How art brought me joy in 2022. — It’s a cold wintry day but we’re cozy inside. Sprawled before us is a delightful mess on the massive wooden dining room table. It could be paper, paints, smelly markers, liquid embroidery (remember that?), homemade play dough, Spirograph, Lite Brite, rug hooking, macramé (more blasts from the past!), …

Tree bathing in the boreal forest (a photo essay). Squealing through the forest, I hold on tight to my driver with a grin. He expertly navigates our quad through the rough-hewn trail and I am filled with wonder. The wind had not let up. Today the giant conifers are jerking around to the tune of the south west gales…

Hint: There is no one answer. — When we were in university, my husband (then boyfriend) invited me to sit in on a class that was making a big impression on him. “Psychology of Religion” was the name of the course. Though the professor was a Jesuit priest, this was no Sunday School lesson. Professor Creamer posed…

It’s not the waking its the rising.* — Do you have enough love in your heart To go and get your hands dirty? It isn’t that much, but it’s a good start So go and get your hands dirty Do you love your neighbor? Is it in your nature? Do you love a sunset? Aren’t you fed up yet? Do you have enough love in your…

Don’t knock it ’til you try it! — My lovely friend gave us a bunch of fresh tomatoes from her garden. She kindly shared them with us because like her, we are obsessed with in-season tomatoes. The T.A. (Tomato Adoration) condition must most certainly be inherited as I never knew a greater tomato lover than my dad. …

A sacred space to engage imagination and creativity. — Do you remember your favourite games as a child? How did you entertain yourself? I was a lucky kid. I grew up on a farm, with a multi-acre yard chocked full of nooks and crannies to explore and engage my imagination. Playhouse: The Origin Story As I remember it, my paternal grandfather was a…

Summer Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Shine!” — Invasive species in glowing, sweeping splendour. Recently, I had to travel to Calgary for work. I stayed at a nearby hotel and decided to take a short break, taking in a little breath of fresh southern Alberta air. As I walked the perimeter of the building, I saw little outcroppings of these bushy-headed weeds. I looked…

Where did I discover ancient wisdom? Deep within greyhounds’ gazes. Mr. Berns is a greyhound. He is a retired racer from the US with a lineage spanning four thousand years as the breed is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt. With every greyhound we’ve had the privilege of caring for, they have bedazzled us with their eyes. …

A TWC greyhound lurcher: equal parts goofball, racer, cuddler extraordinaire. Perhaps that’s not so much of a “story” than a limited description of this crazy nut bar we call Mr. Tee. (TWC is the breed’s acronym: “Treeing Walker Coonhound”.) After adopting him, we realized there was most certainly a greater measure of TWC in this silly boy than greyhound. …