Wrestling with being a caregiver My two sons are paragons of physical fitness, deservedly, if ordinately, proud of their rippling muscles, attained by countless hours of training and body building. I, on the other hand, have always been a flabby wimp. When I was a boy of about six, back in Georgetown in around 1958,..
Animal Dreams: Animal Therapy and Terminal Cancer When I was a small child, I had the gooiest of soft spots for all animal creatures, fictional or otherwise. Every night before bed, my dad would read me a story featuring the little forest and meadow people of Thornton W. Burgess, including Grandfather Frog, Jimmy Skunk,..
Blackbird: A song of flight from illness and sorrow “Blackbird,” written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney, is one of the enduring gems of The Beatles’ 1968 “White Album.” The year my wife Anne, who is succumbing to brain cancer, arrived in Canada. McCartney’s “Blackbird” is an acoustic piece, featuring only his..
A Letter to Anne Tyler A note of sorrow and gratitude Dear Anne Tyler, I hope you’ll forgive the forwardness of this letter from a stranger, but I felt I needed to write. My name is Robert McBryde, and I want to tell you about the Anne in my life—my wife, Anne—who has become one..
Tongue tied: Brain cancer as a stealthy thief A striking characteristic of growing up in southern Ontario, more specifically in Georgetown and London, in the 1950s and 1960s, was exposure to how my father handled the English language, especially idioms and expressions. Clearly Dad mimicked the movie actors and radio talk of his day,..
Glioblastoma and Bohemian Waxwings: Birds for Anne Le texte français suit le texte anglais. Bohemian Waxwings, last winter in Domaine de Maizerets, Quebec City. Photo credit Leigh Bateman My wife Anne, who has terminal brain cancer, known as glioblastoma, is a bird and nature lover who is soothed in her suffering by such images. These..
May 5, 2025 marked 80 years since Canadian troops liberated Holland from the Nazis Written by my friend Maria van der Velden Yesterday marked 80 years since Canadian troops liberated Holland from the Nazis. My mother’s family lived in Bakel, Brabant at the time, running a combination cafe/pub/bakery and it’s depicted in the first photo…
A tale of three cafeterias revisited: London, Ontario; Burnaby, British Columbia; Quebec City, 1965-2000 While reading Orwell’s seminal novel 1984 in university, I was struck by the grungy canteen scene, which prompted recollections of the cafeteria of my high school, Oakridge, in 1960s London, Ontario. George Orwell – 1984 – Part 1, Chapter 5 Now..
A hair-raising elegy: Growing up in Georgetown at Wright Smith’s Barbershop, 1960-1964, and beyond I don’t remember my first haircuts as a child growing up in small town Ontario. My memories of hair- raising adventures date back to about 1960, when I was around eight years old. A new barber arrived in town, Mr. Wright..
Remembering my mother, in honour of her birthday… March 27,1918 Angelina Elizabeth “Jill” McBryde (née Reiser) 1918-2001 Resident of Georgetown from 1955 until 1964 An active member of the St. John’s United Church congregation, my mother also worked as a secretary for the Reverend Ian Fleming from about 1961 until 1964. Her office looked onto..