What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
What is 'SEO' and what is it doing to our writing? If you share your written work on-line (and care about anyone else ever reading it) you are probably quite familiar with the term SEO or 'Search Engine Optimization.' SEO ranks your posts based on what search engines consider most relevant to internet users. More… Continue reading For Whom the SEO Bells Toll
On Tuesday afternoons, my husband and I walk dogs at our local SPCA. Due to the SPCA's long-standing efforts on spaying and neutering programs, as well as our community's responsible dog ownership, there are often no dogs for us to walk. This is a very good problem to have! Earlier this week, we attended a… Continue reading Humane Communities
The above quote is spoken by the narrator of Alone in the Classroom as she pieces together fragments of her ancestry in search of self-acceptance. Although this novel has arguable flaws in plot and structure, this quote gives us a taste of Hay's distinctive style, evocative descriptions and provocative messaging. From the woody smells of… Continue reading Alone in the Classroom…and the Love of Words
I have a dirty little yoga secret. I don't love savasana. My mind and body refuse to stay quiet. Together they plan and scheme. They want to be doing something...anything but stillness. And that leads me to this post that has refused to be shelved. This past October, I had written the following entry. Then,… Continue reading Dolce Far Niente
良言一句三冬暖 "One kind word can warm three winter months." Chinese Proverb I've been feeling yucky. Nothing specific. As colds, flu and many other ailments have been going around this time of year, my mind became overactive with possible causes for my affliction. I woke up this morning completely sapped of energy, despite a full night's… Continue reading Kind Words
A year and a half ago, my husband and I took the ‘leap of faith’ into retirement without a clear map of what we wanted our post-career life to look like. We did follow our plan to relocate to Vancouver Island. We have also been spending much time with family/friends, enjoying our grandchildren, meeting new… Continue reading Retirement: Am I Still Transitioning?
I was hesitant to fully engage in this holiday season. There were noticeable absences in our recent family photos. I forced myself to decorate. I forgot to download my Christmas music. I let Costco do my baking. The festivities that I had always embraced so naturally didn’t feel the same as they had before. I… Continue reading Reflections on Christmas 2016
I've been looking more closely at doors lately. Inspired by Montreal blogger, Norm Frampton, who hosts a weekly link up called Thursday Doors, I've begun to see the entrances to buildings in a brand new light. These shared posts, by bloggers from around the world, have taken me to new and intriguing places. They've also… Continue reading Thursday Doors: Christmas on Vancouver Island
I’m in need of some serious Christmas inspiration. And I have chosen you, yes you, to help. Somehow it seems that when I wasn’t paying attention, all of the other Christmas decorations in our neighborhood went up. Lights, trees, ornaments…the whole shebang just suddenly appeared. Quietly and overnight…and early! Seriously, I hadn’t even removed our… Continue reading In Need of a Little ‘Christmas Inspiration’
"Grief is love with no place to go." Helen Macdonald Less than one month ago, my husband and I sat atop a cliff in Mt. San Jacinto, just outside of Palm Springs. Surrounded by friends, health, adventure and each other, we were acutely aware, and immensely grateful, that our lives were deeply blessed. Days later,… Continue reading With Heartfelt Gratitude
Retirement Reflections 