Long, languid days at the beach. Stunning sunsets across the lake. Exquisite alfresco meals and refreshing cocktails. Summer is the stuff dreams are made of. But what if your summer dream isn’t so dreamy? Or the plan doesn’t quite get executed as perfectly as in your dream? We haven’t experienced this much pressure and expectation since Christmas. You remember Christmas – the beautiful Norman Rockwell image that in real life
Have you ever seen the magic behind movie magic? It’s actually not all that magical looking. My neighbourhood is a popular site for movie and television productions. The streets are regularly lined with the many trucks and trailers that are required for shooting footage. There are thick bundles of cords lining the sidewalk, cranes, scaffolding, lighting, and people wearing headsets and carrying clipboards, alternately looking bored or frazzled. There’s
Sometimes we all get a little off track. It may be due to an accident or illness, or perhaps just scheduling. Somehow this happens to me every June. With three kids, June is the wind up month: all activities and school draws to a close and our already busy schedule bursts at the seams. In the last week of June we’re also madly prepping for overnight camp: checking off items
I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson’s. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those choices, there’s freedom to do a lot of things in areas that I wouldn’t have otherwise found in myself.
Are you into big buts? Let’s be honest here: most people do have one or two big buts they’re really into that they just can’t resist: I know I shouldn’t drink so much wine BUT…. I know I should have more patience with the kids BUT… I know I seem critical BUT…. Here’s a few of my personal favourites: I know I should exercise more, BUT… I know I should finish
Lavish bouquets, brunch, mimosas, jewellery, mushy cards, and dinner at your favorite restaurant…. all this and more are the hallmarks of Mother’s Day. A single day in the year when we honor the selflessness and sacrifice of our own mothers and as our role as moms. Commercials capitalize on the pride and power of the mothering connection. Advertisers like Dove and Proctor and Gamble know exactly how to tug on our heartstrings, and
We’ve all had our moments, after a bad day (or a bad year) when we dip into self-pity and feel sorry for ourselves… Poor me, no one understands. Poor me, no one else has had such a hard row to hoe.
Have you ever had such a great time in your life that you were sad to see that period end? Do you find yourself remembering it with longing? This is always my experience around St Patrick’s Day. It is one of my favourite holidays tinged with a sting of longing. I used to live in Dublin in The Sweet Years. The economy was booming. I was in my mid-twenties. My
Do you ever have those less than stellar parenting moments that lead you to wonder if your kids will be telling a therapist all about you in 30 years? Do you worry that you’re screwing up your kids? Let me assure you, an occasional raised voice or an episode when your kids see you in tears is not the kind of thing they’ll talk about years later on a therapist’s
Lose weight Stick to exercise plan Get organized Improve relationship Find relationship Yell less Snuggle more Move ahead Slow down Sound familiar? These are some of the most common resolutions I hear at The Nook. People set BIG goals, determined that This Year Will Be Different. This year will be completely different. People are pumped up, excited, and ready to begin turning over a brand new leaf. But their approach
