I have been involved in organizing Remembrance Day assemblies at my school for long enough that I’ve lost count of how many years it’s been. It’s a day that has always meant a lot to me, and has always been an internal struggle as well. (As you already know, if you’ve been reading this blog…
Category: Foughts and Theelings
This category is inevitable – I’m a diarist, after all.
Rest In Peace, Alex Trebek – Gratitude Day 9
Tonight, I feel gratitude for the legacy of Alex Trebek. I’ve never blogged about a game show host before. I don’t even watch game shows. The only one I’ve ever watched on a regular basis was Jeopardy – through university up until Sean and I cancelled our TV channels several years ago. In fact, Jeopardy…
A Lovely Anniversary – Gratitude Day 8
Today I’m grateful for happy anniversary memories of this day last year – and this whole weekend last year – when my sister Emily married her love. I’m grateful that I got to be there in Seattle (actually nearby Everett) as a witness – facilitated by my now-brother-in-law (thank you! xoxo). And I’m extra-grateful that…
My Canadian Citizenship – Gratitude Day 3
Tonight, whatever the outcome (/fallout) of the US election, I’m grateful to be Canadian. My parents were both born and raised in the United States, and moved here shortly after they married. Although the decision never felt like a choice to them, I know it wasn’t easy. (There’s a big ol’ blog post brewing about…
Indigenous Knowledge and Generosity – Gratitude Day 2
Today I’m feeling very grateful for the generosity of Indigenous knowledge keepers. This is Treaties Recognition Week in Ontario – a province that is covered by 46 treaties and other agreements between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The treaties, which guaranteed that land would be shared and that communities would live peacefully alongside one another, were…
Gratitude as Covid-Winter-Blues-Buster
It’s late already and I need to go to bed, but I thought I would just write a little something about gratitude. Every November I consider the few times I’ve done NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month, posting every day for 30 days) and think to myself, Could I do that again? And I answer myself…
14 Nice Things I’ll Remember About Shutdown
School is upon us. Students, parents, and teachers are, I believe, universally unsettled about back-to-school. Whatever the normal preparations, uncertainties, anxieties, and excitements would be, they’re different and more intense this year. I’ll be honest: after three days of training last week, discussing with my colleagues ways to deal with all the million tiny details…
Back-to-School Thoughts from a Teacher/Parent
A week ago, as you know, it became official in Ontario: we’re going back to school this September. In the days since then, there has been an outcry from parents, staff, unions etc. who feel that the Covid-19 measures announced by the government do not go far enough to keep students and staff safe. I…
Dear Friends, it’s May and I miss you.
It’s May Day! (Or Beltane, to the Gaelic and Wiccan traditions.) It’s a day when folks in northern temperate time zones officially cast off the shackles of winter and get the heck outside. It’s that point when we’re supposed to receive the payoff for those April showers and surround ourselves with flowers. It’s time to…
Pandemic + Nova Scotia Shooter = nobody’s okay.
It’s Day 41 of pandemic distancing. I began an innocent little check-in post about two weeks ago. I wanted to ask how you are, and to write about what life is like during these “trying times” for posterity. It was difficult, though, because how one is doing keeps changing. The post has morphed several times…