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Spring Fever
In Calgary, we can pretty much guarantee we’ll have winter – cold, snowy or otherwise challenging. But spring? Now that’s another story. Buddy’s birthday is mid-April. Some of his birthday parties were spent stuck indoors due to snowstorms and at others, the kids played basketball out in our backyard, wearing shorts. Due to it’s unpredictability, many Calgarians feel the season bypasses us entirely. Each year as the seasons cycle around to spring, I feel antsy. I am dissatisfied with winter’s comfortable cocoon. Life is suddenly “ruttish.” An intense spring fever overshadows everything. I have a consistent pattern at this time of year. I crave change and the hunger is always…
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Do My Kids Need a Better Life Than Mine?
One evening a while back, I was sitting around with friends after a Calgary Stampeder football game when one of them said, “All we want for our kids is that they have a better life than us, right?” Actually, when I think about my life, I have to wonder whether it is possible for my kids to have a better one. Mine’s been pretty darn good. I’ve always had a roof over my head and never gone hungry. Most importantly, I’ve always felt loved. My sisters and I were fortunate to be born in this time and place. Canadian women experience more equality than most women in the world.…
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The Heart of the New West
It seemed as though just about every area of Canada had experienced disaster but us. There were ice storms to the east, tornadoes and fires to the north and more fires to the west. We in Calgary, Alberta may have been feeling lucky, or even a bit smug that we live in such a blessed part of the world. Other than winter cold snaps with sub-freezing temperatures, some cool, rainy springs, and the odd hail storm we had little to complain about. We were living the charmed life. Lately, my thoughts had started to shift. Disasters seem so common now. I couldn’t help but wonder when our turn would come.…
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Why I Am Grateful to Fort McMurray
Reflecting on the year 2012, I am most happy to have completed one full summer in Fort McMurray. This is the first chapter in, what I have chosen to call, “My Temporary Lifestyle.” With The Consultant bidding on and attaining contract work, we never know for sure where we’ll wind up or for how long. Summer 2012 was in Fort McMurray, the epitome of The Temporary Lifestyle. During our six months in town, I realized we were among the multitudes of others who are living it. I joined my husband in May, hesitant and resistant to the experience, but I had a plan. I would connect to the community and…
