This evening I ended up contemplating fish. Specifically, fish swimming upstream. Have you ever had that kind of a day where everything is a slog? A fight? A grit-your-teeth-and-hang-on-to-your-sanity-by-your-fingertips-with-all-your-might sort of struggle? I was in the middle of yoga class, clearly having failed to empty my mind and let go of all those bothersome concerns…
People love rituals. We’re really good at them. Rituals have in fact been a feature of society since… well… pretty much since the beginning of society I imagine. Whether it’s swearing in a new president or sacrificing a virgin for a better harvest, humanity simply loves to mark events. Marking events has a definite sort of…
I’m sure you’re familiar with the phenomenon of reliving your childhood, whether by falling back into an old habit, indulging in a childhood treat, returning to a once-upon-a-time hideaway, or reading something that was a favourite book. It stands to reason then, that if you’re in the profession where you get to distribute your creative work…
If you’ve been keeping up with me, you know that since moving to our own house I get to share my lengthier morning and evening commutes with Hawkeye to get him to creche before heading on to work and then picking him back up again. In the mornings, if I am not cycling, this happens…
Undecorating Christmas. Or the one where I try to explain why my four year old keeps telling everyone that Santa is drunk.
When we first moved into our house and it was a major topic of conversation whenever meeting friends and acquaintances, we naturally discussed what sort of maintenance and repairs were needed to be done initially. I was repeatedly warned, however, to not stress about “getting everything finished”. “Sure, you’ll never actually finish doing everything. The house will…
One of the first things I had to learn fairly quickly when I moved to Ireland was a whole new set of places and names. It’s quite amazing how much of such knowledge you take for granted growing up in one place even if you are never forced to learn your fifty states and state…
The holidays are for catching up to family and friends and taking a break from the daily grind. We just came back from a short trip to see family out in Galway, and were lucky enough to get home in time to catch friends of ours flying back to Vienna tomorrow. I hope to see…
There is something tranquil about being able to watch your child fall asleep as they finally lose the battle to keep their eyes open. Their eyelashes flutter closed. Their forehead smooths out, and a sense of peace flows over the whole scene. Given the inherent nature of this sight, I therefore find it deeply and…
Maybe it’s cabin fever, or maybe it’s being slightly under the weather, but today I had to get out of the house for some undivided solitude. I love my son, but the constant demands to entertain him and play with him wear me down and make me cranky, cantankerous, and short-tempered. So I took the…
Christmas day began pretty much like any other day in this household. We gradually acquired wakefulness thanks to a restless starfished child between me and The Mister, first rolling in one direction, then another, before rolling back toward me and in a whiny whisper declaring that he’s thirsty. Or hungry. It’s usually one or the…
The Feathered Rose 