June is a challenging month for me. It marks the occasion I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Each year that memory floods my conscious thought. I remember the gripping fear, the dimly lit room, the feel of the warm gel on my chest, the beeps and whirs from the machine, and the sound of the gun snap the moment the…
Motherhood
Good-bye grade two. Adieu. Adieu. It has been a very challenging year for our little one. To have missed the final three months of school in grade one due to the onset of the pandemic [in Canada]; and then find himself in a tumultuous, inconsistent grade two school year because of our provincial government’s decision to open, then close, then…
As I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, a memory from one year ago popped up. It was an introduction to my newest post entitled Welcoming in the New Year that I had written January 07, 2020. Truth be told, I couldn’t remember what I had written, as it had been one year ago. And, lets face it, 2020 was…
I do believe that on New Year’s Eve there was a collective global sigh of relief – thank goodness THAT year has passed. It was a year of loss, fear, and turmoil. All across the world we grappled with ever-changing circumstances forcing us all to adjust how we function within society – how we work, how we interact, and how…
When the going gets tough … the tough cry. Little bursting cries. Big ugly cries. Lock yourself in the bathroom cries. Silent tears cries. So much crying. So much sorrow, uncertainty, fear, sadness, and frustration. Yes. This is what pandemic fatigue can look like. It has been an exhausting nine months and though vaccines have been approved in Canada, and…
As the weather grows colder and as winter begins to present itself we find no refuge from the grey skies and bleak days. No theatre. No cinemas. No shopping [in malls or small retails stores]. No museums. No art galleries. No science centre. No aquarium. No farm. No libraries. No recreational sports. No gyms. No fitness classes. COVID-19 cases are…
It has been almost a month since I have written. Finding a moment to myself has been difficult. In fact, I stealthily snuck away hoping my absence will not be noticed, and I am now sitting on the floor of my 7 year old’s bedroom because – oddly enough – it is currently the quietest place in the house right…
The Sketchbook Project At the start of the pandemic, when life as we knew it rapidly changed within days, we found ourselves in social isolation. We were locked-down, physically distanced from family, friends, and community. I lost my job. My son could not attend school. Extra-curricular activities were stopped. We were housebound, in shock, and in fear. But, this was…
With COVID-19 came many interruptions to our daily lives. As a society we have experienced job loss, school closures, and failed businesses at unprecedented levels. We have suffered the loss of loved ones. We have postponed special occasions. We are barred from attending cinemas, theatres, and concerts. We wait in line just to enter a grocery store, and we carefully…
Hmm… is home-schooling an art? Perhaps I should alter the title to read The Challenges of Home-Schooling… We are in our sixth week of home-schooling with no clear end in sight. Provinces are slowly opening up across Canada, however Ontario is still in lock-down. Our state of emergency has been extended to June 02nd. Although select non-essential businesses have been…