Virginity wasn’t a stigma that came into style until the Roman Empire somewhere around 27BC to 330AD. The Romans oppressed female sexuality to “protect” the stability and significance of families, social order, their rich coffers, and the state of the nation. They raised the status – and purity – of a Vestal Virgin to an […]
There is something different about a blue sky in September. Perhaps – like polarized sunglasses – the approaching equinox changes the light. The blue deepens. There is less glare from summer heat waves. The sky is cloudless. And empty. And eerie. TIFF – Toronto International Film Festival – was in town, as it always is […]
This young man has had to put his life on hold for me more than once, but these last nine months have been especially trying. My cancer diagnosis has eclipsed the family’s stability. Matt has seen me at my best and my worst. He has sat with friends, wringing his hands, wondering if I would […]
I wasn’t sure if I should write about him … because he isn’t mine to write about. We broke up almost 3 decades ago after dating and living together for over two years. He was my first love. We met at work. I was the youngest of interns – barely 20-something – and was invited […]
The Number 22 has always figured prominently in my life. It’s been there as a blessing … a guide … a warning … a safety number. Matthew, my only child, was born on February 2nd … 2/2! When I got Carly, our chocolate lab puppy, she came from a puppy mill. They told me her […]
As the summer of 2017 starts and schools end … I watch as the children of family and friends graduate and move on to next chapters in their lives. I pause … and wonder what advice would I give to someone so fresh and new to the world? Their (hopefully) whole life ahead of them? […]
We shouldn’t have Carly. I almost didn’t take her. When I realized we had walked into a puppy mill, I told 12-year-old Matthew that we wouldn’t be taking a puppy. I had picked him up at a Friday night birthday party, and driven 1.5 hours to Colborne, Ontario to get this pup on July 16, […]
I’ve pretty much always had Mother’s Day covered via one angle or another. My Mom lived to be ninety-two. By the time she passed away in 2013, I had already been a mother myself for 15 years. While I’ve usually looked back and reminisced on Mother’s Day … this year I look ahead into an […]
I have surrounded myself with the best women … cultivated relationships and deep friendships with strong, smart, silly, sassy and sexy women. We all have one thing in common … we have each other’s back. These are strong women who can stand on their own two feet. These are smart women who know how to […]
Annie was only 8 months old or so when she was rescued from a northern Canadian community and placed into foster care with our dog rescue. And she was pregnant. January 8, 2015 she gave birth to seven beautiful puppies … but Annie was struggling. With poor nutrition and no prenatal care, her body wasn’t […]