Memories – Life by the Sea

The most difficult words I’ve ever written…

July 9, 2021 No Comments

Joan was born on February 27, 1948 in Liverpool and was the sixth child of the late Muriel Evans (nee Allen) and the only child of the late Joseph Mills of Milton, NS. Born under the sign of the fish (Pisces) she had a life-long love of the water. Growing up on the banks of the Mersey, she spent her childhood swimming in the river and always found herself happiest when spending time at the family cottage in Labelle on Ponhook Lake or taking drives along the coast with those she loved. After completion of the secretarial course at Liverpool Regional High School she worked as a Payroll Clerk at Liverpool’s Town Hall. It was there that she met Howard. An employee with Maritime Tel & Tel (later Aliant) he had been called to fix a telephone line which required him to crawl under her desk. In the process, he […]

Memories, Reflections, Writing

Untethered Thoughts

May 23, 2019 1 Comment

It’s been two and a half years since I’ve written. My DSLR has been gathering dust. I haven’t been creative in the sense that there’s nothing to show for that time. I’ve been introspective. I’ve spent that time absorbing everything instead of finding ways to step outside myself in a tangible, tactile way that others can see. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve evolved and moved through different versions of myself but its all been an internal metamorphosis. There’s no external proof of these changes. Nothing to chronicle them or provide a record of those journeys. Those memories are mine but can be conjured and relived and played like a montage of key moments on my mind’s movie screen. The past week I’ve been spending a lot of time reading and giving my mind a space to stretch and bend in unfamiliar ways with new information and methods of thinking. I’ve […]

Holidays, Memories

Something Wicked This Way Comes – Halloweens of the Past

October 31, 2016 1 Comment

I’ll admit it. Halloween is not my favourite holiday. I’m not a fan of the grotesque, zombies or even clowns. I’ve been afraid of clowns long before it was a “thing”. When I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s we all wore home made costumes – not made using a pattern either. We took old items and fashioned them into pretty generalized versions of things – a hobo, a witch, a pirate or a rock star. I distinctly remember it being a real challenge to come up with a costume idea that utilized things you could easily find around the house. More than one year I remember my mom telling me that if all else failed I could always cut a hole in a sheet and go as a ghost. I always thought that was an odd suggestion considering we didn’t own white sheets. There’s nothing cooler than […]

Memories, Mental Health, Reflections

Kindness costs nothing. So why don’t we extend it more often?

October 23, 2015 7 Comments

Extending kindness has to be part of your to do list I’ve been making a point of extending kindness to those I encounter this week. This came about because we always seem to be in a hurry wherever we’re all going and very rarely do we make a point to STOP and acknowledge other people we meet along the path. Traffic has been horrendous this week in Halifax due to a big project that will be ongoing for the next year or so to replace one of our lifelines across the harbour – the MacDonald bridge. Everyone has been late for work, tempers are being tried and we all feel very sick of being in our cars on a commute that should take a fraction of the time it has actually been taking. How many times have you sat on a side street trying to turn onto a busy street […]

Holidays, Life With Boys, Memories, Parenthood, Reflections

Celebrating Six – A Birthday Letter to Luke

April 24, 2015 No Comments

Dear Luke: This morning I quietly snuck into your bedroom. In the darkness, I crawled into your bed beside you and softly sang “Happy Birthday”. You stirred and your eye lids slowly opened – welcoming a new day. A new year. Six. You now have to use two hands to illustrate how old you are. 2,191 days since I became a mom. You’ve become so independent, confident and even more curious about the world around you this last year. After some initial anxiety about moving on to “big school” you found your footing and became more comfortable with your new surroundings, new routine and new friends. At times school has challenged you – you’re still much more fond of playing than doing “so much WORK”. You’ve expanded your mind in creative new ways and are grasping concepts that you find interesting and are eager to share at the end of […]