Peel, Wrangle, Write
March! It’s still Women’s History Month and I’m still on a journey to understand myself. I used to think life would be pretty simple once I found the “man of my dreams”, settled down and made a home for my own family. I don’t know where I got the idea that adult life was a […]
Sugardance
There was a man, a writer priest who worked on commission for the King of France and who told in his records of an explorer and mega star from the port of Saint Malo on the channel coast of France, a place renowned for its industries of local extortion and worldly excursions of adventure. The […]
Timbit diplomacy
I have frequently resorted to poking a stick at the easy target of Tim Hortons. It’s about time I said something a little nicer about the company. So here goes. According to an article in the Globe and Mail a few weeks ago, Tims has decided to enter the coffee market in China It plans […]
Historic women
March is Women’s History Month. As I wrote last week, when I try to understand myself, I am reminded who my mother was. I’m not sure Mom ever understood the celebrating of International Women’s Day or of Women’s History Month. She was the kind of person who did what she had to do. If a […]
Surviving DocFest
Well, I survived the annual three-day late winter ritual— the Belleville Downtown DocFest, now celebrating its eighth year. But only just. DocFest is an endurance event. In addition to several plenary showings at the Empire theatre, there are six simultaneous showings at venues around the downtown, in seven different time slots, of a total of […]
Red Rover, Red Rover
March is Women’s History Month. Every woman has a story. Your granny has a story. Your aunties have stories. Your mother has a story. I have a story. During this month of women’s history, I hope to be able to tell my story and in doing so, encourage other women to tell their stories. I […]
Saved From Homer and Chaucer
Is this weather crazy or what? It warms up just enough to turn the ice to pools of water, but not enough that the water drains away. Then it freezes over and you’re stuck with massive new ice patches. Next it snows, meaning you have to shovel in order to maintain access to the outside […]
Practise what you preach
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. Every once in a while, someone who knows I attended Catholic School will say, “You must be a good Catholic girl”. Yep, I went to Catholic schools. And I was a pretty good kid, but I don’t think my behaviour had much to do with having gone to […]
The Unknown Saviour
The County has certainly had its share of the spotlight over the past few years, but it could soon be taking more bows—on Broadway, no less. The County forms the backdrop of a new musical being conceived by Toronto resident Gillian Spigott. The play, tentatively titled The Unknown Saviour is based on Spigott’s recent real-life […]
Forward planning
I know I’ve had just about enough of winter when we start to look at the travel section of the newspaper for sunny-south deals and we get serious about buying a small air conditioner before the shelves are empty come July. Truthfully, I’m not a sunny-south kinda gal. My parents loved winter and encouraged us […]