The Road Less Traveled

Back inward the mid/late 1990s (come to intend of it, simply about the same timeframe equally my pregnancy alongside Katie & its aftermath), the banking concern I worked for announced a major cultural sponsorship inward the say where it had been founded. I had never heard of Maud Lewis before this, but over the side yesteryear side yr or so, I institute myself writing several articles for the staff newsmagazine well-nigh the sponsorship, which included a long national tour of Lewis's paintings; the restoration of her tiny, elementary domicile -- every spare inch of it decorated alongside gaily painted flowers, birds as well as butterflies; as well as its installation inward a novel permanent gallery within the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia inward Halifa x, along alongside a considerable collection of Lewis paintings. Employees wrote to enjoin us well-nigh their ain Lewis paintings as well as how they'd acquired them -- oft purchased conduct from Lewis or her married adult man ...

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from fourth dimension to fourth dimension alongside " The Current "):   Reading:   " here before this year).   Watching:   " Designated Survivor " has been getting a chip featherbrained (every fourth dimension they larn remotely some figuring out who's behind the conspiracy, person gets killed), merely I'm inward this far, I'll live next it to the flavor finale (which should live coming upwards soon)...!  Dh & I started watching " Genius " lastly week, nigh Albert Einstein. He knows agency to a greater extent than than I produce nigh physics together with Einstein, merely it's to a greater extent than lather opera than scientific discipline ;)  and (two episodes in) we're both enjoying it. And of course, " The Handmaid's Tale ." Watched the kickoff 2 episodes on Bravo lastly sun nighttime together with looking frontward to the 3rd this weekend.  I sympathise that ...

Like many of you, I'm sure, I've been watching the novel tv set serial " here ). In the U.S., it's beingness shown on Hulu , which nosotros don't larn hither inwards Canada -- but it is beingness shown hither on the Bravo channel, which I exercise larn every bit business office of my cable TV package. Hulu releases novel episodes on Wednesdays, currently upward to episode 4;  Bravo broadcasts the demo on Sundays as well as nosotros but saw episode iii final night. There's a lot inwards both the mass & the TV demo that I tin relate to -- as well as non but because (even though the mass was written over thirty years ago) thus many of the events & themes depicted appear to go pulled at ane time from the headlines. :( For ane thing, the demo is filmed inwards Toronto;  I oftentimes recognize the buildings inwards the background (particularly inwards the "before" segments, where June/Offred is out & close inwards the city) as well as I ti...

Four years ago, Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook, published a mass called " here ). In the book, she lauded her husband, Dave Goldberg, for beingness a supportive married adult man together with involved father, together with i of her primal messages to women was the importance of choosing a partner who would back upwards them at habitation equally good equally alongside their professional person goals. Two years later, on May 1, 2015, Sandberg of a abrupt became a widow together with the unmarried woman raise of 2 immature children, when Goldberg died of a abrupt at historic menstruum 47, spell they were on opor-garai alongside friends inwards Mexico. Another 2 years has passed since Goldberg's death, together with Sandberg, together alongside her friend Adam Grant, a professor at Wharton University, has written a novel mass drawing from her together with her children's experiences alongside grief together with loss, together with how they di...

I bring ever subscribed to the philosophy that "when the going gets tough... the tough become shopping,"  lol. H5N1 novel lipstick or majority has oft lifted my spirits later a crappy twenty-four sixty minutes catamenia at work. And what could live on tougher for a bereaved childless woman bring upward to confront than Mother's Day (aka Voldemort Day -- That Which Shall Not Be Named) weekend?? Fortunately, some shiny novel bling arrived inwards my mailbox this afternoon to distract me. :) I bring wanted i of these for eons, in addition to I decided late that I'd waited long enough. I ordered it a few weeks agone from a local Etsy dealer ( here's the website , inwards representative you're interested), in addition to happily, it arrived but inwards fourth dimension for the weekend. I don't know whether the post-purchase high volition final me through Lord's Day night... but it won't hurt, lol. (I gauge I could bring saved this post for ...

*   Voldemort Day  is over. TGIM! ;) * Thankfully, it was non equally bad equally roughly years. My common strategy is to enshroud out at the movies, together with my pick this yr was " Snatched " amongst Amy Schumer & Goldie Hawn -- admittedly, a mother-daughter movie, merely what a pairing!! It won't win whatever Oscars merely it was mindless fun. (Bonus!:  It was also far less busy at the home than it sometimes is -- lots of parking & minimal lineups for tickets & popcorn.) * I am dorsum to eating popcorn (yay!!), later avoiding it piece my endless dental go was underway. :p * Yes, I wore my novel necklace . :) * Unfortunately, I was inwards a lot of discomfort all solar daytime amongst midcycle cramping & bloating/mittelschmerz. (It's amend today, though even together with thence non 100%.)  When oh when volition Aunt Flo lastly laissez passer upwardly the ghost??!! *  We washed the patio door/windows, which hadn't been done all winter...

Around the same fourth dimension that I finished David Grann's "The Lost City of Z" a few months agone (my review here ), I heard the author had a novel mass coming out soon. I made a mental banking concern annotation to sentry for it in addition to bought it on sale shortly after its unloosen terminal month. :) I'm glad I did.   Entertainment Weekly has called it  "the best mass of the twelvemonth thence far," (and patently a pic is already inward the works). It's a gripping read, 1 that kept me upward slow several nights inward a row, promising myself that I would read "just 1 to a greater extent than chapter..." earlier turning out the lights... ;) " Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders in addition to the Birth of the FBI " tackles a forgotten -- in addition to extraordinarily shameful -- chapter inward American history in addition to the (mis)treatment of American Indians. After beingness driven off their abode terr...

I tin scarcely believe I am writing this. A twosome of months ago , I was mourning the accidental deletion of 1 of my all-time favourite posts, equally I was trying to edit it to add together a novel label & right a few typos It was a postal service close & beloved to my heart, thence much thence that I chose it equally my pick for Mel's "Creme de la Creme" listing for 2012. "I am childless, take away heed me roar" was written at what I sensed to last a turning indicate inward the life of our ALI community together with the childless-not-by-choice segment inward particular, summarizing the progress nosotros had made to date, a ascent tide of voices proverb "I am childless. My life did non plough out equally planned. But it's a skillful life anyway."   And thence I hitting the incorrect button, together with my postal service was gone. I was depressed nigh it for days, & resolved to last ameliorate at backing upward my spider web log...

When I kickoff started working equally a 25-year-old staff author on my company's monthly employee newsmagazine, i of my duties was to coordinate the monthly listings of executive appointments, service anniversaries, retirements in addition to "in memoriams" -- the deaths of both pensioners in addition to active employees. Sometimes the necessary details -- spellings of names, locations, chore titles (those pesky acronyms...), etc. -- needed clarification, in addition to I would convey to brand some telephone calls. I wasn't ever prepared for the stories & additional data I'd withdraw heed -- never to a greater extent than in addition to hence than the day, early on inward my career, when I was breezily informed that the 35-year-old supervisor I was calling most had died inward childbirth. Childbirth??!  Who, inward 1980-something Canada/North America, amongst all the benefits in addition to miracles offered past times modern medicine (not to cite universa...

My sis latterly emailed me a link , alongside the only commentary beingness "!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :) " She'd only learned that one to a greater extent than book from 1 of our favourite authors volition last available inwards bookstores inwards July.  :) Both of us discovered the mystery/thriller novels of Barbara Michaels when nosotros were teenagers inwards the 1970s (still inwards junior high school, I think) -- most of them gothic mysteries/thrillers, alongside a tinge of the occult or supernatural. I don't recollect the really kickoff 1 I read, but my favourite was released or hence the fourth dimension of the USA Bicentennial inwards 1976, too clearly written alongside that trial inwards withdraw heed -- " Patriot's Dream ," which takes house inwards Williamsburg, Virginia, too features fourth dimension move dorsum to the days of the American Revolution. Around the same time, nosotros also discovered the novels of some other mystery writer, Eliza...

Mali r ecently wrote almost the personality traits that helped her heal subsequently infertility -- in addition to those that didn't help. She invited us to brand ain lists ( Infertile Phoenix did too). Here's mine:  ;) What helped me heal: (As I told Republic of Mali inwards the comments department of her post:) I for certain believe that beingness a feminist helped me, inwards that I strongly believed, long before I had to bargain with stillbirth & infertility, that I was to a greater extent than than my uterus, in addition to that I did non NEED to go a woman nurture to receive got a fulfilling life. I for certain wanted in addition to expected to go a woman nurture & I was devastated when that didn't go out -- but it was non the only affair that I based my identity or self-worth on, or the only affair I knew I wanted to attain with my life. Like Republic of Mali & Phoenix, I am pragmatic/practical. I'm also a fleck of a skeptic/contrarian. Republic...

(Taking my cue from a recent #MM postal service past times Mali . ;)  This powerfulness popular off a regular feature...!) Salespeople who stand upwards at 1 terminate of a long counter, absorbed inwards checking something -- land I'm at the caput of the checkout delineate at the other end, waiting for mortal to band inwards my buy (for several minutes) -- in addition to then, when they produce displace me forward, ignore me (except to accept my money) land shouting to 1 of the other shop clerks some distance away land I'm standing there...!  Mommies pushing those huge strollers at the mall, ambling along inwards pairs or groups, ii abreast, chatting in addition to looking at their phones, taking upwards the whole aisle & making it impossible for other people to instruct some them.   Moms who ignore the baby/toddler inwards the stroller who is trying to instruct their attending land they're absorbed inwards checking their phones.  Moms who stand upwards i...

Right now... (an occasional meme, alternating from fourth dimension to fourth dimension alongside " The Current "):   Reading:   Online materials (of course) -- & a  lot of magazines that accept piled upwardly over the past times few months. I want/need to larn a novel mass started soon... but which one??  (Most recent purchase: " The Death of Expertise " past times Tom Nichols.)  Watching:   " Designated Survivor " is done for the season, but it volition survive dorsum this fall. It ended alongside a cliffhanger, but non before a rousing feel-good spoken communication past times "designated survivor"-turned-President Tom Kirkman --- Kiefer Sutherland, who seemed to survive channeling his belatedly grandfather , who was quite an orator himself in addition to something of a Canadian hero. ;)  We are even hence watching " Genius " on the National Geographic channel, virtually Albert Einstein, which is to a greater extent than lathe...

(Add this to my listing of "annoying things" ...!)  About 5 years ago, I started noticing that many of my T-shirts (& fifty-fifty a few of my sweaters) were developing tiny niggling holes -- ever inwards the same spot  (so I real much uncertainty it's moths) , correct inwards the front, nearly the bottom hem. Not only 1 build of T-shirt, either: I convey had holes inwards T-shirts from American Eagle, Old Navy, the Gap, Reitmans, Northern Reflections, Lucky Brand, H&M... I've come upward to the determination that they railroad train when the stuff rubs against the push clitoris on my jeans/shorts (some convey suggested the seatbelt inwards the machine is a possible culprit too).  I'm certain it doesn't assist that T-shirts these days look to hold upward made from the thinnest, flimsiest stuff possible. (I approximate there's a argue why these T-shirts are therefore depression priced (some every bit depression every bit $10-12)... you lot larn w...

I went to run into here , including stories & life lessons virtually growing upward inwards rural Alberta, how she got started inwards music, as well as how the final 10 years of her life convey been consumed past times caring for her aging parents. It was the best-attended lecture of the serial (almost a total house).   As if she needed to farther endear herself to me, she complained virtually existence "55 years one-time as well as even as well as thus spending $80 a calendar month on sanitary products," also every bit joking virtually non existence able to article of apparel white pants as well as ruining eating seat chairs. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 kindred spirit!! lol   On a related note, I had my annual checkup/Pap amongst MD Ob-Gyn this calendar week (who hinted he may live on contemplating retirement.... nooooooooooo.....!!). All was well. I did complain virtually the fact that I'm 56 & even as well as thus getting to a greater extent than or le...

You would mean value that it would live on pretty difficult to ignore a grouping that represents ane inwards v women -- merely that's just how those of us over-40s who alive without children -- closed to yesteryear choice, merely many to a greater extent than non -- frequently experience inwards a basis where parents are the bulk too the sight of an adorable infant or a babe bump sends people into a tizzy.    Jody Day of Gateway Women calls us "the lost tribe" too "the biggest multifariousness grouping HR hasn't heard of" -- too she latterly gave us eloquent vocalisation at a TEDx Talk inwards Hull, England, now available on YouTube . She covers a lot of basis inwards a rattling brusk total of time, too I daresay that virtually of those non-tribe members of the audience learned something novel from her. Watch/ listen, larn too share! :)  Sumber http://theroadlesstravelledlb.blogspot.com

It seems I am inwards 1 of those blogging lulls that rears its caput every forthwith & then, where my hear is equally blank equally the concealment inwards front end of me together with zippo (or really little) comes to hear to write about, ALI-related or otherwise. I haven't finished whatsoever books lately to review. I couldn't fifty-fifty muster upwardly an 8-line #MicroblogMondays postal service terminal week. :( Thankfully, these lulls accept never lasted also long inwards the past. (In almost 10 years of blogging, there's never been a calendar month when I haven't posted at to the lowest degree once;  I intend ii or 3 posts inwards 1 calendar month would live my lowest point.) I trust that this lull volition also end, eventually. ;)    Hop over to Sue Fagalde Lick's From the Baltimore Sun's recap :  "...in this week’s most horrifying moment, nosotros realize that Janine is existence kept live on a thread, if exclusively because she is yet a fe...

Last week, I booked our flights for a view abode to my parents (which nosotros to a greater extent than oftentimes than non practise twice a year, Christmas together with summertime). We've ever flown economy, to a greater extent than oftentimes than non the cheapest fares nosotros tin plough over the axe detect for the dates & fourth dimension frames when nosotros desire to fly. For the yesteryear twenty years, though, we've ever paid extra to "select" (i.e., reserve) our seats. We started doing this subsequently 1 memorable (for the incorrect reasons...) incident at the airdrome where nosotros discovered (at the gate) that the flying was overbooked together with nosotros mightiness non build it on board -- i.e., nosotros were essentially flying standby, fifty-fifty though we'd paid for our tickets months before together with arrived good before boarding. (We did build it onto the plane, precisely nosotros were NOT HAPPY to bargain alongside the additional ...