Tomorrow Hosea turns 10! As I read to him tonight, from the Series of Unfortunate Events, Simon came in the room with the video camera. "It's your last night of single digits, how do you feel?"  How do I feel? How could I even get back into the book after that with all the tears coming? Hosea knew, not even hearing the snifffles, by the way Simon responded to me. "Is Mama crying?"..."Yeah, you're getting bigger! But you still like to be read to!" Yes. He stayed in my bed the longest (Joey, do you hear that? Don't get any ideas!), and now he's being read to the longest. The girls sometimes hassle him about this, and I sometimes sigh at the end of a long day that I have to read to him still / again / can't you just read to yourself ? But..."He finds your voice comforting," Simon tells me. He knows the drill.  Also, this won't last forever.  Just like the fits.  A little or a large piece of each of us, though, does last for...

For your safety, please hold on These streets are paved with do no harm Hollow eyes, sunken cheeks Tis a wonder how the politicians sleep For your safety, please hold on And don't dare look up from your phone Ride on by, just as you step Lest sight of twisted bodies you regret For your safety, please hold on That harm reduction, it has won Won for whom? Well, no one knows But that's just how It goes Veiled compassion sold in wolves clothes

When 2023 ended I was filled with regrets. I guess that's how it goes? One regret was that I hadn't written as much as I would've liked. I have post ideas often, but not the time or energy to do them. Just today I was out, taking a little breather on my own to run some errands. I got into that flow state, in my mind by myself, thinking about things and feeling motivated. I was thinking about that thing of not having written much last year, and then I decided hey why not write Once A Month. Whether you have something or not...well, you make something! Isn't that what it is? The more you do it, the more you do it. And I have to start somewhere. That blissful flow state of a walk by myself was immediately interrupted as soon as I opened my door. Some kind of issue with the soon to be 10 year old! (Oh that boy!) And mentally, my dreams were dashed. But then, with the three gone later, and Joey in bed early cause he had no nap...Simon took on our late dinner and told me to ...

With all her foibles I can cope 'Cept when she leaves hair on the soap by Simon (for me) So, we have designated bars of soap in the shower. Although lately with the cost of everything it's cheaper to just buy one big thing of Ivory. That gets confusing.  Maybe the hair helps, though. Yesterday was Simon and I's 5 year anniversary! Not of marriage, or "going out" or whatever else. But of literally (oh gosh I have teenagers in my home)  MEETING.  So we listened to the infamous recording of that fateful moment. Cause we actually have it! Cringe!!! (yes I do have teenagers in my home) Cringey! Cringe-o-rama! Cringe-fest! I mean, he was cringed out by himself, barely able to listen to the recording. Halfway leaving the room like oh gosh I can't believe I said that. (Hello! I'm HERE !!!) I didn't expect to be cringed out by myself (what does that say about me?!)...but oh gosh I was. "I have a YouTube channel," I'd told him, about 30 seconds in...

Of course, there are a lot of things to gripe about in life. A lot of things wrong with the world. That's just the way it is. I don't dwell in the yuck for too long, because I know there is beauty everywhere. And I know I'm not the only one who suffers. And I know that injustice and hypocricy are endemic tales as old as time. Just, let's clear the air on that before we go any farther. Cause lately I've been thinking about, you guessed it: the enslavement of the masses!  Ok not the worst kind of slavery, but a very slippery, insiduous, manipulative type that we sometimes don't see.  Anyone out there have student loans? Anyone? I've shared some student loan sagas here before.  Oh First World Problem that it is! Sometimes it's minimized just so. But it can sure hold a person down. Maybe that person still has enough to eat, most of the creature comforts taken care of. But that loan just won't go away! EVER! There are programs that might forgive it. Progr...

The world is too crazy these days for me to not write about it. The other day two spandex clad cyclists nearly hit us-plus-baby on a bike ride down a BIKE PATH. When we approached them with a "Hey, that was really cutting it close back there and see we have this baby on us" remark at the subsequent crosswalk the guy merely dismissively said, "Ok", and the woman turned around with a snide voice and "Oh, I forgot, some people don't know how to ride"...and then they cycled off! What?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED? DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN? That's how the world feels these days. We all sense it, some more than others. And these people epitomize the online bullies many have become, who have lost their social skills and empathy and self and other awareness in the process. Their ability to reflect. Lord help us. ..................................................................... ..................................................................... So anyway. "...

Last night I went to the beach. Beach As I walk the beach--doesn't matter which one it is, as long as it's in Vancouver--I remember the different experiences I've taken with me, and had, in that wondrous! setting. Grey or sunny--the beach, or the experiences. Who am I this time, at the beach? Beach The newly arrived, unaware of the Beach potential Figuring it out, names lost and muddied like the high tide footprints  Meet ups to make friends, to be with friends, to celebrate this or that, not yet fully myself, not yet fully appreciative of just how wonderful the Beach is, just how many there are here Beach, Mom What a thing, watching children discover the place Watch out for sand! It gets in eyes, mouths--not just sandwiches--don't forget to feel its warmth, or its coolness Don't forget how it holds its shape when wet, don't forget how deep it goes and swirls Buckets, shovels...buckets!...creations lined with seashells sticks pebbles (look at THIS one!)  But wou...