I chatted with a young writer the other day, and she asked me how important it was to focus on platform building. The lack of a platform can keep a writer wide awake at 3:00am, eating grapes straight from her fridge. Platform, of course, is  your visible, countable presence in the world — your spheres …

Build a writing foundation before a platform Read More »

My cat-watching days are almost over. When quiet settled across the land in general and Arlington Street in particular, I sat on my bed and looked out the window to where the only activity on our street was the curious cat across the road. I remember thinking that it had been a very long time …

As we leave Covid behind Read More »

These days Dewey and I walk more slowly than we ever have around our neighbourhood. It used to be exercise for me, and now it’s more of a stroll of sniffing. Dewey starts out beside me and ends up behind me, tired. How do we love an old dog well? Old dogs are loved best …

How to be with an old dog Read More »

I have something fun to share. On Thursday, May 20th, if you’re married to a pastor you are warmly invited to “Married to the Minister” a virtual gathering to be heard, seen and encouraged. Since the release of The Minister’s Wife: a memoir of faith, doubt, friendship, loneliness, forgiveness and more I have heard from so …

Married to the Minister Event coming up Read More »

About a third of the way through 2020, I attended a legal (then) outdoor gathering where I realized I might have a problem on my hands moving forward. Out of all the people there, the one person I had never connected with in that magical, soul-friend manner that we all love so much was the …

I’ve turned into a marshmallow Read More »

The other day I spread sections of the newspaper I knew I was done with (business and sports, incase that’s not obvious) on a corner of our dining room table. I retrieved our little basket of shoe polish, cloths and brushes and grabbed my boots from inside our front door. It was time once again …

The comfort of small habits Read More »

I may have told this story before, but once, when I was a kid reading in bed, my sister burst into my room to say “Your room is on fire you idiot!” Which wasn’t strictly true. It was just my beloved rabbit puppet which, in an early attempt at decor, I had sat atop my …

Reading while writing Read More »

The other night I sat on my bed, trying to look like I wasn’t sitting on my bed, and met online with a group of new friends. Almost everyone, as it turned out, was perched on their bed or sitting in their bedrooms. When houses are full, this is where women go to zoom. Megan, …

We should throw each other zoom calls Read More »

The other day, when we were driving aimlessly around Ottawa, Brent turned to me and said, “What is the song in the whole world you would most like to hear right now?” “Jackson,” I replied, obviously. He quickly found it on Spotify and Johnny Cash and June Carter were there with us. “Well, go on …

Driving and singing and the playlist we made for us and for you Read More »

To sleep tonight, I had to write an article today. It felt a little bit like climbing a mountain to get to that beautiful valley tucked in its shadow on the other side, except with notes and highlighters and my laptop and no actual valley, and a little bit of a messy house. “I need …

I’d like to share with you about the thing we call Reward Night Read More »

On Saturday, we strolled through the forest like it was Paris, spinning around on the spot, taking photos with our phones and saying “Look at this!” and sighing, “It’s so beautiful.” I felt for the couple skiing a few metres ahead of us, who maybe had thought they’d have a quiet morning, without snow tourists …

We treated the forest like it was Paris Read More »

I have thought a few times about writing our kids and Brent’s parents to tell them how great their father and son has turned out to be in a pandemic. I think I haven’t done it mostly because I don’t want the generation above me or below me to think I’m such a wreck that …

This blizzard that has gone on for too long Read More »