You know the arguments? The arguments that shape us? You know, in that revolving door of relational discord? Well it'd been years since I'd made a pie. And then recently I made one, then another.  Making peace with pie, with an argument that shaped me, I realize. The pies haven't been all that great, but they've been good enough! The process hasn't been all that awful. I'll probably buy an actual pie dish and make another one one of these days soon. So far I've done blackberry and apple--suggestions? Just don't tell me how to measure. Yeah, just don't tell me how to measure! When I was married, this was an ongoing argument--"How to measure ingredients." Can any other couple claim that one? How to measure ingredients! Specifically flour.  a)Do you spoon the floor into the measuring cup just so, then lightly tidy the top so it's perfectly straight filled up?  Sure. I'm sure that is very precise. Very helpful.  Or, b)do you scoop the c...

Dear Whistler, I hadn't been to visit you in years. In fact, the only time I visited you--before just recently--was when I didn't even live near you! I'm so sorry for that, because now I know you better. What a nice idea, to go up to you for the day, though, to realize how easy that was. To breathe in your air and see your sights and familiarize myself with your space! To drive back home in the dark, the kids falling asleep in the backseat after a full experience. To realize we needed to do that again soon. But not for awhile, we'd thought. Then! Do you know what happened? Two days later an old friend from when I was a tween/teen contacted me on social media! I hadn't talked to her since 1998. And here she was messaging me out of nowhere! Asking me if I wanted to take her family's timeshare in Whistler for the week, that I'd pay a really cheap fee for it. They couldn't come, cause of the COVID border closure between the US and Canada.  Yes YES YES!! I th...

Sex. It's fun, isn't it? There's lots I could write about it. In a book, incognito!!! But this was just bait, to see how many would click. You're here! You clicked! So, Just For Fun. Stay. Irregardless of how you feel about this right now. (Oh how I love that "word"!) This post won't be completely irregardless of sex. I promise. I posted something on Instagram this morning, and it's interesting there cause you can tag things and then people you don't know from wherever in the world might see them and like them. This girl today from Germany liked a post I'd done, about mis-matched socks. I clicked on her profile to check out what she's about: "______. 25 y.o. Just For Fun!" And what followed were Tons Of Selfies. Just For Fun. #nomakeup #wokeupthisway #freckles #onfleek Just For Fun. Oh my gosh I was howling. Sorry, _____. I showed Simon. Oh my gosh he was howling. Sorry, _____. She's in Germany, so then...

This isn't really an eye-emotion-catching topic, I know that. But, maybe we all had some kind of habit or craft we cultivated growing up. Soccer, softball, gymnastics, playing the flute, martial arts, swimming, whatever......ballet. Maybe we don't use it directly anymore these days, but it's in there! (How many times have people complimented me on my posture?! And I usually feel like I need to improve it!!) I think of ballet nearly every day. Mostly because I have a beautiful photo of my ballet class from high school hanging in my bedroom. I hadn't hung that up for most of my adult life, until I moved into this apartment on my own with the kids. I remember pretty clearly the day the guy came and took the photo, and the other photos with it. He was a friend of one of the dancers, in a photography class or something, getting practice and doing us all a favour! (Or, maybe he was just creepy and I didn't realize it?!) We weren't a fancy school. Modest, low key, l...

I'm reading some David Sedaris right now; again. I love it. Back in the day I used to listen to him on public radio. Probably on episodes of "This American Life", and other platforms. His writing cracks me up! His deadpan delivery. His raw details sometimes beautiful, or brutal, or both at once. How he can make the most mundane seem interesting! The most painful, hilarious! This particular book of his, "Theft By Finding", I haven't read before. It's a compilation of his diaries from 1977-2002, slightly edited for the purposes of publishing, of course. What keeps striking me as I read it is, Wow there are a lot of crazies out there! Wow, there are a lot of bigoted, ignorant, mis-informed/un-informed, HATEFUL people! And, Wow, I have no idea what it's like, really, to be a minority. He is gay and Jewish, so he's experienced more than his fair share of hate. His stories include a lot of others--not HATERS--but others on the fringes. Often the vi...

It involves a lot of laundry. Meal prep, sweeping. Staring at the cupboards thinking, "What now?" Staring into the fridge thinking, "What now?" Staring into the sink thinking, "What now?" Standing in the kitchen. My early retirement involves a lot of assessing. This room needs this, this room needs that, this thing needs washed, this thing needs repaired. And then, just choosing a couple. I don't want to overdo it. I mean, I'm in early retirement. It involves a lot of self discipline. Who knew? No alarm to wake me, just my inner voice screaming, "Better get up!" The free expanse of the late night hours closed to me still. What good happens at that time anyway? Even in early retirement? Better go to bed. Remember, the morning. (But 1am is fun too.) A bit of not doing the things I thought I'd want to do, that's part, too. That sewing project I'd been putting off? For retirement? Ugh, who cares! I c...

I think we can connect this topic to COVID too. But I'll leave it at that. So,  in recent news...yet again...another shocker. Only, none of us are really that shocked. Is it THAT important to stand your ground? Save face? Show who's "boss"? How many times in history has a person's hunger for power and control--motivated by fear and insecurity--led to the types of horror we were reminded of the other day? **This thing from the other day(s!!!) is undeniably a race problem. This thing from the other day(s!!!) is undeniably an American problem.  When is the country going to WAKE UP TO ITS PROBLEMS AND ACTUALLY DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOMETHING RADICAL AND HELPFUL AND DEEP ABOUT THEM?** But also, this, what I'm writing about--Saving Face-- this isn't only a race problem, this isn't only an American problem. If you are a parent I'm sure you've gotten caught in the trap of power. Grasping for it as it sneakily snuck out of...