I could have paid for a course on Staying Focused or bought a book about Concentration. Instead, I spent money learning a lesson I already knew.
Author: Karen
Breathing in 2021
There are meaningful, lyrical pieces written about hope, renewal and vaccination in the new year. This is not one of them. I do feel hopeful – and impressed, yay scientists! – with the covid vaccine rolling out (shooting out? injecting out?) already. But I don’t feel able to offer inspiration to you, lovely readers, because… Continue reading Breathing in 2021
The Joy of Quirky Kijiji
Here in Ontario, we use a ‘craigslist’-type site called kijiji. Go on, take a minute to savour how fun it is to say kijiji out loud. It’s fun to write too, with all those little dots. For me the best part is the window it opens into people’s quirky lives. I have a folder filled… Continue reading The Joy of Quirky Kijiji
My Screen-free Weekend (#NotQuite)
I (almost) spent the whole weekend with no screens. My cats had more of a problem with it than I did.
Big Thoughts and Belly Laughs
In a recent text exchange about my potato of a cat, I told a friend “I am a (sometimes) very happy large potato of a person and have never felt more myself than in this big body.” I’ve been small and large to extremes, on and off throughout my life. My weight sometimes changed dramatically… Continue reading Big Thoughts and Belly Laughs
Ritual of Reflection
My mind can be so easily fooled, I rely on its gullibility. My brain shifted from stress to comfort with the change of a single word. My old list of monthly tasks = chores. Weight on my shoulders. Adulting. Responsibility. Burdens. My monthly ritual = soothing. Calm, comforting self-care. Aaaaaaah. I look forward to the… Continue reading Ritual of Reflection
Chapter 1
Being accused of murder sure makes it hard to enjoy new-found freedom from an abusive ex.Escape Artist I'm writing a book! Wanna teaser? It's a mystery so you might have to sit in suspense for awhile ... while I write the rest of it, lol. The link to Chapter 1 of Escape Artist, set in… Continue reading Chapter 1
Let’s circle back to buzzwords because they’re holding you back
A dictionary of ways to avoid annoying readers Early in the pandemic, many of my friends laughed when they heard their partners talk in zoom meetings for work. One friend said, “I didn’t know they were bilingual.” It turned out my friend’s partner was fluent in Management Speak. On zoom, they engaged stakeholders in paradigm-shifting… Continue reading Let’s circle back to buzzwords because they’re holding you back
Spelling Rules Only a Canadian Can Love
Frustrated by your spell-checker? Learn to laugh at those squiggly red lines under our Canadianisms. Whether you’re a Canadian writer or someone who comes-from-away writing about us, you need to know these spellings and vocabulary unique to canucks (the people, not the hockey team). We start with a combination of British and American spellings. Then we mix… Continue reading Spelling Rules Only a Canadian Can Love
Focus
I’ve spent years advising people to declutter their life because it will enhance their ability to focus. Clear away the nonsense and you’re left with what really matters, right? I started out this pandemic with heartbreak about a writing and yoga retreat I’d looked forward to for months. As I realized it would need to… Continue reading Focus