Today’s prompt was to set the timer for 5 minutes, and stare at anything, or nothing. Then write about “the thoughts, the questions, and the answers that came up in that moment of slowness, of stillness.” I started by observing one of my indoor plants, and quickly diverted my attention toward the cedar hedge. I’mContinue reading “Nothing”
Tag Archives: memories
To write, or not to write
I have decided to work my way through Suleika Jaouad’s book, The Book of Alchemy. Each of the 100 chapters, written by a variety of writers, contains an essay and a prompt for journalling. I started following Suleika, the creator of the online community The Isolation Journals, back in April of 2020 during the Covid-19Continue reading “To write, or not to write”
Remembering Michael
Sixteen years ago I suffered a loss which I think about daily. Michael and I had met only a few years before that, and had fallen in love very quickly. We had similar values including kindness and mutual respect. Yesterday I re-read the eulogy which his best friend wrote and delivered at Michael’s funeral. InContinue reading “Remembering Michael”
Road trips and reflections
I have been awake since shortly before midnight. Nothing seems to be helping, so I decided to watch a movie. As usual I was drawing some comparisons about my own life, and started contemplating some of my past reactions to conflict. This movie was about a young girl who discovered that her “dad” was notContinue reading “Road trips and reflections”
Birthdays and fading memories
Two days ago we celebrated mom’s 93rd birthday. A few family members joined for a lunch and cake at the care home. Mom is living with dementia and although she knows who we are when we show up, her short-term memory is extremely short term. In the two minutes it takes to walk from theContinue reading “Birthdays and fading memories”
Watching the garden grow
Each evening since arriving in Cape Breton almost 7 weeks ago I have attempted to take a photo of this backyard. A couple of days were missed while I was travelling but the main goal of tracking the growth of the garden has been maintained. It is easy to lose sight of progress when watchingContinue reading “Watching the garden grow”
Contemplating life when others die
Sunday morning I had the privilege to stay home and look after my son’s two dogs. It took a while for them to feel comfortable in my home, and I had to bribe them with early Christmas presents. Here, Gia is showing off her new toy to the little dog that just walked past. SheContinue reading “Contemplating life when others die”
In memoriam
Fifteen years ago yesterday I married a man who loved me more than I could ever ask for. He had total trust in me, and loved me unconditionally. I doubt if that opportunity would ever come again. At his memorial service his best friend quoted in the eulogy: ‘Tis better to have loved and lostContinue reading “In memoriam”
Space
There are mornings where I can’t sleep in past 5:00 a.m. In fact, most mornings these days I am on my 2nd cup of coffee before the sun rises. The photo above was taken on a particularly smoky morning last week. The wildfires burning in the north sent the smoke our way and helped createContinue reading “Space”
Lifelong learning
I learned something new yesterday. Deer sometimes sleep with legs outstretched and head bent back. At first I noticed this doe in backyard, sleeping with her head held high and eyes closed. The next time I looked she was like this. So I started some google searches to find out if this is normal, andContinue reading “Lifelong learning”
Reflections 