Goodbye 2022. You were a roller coaster ride.
On the cusp of 2023, I’m thinking about writing goals, reading goals, and life goals, or whether or not I’m going to make actual goals, as I clean my office and get ready for a new year.
Until next time…
Happy New Year!
Wherever you are, however you feel…
Until next year…
Peace be with you.
This time of year can be…intense. Expectations, from others and from within, can really mess with my mental state during the holidays. Before I know it my brain is going in a hundred different directions, besides than the hundred paths it’s already trying to follow. My way through is usually to have lists for all the things because I’m an organized person. But this year I’m not even close to anything resembling order. Who else is exhausted? Or is it just me?
The picture below is the mediation labyrinth at what was once a conference centre where we went for writing retreats a couple of times a year. You follow the same path in and out, which makes it different from a maze which usually has more than one exit and entry point. The idea being that walking in a circle blocks your sense of direction and the outside world, quieting your mind.
Being outside even viewing scenes of nature is great for our mental health. It reduces feelings of anger and fear. It positively affects your physical wellbeing by reducing blood pressure and slowing your heart rate. Our daughter has an intellectual disability and suffers from anxiety. One of her favourite way to reduce stress is a drive in the car around the large urban park in our city. Often we park and watch the birds. She’s a huge bird nerd. No radio. No distractions. Just what’s happening outside her window.
Winter Stress Relievers That Don’t Cost a Thing:
Laugh. A big belly laugh. Small chuckles. Even fake laughs have health benefits. It can ease pain and reduce your body’s stress response.
Take a Deep Breath. There are several ways to improve your technique so that you are sending much needed oxygen to all the right places and not taking shallow breaths with less benefits.
Hugs. I first read about hugging as a stress reliever in the book: Burnout. I always knew hugs were great, but I didn’t realize they had physiological benefits. Of course, you need another person for this. But giving and receiving a long hug really works. After about10 seconds you can feel your shoulders drop and your body relax.
There are other ways, of course. I found this great article: Stress Relief: 18 Highly Effective Stress Relief Strategies.
None of these things are a replacement for medical treatment or proper care. Speak to your doctor if you are struggling. Book an appointment to see a therapist. I know from personal experience that it helps. We’ve all heard of the tragic death by suicide of Stephen tWitch Boss. If you, or a loved one, are struggling with suicidal thoughts and live in Canada, call 1.833.456.4566. Or call: 911. Or text: 4566. Or please check out the Talk Suicide website.
Until next time…
What is your favourite way to decrease stress?
“Tis the season for book recommendations.
This gorgeous book was a heartbreaker, in the best way. Kennedy Ryan‘s writing gives you something different each time. In Before I Let Go, we meet Yasmen and Josiah Wade, whose marriage was supposed to last forever. But, as we find out, grief can rip the best of intentions to shreds. At the beginning of the story they have been divorced for two years. Moving forward means moving on from each other. But to do that they have to confront the grief that tore them apart. Sensual, angsty, and raw, this book has it all.
I’m going to leave you with another sneak peek at the first book in my Whisper Creek series. Charlotte has moved into her family home and has plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast. Four generations have lived in Darcy House, which was built by Albert and Louise Darcy in 1907. Rumours also swirl around The Darcy Diamonds. Jewelry given to Darcy brides on their wedding day and on the birth of children.
Until next time…
I’d love to hear your book recommendations.
December has arrived. We all know this month can get a bit bonkers.
Take a breather. I read somewhere that taking fifteen minutes alone, without distractions, and doing something you enjoy can give you enough of a refresh to forge ahead.
Whatever activity you kept for yourself pre-December, keep that date throughout the month.
Until next time…
Remember to take a few minutes throughout each day to take some deep breaths. I would love to hear other tips you have for surviving the holidays?
It’s one month till Christmas which means November is almost over. I’ve not watched one Christmas movie, Hallmark or otherwise. But we did see Bryan Adams in concert and it was fabulous. My Mom and I went to see our first Globe Theatre of the 2022/2023 season. Also, wonderful. And I’ve been busy with my watercolours and watching The Great Canadian Baking Show. And the sunsets and sunrises the last couple of days have been gorgeous.
Favourite Small Business Mention: Ell and Kay Clay Designs made in Saskatchewan. I love their earrings!
I’m leaving you with a tiny snippet from Charlotte and Ridge’s story (Whisper Creek Series, Book One). For a guy who’s trying to keep a low profile he’s not doing a very good job. It’s been a lot of fun throwing him into the deep end of the pool and figuring out what comes next.
I hope you find a moment of calm to read a great book in the amidst of the storm that is Christmas shopping, baking and socializing, oh my. I’ve recommended some great reads in previous posts. I also share bits of this and that on Instagram and Facebook, in case you’re interested.
Until next time…
I hope the last week of November is kind to you.
This Sunday is Grey Cup. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the CFL (Canadian Football League), that means this weekend is the final game of the season. Now normally I don’t care about the sports. Sorry, not sorry. But my city is hosting this year, which means there are all kinds of events happening. None of which I’m attending, by the way. But it’s fun to absorb the atmosphere from enough degrees of separation.
However, Globe Theatre is back and this year’s first reproduction is paying homage to football in Saskatchewan.Yes, ’tis the season for theatre going. That I can get excited about. Last Sunday was our first time back and the Globe is putting on #34 by Munish Sharma which highlight’s the incredible, groundbreaking career of George Reed. Reed was a running back who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for 13 seasons from 1963 to 1975. So, if you’re here to watch the Grey Cup, you might like to buy a ticket to the show.
I found it interesting. I really loved the last fifteen minutes of the show. There was deeper level of depth there that I felt was maybe missing from the rest of the production. Although, that is probably because of my lack of interest in the game of football. I still found it very entertaining and I learned some things about the early days of the CFL and what life was like for the players. I came away with even more reasons to love George Reed, like his support of Special Olympics Saskatchewan.
Me and my Momma! Who knit the sweater she is wearing, which in my unbiased opinion is a piece of art!
Until next time…
What’s everyone else out and about doing? Or are you keeping close to home?
It’s been a joyful beginning to November as we welcomed our newest grandchild. Little fingers, little toes, little nose. That new baby smell! He’s the sweetest little guy! Babies are the best, aren’t they? Especially, when you’re not the one responsible for them 24/7.
The writing is also starting to flow better. I don’t mind saying, it has been a slog for a while now. BUT, I’m finally making consistent progress. Making notes like the ones below put me in the right mindset, so to speak. They also help me with the story itself and brainstorming all the details that add tone and mood to a story.
I also signed up for an online lecture on November 24 through the Saskatchewan Writers Guild with Joshua Whitehead: Writing From the Body. I’m very excited about this.
For local friends: Come listen to some fabulous writers read. You’ll hear Donna Gartshore, Gail Bowen, Brian Bowman, Pam Bustin and Tara Gereaux. The event is free and open to the public.
Until next time…
How is your November starting out?
Halloween is almost upon us. To be honest, I don’t go to a lot of trouble. I put up a few decorations, we carve a pumpkin, make a couple of crafts, and hand out candy. Most of that effort is because our adult daughter, who has an intellectual disability and still lives at home. She keeps us young!
I have to say the highlight of this October was once again finding myself in a theatre seat to see the musical Come From Away. The story of how Gander, Newfoundland, with a population of under 10,000, found themselves hosting almost 7,000 air travellers who were redirected there on 9/11. It was so uplifting and so inspiring and just what I needed. If you get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it.
Also, it snowed. Ugh. But it’s melting. So, yay! A couple of fashion brands to mention. The black sweater is from Sarah Sue Design, a sustainable and ethical, female owned fashion brand out of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is one of my very favourite brands. The blue tunic is from another lovely brand, sustainable, ethical and female owned, Cider and Vine. From Estevan, Saskatchewan, they focus primarily on linen, although the one I’m wearing is a heavy terrycloth. The black pants are Eileen Fisher and the burgundy pants are Free Label (Vancouver, Canada, ethical, sustainable, female owned). Both pants are several year old and have been worn multiple times.
The banana bread recipe was delicious and from my new favourite baking site, Sally’s Baking Addiction. The delicious apple cake is my Mom’s recipe. I’m going to try and get that recipe up in December.
I’ve never written a Halloween story. The closest I’ve come is Exposed, which takes place in October and centres around Aspen Lake’s annual Gothic Revival Festival. One of the key events of the festival is The Mad Man’s Ball. I had so much fun brainstorming ideas for this festival and then putting them to paper. The whole town gets into and it’s a major source of income to many of the businesses. Putting those details into a story is what makes writing so much fun.
The Abbey, where the ball takes place, was inspired by the Moosehead Inn at Kenosee Lake, southeastern Saskatchewan. I spent lots family time at Kenosee Lake as a child and I worked at Moose Mountain Provincial Park, right next door, for two summers. I met my husband that first summer. Sadly the Moosehead burnt down in 2021. No one knows what happened to the resident ghost, who was quite infamous, and a total troublemaker…
Until next time…
What’s everyone else up to? Is Halloween a favourite holiday for you? Or are you a bit meh about the whole idea?
This is the book I picked for October because, you know, Halloween. And it has vampires and werewolves and soulless humans (?) and the typical mortal kind. And they’ve found a way to co-exist in Victorian England. Mostly.
Soulless by Gail Carriger a combination of urban fantasy, victorian, romance, steampunk and mystery. I’ve never read anything like it. I enjoyed it. Alexia Tarabotti is an outspoken, sarcastic delight. She may have no soul but she’d got character in spades. Though I have to admit I had to do some backtracking. That doesn’t necessarily bother me, especially if it’s a genre I don’t regularly read. And there was a lot going on in this story. And a lot of characters. And layered world building to sort through. It’s not for everyone but if you’re curious definitely give it a try.
Here’s a sneak peek at a book I’m writing which may or may not have a ghostly character.
Until next time…
What’s everyone else reading? Anything spooky?