Wendi Stewart – Wendi with an ‘eye’

I suffer from a disease that, up to this moment, has been incurable–and in many ways, I’m not sure I would survive should a cure be found. This disorder may have some lengthy Latin derivative for a formal name, but you simply might call it Pollyanna-ism. The symptoms of this […]

Mother’s Day has just passed and I now have a new self-propelled, lightweight, battery-powered lawnmower in my shed in honour of being a mother. I can’t wait to give it a go when the rain stops. I look forward to not dragging and pushing the old Toro around, whose air […]

To say I find the number of those living on the street in this country, in any country, alarming and upsetting seems an obvious statement to make and somewhat trite. I heard someone in political authority once say there is no solution to poverty; that poverty begets poverty. I think […]

I attended a meeting recently with a group of individuals who are going to create a community arts centre in Kentville, N.S., close to where I live. I use the words “going to” because they are determined and don’t want to use tentative language such as “planning to” or “hoping […]

It is my baby’s birthday today (April 26), the youngest of my brood; four daughters who are no longer babies at all but instead are full-fledged adults, living lives in which I am an accessory, no longer a necessity. I can’t pull them on to my lap and kiss away […]

I was listening to CBC Radio the other day while I was driving. I can’t remember what the program was about, due to my failing retention, but the discussion focused on thinking for ourselves. On challenging those who make authoritative statements founded on nothing but opinion; where hubris gets in […]

I have a bucket list, of sorts. I don’t really think of the list as things I want to do before I take my last breath. That seems a bit like encouraging the dying thing; bringing it in to focus. Most of us, after all, just pretend dying will never […]

I would like to live in a castle, maybe one in Ireland because I’m fairly certain Canadian castles are in short supply. The selection of castles in Europe is extensive, I’ve read. Windsor Castle holds some sort of record for having been continuously lived in for the longest period of […]

I like to think Richard Wagamese and I are friends. I can’t bear to put that in the past tense because I never got to meet him and the opportunity won’t come now. I won’t bump into him on the street and introduce myself as his fan and fellow writer, […]

I’m always in a bit of a slump after the Scotties and the Brier have wrapped up. Yes, there is more curling to come but it’s never as good as the Canadian championships. I particularly enjoyed this year’s Brier. That’s not a real statement; I always enjoy the Brier. But […]

I used to sleep. At least, I think I did. There must have been a time when my mother placed me carefully in my bed and I drifted off to sleep instantly and effortlessly. Alas, that no longer is the case. Teenagers train for sleeping like runners train for marathons, […]

For those of you who enjoy the glitz and glamour of the Oscars, I suggest you stop reading right now and walk the dog, wash the bathroom mirror, or take the garbage out. Make good use of your free time. Or take a nap if you prefer, though a nap […]