I was giving some thought to how we label things, particularly familiar things. ‘Follow the money’ is often a good beginning. I was always under the assumption that rapeseed was changed to canola for marketing purposes. The Town of Tisdale, Saskatchewan changed its motto from ‘The Land of rape and honey’ to ‘Opportunity Grows Here.’…

I now have the words to describe how I cope in the current times. Some days I was looking at my life through a foggy windshield. I found I was, at times, languishing. It was a sense of stagnation. Languishing was causing me to lose focus, and my motivation was reduced. I wanted to stop…

I was listening to a podcast about the links between scientists and experts. Stay with me now as this rabbit hole gets more exciting and will end in a request for a soup recipe. Just so we are on the same page – or knowingly on different pages, I think of a scientist as the…

I came across some stats that you might find interesting. They researched those aged over 50 in mid-2020, a few months after covid started to become real. I wondered how I have changed over the life of the pandemic to date. Come along on this ride with me. They found that 65% had a cell…

I reflected on an article in a small community’s newsletter about a lady who was born on St. Patrick’s Day. This connection led her to a life-long interest in St Patrick and related historical folks. I thought I’d pull my own version of that alluring thread. I actually did this last February and am now…

I’ve had my rejections in life, as most people have experienced. It’s easy to take some comfort by putting the loss of a connection with me on the shoulders of the other. I drew a witch when I was about 8. Have faith. I’ll join the dots. The theme for this particular Saturday art class…

I ask the question while keeping my eye on the visioning of what my 7th generation yet to come would reflect on my current actions. Many Indigenous people worldwide use this concept when making decisions today about their relationships to the natural wonders around us. I don’t want to get into the selection of how…

I peruse different information sources than my adult children and my grandchildren. So occasionally, I like to try to amaze them, and that is no mean feat! Here’s my latest attempt – dark patterns. Dark patterns are digital design elements that manipulate users into making decisions they otherwise wouldn’t, often to a corporation’s benefit. A simple…

I am thinking about ‘loss’ in its broadest terms, especially in a pandemic. Without judging the relative impacts on anyone, the most common image when thinking about a loss is the passing of a loved one. I also include in the idea of loss, the loss of social options, the loss of freedom to think…

I’m sorry is the stereotypical Canadian response the world expects from me. Someone steps on my foot, and I’m the first to say I’m sorry. Then I laugh at myself. I wondered why I did that and realized it was more complicated than I first thought. ‘National Sorry Day’ is a day in Australia marking…