I was under the illusion that I would be healthy and invulnerable for many more years and then, in a blink, I wasn't, courtesy of an aggressive cancer diagnosis. I'm in remission now but due to that disease and now over 65 years old, I find myself in a highly vulnerable demographic. Like the echoes … Continue reading How I’m Coping
I have grave concerns about the direction some people are choosing to go in when dealing with mandates, protocols and responding to posts and articles. My most recent Facebook post was to relate an unpleasant experience that I had with a local business owner who closed his door in my face and told me to … Continue reading Cruel Isn’t Cool
“Summoning gratitude is a sure way to get our life back on track. Opening our eyes to affirm gratitude grows the garden of our inner abundance, just as standing close to a fire eventually warms our heart.” ― Alexandra Katehakis, Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence I feel that I may … Continue reading Choosing Gratitude over Fear
I have survived plenty of internal Armageddons, but the ones that really shake me to my core are environmental events that are climate-driven - otherwise acknowledged as "Events Beyond Our Control" (EBOC). I recently had yet another unexpected call to check my preparedness, with only a few seconds of warning. While preparing dinner, I heard … Continue reading Armageddon – Can You Prepare Enough?
Settling in to sleep, I'm invited into the night by a riot of crickets. A Great Horned owl choruses, "Hoo-hoo-hoooo-hoo, Hoo-hoo-hoooo-hoo - beckoning me in further. And, in the background, the eternal silence of the night reminds me that I am. I'm serenaded into belonging as nature's lullaby sings me to sleep. The wind caresses … Continue reading Midnight Serenades
Writing for public consumption is a new gig for me. It's an exciting adventure now, but in the beginning it was nothing short of intimidating. I tend to write about personal experiences, so the intimidation level was higher than say, writing about a tree. I've enjoyed writing since grade school. My first composition was about … Continue reading Reframing
I'm not always courageous enough to carry out the adventures I dream of on my own, but there are times when I need to be alone to recharge my spirit and reconnect to an unconflicted space within. Today's adventure rewarded me with a spiritual hug. I braved a 3.5 hour, solo kayak exploration of the … Continue reading On the Water – Solace in Solitude
I want to talk about hope. I've been derailed many times in my lifetime - in all the big ways. I can check off the list of major stressors like a resume for survivorship - Divorce Death of loved ones (both parents - one suicide, one cancer) Diagnosis of a life threatening illness - twice … Continue reading Hope
On July 10th I celebrated my twenty fifth wedding anniversary with my husband Cliff. I’m sure that anyone that observed us that day had no idea how much we’ve had to navigate or adapt to in that time frame. With the passing of time, most of the transformative events we’ve experienced have become water under … Continue reading The Dichotomy of an Anniversary
I received my free BRCA cancer screen test this week. Here's a description of the study I'm participating in. You may want to participate as well. The current criteria for gene testing in Canada have fallen behind more progressive countries. I would have qualified automatically in both Iceland & Australia for example. My own oncologist … Continue reading BRCA Cancer Gene Test Study
The Wellness Almanac 