I’ve been thinking a lot as I’ve been watching the situation in Moncton and reading posts written by friends who live or have loved ones who live there. The deaths of those three members of the RCMP are heart-breaking, the thought of the members lying in hospital is tragic and the fear that is shutting…
Being a girl and raising girls is a journey that is not for the faint of heart. Hormones, heartaches, self esteem issues, friends, insecurities, the need to please and an impossible standard can add up to a lifetime of discouragement, disappointments and stunted relationships. When I talk to young women (teens) and even older ladies,…
Have you ever questioned what it was you were supposed to be doing? I’m a doer. I’m busy. My husband chides me because I can’t seem to turn my mind off. Sometimes, in our family, it is difficult for my husband and my children when I get focused on doing. Doing school, doing chores,…
If you have young children, it is quite likely that when you read the title of this blog, visions of Jr. Asparagus, Franken-celery, Larry the Cucumber and Bob the Tomato danced in your head. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, keep reading anyway. Just the other day, I was talking to a girlfriend…
Blonde hair and sparkling green-grey eyes. Dark curly hair and brown eyes so deep you cannot see the whole. Academic. Athletic. Hands that turn their work to gold. Champion of the underdog. Socially driven. Lover of justice. Master of conversation. Intuitive and tender. Two brothers. Raised in the same home by the same parents with…
Have you ever been really angry? Righteously angry? Frustrated-ly angry? Rip-snorting angry? Was it the result of an offense committed against you? Stop for a moment and think back on how that anger made you feel? Were you justified, at peace, renewed, refreshed or satisfied? More and more, on Facebook, social media and even in…
Having a child away at university is a wonderful thing – especially if they’ve gone on a scholarship and are studying to live their dream. But what happens when that adult child comes home for a visit? Our oldest “child” is beginning his third year of a five year program. He comes home for 10…
In the 60s, it was “Love not War”; in the 70s, the Cold War, Space Race, debates over abortion, Earth Day and a mixture of “optimisim, pessimism and cynicism”. The theme of the 80s was global warming and HIV. In the 90s, it was political correctness. In the first decade of the new century, it…
Summer jobs, summer camp, summer vacations…ahhhh summer. With seven people in our family, summer can be even busier than the rest of the year. Everyone has something to do and it never seems to be in the same place. This week, I find myself in the unique situation of having only one child home with…
An unprecedented number of hot summer days is drawing many to the beach and the air-conditioned malls. As everyone dresses to ‘beat the heat’ I am noticing a pattern. For the guys, loose shorts and comfy tees are the trend; for the girls – less. Shorter shorts, tighter tops, less fabric, less coverage, less…