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…

Hiding in the Hydrangeas

This is an updated re-blog on my neighbour, Rocco, who passed away last week from a heart attack. I admit it. When I’m overtired, I want be left alone in my garden. I’ve pretended not to notice Rocco (my elderly Italian neighbour) nearby when I’m busy weeding. He gave me several hydrangea plants two summers…

Pay You Double!

The young man sat hunched over in his old wheelchair. It was the kind you roll with your hands, not an electric model. An overturned baseball cap was held out by chapped, bare hands. My daughter and I had walked three blocks on a blustery January afternoon. We’d passed by six parking meters, each one labeled…

The Sweetest Christmas Gift

Christmas 2016 has come and gone. But, an unexpected gift stands out from all the others. A special gift from Santa Claus. Two weeks ago, a fellow dishwasher at the homeless shelter asked me, “Do you think I should dress up as Santa Claus? My friend said I could borrow his suit.” If anyone has…

Shocking Living Quarters

Ingenious. That was my first thought. I should have been shocked but instead I thought, “Wow. That woman is thinking smart!” A homeless woman was reportedly sleeping in a large dog crate at night. A folding crate that she stored by day on top of two shopping carts containing her worldly belongings. The crate provided…

BBQ Season Finale

“Tell people someone tried to take out Big Ant’s BBQ!” Big Ant works security at Caesars Windsor. He also helps out at a homeless shelter. I’m not sure of his title but he oversees operations several days a week. His claim to fame though is his cooking, specifically, his love of barbequing! When Big Ant’s…

Their Shoes- #2

Kelly wears steel-toed shoes donated to her by the homeless shelter three years ago. “I’m so grateful for them. I wear them everyday.” Tell me about living in poverty. What is your biggest struggle? “The hardest thing has to be trying to make a plan or a schedule. I’m always thinking, “What do I need…

Their Shoes- #1

Sarah-Lynn’s shoes and clothing were donated by the shelter. Tell me about living in poverty. “One of the hardest things about living in poverty was learning to accept getting by without enough money on a daily basis. Dealing with bill collectors. Having to borrow from friends and then losing those friends in the process was…

Eulogy for Dad

Our family of six kids was raised in an era when children weren’t coddled. We were aware of our parents’ expectations. If you knew what was good for you, you did it. Without complaining.  I remember showing my parents a challenging test marked 98%. Dad looked at it and said, “What about the other 2%?”…

Crisis Averted Times Two

I paused from serving hot dogs to observe a distraught woman, maybe in her late 30’s.  My dishwasher partner, Chris, spoke to her softly,” Go see Sarah-Lynn. She’ll set you up. Don’t worry.” I gave my buddy a quizzical look. He told me the woman was just kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend…