A Starbucks surprise. You never know what a morning may bring. It’s 7:00 a.m. and -15° C. Not too harsh but not comfortable either. I was standing outside the tire shop waiting for it to open at 7:30 a.m. Someone offered to hold my spot in line while I went to Starbucks next door for…
Issues in Life
We have met the enemy. . .
. . . and he is us. Cartoonist Walt Kelly coined the phrase, “We have met the enemy and he is us,” as a slogan for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. Aside from being gender-unfriendly, it became a powerful statement attached to anti-pollution posters and has endured as an iconic motto for…
Staring into a blank screen
A noble declaration on aging. Aging is not for the faint of heart. One day, you wake up and realize – youth has quietly slipped away. But it didn’t leave alone. It took with it your insecurities, your rush to please, your fear of not being enough. And in its place? It left you with…
I dance in the morning
Clenched fists and open hands. My title is “I dance in the morning” yet I begin with clenched fists and open hands. Stay with me. Something happens when a person moves to the dance floor. They may have entered the hall with clenched fists – tight emotions, wound up inside with the cares of life….
Have a bit of whimsy
Everyone needs a touch of whimsy. October 8, 2020. Communities around the world are still reeling from the trauma of COVID-19. In the darkness of night, ‘aliens’ invade Bowmount Park in northwest Calgary, leaving their indelible mark on six park benches. Six small plaques. Highly professional creations with laser-inscribed words on metal tabs. Each plaque…
You didn’t learn that from me
“An apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.” It’s kind of a dumb saying if you think about it. The apple is hanging by a thread on a branch. The ground is directly below. When it falls, how many options does the apple have? Does it wait in hopeful anticipation for a wind strong…
I just sat there
At least I tried to. It shouldn’t be too hard to just sit there and wait. I’m a mature adult. Over the years, I have spent many hours in restaurants patiently (most of the time) looking out the window. Why? The short answer is that my idea of being on time was different from the…
“It’s okay”
Nightbirde – Born 1990-12-29. Died 2022-02-19. 31 years of age. For singer-songwriter Jane Marczewski, choosing Nightbirde as her stage name came from a recurring dream. In the midst of an undesired divorce that left her alone to battle an aggressive cancer, she dreamed of birds outside her bedroom window. They were singing morning songs in…
Don’t lose the music!
Cherished memories. This dvd of Fiddler on the Roof waits expectantly on my bookshelf, ready to be of service again. My daughter and I have precious memories of multiple viewings together. Each time, the musical drama took us on a journey through a full range of human emotions. As the final scene faded out, we…
Hammers and bellows – the rhythm of life
My father was a self-taught musician. It made him quite popular in the 1940s farming community. Ukrainian weddings, anniversaries and other special events needed a band to liven up the community hall. There wasn’t much pay other than free drinks but the prestige was high. Dad played the tsymbaly, the accordion and, if called upon,…