Jan 23, 2019 | Lifestyle, Ottawa
Let’s talk about every baby boomer’s dream—or nightmare: downsizing. Statistics Canada predicts nearly one in four Canadians will over 65 by 2031. Think about it, people! That’s a scary number. And if you’re reading this, you may already be there! I always knew...
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Jan 22, 2018 | Books, Seahorses
I love the creative process! I never set out to write a book about seahorses, never mind one for children. I started sewing tiny replicas of these mesmerizing creatures to complement my stable of little fabric art decorations. I had hearts, stars, moons, and clouds. I...
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Jul 14, 2017 | Connection, Hearts, Love, Ottawa, Storyteller
A picture of the reluctant birthday boy! Dear Fionn, Ahh. The yearly birthday letter. Today, an auspicious birthday, you enter a new decade, your twenties, leaving your teens behind. You have been enroute to be a great man from the day you were born, of course....
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May 21, 2017 | Lifestyle, Ottawa, Travel
Whimsy is the order of the day It was the dress in the window with the red hearts that caught my eye. A neon light blazing my name with an arrow pointing to the door couldn’t have done a better job. This was a store for me! It did not disappoint. I felt like I was...
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Apr 18, 2017 | Connection, Hearts, Love, Storyteller
My lovely husband, Douglas McKercher, wished me well as I galloped off on my yearly week-long writing get-away. To show my appreciation for his constant support, and for putting up with sparkles and barn board, both of which he hates and I love, I wrote him this poem....
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Mar 8, 2017 | Connection, Hearts, Love, Storyteller
The chairs shouted quietly at me as I stepped off the elevator onto the 11th floor of my mother’s assisted-living residence. Sickness is here. And it is serious. The chairs, folding ones with padded seats, stood on guard outside three of 16 apartment doorways in the...
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Feb 25, 2017 | Connection, Hearts, Love, Storyteller
I’m not sure I believe in writer’s block. But I am thinking I might have it and so I am going to write to get rid of it. What’s the hold-up? Well for sure the stress of seeing my mother–who will be 91 tomorrow–go downhill is on my mind. She’s been pretty...
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Oct 14, 2016 | Lifestyle, Travel
It’s done. The decision results from several stars and planets aligning but I blame the tipping point on two things. One: a recent essay in the Globe and Mail by Doug Tindal, “As my friends and I grow older, we’re setting our sights on communal living. And...
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Aug 28, 2016 | Lifestyle, Ottawa, Storyteller
I forgot how hard it is to start a new job. You know nothing about, well, pretty much anything, while everyone else whizzes and zings happily along. You feel totally inept (well, I do) and have to ask questions like, “How do I dial out of the office?” and “Uh, where’s...
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