Life Outside the Lines

In January of 2025, colourful calendars 

popped up in briefcases, 

on kitchen walls, 

on dining room tables, 

on wooden desk tops, 

on phones and tablets. 

Square spaces for dates and plans

marking our time, place and location

Appointments and extracurriculars

Little space was given to 

washing the floor, 

doing the laundry, 

wiping up the inevitable spills, 

broken crockery, 

naps in the lazy afternoons, 

all season walks in the park 

watching ants march across sidewalks

smelling the prairie roses, 

the worries of a sick child, 

trips to crowded emergency rooms, 

poring over bills and finances……………..

Years end gathers memories 

shuffles them, stacks them neatly 

in a higgledy piggledy order 

for stories told 'round a kitchen table 

for a laugh, or cry, or both in the same breath.

Happy New Year's Eve!

“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us 

to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.”

~ H.G.Wells

It's 9 o'clock

It’s 9 o’clock

The night air is cool

Christmas lights gradually wink off, 

fading toward the New Year. 

Each next day will open 

as in all New Years past.

But tomorrow, 

the last day of 2024, 

will be its own new beginning.

“With the new day comes 

new strength and new thoughts.”

~ Eleanor Roosevelt

The Gremlin of Guilt

Racing into a new year has never been my style. As I gather years behind me, the importance of excited celebrations has waned even further. I’m not bored with life, but cherish each day as important. Now that I don’t have to race to work, or race to other’s expectations, I have the luxury of becoming active in things that please me. Even as I write this, it sounds like I no longer care about others or the state of the world. Not true. I do know that the Gremlin of Guilt can still whisper to me. Should that little voice threaten my ability and joy in any move forward, I move forward anyway.

“Guilt is a rope that wears thin.”

~ Ayn Rand

Silent Whispers ~ 2

Silent goals for each New Year

barely a whisper ~

no grand visions of endings, beginnings.

what will be or when they will be. 

I stay present with intent to honour 

each little word or phrase 

creating them as elegantly as I am able.

“Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.”

~ Flannery O’Connor

Cheers!! - CHEERS ~ Theme for January 2020

At the beginning of each month, I choose a new theme for my writings. I’m not always successful in capturing the theme I’ve chosen, however I always enjoy the word crafting. Each January, the theme is rather more important. 'Cheers' is the word of the day for New Year’s gatherings. It’s also a word heard at banquet tables, at bars or between friends around the kitchen table at any time of the year. I like to think that cheer is somewhat attainable for us all, especially when coming out of dark times. For some, times and situations are very dark, when hope seems to have been merely a dream. So I say 'Cheers!' to everyone for this New Year that we may all find our way, backlit by friendship, fellowship and good cheer.

Come forward……

Health and wealth……

Energy that hasn’t existed…..

Enthusiasm builds slowly……

Renewal and rest are……

Substitutions for last year’s….

“Each age has deemed the new-born year 

The fittest time for festal cheer.”
~ Sir Walter Scott

What Had Been Given

This short story was originally titled ‘Reality Moves Forward from the Past’. It seemed too long and unwieldy. Written for New Year's in 2013, it really did need some fixing! So, after editing, fixing typos and doing general upgrades I’m pleased. We all do those things on a daily basis. Learning more effective ways of doing or saying things. Typos? I’m not sure about that one unless we’re actually writing something by hand with a real pen and a real piece of paper! Although changing frown wrinkles to smile wrinkles seems possible. General repairs tend to get a little more necessary over time. Changing eating habits and increasing exercise are difficult choices! My attitude toward each year that passes can be filled with just bit of resentment. Having to adjust activities when sleep is at a premium, when I can’t eat as much as I want, when my eyes need more help……….I won’t go on. What we have been given by our families, friends and mentors, whether a quilt or homespun wisdom, can be cherished anyway. Being grateful for the good and, strangely the bad, has moved me forward in my heart.

What Had Been Given

Elizabeth sat in the middle of the tiny bedroom. It was the only room that held all of  her past. Videos, books and cassette tapes. A crocheted picture created by her aunt decades before. Elizabeth had tried to create something out of her life, purchasing bits and pieces to build her home ‘from the inside out’. She hadn’t realized there were so many memories in these few charming gifts that did not fit her lifestyle with Rudy. It was New Year’s Eve. Elizabeth wore her new slinky floor length black dress. Traced on the black silk, tiny diamonds flowed left shoulder to waist to join pleats encrusted with tiny rubies. The diamonds faded in starlight streams twinkling gently over her bosom, waist and hips. The narrow but slightly flaring skirt only caught a very few of the diamonds. Simple ruby earrings and a pendant would be her only accessories. Her hair was silvered with only few streaks of black streaming from one temple. Hair that would be styled in a fashionable chignon. Held in place by silver combs. Because the evening was a formal dinner, she had chosen the black satin and low pumps. A very tall woman, she preferred wearing flats or low pumps. She had no illusions that her figure was anything but that of a mature woman. The youthful gleam in her eyes complemented her maturity.

Rudy, her ‘prince charming’, still elegant and still charming, hated wearing what he called the 'dreadful penguin suit’ with the bow tie that he was certain threatened to strangle him. Preferring walking shorts and a golf club, he felt completely out of his element. Brushing back the consistently wayward curl from his forehead, Elizabeth had convinced him that he was dressing up only for her. She assured him he could play golf without question any time at all, even though Elizabeth seldom complained about his golf games. He had kissed her tenderly and said ‘Only for you, my love. Only for you.’

Her reality was now and just as joyous. Her past was tucked up comfortably in one of the many spare bedrooms in this grand home that her parents had never dreamed possible. Elizabeth cherished all that she had been given. The twin bed with the quilt her grandmother made for her. The Ann and Andy porcelain dolls in the old rocking chair given one Christmas by her great aunt. So many joyous memories made before she and Rudy had even met.  A time when diamonds and rubies were merely sparkles seen in jewelry store windows. Gently putting her old dolls back in place, smoothing the quilt, she checked the time. Closing the door on her memories, she began preparing for the New Year to come.

“The gift was not large as money goes, and my need was not great, but the spirit of the gift is beyond price and leaves me blessed and in debt.”

~ Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

In Our Midst

Yesteryear was full of hope and angst ~ 

promises made, promises kept, 

surprises burst upon us

some wonderful, 

some incredibly sad.

eleven days into the New Year

with precious new babies 

in our midst

the sweet simplicity of life 

fills our New Year 

with joy, hope and love.

“Babies are such a nice way to start people.”

~ Don Herold

Keep It Simple

Simply awesome!

A new year rolls out!

Keep it simple

Enjoy each moment

No expectations about easy

Simplicity takes thoughtful creativity.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

~ Clare Boothe Luce

From Above

From Above

Pinpointed stars faded away in the bright splash of fireworks through cities and towns throughout the globe. The wide river running through the city glittered yellow’s, red’s, pink’s and all shades of the rainbow to push and burn off grey tendrils of fog trying to obscure the celebrations. Windows shuddered with each bloom of colour in the sky. From her tenth floor balcony, Alicia watched the happy crowd dance and sing into the town square. Sharing the fun and excitement from a distance, she leaned on her crutches, picked up her wine glass of bubbly ginger-ale and raised a toast to the New Year. Alicia knew her hope for 2017 was all about her. She just wanted her leg to heal, to run track again and to join the next party.

“Hope ~ smiles from the threshold of the year to come,

Whispering ‘it will be happier’……”

~ Alfred Tennyson

Time for Coffee

All I wanted was coffee - actually a vente latte.

My break was short - the nearest coffee shop was across the street.

Line up!! No time!

It was too busy to wait.

Quick stop into my workplace…….

Said hello - just a quick trip down to a different coffee shop - then be right back.

Surely not as busy in Cook Street Village.

Another line up!! Time was short but enough.

Laid back chat and chatter, doors opening closing, barista’s calling……..

The moral of the story?

Time management is necessary when visiting a coffee shop on New Years Day ~

New Years Day is much busier than Christmas Day.

“You gotta make it a priority to make your priorities a priorty.”

~ Richie Norton

The Chapter's Last Page

2012’s story has all but been told.

In a few short hours, 

last page and chapter will close.

2013’s story is about to begin.

Sit up. Pay attention. 

Let the New Year fly in!

Happy New Year!

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,

with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us,"

~ Hal Borland

Gung Hei Fat Choi....

...Another celebration!

A quick drive from Cook Street Village

To Forum Restaurant in Chinatown

Plates piled high with

ginger beef, deep fried squid, chow mein

kung pow shrimp, and sesame chicken

soon leveled as we ate with gusto!

An evening spiced with laughter and conversation.

No earth shattering topics but of course

highly intelligent discourse!

After fortune cookies filled with good will & luck,

a journey for ice cream

a trip down Fisgard Street under

giant red stars and glowing red lanterns.

Friends and fun - 

a great beginning to the Year of the Dragon!

Gung Hei Fat Choi!

“He who is contented is rich”

 ~  Lao Tzu

Auld Lang Syne

Ceremonious scurl from bagpipes Lifted by solid drum rhythm to spread plaintive notes over the balcony to uplifted faces at Government house gathering ~ A royal welcome to the New Year!

"Learn from yesterday,

live for today, 

hope for tomorrow."

~ Albert Einstein