Stepping into September

I woke with the sun and a wet nose pointed in my direction, eagerly awaiting any movement from the body that was me in the bed above her. I was researching escapes and goals the other day and came across quite an inspiring challenge. It may be early for me, but a girl can dream. Besides, a new month of challenges lay ahead and the first morning of daily early 10kms wasn’t as difficult as I’d expected. It is not much when you think of it, but the hour at which I have to rise and be ready to run will provide its own challenge. I don’t think I’ll be able to fit in anything longer given my 14hr work days, but perhaps my mentor will help me work on some longer runs for weekends and holidays. As the days get shorter, I’ll also miss the morning light, but at least we will have fewer chance encounters with the black and white Pepes that have invaded the island over the summer months. These cute little thieves have stolen all my zucchinis I was so looking forward to, but at least they left me my tomatoes... I guess raw green tomatoes are only a treat for me to prepare a new batch of Salsa Verde! Happy September 🎤

My Gratitude Journal

Apparently, August 25th is “Kiss and Make-up Day” and so the gratefulness challenge that I started last week ends on a perfect day. Yesterday we had our annual Island End of Summer Celebration, parades and games in the main field. I was feeling a little withdrawn but nudged myself to go. It’s funny how anonymity sets in over the summer, but as the beginning of term comes close fame returns. Over the crowds and excitement, I heard “It’s Mary!” several times and the eager smiling faces of the students at my school rushing to greet me with hugs and stories of their summer adventures. Summer is drawing to a quickened end and before I know it will be the last week in August once more. But for now, I can look back and remind myself to take in the brevity of cherished moments and be grateful for all the wonderful instances each day can hold.

Day 1:
*I am thankful to have the love, support, warmth and kindness of family and such wonderful friends that have been by my side over the years.
*I am ever so grateful to new friends that have come into my life have helped me through some of my hardest moments.
*I am truly grateful for the generosity of spirit of so many people that surround me.

Day 2:
*I am thankful for the grey days that shade me from the hot sun.
*I am thankful for the rain that cools the day and quenches the earth’s thirst.
*I am thankful for having shelter from the storm and the choice to stay inside or to go out and dance in it!

Day 3:
*I am grateful to be in reasonably good health and have a relatively strong body.
*I am grateful for the ability to learn from my mistakes, to improve on my shortcomings and to build on my weaknesses.
*I am thankful for all the little things… To stop and take a moment to smell the flowers, to watch a bee or bird take nectar from a bloom, to feel the cool breeze, the hot sun, the rain, the snow…
*I am grateful for forgiveness, to be able to forgive or be forgiven, for an open heart, mind and soul.

Day 4:
*I am ever so grateful for the kindness of “relative” strangers in my life that have renewed my beliefs in the good that surrounds us all.
*I am thankful for memories, shared and private, to be able to look back and relive the moments of my life, good and bad, and to learn anew from each experience.
*I am very thankful for all the lovely moments I can look forward to, the adventures I have yet to take and that I have the privilege to explore.
*I am truly thankful for those that read my writing; all those that enjoy my stories, articles, books, blog posts, etc. And I am grateful for the reciprocal inspiration that they have provided me along my path.

Day 5:
*I am thankful that I have had many hardships in my life. They have strengthened me, connected me with many wonderful souls and served as a brilliant contrast enabling me to appreciate all the wonder, kindness and love in my life.
*I grateful for learning from my daily struggles and overcoming past troubles, for the paths chosen that have led me to the experiences of today.
*I am grateful for hugs that warm you from within, smiles that touch your heart and a goodnight kiss that calms one’s soul.
*I am thankful for tears to express what no words can, pain that makes you re-evaluate yourself, loss that reminds you that every moment is precious.
*I am thankful for love, to give love, to feel love, to have and to have been loved.

Friday, I'm in love...

A Calico is pretty
sweet,

I’ve had the pleasure of looking after these two for the past week and the energy and playfulness of kittens has renewed my smile. It's also brought me back into the moment instead of looking too far ahead. 

but my heart will always
belong to a ginger...

I've been focussing on my "human" stories the past couple of years and I am at a point that I really like where I have come to with these narratives. They have all been really well received with readers wanting more from some of the short stories. Although I am tempted to expand some of my shorts that's a whole other daunting project for now. 

After my accident, I had put away the Beautiful Creatures series as it was too overwhelming to work through all the connections that I wanted to address with the novels. It's a tremendous amount of research to embark on, specifically because I am also trying to do my best, as a human, to describe the umwelten of the various species in the books. However, over the summer as I have been tying up other projects I am feeling the pull to return to Beautiful Creatures. It was the first step in my adulthood in igniting my creative writing and I think that once I get a few of the human piece "perfectly" polished I'll be returning to my beastly roots. 

It’s hard to believe that I am sneaking up upon my final week of “freedom” but I have to say I am excited for the long hours to come. Even if I have already started researching travel dreams; the next few months will be a welcome marathon and I am ready for the challenge. 

So, on that note, while I have the time I will dive back into my edits on my manuscripts…  

A Worthy Imposter

It’s a dreary afternoon and one of the last days before my hectic schedule will take hold. I felt like a having little indulgence but living on an island I often have to make do with what I may have on hand. I had too many bananas to eat on my own that were spoiling quick. And, I was craving chocolate (which I don’t eat). I opened the cupboard to explore all I had was some rice flour, honey and carob...

I searched the internet and found a brownie recipe. While I sort of followed the recipe,  my inner black sheep chef took over as I was missing a few of the key ingredients. They are not my mother’s brownies that I grew up on but they turned out delicious. And, since every day seems to be a holiday; happy Lazy Day❣️

Not My Father's Daughter

This has been the summer of tests... I don’t think I have ever gone through a time when I was so poked and prodded but at least one test was a diverting one. Since a young age, I’ve identified with my father more deeply than with my mother. I was always told that I was my father’s daughter but as science confirmed this past week, that isn’t the case. In light of this revelation, it is fascinating for me to think about the old nature vs nurture debate and just how much those that surround us influence who we become. However, it’s been a tumultuous couple of days with Mino recovering from her surgery. Rather than dive deeper into heavy topics, I think I’ll just stick with soup and stitches for the rest of the evening. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we won’t need to return to the vet tomorrow...

As we sail through the remainder of summer, the cooler nights are a haunting reminder of how quickly things change. I start work next week and I want to savour the final summer moments. Blueberry season is coming to a close and with a subtle suggestion from the lighter side of life, I thought I’d get creative once again. A few soup ideas inspired me for this one. The first little nudge led me to blåbärssoppa, which frankly is just fun to say. Another inspiring nudge guiding me was the abundance of blackberries lining my driveway. The finale feels like an adult version of PB&J which is more than okay for today.

Cephalopodan Triad

I am often asked what inspires my writing or how I sit down to write my stories. My process is very much spur of the moment (I wrote more than half my novel on my phone). But sometimes I’ve felt blocked and there are a few exercises that help to get the ideas flowing. Of the different tricks I use when the inspiration evades me, emulation is the easiest when I am feeling lost. Although someone dear to me once told me I added poetry to their life, I am not confident writing poetry. This same person had introduced me to a few poets that I have fallen in love with over the years and so I have integrated writing poetry into one of my writing exercises. Simply, chose a poem and readapt it to reflect your own ideas…

Emulation of  Pablo Neruda’s, Love Sonnet XI

By Marie-France Boissonneault, 2018

I haven’t been well for most of July and so I have put a few of my writing projects on the back burner. But, while away I had several ideas germinating. The opportunity to explore new areas and old favourites was like tilling fertile soil and I have been wanting to plant these ideas and get them growing before my very first in-person writing group next week. So today I think I will indulge in a little fantasy and immerse myself in emulation to get the old fingers dancing across the keyboard again... 

Some Like it Hot

When I was gifted of a flat of peaches, I couldn’t help but sing the nostalgic tune... Oh, how I love peaches!

I’ve always loved to let my imagination go wild whilst cooking so I almost never work from a recipe. When a friend of mine asked for the secrets to the delicious image of my soup I’d shared that day, I quickly jotted down what I could remember. 

I had spent the morning in the kitchen making chutneys, salsas, and this happy accident soup. So, I am glad that I wrote the gist of it down so I could enjoy this wonderful summer soup (hot or cold) once again. I think it is even better the second time! But, my picture was better the first time ;)

So, while I take a little break from writing. I’ll pass along the “recipe” the best I can...



Two large onions sautéed until clear. Four cloves of garlic, six large peaches (I kept the skins on). Throw them all in a pan to simmer for about ten minutes. While simmering, add in a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, two tablespoons of brown sugar, about a tablespoon of dried ginger, curry powder and turmeric and a splash of cider vinegar. 

I almost forgot the chilli pepper; add that to your liking. Let it all cool and then give it a whirl in the blender until it’s smooth. I was freezing some of it so I didn’t add any coconut milk as I might most times. But honestly, I don’t think it needs it as a summer soup, perhaps I’ll make it richer in the fall. 

Then, if you want the delight of a stunning image, find yourself an earthy bowl, a secondary and tertiary coloured flower, and complementary colour for the background. 

Et, voilà! 

Thanatosis

At the beginning of the week, I reviewed Honeyman’s novel and a quote from the book resonated with me. 

“There are days when I feel so lightly connected to the earth that the threads that tether me to the planet are gossamer thin, spun sugar. A strong gust of wind could dislodge me completely, and I’d lift off and blow away, like one of those seeds in a dandelion clock.” (Honeyman, 2017). 

This quote embodies the last few weeks for me, and even more so in the last few days. As I make my way westward I look forward to staring out into the wide expanse of the North Pacific and being cut off from technology. This time to write and explore has been like a strong wind that has dislodged my spun sugar connections to a previous life. The guidance that disconnection brings is like being a satellite above my life, an opportunity to examine, understand and create a new path. Sometimes we need that disconnection to allow for introspection, a moment to quiet all the competing voices that surround us so that we can hear our own.  I have a few more weeks until I embark on new adventures that my work in September will bring. 

So for today, I am grateful for that wind to continue to take me farther away...  

Eleanor Oliphant is Not Completely Fine

My literary FOMO is growing with each novel I pick up! So, while I review works from the list I mentioned last week; I can’t help but devour the words on the page from new authors I knew nothing about to favourites from another time alike. I’ll start with one of my favourites on the list for today as it was the first story that rekindled the bibliophile within me. Forget about how the novel has won a basket full of awards from being the book of the year to have attained the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list; Honeyman’s debut novel is a gem beyond its accolades. It may be in part due to Cathleen McCarron’s brilliant narration. I was struggling with my vision at the time so I listened to the novel, and while the beginning was a bit slow to get going Cathleen McCarron’s talented narration keeps the story moving along.

  

The Guardian refers to Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine as having “characters [that] aren’t goodies, baddies or plot devices, they just feel like people” which is why this novel resonated with me. Her characters are rich and spot-on which made it was so easy to connect with the protagonist; we all know someone like Eleanor. Perhaps it’s a colleague, an acquaintance or a family member but how Honeyman has created Eleanor in the novel; an unequivocally straight-forward, introverted character who is socially maladroit and carries no pretence captivates the reader’s fascination. The story is steeped in an attention to detail and understanding of the nuance of human idiosyncrasies which Honeyman has infused each of her characters with; that brings the novel to life. Eleanor isn't just a quirky oddball character intriguing the reader, she is well-rounded, and she speaks to the depths of loneliness and will trigger an empathetic response from any reader. 

I won’t give a synopsis of the work as this is a title with a thousand write-ups about it online (One of my favourites). But, I have to agree with most of the reviews which crown it as an insightful novel dealing with loneliness in a very relatable way. There are parts where I laughed out loud and other passages which made me cringe for Eleanor. The story is true to life in how simple gestures and moments can change our trajectory. But, while I enjoyed the story, and I don’t like to give anything away, the ending disappointed me.

*SPOILER ALERT*

I won’t give anything away in detail, but the end of the novel, for me, was like a pedantic tidying-up of minor perceived loose ends. The explanations that come to light were formulaic and predictable. I kept waiting for a great twist but while reading the actual great twist I was thinking, this can’t be it… I think the story got caught up in dysfunction and rather than to allow a natural progression of events and explanations, Honeyman wanted to create something more involved and complicated than she could deliver.  

*SAFE FROM SPOILERS*

With all that said and done, the novel was a wonderful read. If you want a thought-provoking story that will make you laugh, cringe and connect with its characters than you’ll find it with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

Happy reading and see you next Monday!

Summer Reading List

Since early September I have been teaching English. As a result, I have had the chance to re-read the classics and some "new to me" classics. It highlighted how much I missed reading fiction, and so in June, as classes were winding down I gave myself a summer goal. I decided that I was going to "do" a summer reading list as I did when I was a teenager. It was one of the things I really looked forward to as the summer break would approach. Many of my friends groaned about having to read books over the summer break but I was so excited to get my hands on the list our school would assign. I also grew up in a reading household; the shelves were lined with the classics. So my brother and I loved reading, and I have carried that into my adult life.

However, over the years fiction has fallen by the wayside. I never gave up reading, but it became scientific studies and academic articles that that now took centre stage. I have tried to pick up works of fiction here and there but unless they were tied to my career they were soon forgotten on the bedside table. This time though, I had a goal that between July and August I would read at least five books... Now, I don't have a list to work from but I thought, if I can read five as a teenager I can certainly get through five books as an adult... I think I was a bit like a kid in a candy store binging on stories. So far, I have gotten through a few more books than I thought I would read for the entire summer which is really exhilarating for me. I have ten titles already under my belt. And so, I thought it might be nice to take a little moment to step back and absorb the works while I work up the appetite for my next novel binge. A few of the novels were light reads, stories for my own research (Lauren, Hoang & Chbosky) on current genre and style. While other titles I read were solely for pleasure... I won't review them all in this post but I will share the list below.    

Here is the list I have gone through so far. I always love a great suggestion so feel free to drop me a line and let me know about any riveting reads you've enjoyed; or even what you may have thought of the ones I've listed J

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

By Gail Honeyman

My Favorite Half-night Stand & Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

By Christina Lauren

Less

By Andrew Sean Greer

Supermarket

By Bobby Hall

The Kiss Quotient
By Helen Hoang

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Stephen Chbosky

The Nest

By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

The Japanese Lover

By Isabel Allende

The Home for Unwanted Girls

By Joanna Goodman

I’ll review one of these titles in my post next week!

When We Were Birds

Part two of my writer's adventure ended up becoming one but that’s all part of the fun! It took some planning but I think all the kinks are finally ironed out. I am really looking forward to a week of good laughs, hard work, networking, searching, dedication and both inspiring and being inspired... Counting down! Two weeks to go until my writer's adventure! 

And, maybe a little break for some mural hunting too! ☺️ This beauty is by Ana Marietta from Blink 2017 a little digital gift from an awesome travel partner who caught the mural hunting bug from me during our last road trip together!

Trapped in my Head

I woke up to a rough start after a dreadful sleep last night. However, it seemed like everyone could read my mind today... So, this fun little T was a perfect fit for the day; a delightful gag gift from one of my favourite students.

My passion for writing is one I have had since a very young age so it is something I do as a part of who I am and I am prepared for a deluge of rejections and criticism. I write to satisfy a different need but if people enjoy my prose; all the better. Even more satisfying is when someone provides insightful comments on my stories.

In February, I started to share my more personal work with much trepidation. I am a private person and one that juggles the whole personal versus public persona. There are very few people that I have allowed into my inner circle over the years and the inability to show vulnerability can be my downfall. So, I’ve challenged myself to share a little more through my writing.

My brother once told me I lived in my head. And, I do. It’s a fascinating place to roam... An editor commented on my work suggesting the same idea this morning after reading a few of my stories. It delighted me to open my email and read his critique. It was illuminating! I felt good about the stories when I sent them off. His manner of highlighting the suggestion he had for my work brought to light exactly where I should focus my attention on my rewrite which was so helpful. And, I am always looking for challenges to grow in my craft so I appreciate the guidance from a good editor! 

Another thing I am really looking forward to is a familiar island hop at the end of the month where I will have a little writing retreat oasis. I’m hoping to have another couple of days for a similar escape with a good friend. Until then though, I’ll work on finessing my writing to create an experience more than spelling it all out for my reader which is perfect timing for my novel edits.

As for reading my mind again, even though my father who knew nothing of my morning, and has said nothing about my writing, told me to keep writing when I got off the phone with him today. It felt serendipitous! But, this is it for me today. In the words of Seinfeld, “I’m on no sleep” so I’m taking a break, but only for today…

Adaptation

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”― Cicero

In life, there are so many unexpected changes that I find myself relentlessly re-evaluating myself. I’m a human chameleon devouring the understandings of the flashes of my existence. On this first of July, Canada’s birthday, I look out to the mountains from my yard after an early morning hike with my girl, some gardening and a writing exercise that perplexed me from the onset. The warm-up for this morning was of the very short story style, 19 words to be exact. I crafted 9 stories, and it was a great way to warm up for the editing work I have set aside for this month. You have little room for the superfluous with so few words which puts me in the right mindset with my red pen eagerly hovering over my manuscript. 

I met my deadline for the POV switch of my June story May Day but was way over my word limit! I write my stories from a female perspective so to get into the mindset of my male character was a huge but rewarding struggle. And, my beta readers loved it; a huge relief. Dialogue and POV are new to me as my academic writing background calls for neither so I welcome these new challenges. My day started bright and early with the sun. So, I think I will also take the afternoon to celebrate; lest I find myself in the same predicament as good ole Jack…  

Happy Canada Day!