In My World

Happy Publication to Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery by Dr. Margaret Nowaczyk, published by Wolsak & Wynn! In   Marrow Memory: Essays of Discovery   Margaret Nowaczyk  explores different facets of her life, from listening to the radio dramas of her childhood in Communist Poland to her work now as a paediatric clinical geneticist. These are beautifully crafted essays, full of hard-won truths and insights, generously shared with the reader. Whether struggling with English as a teenaged refugee or documenting the process of permanent hair dye, Nowaczyk moves seamlessly between scientific and personal writing, bridging the gap between these two areas with elegance and humour.   Marrow Memory   is an invitation to the reader to marvel in the unexpected beauties of human experience and the ability of language to capture that. "The essays in  Marrow Memory  dazzled and moved me with their erudition and sensuousness, their humour and their breadth in s...

Today's Prompt ~ Invisibility Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you want.  What are some of the things you would do with your super power? You know all those occasions when you wish you could be a fly on the wall?  Being invisible would be even better because I really hate flies.  Or when you see someone you really don't want to talk to . . . Invisibility would be a great Halloween costume.  It would be an amazing power to have on April Fool's Day.  I think I could have a serious amount of fun with this super power.

Today's Prompt: Cut-throat Have you ever played a simple board game and it turned everyone into cut-throat die-hards? We were at my older son's home for a family evening.  My younger son and my three grandsons decided to play Risk, a favourite game which I haven't played in years and years.  The boys were scheming and making deals with each other.  I said, "This isn't a game . . . THIS IS WAR!!!!!"  LOL!  I didn't win.

The last place in the world you would want to have a romantic picnic is . . .

  Three pet peeves. https://daringtolivefully.com/journal-prompts

Write a list of songs that make you feel happy. Add them to your playlist or use some of the lyrics in your journaling or scrapbooking.

What characters would you most like to play if you were in theatre? Could I be a favourite Broadway actor?  Because I would definitely pick Carol Channing, particularly as Dolly in Hello Dolly, every time.   

  Happy Publication to Fungal: Foraging in the Urban Forest by Ariel Gordon, published by Wolsak & Wynn!  Fungal is a wide-ranging collection from Ariel Gordon where she explores her fascination with all mushrooms, not just those you can eat.  In these engaging essays she takes the reader through ditches and puddles in search of morels, through the hallways of a mushroom factory, down city sidewalks and beside riverbanks as she considers things found and fungal. Along the way there are entertaining stories of the perils of mushroom identification, including mailed mushrooms that have liquefied, or terrifying thoughts of Canadian geese being fed hallucinogenic mushrooms as well as thoughtful analysis of the ways mushrooms knit our ecosystems together and the ways we knit our lives and communities together. Smart, funny and poetic, Gordon moves seamlessly from the natural world to the personal in these essays, examining the interconnectedness of all things and delighti...

Today's Writing Prompt: Escape What have you escaped from lately? Every few days I feel the need to escape from all the demands (admittedly, some are self-imposed) on my time and energy.  Usually I do something creative like scrapbooking or art journaling.  I just found out a friend likes to take a book, lawn chair and coffee and hide in Pinafore Park to recharge.  I may be taking a page out of my friend's book.

Today's Prompt: So What Do You Do? What do you spend most of your time doing - when you're not journaling , of course! Most of my time is spent working on various craft projects, trying to keep my apartment clean, looking for the joy in my life, and spending time with my family and friends.

I really did enjoy watching 12 Years a Slave.  I found most of it to be dramatic and well-acted.  My only disappointment was the way the ending was done.  It seemed like the director said "well I'm bored now" and really rushed the end.  Is the book like that too?  I've never read it myself. Did you know the original book was written by Solomon Northrup (the main character in the book and movie) who was a farmer and professional violinist in New York until he was tricked, drugged, kidnapped and sold into slavery?  Well, I didn't know that.  I am going to add this book to my to read pile which is so long I will probably by 89 before I actually open the front cover. Did you ever watch the movie?  What did you think? Academy Awards, USA 2014 Winner Best Motion Picture of the Year Brad Pitt Dede Gardner Jeremy Kleiner Steve McQueen Anthony Katagas 12 Years a Slave (2013) became the first film directed and produced by a black filmm...

If I tell people that I am an introvert they often look at me with disbelief.  When I do go out, I like to be the life of the party.  I like seeing people and saying hi.  I hate small talk . . . but love a good conversation. If I tell people I don't do well with illness and hospitals they definitely look at me with disbelief.  I have been a support person to many friends and family over the years when they are facing injury or crisis.  I stand up to people and for people.  I demand answers.  I don't do personal care though . . . mostly because I'm a klutz. If I tell people I'm depressed they often look at me with disbelief.  And yet I am so much of the time and it can be a battle to shower and get dressed, to take care of my responsibilities, to leave the house, to cook healthy food.  And it sucks.  But my smile is well practiced and knows to stay in place when I do appear in public. So don't be surprised if I disappear from time t...

Did you smile or frown more today?

  Borrowed Memories is an absorbing story that explores the life of Ivan Pyefinch, a freelance translator, who is the self-appointed custodian of family memory. He is faced with the challenges of caregiving for elderly parents and grapples with the question of how much of his life is too much to give up to this end, and for how long. Ivan Pyefinch moves home to the Thousand Islands for the summer to care for his aging parents and escape the sting of his failed marriage. His father Horace, a former World War II pilot, is fighting now to regain his driver’s license, while his mother Aida wages a losing battle against Alzheimer’s. They are living on borrowed time, and Ivan is there to lend them some more. Enter Mia Hakim, a Jewish filmmaker in Quebec who has always preferred the memories of others, even as she dreams of her Sephardic roots. She plans a research trip to Tunisia in search of her lost childhood and enlists Ivan to translate her scenario. When Mia arrives unannounced at ...

Journal Prompt: Have you ever received a mean comment from someone you don't even know on social media? I have. This link was posted to Facebook and a challenge was made to choose the most trustworthy face . . .  http://www.upworthy.com/a-guy-with-a-twisted-sense-of-humor-explains-how-your-brain-is-quicker-to-judge-than-your-eyes?c=ufb3 I don't usually join in on these conversations but I must have been almost bored for a minute and I joined in.   Pam Matthews Hedden the guy with the resting bitch face . . . A few people commented and more people Liked my answer.  In my world, there is just something smarmy and too happyish about the guy on the left.  Yes, a snap judgement, but that's what they were asking for. Anyway, someone decided to try and be mean to me.  Obviously they don't know that I have survived marriage for 41 years and the raising of two boys and much more.  Not much scares me anymore . . . LOL.  So here is his mean post . . ....

Journal Prompt:  How can I make a difference? Well here's one idea. Keeping clean is an important part of remaining healthy, but families who have fled their homes because of disaster or war often struggle to afford these necessary supplies. Hygiene kits also are given through schools or orphanages to encourage healthy habits for children. There is always a way to help. For more information . . . http://mcccanada.ca/get-involved/kits/hygiene?utm_content=buffer84222&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

I love cartoon movies that are actually sophisticated enough for adults.  How to Train Your Dragon is one of the those movies. Hiccup (the boy in the photo) lives in a Viking camp who hunt dragons.  Because of his size he isn't taken seriously and trained as a blacksmith and inventor instead of a hunter.  During a dragon attack, Hiccup fires one of his inventions at Toothless the dragon and badly injures him.  I don't want to give away much of the story.  Suffice to say Hiccup learns to be strong, empathetic, and not to judge a book by its cover . . . or a dragon by its teeth.   An excellent movie for the whole family. Academy Awards, USA  2011 Nominee Oscar Best Animated Feature Film of the Year Dean DeBlois   Chris Sanders   Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score John Powell  

Today's Writing Prompt: Good News There have been a heck of a lot of terrible things happening in the news lately. Counteract it, tell me something great that has happened in your world recently!

Today's Writing Prompt: Winter Wonderland It is not much of a winter wonderland today. Above zero and heavy rain here this morning. What does your Winter Wonderland look like? (Or summer wonderland, I suppose, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere?) On the bright side, it's scrapbooking season.   I do not like winter.  The worst things about winter are freezing rain and ice.  I can live with just about anything else but those two little items strike fear and loathing in my heart. My winter wonderland involves warm and cosy, in my pyjamas, scrapbooking . . . 

Christmas Memories A few years ago my daughter-in-law started a new tradition and I absolutely love it.  She decorated Christmas ornaments and added photos of all our family living and past.  We all added the decorations to a special tree put up just for these ornaments.  It was especially touching watching the younger relatives.  I'm looking forward to continuing this tradition this year.

Happy Publication to Tim Bowling and his new poetry collection, In the Capital City of Autumn, published with Wolsak & Wynn! Tim Bowling is in top form in his latest collection of poetry, In the Capital City of Autumn. Threading through autumnal themes such as the loss of his mother and the demolition of his childhood home, his children growing and the inevitable passage of time, Bowling writes with rich lyricism and imagery. Sweet William and loosely woven woollen mitts for his mother, the moon as “an egg in the pocket of a running thief” for time, salmon for eternity. In the Capital City of Autumn, the characters of The Great Gatsby come to life, and three a.m. brings wisdom. These are masterful poems, lightened with a touch of whimsy, poems to sink into on a quiet evening. @wolsakandwynn @river_street_writes #canlit #poetry #publicationday #bookbirthday #poetrycollection #nationalpoetrymonth #poetsofig #bookishcanadians #bookstagramcanada #canadianpoet #canadianpoets #canadianpo...

Sunset Lake Resort, is an equally captivating narrative full of thrilling twists, exciting reveals, and gorgeously drawn women characters. When Ruby’s father passes away, but fails to leave her the millions some expected, Steve, her husband of 35 years, moves out. Alone, but in control of her own affairs for the first time in her life, Ruby is torn between panic and relief. When she investigates the remote beach cabin her father had left her instead of his estate, she discovers a dilapidated beach resort in a remote location, seemingly untouched since its former owner, Cecelia Johansen, died under mysterious circumstances. Despite the condition of the property and rumours it is haunted, Ruby decides to move to Sunset Lake Resort, determined to find out why her father bought it, and why he left it to her. Sunset Lake Resort is now available wherever books are sold. @joannejacksonauthor @river_street_writes @stonehousepublishing #canlit #canadianbooks #bookishcanadians #bookstagramcanada...

One Word Story Cozy. I know it is cold out . . . we actually had a wee bit of snow this morning. The superintendants always turn on the boiler system October 15.  You would think I would be happy about that.  I am currently wearing a tank top and all the windows are open in the apartment.  It is a little too cozy . . . which is actually spelled cosy in Canada . . . LOL.

Happy Publication to Melanie Marttila’s debut poetry collection, The Art of Floating, published by Latitude 46. The Art of Floating is Melanie Marttila’s debut poetry collection, and a result of and testament to years of honing her craft. The collection of five sections of free verse poems is wide ranging and eclectic, bringing to life her deep connection with the earth and sky of Ontario. The aptly named collection describes her learned ability to ride the unpredictable waves of mental illness  and prevent herself from drowning within it, while seeking solace in the natural world around her. These lyric poems are stunning and transportative, absorbing the reader with captivating imagery, complex diction, and highly relatable themes most pivotal in life, such as loss, grief, and hope.  The Art of Floating is an elegant and beautifully crafted debut collection of poetry by Sudbury’s Melanie Marttila. Her poems are mirrors to the tiny, often quiet, and supposedly insignificant m...

Today's Writing Prompt: Halloween Candy In honor of Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, today tell me about your favorite candy! I know a lot of people will think I am crazy . . . but I have always loved Hallowe'en taffy.  I really can't be the only one or why would they keep making it every year?

I loved loved loved this movie. Of course I don't think I've ever seen a Morgan Freeman movie I didn't love. Tim Robbins plays a young banker who is found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover. He is innocent but I guess that doesn't matter. The movie is about his life in prison and his friendship with Red, played by Morgan Freeman. My favourite scene is right after the arrival of donations for the prison library. That is all I am going to say except that it is an uplifting moment. I really love the ending but I'm not going to give it away in case you've never seen the movie yet. Let's just say it is good to never lose hope . . . and to be a very clever banker. Both Robbins and Freeman give award worthy performances in this great story of hope. I can't believe they didn't win any Oscars but the movie was nominated for: Best Picture - Niki Marvin Best Actor in a Leading Role - Morgan Freeman Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material P...

Today's Writing Prompt: Scars What sorts of serious injuries did you ever do to yourself as a child? Do you carry any scars from your childhood adventures today?

Today's Writing Prompt: Coupons Have you ever purchased a deal online, like via Groupon? What was it for? I've actually used Groupon a few times and have always had a very positive experience with them.  Here are a few of our experiences: http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/01/mad-hatter-tea-room-orwell-on.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/03/we-ran-away-from-home-to-embassy-suites.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/08/sailing-seven-seas-okay-lake-ontario.html http://inmyworld-pam.blogspot.ca/2012/09/a-customer-service-rant.html

Happy Publication Day to Ellen Chang-Richardson and their extraordinary debut poetry collection, Blood Belies (Wolsak & Wynn, 2024). Chang-Richardson writes of race, of injury and of belonging in stunning poems that fade in and out of the page. History swirls through this collection like a summer storm, as she brings her father’s, and her own, stories to light, writing against the background of the institutional racism of Canada, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the head tax and more. From Taiwan in the early 1990s to Oakville in the late 1990s, Toronto in the 2010s, Cambodia in the mid-1970s and Ottawa in the 2020s, Blood Belies takes the reader through time, asking them what it means to look the way we do? To carry scars? To persevere? To hope? Ellen Chang-Richardson (they/them) is an award-winning poet of Taiwanese and Chinese Cambodian descent whose multi-genre writing has appeared in Augur, The Ex-Puritan, The Fiddlehead, Grain, third coast magazine, Vallum Contemporary, Watch Your ...

Today's Writing Prompt: Books What was the last book you read?

Happy Publication Day to Robin Pacific and her scrappy and sensational memoir in fragments, Skater Girl! (Guernica Editions) Skater Girl is a collection of intensely personal essays, an archaeology of the self. Robin Pacific sifts through the midden of consciousness to find shells, potsherds, a broken piece of mirror. Themes of art, spirituality and social justice run like a current through otherwise disconnected pieces and fragments, many as short as one paragraph. Further, ideas about aging, loss and mortality colour many of them. The book is about the formation of Robin Pacific's many selves, about creativity, spiritual seeking, and the dream of a more equal society. Robin Pacific‘s work has spanned thirty years and a wide variety of media. In addition to writing personal and critical essays, she has produced artworks in a variety of media, encompassing painting, drawing, video, installations, performance, and numerous community based collaborations. Robin holds a PhD in  Englis...