Nanaimo’s Poet Laureate
Naomi Beth Wakan is not one to sit on her laurels. For many, the words “poet laureate” conjure an image of a florid aging Roman in laurel crown, toga and sandals, decorated silver cup of wine in hand, launching forth extemporaneously to an adoring audience of lounging young men and earnest young women, swooning to fan the heat of his poetic passion. In the long history of poet laureates, dating back to the ancient Greeks, the idea of the triumphant poet – comfortable, celebrated and feted – is a recurring theme. This image needs adjusting, however, when considering...
Read MoreVanished!
Vanished! Last night I lost a treasure. More than 18,000 words, 40 pages of my gestating memoir, were vaporized into the cyber clouds by a stinker called Scrivener. At this moment of profound panic, the clock had already ticked past midnight and the reminder on my wrist buzzed angrily to remind me of my other goal for 2014, to get sufficient and sound sleep every night. So on two goals, I’m busted! My husband, snoring sensibly down the hall, did not hear my keening. There is a backstory here. I’ve talked about writing since the day I retired, almost a decade ago. Sure, I’ve done plenty...
Read MoreRetirement Gift
Growing up as a farmer’s daughter in a small village in England, I first heard about the Women’s Institute. I had no idea what it was, but it was serious and very grown up. Fast forward a lifetime to earlier this year. After living on Vancouver Island for 40 years and having sold my business at the end of 2012, I moved to Chemainus, a wonderful move. As a retirement present, my cousin Janice Grinnell gave me a membership to the Cedar Women’s Institute. My initial thought was” wow”! I was still not well informed about the W.I. The first meeting that I attended was...
Read MoreBring the Gift of Good Manners
I thought my first Island Woman post would provide a good opportunity to share a quick cheat sheet on dining tips. First of all, when you are invited, RSVP as soon as possible. Find out what the dress code is and never try to out dress the hostess. Be punctual. Do not bring along an uninvited partner to a dinner party. The hostess does not need a surprise. The only polite surprise you can offer is a small gift of flowers, wine or chocolates. Top 10 Dining Etiquette Tips 1. Napkin Unfold your napkin and place it across your lap. When necessary, dab your mouth and fingertips using the inside...
Read MoreLIfe Has Its Own Design
Some of us are lucky enough to fall into careers that we love, where just coming to work is a joyful part of the day. Fewer have been purposeful, have seized the brass ring and gotten into those careers through hard work, perseverance and, yes, even a little bit of luck. The path to my dream career was decided by an entirely different kind of luck. A social worker who specialized in helping children and adults with special needs, I had stability and my degrees in English and Psychology ensured the future of that stability. In fact, as a candidate for a Master’s Degree, all I needed was a...
Read MoreA Few of our Favorite Things
After a delicious meal at Jade Fountain, my family and I drove down to one of my favourite places in Victoria – Beacon Hill Park. My mission was to capture the cherry blossoms although they weren’t as “blossomed” as I had heard. But no matter, there was plenty to see! Apart from the beautiful ponds (complete with duckies!), walking trails, gardens, and towering trees, Beacon Hill Park also has a small petting farm. The coolest part, in my opinion, is the free ranging peacocks!! These guys just chill out, walk around, and occasionally/regularly run away from tourists...
Read MoreWhat’s Our Stance?
Recently a speaker asked his audience to consider what it would be like if all of our ‘what ifs’ came true. I took a few moments to imagine fantastic ‘the sky is the limit’ possibilities, and then he continued: “I’m sure a lot of you are thankful that your dreaded ‘what ifs’ don’t often happen”. I was astounded to discover that the general consensus seemed to be dread, not hope. ‘What if’ is a frightening thought for many. And it got me thinking. I thought back to the story of Air Florida Flight 90 crashing into the Potomac...
Read MoreComing in for a Landing
I still feel guilty when I flush the toilet paper. That’s one thing that you must not do in Mexico! But when my mind clears, I’m reminded that you don’t have to put the mucky wad in the garbage here. My common sense assures me that our plumbing can handle it all just fine, and soothes me to know I won’t be mopping up a stinky flood. I’ve been home a month, and I am beginning to be able to flush without self-reproach. But I’m also reflecting on “coming home”. I’ve been a snowbird in San Miguel de Allende, right the middle of Mexico. Four months away from the...
Read MoreFrom Field to Fridge
We all do it and most of the time, we do it several times a day … eating food, cooking it, buying it, and sharing it with family and friends. Most of the time, it comes in quick bites and the more convenient the better. Many people lead busy lives that don’t include time to sit down and enjoy a meal, instead choosing to eat on the run or practicing distracted eating while performing a handful of tasks at once. Maybe it doesn’t need to be like that. Give it time, time to think, time to choose, time to eat and enjoy. How much importance do you place on the food you put in your...
Read MoreAfrican Grandmothers’ Voices
I sat , transfixed by her words: ‘Six years ago I was dead! I was sick with AIDS, abandoned by my family and afraid what would become of my grandchildren. And look at me now. I am alive; I am healthy; I can do anything! My grandchildren are going to school; they are no longer hungry; they are doing well. I work in the community garden and I teach sewing. I can do anything! I am not afraid of anything! And it is all thanks to the NLK organization and the Stephen Lewis Foundation.’ The woman was speaking in Amharic , and she had made eye contact with me. Subdued and a little shy at first in...
Read MoreAt My Mother’s Knee
As reminded in a recent letter, mothers are people to be loved, respected, cherished, and cared for (or not) every day of our years, not only on a Sunday in May when our outpourings of affection have been directed to the bottom lines of Coutts/Carlton, florists, and fancy eating places. Every one of us remembers our mothers differently, just as our growing and present years are different; some of us still have our mothers, others have been without them for months or decades. Some may still be grieving their loss. The memories are bound to be varied and innumerable. Whatever form the memories,...
Read MoreHome Exchange on the Beach
The kayaks are dots on the horizon. They belong to our neighbours in the other trailer on Las Tortugitas, our private acre on the beach at La Manzanilla on the Costa Alegre of Pacific Rim Mexico. Brenda and Rico hail from an off-the-grid outcrop near Quadra Island. Today they are heading to spend the day on an even more private beach than the one we inhabit where, like true BC boomers, they can shed their clothes and lie around all day in hammocks. Ani introduced me to them, then sprinted off to catch the bus for her urban getaway in San Miguel de Allende. We are house swapping, and so...
Read MoreDetails of a Smile
Spring and summer on Vancouver Island evokes wondrous visions of camping, hiking and squiggling your toes in warm beach sand. Look around, Mother Nature is very kind to us here on Vancouver Island and once the rains subside for the season, we enthusiastically take full advantage of all she has to offer. I’ve been thinking about my childhood in the urban jungle of Toronto, Ontario. Both my parents worked and I was one of the many typical ‘latch-key’ city kids who rushed home each afternoon in time to answer the scheduled telephone call from a working mother – checking...
Read MoreA Lesson in Missed Opportunity
Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them. – William Arthur Ward Perhaps you saw in one of our previous articles about how Nurse Next Door’s Dream On Seniors Wish Foundation aims to make the dreams of elder seniors come true. We even had the opportunity to make one come true a few months back which was incredibly fulfilling. This story was supposed to be about another recent dream come true. But it’s not. It’s a sad story from this past week that was crushing. Here’s why… We connected with a number of individual seniors and their spouses in the fall...
Read MoreSpring has Sprung!
Yesterday was a glorious day in Nanaimo. It feels like spring has really sprung. I took these photos in my neighborhood but it seems that all around Nanaimo, there are patches of flowers sprouting up. Spring is such a hopeful season. It drags us out of winter and lets us take some breaths of fresh air, anticipating the excitement of summer. I’m not sure what this summer brings yet or the next year, but with the sun shining I have hope that it will be beautiful. I hope that you have been enjoying the sunshine on the Island and seeing all the newness the spring has...
Read MoreChoose to Shift
When I think about where we might be in 20 years as a province and as a country, I know that I would like to see us at the forefront of sustainable living. What does this look like? Well it would mean that many of the resource infrastructure projects that are being proposed and developed in British Columbia today would be denied. Expansion of the tar sands in Alberta and the natural gas industry in British Columbia would be put aside. In a time when our oceans are becoming too acidic to support certain species or when people are leaving their homes because the air and water around them is too...
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