Writer’s Block, Begone!

It’s taken weeks, or more accurately, months for me to get to writing again which begs the question: What’s up with that? There’ve been lots of attempts on my part, with actual hours spent typing away. Mostly though, my dabbling’s aren’t worthy of your eyes (or mine, for that matter) and so into the Recycle …

I Was Scared… I’m Better Now.

Day One It’s 4 a.m. I wake feeling I am going to vomit. Keeping still, I inhale slowly, then exhale slowly. The feeling gradually gives way as a dull ache comes to life in my head. I close my eyes. If I’m going to be sick, so be it. Being that we’re still bumbling around …

A Mother’s Lesson…

Painting "Mother's Love" by Roxana Gonzales Her teeth, discoloured and crooked, were a life-long source of embarrassment. Her body, once wafer-thin and airy, had become thick and heavy. Fat, evenly distributed, made her breasts and belly, even her arms, too big for her small frame. Light on her feet when young, she didn’t risk dancing …

The Role of a Lifetime: What does it look like?

The man who took on the role of my dad worked steady and hard but liked a drink to his detriment and mine. Believing himself wise, he would boast about being self-taught, all the while remaining rather pedestrian in his style. He excelled as a salesman having inherited the Irish “gift of gab” but fell …

Unplug. Take Time Out. Reset. It’s a Good Thing.

As much as I love walking in the rain, after doing it for a few days in a row, I’ve had enough. Fickle? Perhaps, but rain, no matter how protective one’s outerwear, always finds its way to skin. And when a winter’s day rain finds skin, expect to be chilled to the bone in short …

What Happens When You Die? I Can’t Really Say … I’m Still Alive

It’s raining. A common thing this time of year here. It's fairly warm at 6 degrees Celsius (42 for you Fahrenheiters), too. Also, typical. The rain is soft; no puddling. There's a slight breeze blowing. I know this only because, through the window, I can see a branch or two wave at me occasionally. Inside, …

Do I Want To Sleep Through It?

2021. How’s it going for you so far? Roughly three weeks in and I'm desperate to morph into Ripa Van Winkle (Rip’s unmentioned sister), get me a jug of the intoxicating stuff that sent her lazy brother to Nod for twenty years, and sleep till at least 2040! Wouldn't it be sweet to bypass the …

Another Year Begins… Welcome, 2021!

I have always secretly liked the pomp and circumstance associated with New Year’s Eve. Since my teens, however, I’ve kept that fact to myself, persistently feigning indifference, even disdain for the folderol. My subterfuge has its roots in embarrassment. The party thing is beyond me, and I'm ashamed. I am insecure and irreversibly clumsy when …

Unplugging: It’s Never Too Late!

Thought I’d give ye all an update on me days sans (without) Facebook. What can I say except that it’s been GREAT! I’m still scrolling and liking pictures on Instagram, but spending less and less time there. I have not looked at Twitter except once when checking on a trend. I didn’t stay long. I …

Learning Is Heaven and Earth…

Have you ever heard of the word “merism”? Somehow, it had escaped my memory which came as a huge surprise, because, well, I thought I was pretty well-versed in all things English. Ahem. Nevertheless, I welcomed what felt like an introduction. A merism is a linguistic phenomenon; “phenomenon” because it refers to two or more …