• Temporary Life/Travel

    So Long North Shore Homestead

    My car is packed to capacity with necessities and belongings that help us feel settled in unfamiliar surroundings. I have office supplies, books and writing materials. I have favourite things including my stir-fry pan, pictures of the kids, candles and a fleece throw. At the end of each “temporary life” season, I wonder how I wound up with so much stuff to take home. Here I am, feeling a little cramped in the driver’s seat, waiting for my windshield to defrost so that I can take one final look at the view of Lesser Slave Lake. It’s the view I’ve enjoyed all summer. As excited as I feel to drive…

  • Family Legacy

    What’s Your Thread?

    Last month, I was a presenter and attendee at Journal Conference 2016: Pioneering the Next 30 Years. It was one of those unique magical experiences that comes only from a gathering of like-minded people, sharing with and inspiring one another. One evening Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea, of Peer Spirit, presented a group of engaged writers with this William Stafford poem. The Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost.…

  • Writing/Journal Writing

    I’m Late, I’m Late, I’m Late…

    Oh my goodness, I just realized my last post was April 4th – almost two months ago. I’m so far behind on updating my blog! There’s just been so much going on, it seems. I know – excuses, excuses. But, here’s what’s been happening around here.   I piloted my workshop, Journal Your Legacy, on-line. I had eight students work through a four-week program and couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The course will improve as it goes on, thanks to the involvement of my freshman class. Watch for more information, coming soon. 2.  Our trip to Zihautanejo, Mexico. Another dream spot checked off the bucket list. The Consultant and I…

  • Temporary Life/Travel

    The Big Trade Up

    It feels like we won the lottery. After two summers in Fort McMurray, my husband, The Consultant, has started a new contract in a different town. We are in Slave Lake, Alberta. This is location number two in a series of temporary homes we’ll experience over the next few years. Compared to last season, this is a big trade up. Instead of modern condo living in a downtown centre, we get to try a country lifestyle in a charming cabin on land rich with history. The owner was raised in the house next door. Second generation on this site where his parents were homesteaders in 1930, he raises buffalo and maintains…