My Own Calcutta: A Year of Living Generously

Yay! I did it! After years of pushing my manuscript to the backburner, I took the plunge and moved forward. My first book, My Own Calcutta, was recently published on Amazon. Let me share with you the storyline… It’s November 2013. As Rita Jacques hears that a typhoon has devastated the Philippines, she’s once again…

Life is Lumpy!

  My daughter, Giselle, was once asked, “Why is your mother baking muffins at midnight?” Giselle shrugged her shoulders, and answered, “I dunno. She just always bakes at that time.” Maybe it’s because I worked midnights for decades that I still get a burst of energy at that time. Or maybe I’m simply craving muffins!…

Thousand Word Thursdays #211

Today’s photos aren’t outstanding by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s a special sentiment behind my pics. In early spring, my 94-year-old mother asked if I was planting anything new this year. I told Mom I was, indeed. I had started Canary Bird Vine seeds indoors with the hope they would survive the transition…

Love of Flowers or Plant Addiction?

Something odd happened last week. As I stepped outside onto the front porch, I spotted a middle-aged woman photographing my forsythia bush. I didn’t think that out of the ordinary as the forsythia is definitely worthy of catching a photographer’s eye. What was unusual was the woman happened to be clutching an armful of forsythia…

Christmas Spirit

I’m re-posting this story as a tribute to my neighbour who recently succumbed to Covid. His name (Bob) is a pseudonym as is his wife’s name (Sandy). Bob struggled with dementia from Parkinson’s yet his love for his wife always shone. Rest in peace, my friend. The doorbell rang followed by frantic knocking. I expected…

The Old General Store

Time passes differently with a puzzle piece in your hand. It’s true. I lose total track of time while puzzling. That’s what I call it when I work on a puzzle. Every Christmas I receive a puzzle as a present. I must’ve have been a very good person last year because Santa gifted me with…

Most Loved Photo of 2020!

Have you ever experienced a feeling of anxiety so intense you felt it in the pit of your stomach? This happened to me the other day when I realized I did something not too bright at all! And feared there may be serious repercussions. I was about to run an errand for my daughter. This…

🎶(Staying) Home for the Holidays!🎶😷

I didn’t feel like decorating for Christmas this year. Usually, I’m gung-ho about it and have our home festive by early December to fully enjoy the season. But this year it just seemed like too much effort. Too much hassle for no visitors to enjoy. The premier of Ontario told us to stick to our…

Thousand Word Thursdays #200

I’ve been combing Mom’s recipe collection to print out recipes for my two daughters for Christmas. What a surprise to find a recipe Gramma submitted to the local paper and won as Recipe of the Week! Here is the recipe (saved for too many years to remember) complete with spelling errors. Plus, a bonus photo!…

Daisy Days!

You might say I had it coming. I was warned, after all. Ten days ago, my neighbour told me, “Rita, you have a little time but not much. It’s going to get cold, very cold! Just you wait and see! All of the leaves are going to drop.” He’d been doing yard work on a…