Wendi Stewart – Wendi with an ‘eye’

I used to think I would be an excellent skier if I had good skis and, of course, matching attire in very cool colours. Something slightly more form-fitting than my black-and-orange Moto-Ski snowsuit that kept the cold from my skin while I stood on Pembina Highway waiting for the Winnipeg […]

I was in line at a small grocery store the other day and the woman in front of me was struggling to retrieve money from her purse. Her fingers weren’t co-operating and she appeared to be rushing, which intensified her struggle. The two check-out teenagers looked at me apologetically and […]

August snuck out from behind the weeds in my garden and from my so-called lawn and pounced on me, when I least expected it. August caught me off-guard and threw me to the ground before I could fight back, and then knocked the last bit of oxygen from my lungs. […]

I just had the great fortune of spending time with Aimee, daughter #1, and my wee grandson, Linden, who is three. The moments we spend with family are far too rare these days but when it happens, I ask the cells of my heart to take it all in; to […]

A cat is a home’s visible soul, said Jean Cocteau. If that is the case my home’s soul is visibly in need of vacuuming. I have moments when I am sweeping up pet hair from my floors and from my furniture for the fourth time on any given day, moments […]

The lakes of Northwestern Ontario have the power to restore a soul. And if scientists should test that hypothesis, they would concur–and it would be documented and written up in medical journals and the like, and everyone would know what Fort Frances residents (and those in surrounding communities) have known […]

If your heart is aching or unsure of itself, if the world feels heavy and makes no sense, I happen to know a cure. It’s organic and homeopathic so it will treat the heart, the brain, the soles of your feet–and it comes with an infallible guarantee. Follow my instructions […]

I was recalling memorable Canada Day moments from my past, from childhood. The July 1 parade always was a big deal and as a family, we came to town to join the throng lining the streets to see the floats and horses and kiddies, as well as those tossing candy […]

I’m trying to teach myself the art of relaxing; to live in the moment. It is an acquired skill for me, doesn’t fall under my list of natural talents the way eating at the speed of light seemed to jump on to the list with no effort on my part. […]

I’m well aware I have passed my “best before date,” though I’m not exactly certain when that happened. I still, with surprising frequency, wander around feeling unchanged from my 20-something self. But when I least expect it, my reflection in a mirror or window changes all that. When I glance […]

When I was little, I desperately wanted a house with a veranda–the kind of veranda that wrapped around the house like a giant hug, keeping everyone safe. You know, an inviting place to spend time. I imagined sitting in a large wicker chair or in a big swing, or maybe […]

I’m not afraid of spiders but having said that, they do occupy a space quite low on my list of barely tolerable things–somewhere down where snakes and centipedes find themselves but most certainly above earwigs and ticks (even though spiders and ticks are of the same family; distant relatives of […]