It’s impossible to describe everything we saw during our recent two-week adventure in Ireland. The people, the country, the music, the food, the landscapes, the history. . .everything was wonderful. Even the weather! We were told time and time again how lucky we were that it wasn’t raining. Don’t get me wrong, it did rainContinue reading “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”
Author Archives: juliefj1
Raise a glass (or a pint!)
The ceiling is watch-your-head low, and thick wooden beams brace the doorways that are cut from stone. The lighting is dim. It is easy to imagine the ancestors sitting on benches, raising a mug of mead, and chomping on lamb shanks. Welcome to Dublin’s Brazen Head Pub. Yes, we heard many a tune and enjoyedContinue reading “Raise a glass (or a pint!)”
Jay Shetty: Serendipity or what?
The other night I was watching the mentalist Oz Perlman on AGT. You can check it out on YouTube, but I’m going to be the spoiler. He asked everyone in the audience to close their eyes and think of a celebrity they would like to meet. Then he asked two AGT judges (the third oneContinue reading “Jay Shetty: Serendipity or what?”
How Resilient Are You?
How would you feel if you woke up one morning unable to do the things you normally do. We all hope that it won’t happen to us, but who decides that? Why does it happen to some and not others? At my age, it is not uncommon to hear of someone having a stroke, aContinue reading “How Resilient Are You?”
Saying good-bye to the past
My friend’s mother passed away recently. She was in her nineties and had a pretty good life. But now my friend is left with a garage full of stuff to sort out. What to donate, what to throw out and what to share with other family members. It’s a tough decision. Different things have differentContinue reading “Saying good-bye to the past”
Comments be damned
A couple of days ago there was a massive fire that destroyed some of the new portables that were under construction at the local high school less than a mile from my home. Of course, any kind of fire is devastating, but police now suspect arson. That makes it worse. Who the hell would doContinue reading “Comments be damned”
All “Laked” Out
Do you ever sink into your favourite chair or maybe patio swing and sigh, “Ah, it’s good to be home”? Well, the older I get, the more often I find myself breathing that sigh of contentment. And I don’t think I’m alone. I was chatting with a friend recently on the pickleball court. They hadContinue reading “All “Laked” Out”
Be OK with being crazy!
I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the concept of life’s third act since I wrote a blog about it in June. The third act typically begins in the 50s or 60s. Rather than the common view that this is a period of decline and “old age”, new research points to this time asContinue reading “Be OK with being crazy!”
Happy Birthday, eh?
I have a vague memory of wearing a special dress with yellow and white flowers, a matching bonnet-style hat, and assembling in a parade of some sorts to honor Canada’s 100th birthday. It was 1967 and I was in Grade 3. Or maybe Grade 4. It doesn’t matter. The song was The Centennial Song andContinue reading “Happy Birthday, eh?”
Third Act Prompts
“What on earth am I doing?” I asked myself as I walked out of the parking lot with a huge bag of freshly sheared Alpaca fleece. Some context is needed here. It was my birthday. I had just attended a monthly felting session. One of the women there had just sheared five alpacas. We allContinue reading “Third Act Prompts”
