04/28/15

The Big C – Take 2

The Big C – Second Time Around

Some things are not good the second time around. Cancer is one of them.

April, on the Damp Coast, is cancer month. So for the whole month of April there are events, fund raisers, people begging for money on behalf of all things related to cancer. For me, it’s very irritating. I understand the need for people to try to do something about a disease that makes people feel completely helpless. But my experience is that it seems all the money collected doesn’t always make it down to the patient level.

I’ve had cancer twice.

Continue reading →

03/24/15

Housecleaning

Housecleaning – the necessary evil.

I’ve packed my bags, cleaned the floor,

Now watch me walking, walking out the door.

Eurythmics, Would I lie to You?

It’s Spring time on the damp coast and inevitably, my mind briefly flits on the idea of spring cleaning the house. And I do mean briefly.

It is a deranged mind that loves house cleaning. To be perpetually obsessed about ridding the world of dust bunnies or banishing bathroom mold is a bit sick and twisted. Continue reading →

03/24/15

When Superman Needs Help

He did things that only Superman could do
Things that sis and I could not believe were true.

Harry Connick Jr., He is They Are

My Superman

My dad has always been my superman. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t do. He could fix anything and build something out of any kinda material. He rebuilt our entire house!

He could climb mountains and swim oceans. He was the coolest dad on the block because he raced motorcycles.

So cool, in fact, it saved me from being stuffed into a locker in grade 8. Turns out the grade 12s had heard of my dad and thought I was cool because of it. Whew! Continue reading →

03/9/15

Where are your Friends when the going gets tough?

Where are your friends when ya need ’em?

I get by with a little help from my friends

Ringo Starr

Why is it that when a woman is going through a tough spot, people leave her alone?

Yet, when a man is going through a tough ordeal, people rally round him. They bring him food, they offer to make him dinner, they clean his house.

The Evidence

I’ve seen this first hand.

When a friend died, people tripped over themselves to help her husband. I went over and cleaned his filthy house, made food, helped out with the kids.

Yet when a family friend lost her husband, no one went over to clean her house or made her food. After a couple of weeks, people stopped calling. Why? Continue reading →

02/10/15

A Mexican Moment

A Glimpse of the Mexican Sun

In the long dark of Winter, we need a bit of sunshine. A Mexican moment.

Although Wiarton Willy said spring will be early this year, it feels like it’s eons away.

So, here are some pictures from my Mexican trip.

It’s a sunny, warm, relaxing Mexican moment for you.

Continue reading →

01/27/15

The Long Dark of Depression

Depression – Let’s Talk about it

Tomorrow, Bell is sponsoring “Let’s Talk”- an initiative designed to create discussions about mental health. In recent years several celebrities have come forward to talk about their battles with depression and mental illness.

Unfortunately Robin Williams lost his battle with his dark depression demons.

The Dark

In the dark of winter on the damp coast, it’s easy to feel depressed. The dark grey is all around you. It’s dark in the morning when you get up and it’s dark in the afternoon when you go home from work.

Everyone has experience being depressed at some point in her life. Most of the time you can pull out of it by going out into the sun or doing something you love to do.

But what if nothing helps? What if you simply cannot bring yourself to do the things you love to do any more? Continue reading →

01/20/15

The End of a Marriage

This is the end, beautiful friend, the end.

The Doors

The End

So for my 23^rd wedding anniversary, my husband gave me the gift of requesting a divorce. He actually said, “separation”, but the outcome is the same. This was the end of my marriage.

This old grey mare will be not be going into my golden years, arm in arm with a husband, sharing all the joys and sorrows of the golden years. Nope, I’ll be making the journey solo.

“I just don’t respect you”

Husband stated he no longer respected me, nor felt that our marriage was worth the effort of saving. He was unhappy and the only thing he could think of doing to make himself happy was leaving me. Continue reading →

12/31/14

New Year Resolutions

A New Year, New Resolutions

Making New Year resolutions is a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand it can be the spark that you need to go out and achieve some goals to better your life. On the other hand it can create guilt and feelings of failure when you look back at the year past and realise you’ve not ticked off one thing on your list.

So How to Start?

So, how to create resolutions that inspire and not depress you? You can’t make them too airy fairy, like “I want to be a better person” because there’s nothing to achieve. How do you measure “better”? Continue reading →

Damp Coast Dame

Thoughts created in the rain