One Part Inspiration...

I've gotten out my summer clothes. I've put away my winter clothes. I've done laundry. I've vacuumed. I've cleaned the washrooms. I've dusted. I've washed windows. I've cleaned out my freezer. I've written letters. I've gone shopping. I've written reports. I've phoned a friend. I've planned parties. I've consulted about wedding flowers. Taxes are due in two days.   I am an expert in protaxtination.

Earth Day is also my Mom's birthday.  It's a bitter-sweet earthly reminder to me of all that my mom embodied.  She would not have called herself an environmentalist, but she did everything an environmentalist would approve of:  recycling everything from cards, to wrapping paper, to cans and plastic containers; being careful of how much water she used - [even when she had an automatic washer, she defaulted to use a wringer washer so she could re-use the water for multiple loads] buying second-hand items which served the purpose just as well as brand-new items; re-doing flower arrangements which she received, as many times as the flowers would survive; turning off lights. She wouldn't throw out her coffee - just kept reheating it and drinking a few more sips in between errands and household chores.  She rode a bicycle, or walked rather than driving a car.  (this last one was a bit of a cop-out since she took many years to get up the courage to learn how to dr...

My husband casually said to me one day "I'm going on a business trip on Monday, can you come?"   I moved heaven and earth and off we went. It was a beautiful day.  We meandered (careened - my husband doesn't believe in using brakes through mountain passes) up the highway, and came to the little town which hosted the 2010 Olympics. At first, I wondered what I was going to do with over three hours of "me" time while he attended the course.  But it didn't take long to find my way.  I wandered through the town, chatting with store owners and finding out all kinds of information.  It is a very friendly town, and most everyone is from somewhere else, so there's always an international flavour which I don't expereince too many other places. There were lots of shops and even more shop owners who were happy to chat about the nice weather and try to locate  products I was on the look out for.  One shop owner even left her doors open later tha...

This is me. Waiting for my #2 son. He was trying on a tuxedo. It is my last graduation to attend as a mom. It is a milestone to celebrate and to look back and ponder the last thirteen years of his school experience. I have had a few "moments" this school year. They catch me by surprise because they come upon me when I least expect them - at ordinary moments. One of them was when I dropped in at the school to pay for soccer fees. I realized that this was the last time I would be an school athlete's mom. I had to leave the office very quickly lest the administrative staff see me break down. Another was when I picked him up for an orthodontic appointment.  I suddenly thought of the fact that the times we would have in the vehicle together going to appointments had almost come to an end.  He would soon be able to make his own appointments and ferry himself there.  Gone would be the days of chatting side by side, and making side trips to the driv...

Today, I headed out for a visit with a dear family friend.  It was mid-morning; the sun was shining(somewhere under the clouds - [sunny days always lend themselves better to a story]) and the birds were singing.  I drove up our road and stopped at the corner, when I saw one of our city's finest (I am referring to the police department) with a car drawn across the road in a cordoning-off-limits position. I rolled down my window and she informed me that they were on the lookout for a suspect who had possibly crossed the border.  She took a cursory glance in my van to see if I was hiding him.  Nope.  First I'd heard about it.  Then she told me that if I could head out, but I couldn't come back because the road would be blocked. After asking her a really stupid question - which as it was coming out of my mouth I tried to retract, but it was no use "Do you have a timeline?".... I took a deep breath and headed out.  I didn't know when I would be able ...