The aroma of spices so saturated my skirt, I used to hang it outside, on the line. That summer I was in my early twenties, unfamiliar with international cuisine, and waitressing split shifts at an Indian restaurant. A poor student, I couldn’t say no when the cook offered me free […]
I dislike restrictions. NO is not something a free spirit wants to hear. If I had my way, fifty trees would fill the front yard and chickens and goats would be penned out back. A Pekingnese would snuffle through the house at my feet. My closet would be packed with […]
Do you dream about an ideal version of yourself? The person you hope to be ten years from now? I do. Today I am less assertive, less selfless and more materialistic than I’d like to be. Ideal Me exists in my mind… but how do I get from This Me […]
After a year and a half of at-home shifts, I worked, yesterday and today, on site. I feel unusually tired. My head aches a bit. But I am thankful – oh so thankful. Monday is Thanksgiving in Canada. This weekend I am thankful for flowers and colourful leaves. For work. […]
I want something. I want it bad. It distracts me. It maddens me. It is an obsession. Being without it makes me gloomy, disappointed and angry. There is a question that scares me – a question I prefer not to ask myself, but one that I force myself to think […]
Homemade frozen yogurt, canned tomato sauce, bagels and burgers were born in our kitchen this morning. In Canada, Labour Day marks the final day of the last weekend before school starts. Soon the fall routine will begin. A half bushel of beautiful tomatoes sat in our car, sent home with […]
I am drawn to the image of the lone ranger woman. Courageous. Independent. Confident. Fulfilled. She wears whatever she likes, does what she enjoys and needs approval from no one. The reality, though, is that often I fixate on pleasing others. I obsess over it. Leah, a woman whose story […]
Have you ever felt unseen, unwanted and unloved? I’m learning a lot about control these days and one aspect of control that’s new to me is the idea of defensive control. Feelings like the ones I just mentioned often spring from how others treat us, and these feelings cause pain. […]
Do you shy away from situations that scare you? Try to keep life tidy to stay safe? Doubt that a mess has anything to offer? Recently an old friend sent me a card in the mail. At first glance, it seemed garish and ugly to me, but then I looked […]
Have you ever prepared for a celebration with a vision in mind of how it will unfold, only to find that reality doesn’t match? A week ago the thought of celebrating Peru’s independence day hardly crossed my mind. We’d been sick for weeks with a clingy stomach flu and we […]