It's time to talk about hockey. After the Four Nations Tournament, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States showcased the best that hockey has to offer. Most tournaments matter. But this particular tournament mattered A. LOT. Like, a lot---a lot. I've never gotten political on my blog, and I will avoid it this time; however,... Continue Reading →
Now That’s Exciting
In the washroom at school, over soapy hands, a colleague asked if I had any exciting plans for winter break—traveling anywhere, doing anything thrilling. "No. Nothing exciting. No. Not going anywhere." I watched the temperatures drop. Drop. Drop. And with them, my enthusiasm for anything beyond crawling into a warm, cozy cave with a hot... Continue Reading →
This Is Why I Wrote It
Near semester end a student told me she had an appointment and had to leave early. That was no problem. Later that afternoon she sent an email apologizing for mixing up the days. The next day in class she apologized again but was quite vague about where she had gone. Her lack of information made... Continue Reading →
The International Student House: A Memory
Because a portion of my creative being is a multimedia artist I am constantly collecting bits of paper, images, and other two-dimensional curios. These scraps float to the top of drawers and boxes, fall out of books and bags. Sometimes I'm completely surprised when a small piece of the past ends up right in front... Continue Reading →
I Prefer Ms.
I've been feeling restless. So, you know, that was my sign to make a list. Yeah---I'm the queen of lists. I love lists so much that I wrote a book about it. This is a shameless plug for my book (in case you didn't notice). Check it out here if you want. I'm not posting... Continue Reading →
What Makes You Facinating?
Me? I don't fucking know. That's not a great answer, is it? Yeah. I know. It's not. My writing partner and I were at a Holiday Craft Market recently. It's a day of fun, talking to new readers, pitching our stories, and selling our books. It's always a good day and David and I go... Continue Reading →
Happy Birthday Girl
**I wrote a letter to five-year-old me because I felt like I should. Here it is. Dearest little one, So, you made it to 56! I know. I know. That seems so old little one. But I promise you it's not! Keep up all the good habits. I have so much to tell you so... Continue Reading →
Aurora Borealis
Sometimes when I get home after work I find it hard to leave again---especially when it gets dark earlier (this time of year) and chillier (also this time of year). However the other night I stood on my little balcony and looked towards the east. The glow of downtown seemed brighter than normal? I took... Continue Reading →
Amor Fati Part Two
Since not everyone was able to be in the room to hear the words of this valedictorian that I posted about here I reached out to someone who knew Ryder and his mom and asked permission to post his speech. Permission was granted. Below is the valedictorian speech given by Ryder Wesson. I posted about... Continue Reading →
Amor Fati
The valedictorian I've seen over 30 graduations in my career---30 valedictorian speeches. Only a couple stuck. This is one of them. The usual It was time for the valedictorian speech. Ryder Wesson was introduced as a graduate, as a student with a 98.11 GPA, and as a member of the championship football team he played... Continue Reading →