Crystal Conroy is a local mama, yoga teacher, and photographer, whose guided meditations and yoga practices we have shared on the blog over the past year. This week, she also shared a reflection on the past few years, during which she has navigated new motherhood and shattering grief. Her ability to articulate this is powerful. … Continue reading Grief is a wild ride, that leaves you in a million tiny pieces: Crystal Conroy reflects

My husband just shared this article with me, so we could trade snarky remarks with each other about the general state of the world. My response was pretty much, "this is why we can't have nice things. I like candles. And this has ruined it." Because, honestly: "The pandemic has been kindling for the aspirational … Continue reading “Aspirational candles” make me wanna puke. And I light a candle every day.

https://emergencemagazine.org/story/the-serviceberry/ Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and author who first introduced me to the concept of the Honourable Harvest (hat tip SamMcKoy), and who has recently contributed a beautiful essay to Emergence magazine (that you can read here, or listen to Robin narrate here. ) She launches from a mega picking session of saskatoonberries … Continue reading Saskatoonberries have a lot more to say to us than you’d think, especially when their wisdom is translated by Robin Wall Kimmerer

That thing you're looking for, in response to Thursday's extension of the public health orders that we've been under since November, and to all the emotions so well captured by GD Maxwell in his Pique column last week ? It might be resilience. Blair Kaplan Venables knows something about it. She's been through some ups … Continue reading Free Resilience workshop at Library with Blair Kaplan Venables, Thursday, 7pm

In a quest to find more joy in the tedious rhythm of life as a new mother, Samantha Reynolds vowed to write a poem every day to train herself to observe the world around her. That was 10 years ago, and @bentlily never stopped. Last week, her instagram poem, blasted a little moment of joy … Continue reading How to blast open a heart, in a quiet way

Got to admit that when I first read this list of "healthy coping ideas" in the Tolerance for Uncertainty Workbook, it all seemed so hard, I shut down the pdf and went back to skimming the internet. It was kind of like looking up from a bag of chips and saying, hmm, I feel as … Continue reading Start with Legs Up the Wall

Earlier this week, the Scotiabank advised their Pemberton staff that the local branch was being closed, effective July 2021. This branch serves many community members for whom internet banking is simply not an option AND it has been a vital part of the fabric of this community for 63 years. Please take a moment to … Continue reading Pemberton Scotiabank brand to close July 2021 – letters of concern to CEO requested

I've been experimenting with sobriety for a few months - and while it has been a real wellness tool for me, I've been hesitant to share about it, for fear of conveying judgment or doing harm. I attended a beautiful conversation, shepherded by Natalie Rousseau, as part of her online circles (13 Moons and The … Continue reading What I learned from trying to unwind without wine

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJgx9RmJT1j/ Leala Martin is a poet, actor, vegan, tiny house creator, and yogi who you might recognize from Stay Wild where she works. She ended 2020 with a beautiful reflection that she gave permission to repost here. January 1st 2020 my mantra was decided: “Your life becomes a masterpiece when you learn to master peace.” … Continue reading How 2020 took Leala Martin on a trip from mastery to humility

I don't remember exactly how we found out that our friend Glen needed emergency heart surgery - it was rather out of the blue. (He's fitter than either of us.) It was out of the blue and it also struck me as a bit unfair - I tend to think that a global pandemic is … Continue reading How open heart surgery alters your perspective on a pandemic: Glen Irvine’s new year reflections