Category Archives: Personal blog

When the mice are away, the cats play

Now don’t get me wrong. I would way rather have my children home than not. But that does not mean that J and I have been sitting around the house pining away. No sirree. This is a sample of what we have been up to since our children decided to traipse off across the countryContinue reading “When the mice are away, the cats play”

Dear Bernadette: A review, kind of.

Dear Ms. Bernadette Fox, First thing’s first. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking Does this woman realise I am a fictional character? Yes? Do she care? No. I have been talking to fictional characters ever since I read The Catcher in the Rye at the age of 13 and found Holden CaulfieldContinue reading “Dear Bernadette: A review, kind of.”

What do you mean, you’re leaving?

I think I have a problem with living too much on paper. Once, when I was in Grad school and my children were 6 and 4 years old respectively, I saw an empty space in my calendar. I had class Monday to Friday morning, and my husband’s vernissage that night as well as an invitationContinue reading “What do you mean, you’re leaving?”

Grade Six Graduation: How it should be

For most of us living in secular North America, there are very few ceremonies that mean anything to us. If you are not religious you do not have a coming of age ritual. Weddings are fewer and far between and hopefully funerals are the same. So what do we have? We have the milestones setContinue reading “Grade Six Graduation: How it should be”

Book Review: The Blondes by Emily Schultz

Hazel Hayes has a complicated life. She has just arrived in New York from Toronto to complete her graduate studies. On the same day that she finds out she is pregnant by her married advisor, a crazed blonde woman pushes a young girl on to the subway tracks. The next day another act of violenceContinue reading “Book Review: The Blondes by Emily Schultz”

What Not To Do At Your Child’s Dance Show

Last week was my eldest daughter’s ballet concert. Now, she has been doing ballet since she was five- nay- she has been dancing since she was two, and it consisted of her flailing her arms and running around the community centre gym. My youngest daughter also dances (she started out with ballet but quickly turnedContinue reading “What Not To Do At Your Child’s Dance Show”

3 Arguments to Give my Daughters in Favour of Feminism

It is Sunday morning at 8:45. The family is asleep and I am sweltering in my little writer’s corner (the Habitat my husband built for me) listening to CBC and drinking that all important first cup of coffee. For the first time in a few weeks, I don’t have anything urgent I need to getContinue reading “3 Arguments to Give my Daughters in Favour of Feminism”

Thoughts on Saleema Nawaz’s Bone & Bread and Other Random Musings

I have been meaning to write this post for about a month but alas my old nemesis Time has decided to run away from me. Two jobs and an editing process that has gone from a “new coat of paint and refinish the floors” job to a “let me take a wrecking ball to theContinue reading “Thoughts on Saleema Nawaz’s Bone & Bread and Other Random Musings”

Vacations Are Good: Part III

The Bike path beside the drainage ditch where I would run. I was waiting for a drag race like in Grease or a good ol’ fashion Terminator truck chase but alas, it was empty and barren but for the reams of styrofoam take-out containers shored at the water level. Wednesday: Shopping on Melrose, Lunch atContinue reading “Vacations Are Good: Part III”