When I was a kid, my dream was to be a BC Lions cheerleader and a dentist. Something about sparkly Spandex booty shorts and power tools just spoke to me, I guess. The great thing about Canada is that no matter how ridiculous or misguided your dream is, the odds of you achieving it are a lot higher … [Read more...]
It’s Not So Cold on the West Coast
If you've seen How to Be a Vancouverite, or if you are one, or if you know any of us, you know how uniquely weird we can be. We effing love kale, and it's a joke how much that isn't a joke. If you've ever been here or moved here or tried to make friends outside of work or school, maybe you know how … [Read more...]
On Empathy and Touching People.
I'm handsy. C'mon, not like that. (Okay, sometimes yes...) But I mean I physically touch people often. All the time. Montreal being the kind of city that it is calls for the two-cheek kiss, and we often embrace when we meet. I find I rather like the practice, which is widely accepted, and in fact, … [Read more...]
The Night The Lights Went Out in T-Dot!
Where were you when..... John Lennon was murdered? The Space Shuttle crashed? The planes hit the twin towers? Lady Di was killed? Major events that people always remember where they were when they happened. What they were doing. Who they were with. Today, everyone in Toronto was … [Read more...]
Back From Camp
Three very poignant observations from Sunday's picking up of my eldest son Hudson at Camp Kilcoo after two weeks away. So glad he is back though. It was like I was walking around, missing a limb. He showered once in two weeks and amazingly smelled of pine and Gull Lake. Of course, I was not … [Read more...]
Camping on Lake Huron
It's funny how traditions start. Sometimes pinpointing the exact moment is easy and other starting points are bit blurry, with various parties claiming ownership about the origin of the good times. In this instance, it's pretty simple. My sister's family are experienced campers, both car and … [Read more...]
On Girlfriends and Conversations.
Those who know me well know I probably prize excellent and weighty conversations above just above everything else. And at this stage of life with young kids in it, when they require so much of your attention, and your energy, it is especially sweet when one can kick back and chat, uninterrupted, … [Read more...]
That Time I Met Alice…
I always knew I'd love her from the start, but it was her leopard print shoes that clinched it. I managed to steal away from home for an extra day, before heading off to Blue Mountain with the other Urban Moms for a learning retreat with some fun times thrown in for good measure, and as happy as … [Read more...]
Online Friends
I have run UrbanMoms for 8 years and for every single one of those 8 years there has been a part of the population who poo-poo the whole concept of connection online. These naysayers believe that "community" is not possible on the internet. That those of us who say "online friendships" are fooling … [Read more...]
My friend Aimee and the C-word
When I first discovered I had acquired a fetus, I had some ... reservations. The whole situation was rife with pros and cons, and which column was longer depended on how many times I had thrown up that day. I told Aimee, and she said we should go out for dinner. "Are you eating?" she asked, and I … [Read more...]