heartache

Melanie Peterson, live at Free Times Cafe for last night’s “Christmas Breaks My Heart” launch.   It was standing room only at Free Times Café last night, as Melanie Peterson celebrated the launch of her new holiday single “Christmas Breaks My Heart”, featuring the talents of fellow Toronto-based singer/songwriter guests Matt Gerber and Angela Saini.Continue reading “Melanie Peterson’s “Christmas Breaks My Heart” a gentle, melodic nod to holiday heartache”