Why did I Choose Whitby?
Because, I have never fallen as quickly or thoroughly in love with a place, since first visiting Puerto Viejo over a decade ago. Sunset over Whitby Rail Station, January 2025 I hopped off the train and strode purposefully toward the pier,toward my lodgings for the next four days. The seaside resort town was awash with the amber glow of sunset, and I had minutes to spare before oranges gave way to purples, then blues, then black in the night sky. 50 meters from the station, I turned around, grinning at the world and snapped my first photograp…
Elderberry Syrup Recipe
My recipe is no secret. I've had a late start on my syrup this year, because it's just been so dang nice out. Well, the weather has caught up with the season, and last week I caught the cold that's been going around my office. While I had no syrup on hand, I was given daily doses of master tonic by my mum for the duration of the illness--around 5 days. Each year, I dig out the old recipe book for a reminder on what goes in. Finally it's fully committed to memory. One little change is this, the preservative: I use wither Vitamin…
Mindful Eating: Day 4...
How to mindfully eat a hamburger and fries...or not. On the one hand, I was not looking forward to mindfully eating my weekly hamburger and fries from Five Guys. This is because I wasn't sure I could do it. This meal is quite often scarfed down, book-ended by a handful of salty roasted peanuts. Questions in my head: Will I be able to do it, eat a succulent burger and too-many-delicious fries slowly? Chewing and swallowing the bolus before taking another bite? If so, will I enjoy this meal more than in the past? As with others this week…
Mindful Eating: Day 3…
Finding the time for mindful eating…Breakfast is a challenge. First, because it’s muesli. I’m not a fan of oats, so I must to doctor them up special to make them palatable. Practical DINK Muesli recipe: (random amounts of) Oats, unsweetened dried coconut, dried cranberry or currants, unsalted pepitas, raw sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and a scoop of raisin bran cereal. Next, I have grown accustomed to standing for breakfast, and shoveling it in (again because I don’t really like oats) , and I have rarely sat down to eat breakfast. So, Today, I…
Why I’m Trying Mindful Eating
I caught myself on two separate occasions last week, having consumed a delicious bag of Barbara's cheez & jalapeño doodles. I had no recollection of any enjoyment in either one. With this snack in particular, it’s just not like me...I love those things, and they often remind me of Friday evenings back in grad schools, when I worked in the multimedia studio—managing training and checking out audio/video equipment, lighting rigs, microphones, cameras and DAT recorders—late into Friday nights. My meal of choice back then was a pot of hon…
PoeM: Retail Therapy
Needed to buy new clothes to help feel better today. It's odd but whenever I buy something new, it’s viewed through the lens of being with you. Not just clothes but anything, everything. I bet he’d love this dress on me. I‘m certain he’d know a good recipe for this salmon. I can guarantee he’d be amused by the Velcro on these sport sandals. Today’s purchase is slinky and sexy and the fabric begs to be touched, caressed, and admired. It’s a far cry from what I had on when we met… A sweater, winter coat, ear muffins—probably, all …
First Colonsocopy
True Story: I'd forgotten how old I am... (Be warned: three pictures of my colon are shown below) ...for like years. I recently got a friendly reminder at my GPs office when she told me that it's time to start colonoscopy screenings. So, that's how old I am...thanks Dr Martin-Jones! In a nutshell, the procedure screens the full 7 meters of lower bowel/ large intestine--using a high-resolution camera--for abnormal growths (polyps) , marks, discoloration, or texture changes. Colorectal cancer is on the rise! If abnormalities exist,…
The Smoking Saga
Okay, so I started smoking when smoking was cool...sometime last century. Like classic convertibles, playing lacrosse, listening to the Grateful Dead, finishing the New York Times crossword, huddling for warmth in a wintertime circle of smokers, cool. In short, I started smoking in high school. For the next several years, cigarettes were a wonderful accompaniment to the all of life’s small and large milestones. They helped fill in the awkward pauses when meeting people in bars, between bands playing at the Side Bar. Between classes as an under…
#MeToo...& After
Oftentimes folks post positive feel-good updates on social media and blogs. I'm totally guilty of this. I often live through the tough times in my daily life, without finding ways to share in this forum. The plus-side of this strategy is that shiny-happy posts abound. The down-side is a missed opportunity to share experiences that may be helpful to others. When Hashtag-Me-Too emerged, friends around me shared their in-person stories of rape and sexual abuse. I did the same with them, and my community seemed fortified by the sharing. Last …
Post-Covid Social Anxiety
A week ago today, I was sat across from two good friends/neighbors who were in our Covid Bubble during lockdown. We were attending a book event at the new local bookstore/cafe. The younger of my two friends admitted to me that she finds it challenging to prepare for social engagement and was relieved that we all decided to attend the book talk together. I must say I feel this challenge at social events, myself. I often just power through the angsty feeling and head into the social morass anyway--as I did before the pandemic. But the angsty fee…
memories of mom
This past few weeks have been pretty tough in my household. My partner and I prepare for the inevitable passing of his mother and we can simply wait. At one of our weekday date nights, he brought up the topic of memorable mom stories. And he shared them with me over wine and veggies outside of our favorite vegetarian restaurant. His mom was a tough broad while he was growing up. She never panicked when her boys got scraped up or hurt. She handled things in stride. Today, she's still pretty tough; it's one of the things that I'll …
On Socials