Living the Dream

April 22, 2025. There may be sun today, but it probably won’t be warm enough to sit outside. Sad news yesterday that Pope Francis died. It wasn’t unexpected since he had been gravely ill, but it is a blow to the millions of Roman Catholics around the world. Even a Presbyterian like myself can appreciate the good the man did during his time as the head of the RC church. Now, the process begins to find a replacement. In the past, there was a lot of interest in watching for the white smoke. Will there be as much now?

I spent thirty years of my career as a teacher as an English teacher. My love for literature is a deep-seated one that started with reading Little Golden Books, and grew into the writing career I’ve created for myself since retiring. The two units that were may favorites included my poetry unit and my Shakespearian unit. I can see some of you cringing, but I loved Shakespeare, and I did everything I could to ensure my students loved it, or at least enjoyed the six weeks we spent there. Tomorrow is the Bard’s birthday.

Today’s letter is S, and I’m going to focus on Shakespeare. Back in the day, there would be memory work, acting out scenes, doing research on the period and of course, reading and studying the plays. Did I have my favorites? Yes. I loved the comedies, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, and The Taming of the Shrew. While I taught them, the two I disliked the most were Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet–both men were spoiuled wimps. The tragedies that I preferred were King Lear and Macbeth, although the one who wore the pants in that relationship was definitely Lady Macbeth. I visited Cawdor Castle in Scotland and that was a thrill. Macbeth was the Thane of Cawdor and there is an exhibit dedicated to that inside.

Students used to complain that Shakespearian Engligh was hard to understand. Maybe, but he had the best insults. Here’s a list and a fun activity to create your own. Enjoy!

This song refers to Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and King Lear

Come back tomorrow for the letter T. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

Good day! For those who celebrate, I hope you all had a lovely Easter. This week, the Tuesday Tales authors are writing to the word prompt, STUNNING. I’m continuing with my romance/suspense novel, And Justice for All. Enjoy!

“Mona, it’s Harry Collins. Patch me through to Forensics in Ottawa.”

“Yes, sir.” The polite, helpful voice became serious.

The phone rang. It was picked up on the second ring.

“RCMP Forensics Unit, Tawney Gaines speaking.”

“Tawney, it’s me. I have a hell of a mess for you.” Without mincing his words, Harry told her what had happened and what he needed. “Be prepared to work in the dark and stay the night. Go to the marina next to Cornwall’s in Rockport. I’ll have an OPP officer waiting for you there. Now, before you start getting ready, I need you to contact Tom and tell him to bring the rig. We’ll be there for a few days. Have him call me a.s.a.p.”

“Understood. It’s 16:40 now. I’ll have my team there by 18:30 at the latest. Can we drive in to wherever we need to get?”

“Unlikely, but I won’t know for sure until I examine the area myself. You’ll be on Club Island, just west of Rockport. From what I know, you need a boat to access it. Call the Coast Guard base on Hill Island and ask for Wendy Lewis. Tell her you’re working for me and ask for assistance. You know what you’ll need better than I do.”

“Do you think this is another contract job?” Her voice was filled with concern and more than a touch of fear.

“I do, and I think we may finally have a break, but make sure all of those who come with you are armed and wearing their Kevlar vests. I’ll see you when you get there.”

He ended the call and made another.

“Call Chase Realty.”

“Calling Chase Realty,” the tinned voice replied.

Maggie sat up straighter. Chase Realty was one of Robbinsville’s top realty companies.

“Chase Realty.” The woman’s voice sounded eager to please as if every call could be a potential moneymaker.

“Yes, this is Harry Collins. I was supposed to meet James Brown at 340 Water Street West to look at a condo.”

Harry’s words made her gasp, stunning her once more. That was her address. In a day filled with the impossible, this was just another blow to the solar plexus. There were a couple of condos for sale in the building. The last thing she needed was for Harry and his family to move in there, too. Seeing him at work would be hard enough, but running into him and his new wife in the lobby picking up their mail would be beyond awkward.

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

April 21, 2025. Good morning. It’s another cool rainy day, but we did get some sunshine if not heat yesterday for the holiday celebration. I’m in countdown mode for my surgery. My pre-op went well. The EKG verified that I have a heart and that it’s working well, I have blood, and the X-rays showed that the hip is still there and in critical need of repair.

Based on all of the evidence at hand, I will be in and out on the same day–barring complications, although the nurse didn’t elaborate on what those might be. I’ll be frozen for the procedure–think epidural on steroids. Not sure how I feel about hearing everything going on, but I’m sure whatever I do hear will someday make it into a book.

Today’s letter is R and I’m thinking about rivers, specifically, the St. Lawrence River that runs along the edge of my city. The river is playing a critical role in my newest book, a romance suspense titled, And Justice for All. The river separates the city from the Mohawk reservation here, but farther along, it separates Canada from the United States. The following is taken from Wikipedia.

The St. Lawrence River (French: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, pronounced [flœv sɛ̃ lɔʁɑ̃]) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, traversing Ontario and Quebec in Canada and New York in the United States. A section of the river demarcates the Canada–U.S. border.

As the primary drainage outflow of the Great Lakes Basin, the St. Lawrence has the second-highest discharge of any river in North America (after the Mississippi River) and the 16th-highest in the world. The estuary of the St. Lawrence is often cited by scientists as the largest in the world. Significant natural landmarks of the river and estuary include the 1,864 river islands of the Thousand Islands, the endangered whales of Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, and the limestone monoliths of the Mingan Archipelago.

Long a transportation route to Indigenous peoples, the St. Lawrence River has played a key role in the history of Canada and in the development of cities such as Montreal and Quebec City. The river remains an important shipping route as the backbone of the St. Lawrence Seaway, a lock and canal system that enables world marine traffic to access the inland ports of the Great Lakes Waterway.

The river has always played a significant role in my life. I grew up eating perch, still enjoy it although it’s no longer as plentiful as it used to be. My sister lives beside the river, and we spend time there each summer, more so because my daughter’s significant other owns the cottage next to my sister’s home. Going boating on a sunny summer day is something we’ve always done. There’s something relaxing about being on the water. I think that’s why I enjoy cruises. I love being on the water.

Over the years, the river has had both positive and negative roles. It’s a transportation route into the Great Lakes, essential to trade for both Canada and the US. As well, in my area we have a hydro-electric dam that provides electricity to both our area of Ontario as well as new York State. Chevrolet and Alcan used to have plants on the American side, and for years the water was seriously polluted, but efforts were made to clean it up and that worked.

The river has also been a route by which smugglers have moved contraband from one country to another. During Prohibition, it was alcohol going from Canada into the US. In my lifetime that’s changed and alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, guns, and people have been smuggled from the US to Canada. Is there traffic the other way? Yes, but what’s ceased on our side is far more than what gets across form here. The RCMP and the OPP as well as Canadian Border Services do their best to stop the flow both ways, but criminals always seem to find a way.

Still, despite that, I love the time I spend by the river. What better song could I pick for today?

That’s it. Come back tomorrow for what I have to say about the letter S. See you tomorrow for Q. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

Wishing you all a happy day with family and friends, and maybe a little springtime weather to make the day even better.

April 19, 2025. Good morning. Today, I’m full of questions. Have you ever wondered what the perfect age might be? You don’t think about it much when your age is measured in single digits, until you hear things like, “You’re not a baby anymore. You’re a big boy or a big girl.” That’s when age becomes a reality. You can’t wait until you’re a teenager–13 is a big deal, then it’s 16 so that you can learn to drive, and the list of best ages moves up from there. I was 18 when I graduated high school, 21 when I got married and 22 when I finished my first university degree. Was one of those my best year? They were all amazing. On the way to my planned future, I took a slight pause and had three children, returning to university and graduating with my teaching degree at 31. Was that my best age? Or was it 41, 51, or 63 when I published my first novel?

Today’s letter is Q and to me it stands for all the crazy questions that constantly run through my mind, today one of them being when was my best age? It’s possible it hasn’t even arrived yet. The year I became a grandmother was pretty awesome. Maybe the year I become a great-grandmother will be, too. The year my son got his PhD was another fantastic one. It’s all relative. It all depends on what we use as a measuring stick. If bad things happen, do they negate the good factor, or do they just put an asterisk on its notation in our memories? Kids ask questions about everything, and some of the time, that may drive you crazy, but how else are they to learn? The fact that they ask you for answers shows that they somehow value your wisdom.

But so many questions have no answers. What will tomorrow bring? I don’t know. It could be rain, it could be sun, it could be war, it could be peace, it could be an end to tariffs, it could be more of them, and there’s nothing I can do to influence that. Mother Nature holds the key to some answers, and politicians hold the others. We just have to pray that whatever comes will be the best it can be.

My burning question right now, is what will I wear to go and vote today? Our federal election is on the 28th and since I will be post-op, I’m guessing I won’t make it to the polls that day, so I’m voting in the advanced one. Will my chosen candidate win? I don’t know, but I hope so. Who will be Canada’s Prime Minister? I know who I hope it’ll be, but I don’t know who the country will choose. Questions, questions, questions? Is it time for more coffee? Now, there’s a question I can answer. Yes! definitely, yes!

Here’s an old song about a very improtant question.

Happy Easter to all who celebrate. Come back Monday for the letter R. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

April 18, 2025. It’s another “nature can’t make up its mind” day in my neighborhood. Hope things are better in yours. Well, it’s Good Friday and the Easter weekend is upon us. Easter’s late this year and yet it feels as if it was St Patrick’s day just yesterday.

Back in the day, Easter meant new clothes, new hats and gloves, and all the other lovely things that went with church on Easter morning. Not anymore. This year, I’ll be watching the service on You Tube, possibly still in my nightgown, sipping my cup of coffee. Avoiding crowds of disease carrying strangers is the order of the day.

Out eldest son is home for the weekend, and our daughter and her family , including Eleni’s boyfriend, will be here for dinner. Normally, I make a huge meal with lamb, ham, and all the trimmings, but this year we’re having appetizers followed by lasagna from the YIG delicatessen, Caesar salad, garlic bread, and dessert. I don’t know what it is since Angela is in charge of that. It may seem like an odd menu for this particular holiday, but it’s an easy no brainer one, and given my level of discomfort, it’s the best I can do. Next year, I promise lamb once more. By then, I will be 100% back to normal, walking without pain, and able to do some, if not all, of the things I could do before. Right now, I have to accept my limitations and move on from there.

Did you think I’d forgotten the letter of the day? Not quite. Today’s letter is P and I’ve chosen to talk about the color PINK. It used to be that pink was for girls and blue was for boys–it still is at gender reveal parties. Back in my day, we didn’t know what the baby was until it arrived, so my children wore a lot of white, yellow, mint green, and turquoise, the blue or pink coming after they were born. Of course, after two boys, our daughter wore a lot of blue hand-me-downs, too.

Today, anyone can wear pink. My husband has a couple of pink shirts that look great on him, and my grandsons do, too. Pink is also the symbol of the anti-bullying campaign in our schools, with Pink Shirt Day at the end of February.

On Sunday night, there was another kind of pink, a Pink Moon, also called an Easter moon. A friend took some great pictures. The last one is mine, taken through my office window, with a lovely view of one of our utility sheds.

makes sense that PINK should be your song today! See you tomorrow for Q. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

April 17, 2025. Good morning! It’s 0 C, supposed to be going up to 9 C today. The weather is doing its best to behave seasonally–if we knew what season it was! I have my pre-op meeting at the hospital this afternoon where they’ll do an EKG, blood work, and ask, a bunch of questions about my previous medical issues, some I remember, but don’t ask me for dates. The only ones of those I can give you are my children’s birth dates. For others, maybe the years, but honestly, i got better, so do you honestly think I stored that in my never to be forgotten memory file? I’ll also have to bring whatever medications and supplements I’m taking so that they can tell me what to stop. I’ll also meet the anesthetist who will see to it that I don’t feel anything during the surgery. That fun comes later! If I’m lucky, I’ll find out what time I need to be at the hospital for my procedure on the 24th. Procedure sounds so much less terrifying than operation.

Today’s letter is O. I’m going to talk about the pressure of being the oldest sibling. Only children never have that problem and younger ones are spared, but as the oldest, the parents expect you to set the example. I’m the oldest of two. My sister is not quite 4 years younger than I am, but as the oldest, I was supposed to be the one who protected her. Ha! I was the sickly wimp. She was the fighter and as soon as she could, she took over that role. Of course, there were still a lot of firsts, I had to navigate, but she reaped the benefits.

My eldest son was also the trendsetter. Considering that there are only 32 months between my eldest and his brother and sister, the youngest, they actually navigated the teen years pretty much together. When he would get mad at the others, his line was always, Just remember, I was what you never were–an only child. Today, even though they are separated my many miles, they are very close.

My daughter took a page out of our book and had her children clsoe together. You’ve met Tonio, Eleni and Georgia. Now, it’s time to meet the meet Nico, the oldest, the leader, the one who set the bar the others attempt to reach with great success. Born in mid-December, he started pre-K when he was only three. Part way through the year, his parents separated and he became the man of the house. He was four. His siblings where 3, 2, and 9 months old. They and their mother lived in a women’s shelter for three months. They refered to it as the clubhouse and what could’ve been a soul destroying start in live became part of an adventure thanks to the hard work and determination of their mother. When their father died five years later from a Fentanly overdose, it was tragic, but it didn’t change them in any way.

Nico has always been a role model. since Eleni is only 10 1/2 months younger than he is, he doesn’t recall ever being an only child. Those two are very close, but he’s also close to his other sister and brother.

Like the others, he is athletic, participates in activities, and achieved the rank of top cadet in his corps. He graduated from high school as an Ontario Scholar, with an official bilingual certificate, and won a special scholarship for being the kind of student he was. He’s currently writing exams to end his first year at the University of Ottawa. Throughout the year, in addition to getting top marks, he came home biweekly to work weekends at the No Frills store in town, thus earning money that will go toward next year’s tuition. He’s in Health Sciences, and plans to be a medical doctor. Meet Nico.

No matter what he chose to do, he did it well, and I have no doubt that he’ll continue to do so. Once he gets started, there’s nothing to stop him. The oldest leads the way!

Today’s song is one from long ago.

Come back tomorrow for the letter P. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

April 16, 2025 Well, we might be in the second half of April, but Old Man Winter must’ve found someone’s Viagra. Rain, snow, and cold. How long can he keep it up? I’m done with it and him. I want those spring flowers and warmer temperatures.

But it is what it is, and other that bitching about the weather, there’s nothing I can do, although I have been looking at brochures for fall cruises. I just have to check with the surgeon about flying.

Today’s letter is N. My mind is a blank. I can think of nothing. Since I usually have plenty to say, this has never happened to be before, not even once. Writer’s Block? No way! I don’t want to be a Negative Nellie, but how do I deal with this?

If you’ve guessed that I’ve decided to blog about negative words that start with N, you win the prize.

There are more negative words than those that start with N. Here’s a list that might interest you. https://fluentland.com/negative-vocabulary-word-list/

I’m going to focus on the N words. These include: naive, nasty, naughty, nausea,nauseous, negate, negative, neither, never, no, nobody, nondescript, nonsense, none, no one, not, nothing, nowhere, and noxious. I’m sure that, given the circumstances, other N words can be negative, but today these will have to suffice. To amuse yourself, try to use at least a coupleof them today. As for me, I’m naive enough to realize that nasty weather can bring out the naughty in me. You’re turn.

But never can be something positive.

For my blind follower, the meme says: You will never regret the times you stopped to listen to a loved one, or put down your phone to be present, or paused to notice something beautiful, or made an effort to be kind. This is the good stuff. Don’t miss it.

Come back tomorrow for the letter O. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z

April 15, 2025. Halfway through the month and the challenge. Rain’s back with the potential for snow. Old man winter might’ve been down for the count, but he wasn’t out. Oh well, I haven’t got anywhere to go anyway.

I’m slowly getting things organized. I’ve got meals ready in the freezer for my early recovery days. My husband is a great guy, but while he can make a simple cold cut sandwich, and K D, better known in the US as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese dinner (no real cheese needed) he can’t cook. So, there will be a lot of take out, delivery, and frozen meals until I’m able to resume kitchen duties.

Today’s letter is M. Last week when I mentioned my Cocktails for You series, one on my readers noted that they sounded interesting but that she didn’t drink alcohol. I’m not a heavy drinker, basically just a social one, although I do enjoy a glass of wine watching television, but in preparation for my surgery, I stopped drinking any form of alcohol a month ago. For The Last Supper, I had a Virgin Caesar, same as a regular Caesar, minus the vodka. The term given to non-alcoholic versions of cocktails is mocktails. So, this morning, M is for Mocktail.

I went online and found a few mocktails just for you. Here’s the link if you would like to find more of them than the three I’m offering you. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/g42297893/best-mocktail-recipes/

The most common mocktail is The Shirley Temple named after a child actress.

This O.G. mocktail, dating back to the 1930s, was reportedly created for the famous child actress. One story goes that Shirley and her parents were at the Brown Derby (or Chasen’s, by some accounts) in Hollywood. Her parents were nursing cocktails, and little Shirley complained that she wanted a drink like the “grown-ups,” so the bartender created a nonalcoholic version on the spot.

Throughout the rest of Shirley Temple’s life, waiters and fans would delight in giving her the drink. Turns out, at least as an adult, she thought it was too sweet. Our not-as-sweet version of the Shirley Temple drink uses homemade pomegranate syrup and seltzer. We think adult Shirley would have approved, but to give it more kid-appeal, you can use a little more syrup

Here’s one that would work for Halloween! It’s called Black Charcoal Lemonade!

Activated charcoal powder into fresh-squeezed lemon juice makes this an extra-spooky sweet-and-sour drink. The ingredients include:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. activated black charcoal
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups cold water

Directions:

• Step 1In small saucepan, combine sugar and 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer (do not stir) until sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in charcoal, and let cool completely.
  1. Step 2 In large pitcher, combine lemon juice, cooled sugar syrup, and 4 cups cold water. Serve over ice.

Here’s one for the holidays: The Cranberry Basil Spritzer. This one is made to share.

Ingredients

For Basil Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

For Spritzer:

• 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 L chilled club soda
• 4 slices lime
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Directions

• 1. Step 1Make Basil Syrup: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add basil leaves, remove pan from heat, and let steep for 20 minutes.Strain syrup and let cool for at least 1 hour. 
  2. Step 2Make Spritzer: In a large pitcher, combine syrup, unsweetened cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice. Fill pitcher with chilled club soda, then add lime slices, fresh cranberries, and basil leaves. To serve, pour spritzers over ice, top each with a splash more club soda, and garnish with basil.

So there you have it. Three non-alcholic drinks. In actual fact, you can order just about any cocktail on the menu. Just ask them to make it a virgin.

And of course, after that there’s only one suitable song.

Come back tomorrow for the letter N. Here’s the MASTER LIST https://tinyurl.com/tauke86z