Do you want five more minutes?

Recently I reconnected with someone that I knew in high school. She has been talking to me a lot about our high school days. I always thought my university years would stand out to me as being the very best, what I remembered the most. But really, it was high school. I was lucky to have a lot of friends in high school who cared about me (and who I cared for). I loved being the social butterfly. I wish I had five more minutes of those "good times". I guess I'm going to have to get my butterfly wings out again.

9:25 am

next stop 

dundas station 

i get up from my seat

and exit the train 

lost in a sea of ryerson 

toronto metropolitan university students

"hold me closer" on the radio

i look up

i’m at king road

on my way to you

214 miles 

until i breathe your air 

i’ve known you since 

i was 4 years old

your wild curves

your sunsets

the stars that cover

your sky

your roots run 

deep in me

north barrie

highway 400 

80 km/h

everyone is going over 100

follow the orange lines 

i’m headed to god’s country

Hocus Pocus

It's that time of year again. Trees are losing their leaves. Yellow, red and orange line the streets. Halloween is fast approaching! I really enjoy celebrating the pagan holiday by carving pumpkins. Check out some of my past carvings below. I have also started making homemade pumpkin pies. If you like the taste of pumpkin, you should give it a try. It will be, hands down, the best pumpkin pie you will ever eat! 

Supporting Indigenous communities (updated)

"Prayers by the Lake" by Pam Cailloux 

This post is dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities. This is a working post and will be updated on an ongoing basis. If you have any resources that you would like to share, please post them in the comment section below. Thank you! 

1. Balancing the Canoe 

2. Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada 

3. Reconciliation Canada (volunteer opportunities and toolkits, and other actions) 

4. Unreserved (podcast) 

5. Language (politically correct terminology)  

6. Land Acknowledgement 

7. Residential Schools 

8. Indigenous Pedagogy: Teaching Approaches 

9. The History of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

10. Bridge Between Nations: A History of First Nations in the Fraser River Basin

11. Historical Background: The Indian Act and the Indian Residential Schools 

12. Health research involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their communities

13. Indigenous Epistemologies and Pedagogies

14. Counterfeiters Are Degrading the Indigenous Art Market. A Canadian Woman Fought Back

15. Indigenous Climate Action 

smart as an apple

my computer wallpaper 

changed autonomically 

to a picture with mountains 

and autumn trees 

and a lake reflecting the 

change of seasons --

a metaphor for life

that seems so relevant  

to me right now

    well played macbook air.

I graduated today.

Today I concluded my graduate student journey. I attended my PhD convocation ceremony, adorning a doctoral hat and gown. Every graduation, and I have attended a few, I was always so envious of those in red robes and philosopher style hats. Now I was one of them. Tears filled my eyes. It has been a long journey. But I finally made it. 

I would like to thank all those who supported and encouraged me to pursue higher education. You made today possible. 

I would also like to thank the kindness of strangers. People I never met before approached me to say congratulations. Thank you. Your words meant more to me then you will ever know.

water stains

i was content

mittens, toque, winter coat

curled up on a lawn chair 

embracing the october chill

reading about politics 

and capitalism and revolution 

then it started to rain —

i didn’t mind but the book 

i was reading protested 

water and paper 

don’t mix. 

what’s in a name

bubba watson is a name 

i’m more familiar with 

than my own name

and i don’t even play golf

i’ll have to start:

point me in the direction of the green

i’ll bring the pink golf balls. 

Luke Combs - Forever After All

This song has all the ingredients of a good country song. It references trucks, beer and god. I'm not much of a country music fan but this song... I could listen to all night.