Dear Sebastian, A week ago Sunday, as I was making black raspberry cobbler for your 12th birthday, I realized something. I thought back to the day of your birth, and your first and second birthdays, and how impossible it felt to “celebrate” the day back then. I could not conceive of making cake or blowing up…
To my firstborn son, on your graduation from childhood (i.e. Grade 8)
Dear E, You’ve made it! Today (right now, in fact) you are celebrating your Grade 8 graduation, and I really want to say a few words. I write to you in my head with every birthday and milestone, but there are not very many birthday blog posts from recent years. (Sigh… you know how June…
I’m 45 and working on making friends with aging.
On May 11th, it was my birthday – forty-five trips around the sun, as they say. I’d say 45 puts me pretty firmly in middle age. I have many thoughts about my current stage of life, and since it’s my belated “birthday post” (I actually started this post more than a year ago, when I…
Why I Love My Bullet Journal
Do you know about Bullet Journals yet? If you’re into self-organization trends, you probably do. That is to say, you probably heard about them way back in 2016 or so, when The Bullet Journal was an actual trend. Now it’s been long enough that it’s no longer trending, per se, but has settled firmly into Fad…
Dilovely’s 90s Coming-of-Age Playlist, Vol. 2
Hello again, lovely 90s music fans! If you read Volume 1 of my coming-of-age playlist and thought to yourself, “But, hey… what about so-and-so?”, take a look below and see if your special band/artist is there after all. As stated in my previous post, there is still no Nirvana (although if there were, it would…
Dilovely’s 90s Coming-of-Age Playlist, Vol. 1
Okay, 90s music peeps, where’re you at? This playlist is for YOU. It’s made with love (and was a much bigger task than I first thought, mostly because nostalgia-related rabbit holes are especially long and sticky). Folks love to use the phrase “coming-of-age” when talking about movies and books. I think it’s meant to evoke…
The New Year Questionnaire – a look back at 2022
Here’s the New Year Questionnaire! As per tradition, not even close to “on time.” (Though not as late as some New Years.) Also – shorter than it used to be, and adjusted this year to be a bit more contemplative, inspired by my amazing cousin-sister Quinn at The Retreat Space. AND… guess what, I’ve been…
Canadian Christmas, Vol 1: “New” Stuff – Dilovely’s Playlist
Merry Christmas Eve, lovelies! It’s time for a playlist, based on the Canadian Christmas song list I made for myself last year. I was inspired by a couple of relatively recent, unique holiday-themed songs I’d heard that I liked. Which sounds overly obvious, but let me tell you: I do not adopt new Christmas songs…
Giving Blood Might Be More Rewarding Than You Think
A couple of weeks ago, I made my 46th blood donation. That might sound like a lot if you’ve only given blood once or twice or never, but it’s not nearly as many as my younger sister has done (73 at last count). Or my mom, who has done 131 over the decades and was…
Dear “Anti-Woke” School Trustee Candidates: Lay Down Your Fear
Dear “anti-woke” school board trustee candidates, Congratulations, you’ve made the national news! That’s quite an accomplishment. (I’d say you should be proud, but I know “pride” might be a triggering concept for you.) When I read the things you say about your vision for our schools, whether through the news or social media, they tend…