Winning the brownie For Lindsey Reed When I was a child growing up in Georgetown, Ontario, I loved playing little league baseball. The American side of my family was made up of baseball fanatics, including a second cousin who was a renowned semi-pro. I was a pudgy wanna-be star. My goal throughout my six-year..
The Ottawa Hospital has permanently closed the temporary emergency overflow area at its General Campus, unofficially known as “the garage.” But not before this holding pen became an indelible part of our nightmarish cancer story. On April 30 of last year, when Anne and I celebrated our 46th anniversary of conjugal life by..
Losing My Marbles 1957, Chapel Street Public School, Georgetown, Ontario, kindergarten with Mrs. Smith. If you misbehaved, “behind the piano” was your place of penance. We kids lived for recess, when we could “play marbles,” or allies, as we also called them. (Mrs., Smith was neither a big fan of marbles nor of the word..
Losing my Kitten A free verse poem on loss and memory The imminent loss of my beloved Anne evokes childhood loss. Anne, my Kitten, a mortally wounded creature, quivers in my arms, her body folded into the shape of soon-to-be eternal surrender. I whisper her pet name, “Kit, Kitty,” my lips brushing the soft..
For Anne in her palliative care bed, every day is “Sweet Dessert Day” Rewind to the early 1980s: Like so many first-time parents, Anne and I were brimming with righteous resolve to shield our offspring from the evils of junk food. “Sweet Dessert Day” was our grand idea, a weekly treat so exclusive it..
Anne is Real Butter Back in the fabulous fifties and swinging sixties, Canadians were all but commanded to cast aside their beloved butter in favour of margarine – this so-called “modern marvel” that promised thrift, health, and, if you squinted hard enough, a resemblance to butter. But in its original form, margarine looked as appetizing..
Kindred connections: The timeless bond of cousins for Anne and me Cousins hold a truly unique place in our hearts – often the first friends we have in life, they bridge family ties and share in our joys and burdens with a special understanding born of shared history. In times of hardship, like the..
Ramblings on January 25 to celebrate Robbie Burns’ Birthday Every year, on January 25th, the Scottish people, including the Scottish diaspora, celebrate Burns’ Night. This is the night where Scots highlight the life and works of Robert Burns, a poet and lyricist, and arguably one of Scotland’s most notable figures. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-burns In my..
She’s a clean machine As a devoted caregiver for my wife Anne, I find myself constantly hovering, attentive to her every need – sometimes to an excessive degree. Her battle with terminal brain cancer has left her quite wobbly on her feet, requiring me to be vigilant at all times. Whether it’s guiding her through..
Attending a Séance, London, Ontario, January 1969 When I was 16 years old in Grade 12 at Oakridge High School in London, Ontario, I first experienced puppy love, with all the attendant tail-wagging and barking. The year was 1969. The object of my baying and howling was a Grade 11 student named Cathy Reed, who..