Chronicles of a Shoemaker's Daughter

"Better to light one small candle, than to curse the darkness" ~ Chinese proverb We have come to expect the world of technology to bend to our bidding. Then when technology fails us (cars, tv, internet, IPhones ... etc.), we act as thought it is the end of the world. Like our very lives depended on staying "connected" via digital pathways. Whatever happened to remembering to take things in strid e and simply show gratitude for the privileged times we live in? And the privileged place in the world that we occupy?   Not long ago,  I got a little testy when my BB crashed, and when my car's computer technology had a major hiccup.  That was yesterday.  In the past. This morning I awoke remembering that there are places in the world where parents aren't able to guarantee their kids sufficient food today, and who probably don't even own "one small candle" ... and I am saying a huge prayer of gratitude for all that I have been

Though I am pretty much agnostic nowadays, I spent the first 5 years of my academic life in Catholic elementary school. And, I recall fondly that one of my favourite stories, told by the Sisters of St. Joseph, was that of Lily of the Mohawks. I don't know why, but I always felt that she was my big sister and protector ... Sometimes I think it was because she was rebellious and defiant. These days, I think her story might have been a sort of Catholic marketing tool of the times, used to further the cause of colonization by showing other Aboriginal people that she found refuge in Christianity/Catholicism. But those were different times, and the context was what it was, and I am not here today to do a critical reflection on oppression per se. What I am reflecting on, even as an agnostic, is the deeply moving, spiritual implications for many communities, of the events unfolding this weekend. This is the first ever First Nation saint, after how many centuries of colonization? Perha

I am in a reflective mood lately.  All this looking back ... and forward ... has led me to start cleaning up.  My house.  My office.  My files.  In doing the file cleanup, I discovered some writing that I did a while ago.  Always interesting to take a peek at where the mindset was at a given point in time.  And to reflect on what has changed in our personal lives and the lives of those people and places that we care about ...  I found this piece on another blog that I had wanted to launch, but which is now going to be used as a place to store some of my favourite photos.  As I delete the posts, I'll bring some excepts back here.  Some of my ramblings had already been cross-posted at the time that I wrote them. Some were deleted from this space because I felt at the time that I didn't want to contaminate a space that had originally been dedicated to some light, amusing (hopefully) chatter about a few trips away from my land-locked Canadian home.  But seriously, I am only one

In August, 2011, I wrote the following piece.  Some of you reading this will remember that I was in the throws of completing grad school, and moving toward an internship, which I knew would interrupt my already dwindling income.  Some of you were also in my cohort, and suffering along with me.  Others were baffled by some of my decisions, including going back to school on weekends ... But, I remained steadfastly attached to the notion that my life had gone out of balance and that I needed to make a whole whack of corrections to bring it back into balance.   Having a bucket list helped.   I share the partial bucket list and year-old reflection, today in the hopes of reminding some folks out there that we are all "works in progress" ... and no different from our "neighbours".  Flawed.  Imperfect.  Striving.  Stressed.  Magnificent.     So, whether you want to make a small change, or if we are going to take stock to launch some sweeping corrections a

We probably all start out with great ideas, and good intentions ... but quickly ... almost as quickly as we fall of the fad diet wagon, yet again ... or as quickly as we lose interest in our latest gym membership   ... we  "reluctant bloggers" act something like this ... 

Well, I got my answer to that question, with the arrival of two separate and seemingly unrelated occurrences.  I have been knocked off my feet by a wicked head and chest cold, and we have been treated for the last day or two to gloomy, rainy weather, and much lower temperatures than what we had all become accustomed to during this long and meandering summer.   When I did a meds run to my local Shopper's Drug Mart earlier today, to stock up on some goodies to blast the sickness right out of me, I witnessed further proof that autumn is arriving with a vengeance -- I saw lots of leaves on the ground, and ... horror of horrors, there were plenty of red and gold leaves on the maple trees, when just a week ago everything was green, green, green.  Being to sick to care, I didn't have my camera with me, so I didn't capture any shots of those tiny signs of fall ... but I did experience a surreal moment, right out of a popular Staples commercial.  You know the one - that back to

Greetings from the land of perpetual summer!  OK, clearly I am exaggerating, but considering that we had almost no major cold snaps or very much snow last winter ... and that the first heatwave of the season happened in March, it has begun to feel as though we have had more than 6 full months of summer!  Right here in Ontario! Now all this wonderful weather has actually paid havoc with the environment, including right here in my front and back gardens ... and I know that parts of the US and Canada are dealing with the worst droughts since the 1950's, but for the most part, the average Torontonian has been enjoying this weather.  Me?  Not so much.  Don't get me wrong, I like sunshine, but it's just been a little too much sweat-weather as opposed to sweater-weather for me. I am actually looking forward to winter, so that I can layer on some clothing, because lets face it, when it's hot and sticky out, and you are down to your lightest cotton garb with not much underne

Some of my readers/followers (oh my gosh .... I have readers and followers!?!) have asked why I never post pictures of my family or friends.  In short, the question is why don't I ever include photos of people in my blog stories.  The answer is quite quite simple: 1.  I take terrible people pictures; 2.  I have issues with privacy and don't like to have my image out there very much.  As such, I have made the (perhaps erroneous) assumption that most people in my life don't want their picture out there either.   I think I might be wrong about this, as I have noticed many bloggers plaster all kinds of photos of themselves, their family, friends and random strangers all over Facebook, blogs and the like.  So, I guess I'll go get some help for my (privacy) issues, and without further adieu (ah-dooh?), I'd like to introduce you to some friend I have met in my travels:  First up, meet my friend, Sara ... and a young man whom she befriended on Cockleshell Beach ...

 “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –  St. Augustine I don't get to travel more than about once a year.  I wish it were more ... and at times, I wish I could break loose from the relative safety of visiting the same destination year after year.  I long to broaden my perspective by turning the page and delving further into the book that is our big, diverse globe.  Yet, the beauty of visiting same destination again and again lies not just in the geography, topography, flora, fauna and warm blue seas ... indeed not!  What makes returning both familiar and exciting, is the people!  You never know who you will meet.  Locals, ex-patriots and visitors alike are as diverse, multi-faceted and interesting to me as if I had taken a round-the-globe 6-month sabatical, exploring a multitude of countries.  All in one little microcosm ... with a land mass of barely100 square miles, and only 8 miles across it's widest point.   Speaking of books, travelin

In January, I found myself feeling a little lost and unfocussed.  The end of my grad school journey was somehow anti-climactic and downright depressing. Mostly because I kept waking up each morning programmed to research, proof-read, type, read, process, analyze, churn out reports ... well, you get the drift.  I was struggling to shake off the invisible yoke that had me in a choke-hold for almost 2 years, and unable to really move forward, because I didn't have a full-time job to slide back into, as most of my classmates did.   Moving forward was what I had yearned for so many long months, but it seems it was, and still is, hampered by the fact that the actual graduation ceremony is not until June 14th of this year.  That's a long time to wait, especially when a big celebration is in order.  Getting my Masters Degree after all this time, is indeed cause to celebrate in my book.  So, debt worries aside, I found a way to combine work and travel.  In truth, I just needed to ge

Happy 2012!  I hope this year brings peace and abundance to us all.  2011 was an intense year for many of us.  All I can say, is I am glad it is over, and I look forward to new beginnings.  Happily for me, the end of the old year coincided with the conclusion of late-in-life journey through grad school.  I completed my final course, associated assignments, and 3 month research/policy internship mere days before Christmas.  Pheeewww!  I am glad that part of my life is over!   DISCLAIMER:  I also want to post a disclaimer here ... the previous few posts are NOT NEW.  Before I put my blog on hold last fall, I was messing with formats - and one or two old posts jumped forward.   Today, I was once again trying to experiment with formats, and while hiding and bringing back some old posts, they got saved under today's date.  Oops!  I don't know how to fix that!!    In the weeks to come, I will have to look at how to put things back in order.  I may even explain my ongoing ambiva

Well, I did finally track down some of my own photos that I did managed to snap before my camera and a big wave had a show-down on Rendezvous Bay ... My internet keeps cutting out every time I try to upload ... somehow the snow storm, which was really a non-event here in Toronto, has affected some of the cable systems around my neighbourhood. Eventually, there should be more than one photo here. ;o] So, today - Thursday, February 3, 2011 - the internet gods have smiles ever so slightly, and they have let me upload a few more photos ... Most were taken around Meads Bay, near the Frangipani Hotel and Straw Hat Restaurant. One or two are from Upper Shoal Bay East, near Gwen's Reggae Grill ... I think ...