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The Kids Didn’t Know What They Were Doing, or Did They?
What were our kids thinking when they decided to throw a surprise 30th anniversary party for us? After all, I wouldn’t consider thirty years one of those great milestones. They said this was how they decided to thank us for all that we’ve done for them since, well, basically the beginning of their lives. We were just doing what parents do, taking care of their kids’ basic needs and a little bit more – a place to try sports, a good education, and a little vacation once in a while. We were trying our best to prepare them for life. That night back in April, we arrived at our neighbourhood…
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My Two New Loves
Dear Buddy and Princess, Sorry kids, I have two new loves. When you started moving into your “big people” lives, there was plenty of room for a mom to fill and I’ve been determined to fill it with good stuff. I had to dig way back in time to reconnect with that person I was long before I had children and pull out my desire for a right-brain life. It’s in my nature that I’d fill some of that space you left behind with creative pursuits. Writing is an obvious choice for me and I don’t think the time I’ve spent with my journal or laptop has surprised anyone. But,…
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Don’t Worry, There’s Plenty of Love in Crete
(Sequel to Can We Go Back to Where We Fell in Love and Fall Again?) Before I travelled to Greece for the first time, I met a Greek-Canadian named Gideon who said something like, “Once you’ve been to Greece, it will haunt you.” He was right. Greece has been calling me back ever since I set foot on the island of Crete in 1978. Finally, this April, I returned to Crete with The Consultant, in anticipation of all we remembered from back then – spontaneous Greek dancing, shop owners beckoning from their doorways, older gents sitting outside a kafenío with their Greek coffee and kombolói beads, rhythmically dispelling their worries.…
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Can We Go Back to Where We Fell in Love and Fall Again?
Travel back to 1978 with me, and you’ll see us on the isle of Crete looking like a couple of characters from the flashbacks in Mamma Mia. The Consultant and I had been dating for eighteen months and we’d already extended our agreement. The agreement was to go our separate ways if we reached the one-year mark. We thought it was sensible since we were so young and neither of us had been looking for a partner when we met. It was reasonable to think, at 17 and 19; we needed to keep our worlds open to other personalities and experiences. But when the anniversary arrived, we were enjoying life. We…
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Princess, Our Fifteen French Favourites and Me
Princess and I had great plans to post on my blog while in France. Despite our best intentions, we found ourselves too distracted by the experience to focus on writing. It was our last day together before we jotted down some ideas and agreed on our highlights. Then I left her to continue her travels with friends while I made my way back to Canada on my own. So now, at last, here are our thoughts and memories. The Trip From Princess’s Perspective – The thought of travelling with my parents has always excited me. Growing up hearing their stories about adventures they have had all over the world…
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Making BIG Memories
Oh, how I wish I’d followed through on plans for this one dream – to take a big trip with Mom – just the two of us. Over the years, we took a few little ones here and there but I wanted something adventurous with special bonding time. We’d even talked about what that trip would be – a Caribbean cruise. Time went by. Life got in the way. We never made it happen. Since I became a mom, I’ve carried that regret with me. Now I’ve waited long enough. My kids are starting their adult lives and I’m carrying the dream forward. Over the next few years, one of…
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Full in Slave Lake
My situation never seems quite right. When I’m in Slave Lake, I miss Buddy and Princess. When I’m in Calgary, I miss The Consultant. Whenever I start feeling the “empty” in empty nest, it usually takes a trip to Calgary to visit with my kids, family and friends in order to make it all better. I drive to the city, fill myself up then take all that fullness back to Slave Lake, where I dump myself out through my writing. Living this lifestyle is an adjustment, for sure. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own feelings that I forget it’s not all about me. The Consultant’s nest…
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Return to Dance
I’d just added finishing touches to the Chicken Cacciatore dish I was creating. There was a cross-breeze through the open kitchen / living area of the cabin, so the heady aroma of tomato and fresh basil filled the room and wafted out the windows. As the classic Bill Withers oldie Just the Two of Us came up on my playlist, the hungry and tired Consultant came through the door. “It smells great in here!” He grabbed my hand; we smiled directly into each other’s faces and started to dance. I took the lead and twirled him before he could twirl me. When we stopped before the music ended, we laughed. Nothing…
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What’s Your Struggle?
Right now, I am struggling to stay focused on my writing goals. It’s that time of year again, when I pack up a few of my favorite things in preparation to head north in support of The Consultant and his work. This is the fourth summer of our temporary lifestyle and, it is starting to feel like my new normal – at last. The transition to this new way of life has not been easy. When we started this path in 2011, it seemed everything was a struggle. Looking back now, I can see why. Virtually everything in my life changed within four months. I left my secure full-time job…
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Queen for a Day
This photo greeted me on Facebook this morning. My daughter, Princess, posted it. It’s not the best photo of the two of us but I like it. It’s an oldie that takes me back to fun summer days at the lake where we escaped technology and bonded as family. The message with the picture is “Happy Mother’s Day to all the hard working Moms out there. A special shout out to my amazing mother, Kathi. I love you!!!!!!” Yes, it’s Mother’s Day today. It still feels strange for me to walk right by the Mother’s Day section of the card store. I have no one to buy for. Even after…
