Am I too old to build a fort in the living room; to pull the cushions off the couch to use as walls, to drape blankets over top to keep the light and peering eyes out? To use the end table as a secret hidden entrance that requires a special […]
Wendi Stewart – Wendi with an ‘eye’
Wendi lives in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, but the farm on Rainy River in Crozier will always be her home. MEADOWLARK, her debut novel released September 15, is published by NeWest Press of Edmonton. She is the mother of four daughters who did the unforgivable: they grew up. http://wendistewart.writersresidence.com
I coveted my share of toys at this time of year when I was a kid. When the Eaton’s Christmas catalogue arrived in the mail, I crawled into our deep, comfy (a.k.a. worn out) living-room chair and made a mental list of all the things in that catalogue that would […]
Bob Rae was in Wolfville, N.S. last week, speaking briefly about his new book, “What Happened to Politics,” published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Rae was named the H.T. Reid Lecture Series recipient for 2015 in the company of past recipients with distinguished academic careers. Acadia University’s H.T. Reid Lecture […]
I fear I feel the sense of hopeless lurking nearby. I feel it every now and then, scratching at the screens; trying to pick the lock. But I hold it back, shout obscenities at its retreat, while I cling to the vision of people welcoming others, putting arms out and […]
If you want your problems to feel small and insignificant, walk outside on a dark, moonless night and become a star-gazer. Find Casseopia in her stretched out ‘W’ and be reminded of her wicked tale—of a mother’s love gone wrong, a mother banned to the night’s sky for all eternity […]
It is easy to forget the sacrifices that those who went before us have made; those who lost their lives, lost their sense of self, lost mobility and peace of mind. “Lest We Forget” reminds us, but still on days that aren’t marked with poppies and ceremony and silence, we […]
What is it about fruit flies? Are they hiding in sink drains and behind the fridge—waiting to pounce the moment I leave a tomato on the counter? Do they have scouts that send word back to the “herd” to invade? Do they organize fruit fly conventions when they know I […]
The federal election is over in Canada and most of us are heaving a sigh of relief. The signs will be gathered up and the campaign strategies will fade from our TVs and radios and newspapers, and we all will exhale and hope that the new government will focus on […]
Years ago when my children were small, I remember someone saying, “Small children; small problems. Big children; big problems.” Thinking back, I wouldn’t say that was true, although the problems were different at every stage. When we had our first child, I was 31. But my career until then had […]
Samuel Johnson was an English writer born in 1709. He is considered one of the most often quoted writers in the English language, next to William Shakespeare, with sayings such as “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” and “integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without […]
I promised myself I wouldn’t bore you with any more droning on about my recent trip to Fort Frances to launch my novel. I apologize for repeating myself and for my effusiveness, but here I am at my daughter’s desk, getting ready to pen this week’s column submission, and the […]
I’m here in Fort Frances, where I just finished the book-signing at Betty’s with Doug and Blair last Thursday. I was so worried I might faint or throw up—or worse—but it was beyond lovely. I don’t even know how to thank those who came to Betty’s to share hugs and […]
