As the year draws to a close …

I was introduced to Pema Chödrön, the American Tibetan Buddhist nun and teacher, back in 2014 on an Oprah Winfrey show, Super Soul Sunday. I  was instantly enthralled, just loved what she had to say and have been following her ever since, although not religiously (no pun intended).

Last Saturday she showed up in my Facebook newsfeed. She was the subject of a story from a Brain Pickings newsletter.

Brain Pickings, which I’ve been subscribing to for several years, was founded by the writer and MIT Futures of

Back in the saddle again …

Well, not literally. I’m talking about the book I’ve been writing on and, more specifically, off for the last nine years.

When my mother was ailing I was struck with an idea for a book about her and me. I tucked it away in the back of my mind for later. I said nothing to anyone until the day after she died, when my closest friend and I were headed back to Montreal for the funeral.

As the words literally started pouring out of my mouth, my friend handed me some paper and a pen and I spent the rest of the trip writing. This
went on for the next three months. It was amazing, the book was literally writing itself.

Seven chapters in, I hit the wall. No, not writer’s block. I’d been

Day 163. Finding Truth

Last Friday night I had dinner with a friend.  We hadn’t seen each other for a quite a while, so we had a lot to catch up on.  There have been a lot of changes in her life (all good).  I had a few revelations to share, so we really took our time. We enjoyed a leisurely meal,  punctuated with much conversation.

We worked together years ago, when I first moved to Toronto.  Turned out she’s as cat crazy as I am; and we bonded over our feline friends.  So it goes without saying we had to spend some time bringing each other up to date on our four-legged children.  She’s renovating her condo, so we also talked a bit about that.

But she’s got a new man in her life.   And I had a gazillion (slight exaggeration) questions.

When it was ‘my’ turn, all I wanted to talk about was my writing.  Yeah, yeah, I know.  “All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl”.  What can I say?  My writing is going exceptionally well (knock on wood).  I’m excited.  And wanted to share.  She spent a few years writing a book (since abandoned), so she gets it.