I am on the train from Ottawa to Toronto when I will take a bus back to my city, Hamilton. Whether it is silent and sleepy lights of the train at night with the murmuring voices of folks on their cell phones talking to people that it sounds like care about them or whether it …
Thank you snowy morning
I woke up today to fluffy snowflakes floating down, softly and silently, on a slant because of the wind. I had woken up with a beating heart and some fear because I guess I had gone to bed worried about things. I felt a little out of sort, nervy and out of sync. I almost …
Lemon tree
Yesterday I picked a lemon from my lemon tree. It's a Meyer lemon tree, and it stands quietly in the corner of my study by the window and the heating vent, looking outside and thinking of how much it misses summertime when it was on the porch bathing everyday in warm summerlight and the sounds …
Swimming is beautiful
Last night I went for a nice swim at the Westmount Pool in Hamilton on the mountain. It was lovely to swim again after being away from it for a couple of weeks. I felt renewed. There is something really special about community pools. The energy of a legion of people doing aquafit or just …
Relevance is the new reputation
I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2017 MCM Reunion and Professional Development Day in Manhattan. It was held at Lubin House, which is the New York City Campus of Syracuse University. What a wonderful few days it was. Thoughtful, interactive lectures and the chance to connect and reconnect with great colleagues and friends. …
Sweet moment on the train
I took the early morning train from Ottawa to Toronto today. It was dark when I started and I watched the quiet misty winterlight rise up as though from the forest floor. It was magical and made me feel like meditating but instead I read some of Kerouac's Dharma Bums which I have been working …
Q & A on my first year as a vegetarian
It has been almost a year since I left meat behind and changed my diet. People often ask me about what my experience has been like: Has it been hard? Did it cause you social stigma? What was hardest to give up? Are you protein deficient? I thought I would compile my answers to some …
New Year’s Resolutions 2017
In 2016, my resolutions concerned trying to craft a life amid the enormous amounts of work that I do. We are all storm-tossed as we sail the seas of career, personal goals, and relationships. I made it my aim to be mindful and examine the different elements of my life and try to find myself …
The Outdoor Pool
On sunny summer days, the water calls Transparent between blue walls, reflecting the sky We gather in the change room, often silent Stripping down with no pretence There are ladders in the pool No hierarchy though Just grace and speed and will The coolness of the water Distant splashes around you Brief bursts of music through your cap …
Time discipline
One of the comments I often get from people is: "You are the most productive person I know!" I am grateful for having the stamina to be so productive. However, I am discovering, as I become more mindful and self-aware, that my productivity is not the result of great planning, but of brute force effort …