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
Your heart is thumping and your head is pounding. It’s tough to catch your breath, let alone take some deep breaths. Your to-do list feels ten miles long and you’re not sure where to start. There are some weeks (or months) in our lives when it feels like everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong. Our already full plates begin to overflow with commitments and urgent matters we
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
Have you ever had a friend speak to you like this: You are SO pathetic!!! How can you even stand to hear yourself speak?! Ugh. You are the most boring person I know. Can’t you talk about anything interesting? You’re so stupid. Of course no one loves you, you’re miserable. No one would ever want to be with you, you have no value. You’re so fat, look at your
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
It creeps up on us slowly; almost imperceptibly… the sun sets earlier and rises later. Nights are cooling off and shadows are lengthening. Farmers’ markets are overflowing with abundant corn crops. It’s time for the annual Perseid meteor shower (next year I vow I’ll watch it far away from Toronto’s light pollution!). Summer here in Canada is over halfway over & the last few weeks will disappear in a blink.
Don’t worry, it’ll happen. I hear that when you’re anxious you can’t get pregnant, and as soon as you manage the anxiety you’ll be pregnant. You should just relax. I have this friend who had this friend who _____________ (fill in the blank with a diet, a doctor, a magic herb or supplement) and then she got pregnant! Have you tried…? The phrases above
Where’s your net? One week in November I found myself at Saint Timothy’s Anglican Church. A week later I was at Manor Road United Church. Come January, you could find me at the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist. In February it was St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. I wasn’t having a faith crisis or sampling different doctrines. I was in the lucky role of delivering faith and
