Wendi Stewart – Wendi with an ‘eye’

The wind was blowing in my office window last week, repeatedly chasing papers off my already disorganized desk. I was deep in “writing thought” and was annoyed at the intrusion. I would have shut the windows, but I’ve been so hot for what seems like the entire summer; the breeze […]

Have you flown a kite recently? I haven’t, not since I was 14 or 15. It was a kite I made myself, at that age when one starts to resist assistance and strike out on one’s own—outwardly certain and slightly over-confident. My father gave me some hints as to aerodynamic […]

Have you heard of Sophia Scholl? Or Traudl Junge? Films have been released, separately, on each of them—a creative depiction of the choices they made and the startling differences in their legacies. They were two young German women at the beginning of World War II, born in 1921 and 1920, […]

When last did you pick up a pen and find just the perfect paper on which to write your thoughts, your worries, your questions; and then put that paper in an envelope, affix a stamp, and drop the envelope in one of those red boxes that say Canada Post? It’s […]

You remember Gracie, don’t you? Adorable fluffy pup of the Bernese Mountain Dog variety. She was going to fill the void in my life left by my ungrateful daughters who had the audacity to grow up and live lives of their own. Cute puppy. The one who peed on the […]

There is a lot of that stuff called “real life” swirling around these days; life that leaves me worried and sad. I think of the people I know and love as though they are part of my herd or my flock or my pride (call it what you will). I […]

I finally have decided what I want to be when I grow up. After much deliberation, and trial and error that led me down some wrong paths, I am convinced I have found my way. I get excited just imagining this perfect career. I’m all a-twitter inside—a huge silly grin […]

Do you ever have days when you’d like to let off steam; get some things off your chest in a loud manner, as though you are a baseball manager getting in the face of the umpire and his bad call and kicking some dirt on his shoes? I started my […]

If I was able to write anyone’s biography, it would be tempting to seek out Harper Lee and find out the little details of her very short but amazing writing career. I’d like to ask Nelson Mandela how he kept positive while he was confined in prison and bumping up […]

I went to Charlottetown, P.E.I., the birthplace of Confederation, to celebrate Canada Day this year. I was very excited. It felt like an act of patriotism; something I’ve wanted to do since 1967. That year was a big deal for me and, of course, most Canadians. At age 12, the […]

Hearing your name called in a walk-in clinic waiting room feels somewhat like winning the lottery or an Oscar. Having experienced neither of those events, I can only guess, but I’m reasonably sure the sensation is somewhat similar. You feel like blushing as you stand, looking at the poor souls […]

I like sports. I can be obsessive in my “watching” and if I had to categorize from favourite down, I’m not sure I could. Instead, I shall just put all my favourites in an alphabetical hat: baseball, curling, golf, show jumping, tennis. That’s a good start anyway. I used to […]