I am a writer. I am creative. I am funny. It’s taken me more years than it should have to acknowledge all those things. I really gave it an earnest go. I studied film at university and graduated with the ability to break down the mise-en-scène of any movie, not a marketable skill at all. […]
It’s never just a walk by the river
Storytelling is a highly sought after skill. Can it be taught? I can’t answer that, since telling stories has always been an innate skill for me. I’ve been able to hold the attention of a room as I tell stories about a sandwich I bought or a plant someone gave me. I can turn the […]
Party Tricks and other oddities
The brain is a remarkable organ. It’s complex and controlling, while being squishy and vulnerable at the same time. I am fascinated with the brain and have read (and tried to read) books about how this most crucial organ operates. I know it’s weird that I do that for fun. Despite what I’ve read, I […]
The skeletons in the filing cabinet
Last week, I was in Toronto. This was not a vacation, but a very difficult trip. My husband, my boys and I went to say goodbye. We were saying goodbye to my father-in-law who opted for MAID (medical assistance in dying) and I was saying goodbye to my mother’s last 30 years of life. It […]
Clarity through the fog
I hadn’t planned on spending 7 hours in the emergency department. The last time I was in the ER during this pandemic, I was triaged, diagnosed, treated and released in less than five hours. This time, however, I was red-zoned. I came in with a fever, and even though it was caused by an internal […]
Illness & Isolation
I’ve always thought of myself as a good patient.I suffer in silence. I try not to complain too much. I work through the pain/cough/leaky eyes and nose. But I recently had a second episode of diverticulitis and I’ve come to realize I was horribly wrong about how I handle illness.If you’ve never had diverticulitis, an […]