As the pandemic supposedly wanes, and public health restrictions gradually lift, I wonder what the new normal will entail? Everywhere there are signs that we are returning to previous lifestyles. Governments are easing restrictions on gatherings now that rates of full vaccination in my province of Ontario are nearing 90%. Perhaps the recent protests in […]
Author: Jeanette Lewis
It’s Valentine’s Day — So What?
When Valentine’s Day comes on February 14, so many people yawn and say, ‘So what? rather than looking for ways to celebrate. Many face the day anticipating loneliness. How sad! Others see it as a way to show caring by celebrating love however it may come. I’m fortunate to be in a long-term love relationship […]
Lunar New Year
Happy Lunar New Year to all readers! The Year of the Tiger 2022 starts on February 1 and lasts until February 16. It’s an important holiday for millions in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. Celebrations last for days and include parades, special foods, and fireworks. The new year of the tiger marks a beginning of […]
Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
In keeping with a touch of whimsey for January blog posts, this piece is to honour ‘Answer your Cat’s Questions Day’. Wow! Who knew that January 22 was such a special day? To get us through difficult times and cold winter days as well as to amuse cat lovers among readers, I pose and answer […]
A Celebration of Rubber Ducky Day
For a change of pace, let’s contemplate a celebration of rubber ducky day on this dreary January 13th. Adults too often forget the importance of fun for relieving stress. And who isn’t stressed during these incessant waves of the pandemic? Finding a way to celebrate Rubber Ducky day is an excuse for some fun. Why […]
New Year — New You?
It’s just a few days into 2022 and I’m tired of hearing how a new year offers the opportunity to become a ‘new’ you. Does becoming a new you mean getting a new life? Perhaps a new body? Or a new face? Or some type of new fulfillment? In my thinking, this hackneyed admonishment should […]
Another Restrictive Holiday Season
Once again, COVID fears required actions that resulted in another restrictive holiday season in Ontario and most of Canada. After 2020 when we spent Christmas and New Year in some form of lockdown, most of us anticipated a return to seeing family and friends without anxiety about catching the deadly virus. I knew that 2021 […]
‘Helping’ with Gift Ideas
Sometimes ‘helping’ with gift ideas is effective for taking away a degree of holiday stress. I confess to dropping hints to ‘help’ my husband and son with their shopping. Although surprise gifts are fun, they can also disappoint. For some people, surprises make the best gifts as they enjoy shopping and selecting something perfect for […]
Smells evoke memories
Did you know that smell is closely linked to parts of the brain that process memory and emotion? This week, when I opened a package of holiday potpourri (purchased on impulse at Costco) I was bombarded with memories related to smells. As I ripped the cellophane from the cluster of pine cones, dried flowers, and […]
How Books Change Us
When I finish a book, I stop to think about how reading the book changed me. Sometimes it doesn’t feel as if the book created any changes and then, a few days later, I find that — more than entertaining me — the book offered a new way of thinking or a new set of […]