#PassionFlash

A fresh blanket of snow, glittering and wondrous in the dazzling light of a cloudless sky, is the perfect canvas for the start of a new year. 2021 ended with such fragile, exquisite beauty, my [...]

Today is the Winter Solstice. It's also Yule, and with the start of winter comes the end of the calendar year, which always feels blank and fresh. I'm thinking about all of the lessons of [...]

The mailman unloads his route from the box on the corner and I watch him from my seat on the porch. He listens to a podcast, and I find this endearing.I'm on the phone with [...]

I wanted passion and excitement this summer. Carefree, sensual enjoyment of the heat and the full, lush green, and the feeling of wet sand between my toes.I wanted campfire hair in the morning. Bug bites [...]

Casual relationships are not for me.I've been spending time with some truly incredible humans this summer, and through these connections, I'm learning so much about myself. However, despite feeling all manner of feelings, there's been [...]

I love him, a little bit. I think there's a part of him that believes that my love is parsed out among too many other contenders. I know that I can see the most beautiful [...]

It's Sunday morning. I wake up slowly, and the apartment is warm and full of birdsong. My big male cat, Taku, is doing the combo meow-purr that tells me he's simultaneously hungry and itching to [...]

The sun is determined to shine here today, even though the temperature has barely made the double digits. It's not quite noon, I'm in sweatpants and my hair is still damp. I was hoping it [...]

Do you remember who you were a year ago? I was frustrated. Impatient. I felt like I could see all of my dreams like puzzle pieces, but like a dream, I couldn't get any of [...]

As I’m building my journal therapy practice, a big part of this work has been articulating how I came into reflective writing. With the help of my new marketing goddess, something has really struck me; [...]

People keep asking me if I’m okay. It’s a yes and no answer because ultimately, I know I will emerge intact, and I can literally feel my resilience at work, but holy mother this is [...]

It’s the full moon. The first of two in the month of October. My friend Jenny Arndt tells me that this moon is in Aries and I know that means it’s the moon of my [...]

There are days when all the walking in the woods doesn’t clear me of the desire to scream at the top of my lungs. I was in an open, polyamorous triad in which we were raising [...]

I’m not convinced it was supposed to go down like this. When we met, I felt like I was pulled into his orbit by a force that was bigger than both of us. I had [...]

I shouldn’t have agreed to go.To the couples’ therapy session we’d waited a month for, I mean. A month that felt like years. A month I couldn’t make it through because I was so exhausted [...]

This is exactly how a Sunday morning should feel; I’m sitting in bed in the warm glow of the bedside lamp, and the rain is pattering outside. The screen of my laptop is reflecting the [...]

You may be inclined to think this is a cry for help. It’s not. I wrote it so you know you’re not alone in this madness.How’s your pandemic going?Mine’s a disaster.In the good old days [...]

It’s been just over a week since I asked him to leave. At the new moon last Tuesday, I committed to transparency. To look at the last year, our year, and identify patterns. To search [...]

I woke up sandwiched between my seven-year-old and the cold wall of his bedroom. We’d slept cramped in his twin bed the night before. He couldn’t get close enough. He hasn’t been able to get [...]

Noah in the hollow of a willow at Victoria Lawn Cemetery We’ve been living in the COVID-19 pandemic for four weeks now. It’s our first full moon, and the pink supermoon at that. The overcast [...]

A blog post series about the COVID-19 Pandemic. Day One - March 17th 2020Last night, my 75 year old mother read me a bedtime story for the first time in several decades. Okay, she wasn’t [...]

It's the first day of rehearsal with Cabaret Clandestine and Karen's in for a huge surprise when she learns how she's been cast in their gala performance.

It's the first day of rehearsal with Cabaret Clandestine and Karen's in for a huge surprise when she learns how she's been cast in their gala performance.

Welcome to chapter five of Bump and Grind. If you'd like to listen, rather than read, CLICK HERE. The ceiling in the subterranean rehearsal hall was surprisingly high. At one end of the room thick [...]

In Chapter Five of Bump and Grind, Karen takes on her first big theatre audition since her accident, for the exclusive and intimidating Cabaret Clandestine. 

Welcome to chapter four of Bump and Grind. If you'd like to listen, rather than read, CLICK HERE. I'm in some kind of hammam, judging by the hanging lanterns and ornate mosaic work. I shed my clothing [...]

In Chapter Four of Bump and Grind Karen's amazing opportunity isn't as cut and dry as she's led to believe, and now she has to pull of an impromptu audition for some of the most [...]

Karen's friends and family learn more about the exciting turn her life has taken as she hits Prime Time to share her story with the world.

Struggling actress Karen Parker gets a huge surprise and a second shot at her career when a bad day at work takes an outrageous turn.

Bump and Grind Chapter One: The Cataclysmic Break Meet Karen Parker, a struggling actress who's saying goodbye to her dreams of an arts career when a gorgeous blast from her past shows up at her [...]

Karen's friends and family learn more about the exciting turn her life has taken as she hits Prime Time to share her story with the world.

Struggling actress Karen Parker gets a huge surprise and a second shot at her career when a bad day at work takes an outrageous turn.

Meet Karen Parker, a struggling actress who's saying goodbye to her dreams of an arts career when a blast from her past shows up at her job at the local library with an opportunity that Karen can't walk away from.

Husbands who can’t be honest, kids who leave you exhausted and a pair of libidos that may not be a match. In this first episode, Cat and Joel talk about staying together for the kids, keeping up intimacy despite the kids and what to do with a new lover who won’t practice making babies.

Suki Tsunami of Les Coquettes Cabaret Man, I don't know about you, but I love this January energy. I feel like I can do everything and anything right now. I'm motivated, I'm exercising regularly, I'm [...]

The view from my desk, and Noodle's allowance jar. There is nothing more peaceful than waking up to discover everything blanketed in fresh snow. My home is a very modest one-bedroom apartment. It’s small, but [...]

But I finally know what I need. Which feels timely, because I'm in the midst of another immensely challenging moment. I feel a little lost, frankly.It's funny how life will knock you on your ass [...]

The sky was pale pink over the lake this morning. I padded upstairs quietly into the cool air of the cottage, greeted by the smell of coffee and beautiful Lena in silhouette in her room. [...]

Release spells are best worked during the waning or dark moon. Tools: A small table centered in a space with enough room around it to walk in a circle An altar cloth of natural fibres [...]

"How lucky am I to have a monster on my side?" - Amanda Parker My friend, singer/songwriter Amanda Parker wrote a song about creating a monster to protect you from all the things that might [...]

This part is always the hardest; the radio silence. The twisting, writhing feeling when contact is severed. The waiting and wondering if you'll reconnect in any kind of meaningful way. To me, there is nothing [...]

Photo by Honor Beauty This story begins nearly two decades ago. Against the backdrop of two close family members succumbing to cancer, my fledgling marriage to a wonderful man succumbed to a number of things. [...]

It wasn't a clean break. The space I was trying to build with someone else is still a work in progress because we weren't ready to let go yet. It's currently relationship limbo. That nebulous [...]

I did it right this time.  I stepped into the possibility of love with all of my centres wide open. I listened to my heart and my gut. I made changes in my life to [...]

My baby mama and I were commiserating about romantic relationships under the blazing noon heat of our son's baseball game. "You need to get better at protecting your heart," she said "You fall in love [...]

This chapter of my life seems to be all about adaptation. Adapting to the demands of school and realizing that my entrepreneur lifestyle of week day lunches with the ladies has come to an end. [...]

My tiny apartment smells like flowers. Freesias, to be exact. They gift the most beautiful fragrance. I wake each morning to a riot of birdsong, and sometimes a light shroud of mist hovers over the [...]

Those of you who know me, or who have been reading these posts for a while, know that this year has been a year of recovery. I've learned so much about myself; what I'm capable [...]

I started out the month of April deciding I would try to be celibate for 30 days. Things on the romantic front were more stressful than pleasurable. Worry and confusion about dynamics and intentions had [...]

A poem about the first sweet moments.

Snow in the springtime is not unheard of in this part of Canada. Still, when I woke up to a sparkling white blanket over everything, I gasped. The little buds on the shrubs outside were [...]

Remember the text and phone only connection I was about to experience in real life? It happened yesterday, over an epic lunch near the airport. I was so very nervous the morning of, but after [...]

The birds sang so loudly today they drowned out the music in my earbuds. A light dusting of snow covered the trail like icing sugar, yet my neon-salmon trainers beat the path with more certainty [...]

The post-flood apartment renovations continue, and I remain transient. I've got my sweet little Airbnb until the end of this month, and then it's a whole lot of 'we'll see' until I can move back [...]

Last year, at this time, I could see the end of my relationship clear on the horizon. On the surface, I didn't know how I would survive the pain, how I would start my life [...]

I thought the crazy in my life was over, at least for a little while. But crazy doesn't care about timelines, it seems. Or how much you've been shuffled around, unsettled, displaced. Crazy finds you [...]

I'm on a personal journey to understand what I actually feel about monogamy, and to uncover that truth, I'm exploring polyamory. It's not my first experience with a non-monogamous relationship, but dating and polyamory turns [...]

This morning I hopped on Facebook to chat about my early explorations in polyamory. As always, I want your questions on sex, relationships, and heart space. You can send them to me here.

I'm on a quest to do more for myself than I've ever done before. More healing, more growth, more knowledge and power. I'm tackling each day with as much mindfulness as I can muster, now [...]

I see a path where I'm a lone wolf, only keeping company when mood and opportunity align. There's something deeply alluring about that path. And yet...I just can't stop chasing this notion that somewhere out there, a true Pegasus awaits.

"All you can take with you is that which you’ve given away." - Peter Bailey, It's a Wonderful LifeI've been thinking a lot about the year that's about to begin. One of my great lessons [...]

I'm toasting these shadows, those ghosts of Christmas past, with almond eggnog and spiced rum, and I'm doing the best that I can. This holiday is bittersweet, but I'm pleased to tell you there is [...]

It's not that I'm afraid of being alone. I don't despair about the notion of getting old without a husband. I don't worry that I'll choke to death and nobody will come to my rescue. [...]

If you think that I've been quiet because I've fallen into a peacefully settled sort of happiness, you would be wrong. There is happiness, to be sure, and love and light, but peace and any [...]

This post has been rolling around inside me as a collection of feelings and phrases that intersect and diverge and fill me with both longing and abundance. I am in love. This isn't news. I've [...]

I'm on the precipice of November, a month that I have a long-standing difficult relationship with. But this year, I'm determined not to let November take me down. This precipice happens to exist on my [...]

Six years of amazing you in my life. Six years of your smiles, your clever jokes, your lightning-fast brain. Six years of knowing you're the single greatest blessing in my life. That the very best [...]

I'm stealing a few quiet moments this morning. There's a steady drip of rain on the windowsill and the sunrise turns the sky to a milky gray, clouds heavy over the tops of the trees [...]

I've been tucked away in a gorgeous lakefront home in South Frontenac since Tuesday night, on a writing retreat with three dear friends and colleagues who inspire me each week with their talent and tenacity. [...]

Last night I dreamt that I was walking through a field and I came upon the enormous, shed skin of a python. According to the Internet, this means I am being reborn into something more [...]

*Trigger Warning. Please proceed with your heart held close. When I was a little girl, maybe eight years old, I was chased from the swing set on our neighbourhood playground and tackled in the bushes [...]

At the beginning of September, I invited those of you who are following my Facebook Page to join me live, from my new apartment, for a nightcap to toast my new life. Your response kind [...]

I remember what it feels like to fall for someone. As they take up real estate previously occupied by mundane tasks, until even mundane tasks seem joyful. I imagine how they'll look at me when [...]

Yesterday I found a hawk feather on the sidewalk on St. Paul Street. Despite the gusts of wind, the feather lay in wait. I decided it was waiting for me. Five months officially in this [...]

I took my children into the wilderness, and we left knowing that we are campers for life. I'd never tent camped before, but this trip was the only sure thing about the last ten months. [...]

Guess who is about to embark on four days of tent camping in Algonquin Park, with the company of her amazing children? I'm ending this insane summer on the perfect note, because I am most [...]

You don't need me to tell you what loneliness feels like, How the yawning silent void can sound like the loudest roar, Or how the vast expanse of solitude can be crushing. You don't need [...]

https://youtu.be/qooWnw5rEcI Instead of spending lazy Sunday mornings with a Paul Simon soundtrack while he fries up eggs and I watch from the kitchen island thumbing through magazines, I run. I tear through the streets of [...]

I'm listening to Patrick Watson and you are everywhere. In every space I try to fill. In every breath I try to draw. Here's another thing that was uniquely mine that I must reclaim. This [...]

I moved all of my possessions out of my home on Saturday. A home I never wanted to leave. A home that all of the members of my former family remain in. I moved all [...]

Thanks for your patience. I've been wading through this complicated new reality, not always keeping my head up, and not always feeling like I wanted to share.  The grieving process is like that sometimes. The [...]

Dear Catherine, (I'm sorry, I just can't call you Cat. It's absurd.) You don't think you'll make it through this, but you will. You're right about one thing, however. You won't be the same. Nobody [...]

A handful of things happened this week. What an inane statement. Things happen every week obviously, but somehow, this week felt personal. Kate Spade committed suicide, I had two heart-wrenching appointments that illuminated just how [...]

The women in my family know heartbreak like the words to a favourite song. It seems to be written in our DNA, part of the marrow of our bones. So too is the ability to [...]

Mother Moon, do you recall at the beginning of this year, when I brought my children out into our snow-covered postage stamp backyard to meet you? We performed our first moon ritual as a family, [...]

Long before my life...what's the phrase I want to use here? Caved in? Fell apart? Transformed? Long before everything changed, I'd agreed to house and pet sit for my dear friends Nat and Mike in [...]

My grandmother had twelve children, eleven of whom survived through infancy. She lived with an alcoholic husband, and dealt with all of the hardships that come with such a life; poverty, violence, heartache, fear, before [...]

Wednesday. My first day back in the house, solo with the kids. He was there. I hadn't counted on that, and so I sat at the breakfast bar, head in my laptop, churning with a [...]

Tuesday. When I imagine this day, I imagine sleeping in. Instead, my internal alarm wakes me at 6:30 in the morning, so I sit up in bed and write a chapter of the YA novel [...]

It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting in bed listening to the rain. The softest light filters through the blinds and my son is speaking quietly to his daddy in the other room. In three hours, [...]

This post has been in the works for six months. Six long, painful months where I've watched my life unravel. A thread was pulled too hard, and it all came apart. No amount of skill [...]

Dear Mama C, This year, Mother's Day marks the start of a new journey into motherhood. One you had never planned on taking, and one that is more than a little scary. I don't need [...]

The morning we'd planned to talk to the kids, you stood in the doorway of our bedroom, staring at me. Your beautiful face, the one I've held in these hands and kissed a thousand times, [...]

I've had two coffees this morning, but I still can't think of a strong opening sentence for this post. I've got an abundance of cliches rattling around in my head, so why don't you just [...]

Get a cup of something warm before you sit down to read this. I've been meaning to write. For the last couple of weeks, I've been staring at the mockery of my barely-touched bullet journal [...]

Happy New Year! Photos by Kyle Andrew I hope the festive season was good to you and those you hold in your heart. This year, we slowed things down for the holidays. We knew we [...]

I thought I was dying this November. I realize that's a dramatic statement, but when you've been around cancer as much as I have, the slightest ailment is a cause for panic. I was EXHAUSTED, [...]

Monday: The airplane window is cool against my forehead. I know the vast expanse of black below is the desert and I wish it were light outside so I could see it. The inky void [...]

I'm having one of those forget-to-pack-your-underwear, take-the-wrong-keys, leave-your-cell-phone-at-a-coffee-shop kind of weeks. I suppose it's okay, because all of the heavy-duty brain power was required on Monday and Tuesday. What's not okay is how badly I [...]

I guess it would be nice to let you know next time before I vanish. Okay, how about this? What if I promise to post once a week? If we set up some expectations, and [...]

The blossoms and bulbs in my garden insist that Spring is here, but the temperature has yet to get on board with this plan. I'm itching to get out there to weed and tidy up, [...]

Oh Spring, you crazy bitch. We're barely a week into your tumultuous frenzy and already I feel like I'm losing my mind. Of course it doesn't help that my book is in the hands of [...]

March madness is upon us in the form of the best snowstorm I've seen in ages. Last night we sent the kids to their nearby grandparents house, and they kept our mini-van complete with snow [...]

I took a big leap this week, and it feels weird. For months now, I've been meeting regularly with my writing group, an amazing bunch of women writers who are all exceptionally talented. Though they [...]

"When's Nate coming over?"  I heard this about fifty times in the span of an hour this morning, my four-year-old Noodle too excited about the pending arrival of his bestie to even manage a proper [...]

in·au·gu·ra·tion iˌnôɡ(y)əˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun the beginning or introduction of a system, policy, or period. "the inauguration of an independent prosecution service" 2. the formal admission of someone to office. "Truman's second presidential inauguration" 3. a ceremony [...]

Anyone who knows me knows about my love/hate relationship with November. This year, I seem to have gone darker and deeper into the grey than ever before. I need vitamin B, or iron. I need [...]

Did you know I have a live weekly show on Facebook with my brother Kyle Andrew? We're on every Wednesday at 9:00 pm EST to talk dating, relationships, healthy living and sex. You can find [...]

I've been a bad writer. Any of you who have taken on writing know that sometimes it just doesn't happen. The words go away, and your computer screen or blank page seems to mock you. [...]

Back in July, I had almost an entire week of proper sleep. This was right after I visited a naturopath because I thought for sure my hormones must have been out of whack - I [...]

On July 24th I turned forty, and I welcomed my birthday with some of my very best friends who greeted me in the morning naked in my pool. We'd shipped the kiddos off to spend [...]

How can it be August already? I mean, actually, how? I feel like I was just packing up teacher gifts and bracing myself for summer vacation to begin, and now we've only got 30-ish days left [...]

Hey you artsy soul, trying to make an impression on the world... You've picked a hell of a path, haven't you? People think it's crazy to spend so many waking hours living with your imagination [...]

So today was a pretty exciting day for the Noodle (my nick name for my three-and-a-half year old son) and I. He had been looking forward to this day for months, in a way that [...]

You know how I'm always saying how important our passions are, and how we all deserve to make more time for them in our lives? Well, I've kind of been a jerk about this in [...]

Oh, my heart. Today's post is a beautiful and raw look at body image from our incredibly radiant holistic nutritionist Jackie McCaffrey. What's more, Jackie includes another gift at the end of this post with [...]

Exactly one week ago, I thought my world had collapsed. I made a discovery that blew the roof off the mausoleum where I thought I had laid my trust issues to rest. There they were, [...]

Hey lovers! I’ve been dreaming of a series of posts that feature real people, just like you and me, who are following their own passions. As this idea was forming in my over-worked brain, a gorgeous opportunity just landed in my lap, by way of a dear friend and an incredible creative force, Melissa Major. M turned me on to Jennifer Neales, who is hard at work collaborating with a posse of women (or womyn, as she prefers) to create a unique piece of theater that will hit the stage in Toronto on April 22nd. #HERstoryCounts is a series of monologues, autobiographical in nature, crafted and performed by a fierce and diverse collective of female performers. One look at their Indigogo campaign and I quickly realized I had stumbled into the gorgeous, switched-on, inspiring and empowering antidote to all of the soul-crushing lady-hate the Internet has been spewing at me of late. I’m happy to have Jennifer featured here in a guest interview, to talk about this remarkable piece, and the incredible creatrixes responsible for birthing it. […]

Ahhh…Spring is in the air, can you feel it? I can’t wait to celebrate the Equinox and open my heart and my soul to the new possibilities and the fresh start that Spring has to offer. I’m more than ready for warmer days, gentle rains, and the arrival of buds and blossoms everywhere I turn. In honor of the Vernal Equinox, here are five simple rituals to celebrate Spring. […]

My three-year-old son is asleep. (Scratch that, was asleep.) I know he’s not himself because he willingly allowed me to bundle him up in the stroller and wheel him into unconsciousness on this glorious pre-spring day. This is something he usually fights tooth and nail (literally, sometimes). Unless there’s a mob of other three-year-olds, like at school, Noodle isn’t napping. He’s not at preschool today because he’s staying home to smear snot and spittle all over every square inch of me. He’s lucky he’s cute. All of this to say that when you’re a work-from-home mom, ain’t nothing getting done with a sick baby. What better time to take a look at staying focused on the things you are passionate about? […]

I know what I look like to you. Believe me, I spend time every day thinking about what I look like to you. Sometimes it’s exactly how I look to me, but most of the time, the way I appear and the way I feel are different. I’m great at wearing masks, and right now I’m too scared to keep wearing the “I know exactly what I’m doing face.” Warning: the rest of this post is pretty grim, it’s not a cry for help, I just need to do this sometimes because it’s cathartic as hell. Quit reading if you need to, I don’t mind. […]

On this journey of mine, I’ve learned that negativity is one of the most powerful ways to cripple creativity, halt forward motion, and strangle my dreams of living the kind of life I yearn for. I’ve also learned that I can’t control other people’s negative comments and behaviors or their discouraging words. Generally, trying to change other people is at best exhausting, and at worst futile. Big dreamers like little ‘ol me have better ways to spend their energy. I’ve noticed too that even well-meaning loved ones can be the first up to bat when it comes to nay-saying. I’m learning to take their good intentions and leave the rest behind. At the end of the day, it’s my own negative thinking that has the most potent influence over my life, and I’ve learned that there is one guaranteed approach to a more positive mindset. It’s an utterly simple concept – gratitude. Today, I’d like to explore the important link between gratitude and passion. […]

Here in my club, we believe there are 365 days (or in this year’s case 366 days) a year to celebrate love, passion and sensuality. That’s why we’re keeping the February love alive with this playful and informative guest post by our favorite Nutritionist Jackie McCaffrey. Jackie helps us take a look at some culinary aphrodisiacs and separates the facts from the myths. Of course, this shouldn’t stop you from savoring these delicious treats, whether on your fabulous own or with someone you can be playful with. […]

I’m not convinced that February is the most passionate month, despite what all of those promoters of Valentine’s Day try to tell us. Over here, I like to celebrate romance, passion, and especially self-love throughout the year. Maybe that’s because when I think of passion, it isn’t just tied to the concept of romance. Despite all the hearts and chocolates, February usually marks the time when I start to feel like I need a little something more. More sunshine, more excitement, more fresh air, more reasons to move my body. Though I do have a little Valentine’s Day treat in store for you, I thought there was no time better than today to start talking about real, practical ways to explore your passion. If you’ve been thinking about shifting some of your focus to a new, exciting outlet or adventure today’s  post will help get that oh-so-important ball rolling. Here are ten steps to start your own Passion Project, a checklist of sorts to help you explore deeper creativity and meaning in your life. […]

Those of you who’ve been here before know that I spend a lot of time talking about how important it is to follow you passions. What kind of a hypocrite would I be if I wasn’t following my own advice? I’ve wanted to create books since I was nine years old, and today is the very first day I can check that off the list because today the e-book is live. I published a book, it’s awesome, and I want you to read it right now. Here’s how you can help me, and help yourself at the same time. […]

I have a weekly date on Periscope with my brother. We are live every Wednesday at 9 pm, EST and we answer dating, relationship and sex ed questions. I happen to think it’s a lot of fun, and I’ve been honored to speak to a lot of really interesting personal matters via this format. We get most of our questions via Ask.fm because it’s easy to post anonymously there. Last night, I woke up to this question, which isn’t in fact a question at all,  and I knew it was going to end up becoming a blog post: When I encounter women such as yourself, who are beautiful and appear to have it all together, I go deaf. It’s difficult to hear you because I assume you have no idea how hard this world is as a less than beautiful person. I know I am kind and smart, yadda yadda. Beauty is skin deep. I am sexist! […]

One of the great perks about building a life around passion is getting my hands on a variety of tools to help normal people just like you and I live more passionate lives. When I learned that the owner of my favorite sex-positive boutique in Toronto had published her first book, and that it was about masturbation, I was very excited to get my hands on it, so to speak. Sex Yourself is such a great title, isn’t it? A call to action like that leaves little room for excuses, and it’s the kind of passionate fun anyone of us can enjoy, whether or not we’re partnered up. If you’ve never read a book about masturbation, this is an amazing start. If you love sex manuals and sex education material as much as I do, you’re going to need to add Sex Yourself, by Carlyle Jansen (Quiver Books) to your permanent collection. Read on, and I’ll tell you why. […]

This morning I woke to our first significant snow fall, and everything was covered in a pristine white blanket. It all looked so fresh, and new, and pure. It made me think of fresh beginnings, clean slates, and all of that delicious renewal stuff that’s so important for us. If you’re reading this, maybe you’d like to try some new adventures this year. Maybe there are things you are secretly longing to explore, or activities you wish you had more time for. We all have a trove of quiet passion hidden deep inside. Today, let’s look at some of the common reasons we continue to lock these treasures away. Here are five myths about passion, and why you shouldn’t be fooled. […]

Today’s post is an excerpt from my upcoming book Keeping It Up: A Guy’s Guide to Great Relationship Sex.  Most women have no problem talking about what’s on their minds when it comes to sex. It just takes the right person to ask the questions, and the lid to Pandora’s box slides right off. After interviewing hundreds of readers, here are ten things women wish men knew about sex. […]

Okay 2016, I’m ready to get started. You look as clean and fresh as the snowfall I was delighted to wake up to this morning. I have some big plans for you, I’m not afraid to say it. This is going to be the year where my focus pays off, and everyone I hold nearest and dearest will reap the benefits. I’m trying to stay open to exactly what those benefits will be, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a few specific ideas about what I’d like to see. […]

I love the clean slate of a brand-spanking New Year. Yes I make resolutions. Yes I set goals. Yes, I am currently devouring Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map and planning to illuminate all of the feelings I wish to own  in 2016. There is  no greater ritual than starting fresh, and no greater time to emerge with a renewed sense of self than at the start of the New Year. I’m still enjoying the haze of holiday time with my family, but I wanted to make a little gift for you in case you also love the idea of setting some New Year’s Intentions. […]

Hello lovelies! Around here, we’re thick in the throes of some serious merry-making. The kids are thrilled to be finished school, and we’re about to get down into some epic gift creating and sugar-free holiday baking. Despite my busy schedule, I’d never want to leave you out in the cold, so today we have a post from a brand new Elite Club Member, Dana Ruprecht. Dana is an interior designer who is building the most beautiful blog and design business over at Hearth and Gable. With our Winter Solstice Celebrations in mind for tomorrow, I’m thrilled to be able to share her Winter White Holiday Mantel, to inspire and delight those of you who are passionate about design, and help all of us create more light and warmth in our homes during the winter darkness. […]

Today’s post is by my favorite health and wellness elf, Jackie McCaffrey. I asked her to write about natural immune boosting, because this seems to be the time of year when we’re most vulnerable to illness. If you’ve been battling the cold or flu season, and you feel like you’re at the losing end, read on and make sure you take note of the Free gift included in this post! […]

Around here, our holiday shopping and gift planning have taken a back seat to the production of Peter Pan that my eldest daughter is in. This means any gifts we are giving will have to be procured next week, when no sane person wants to be caught dead in any store. This year, we’re keeping the holidays as simple as we can, so I’ll likely be pulling inspiration from this list of free gift ideas, but in case I decide to get crafty with the kids while they are off school, here are some easy DIY gift ideas that little hands can help with. […]

You’re right, this isn’t a food blog. However, I believe that our ability to live a truly passionate life depends on our overall wellness, and in the interest of healthy living my family kicked sugar to the curb. All sugar, not just processed sugar. You can imagine how challenging it is to approach these food-centered holidays with three young kids while trying to maintain our lifestyle. Thank the gods for the Internet. Today I wanted to treat you to a festive sampling of how delicious a sugar free life can be. Please enjoy this collection of my favorite sugar free treats for the holidays. […]

I love giving gifts. In fact, I love everything about gifting, from choosing something that’s just right for the recipient to coordinating the perfect gift wrap and a card that says exactly what I want it to say. You can imagine that Christmas must be an incredible time for me, and in the past, it has absolutely been an excuse to go overboard. This year, I really want to approach the holidays with absolute mindfulness; no over-spending, no over-indulging. I want to focus on the things that really matter. That’s why this year, we’re giving our loved ones (almost) free holiday gifts. […]

Today’s post is another guest post from our awesome Fitness expert Oonagh Duncan. So many of us fall into the trap of excessive holiday celebrations, but if we are mindful and we make conscious choices about how we share in the festivities, we can actually enjoy healthy holidays. Read on for three easy ways to make healthier holiday choices. […]

I want to share a very valuable secret with you. Of all the things you could ever wish for, there is only one gift you truly need. The very best part of this secret is that you are the only soul who can give this gift. Not a single other being is as qualified or as capable as you are to be the giver. The gift of self-love is the most precious gift you will ever receive, but it is the hardest gift to give until you know why you can’t live without it. […]

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I LOVE the holidays. I love the cold, and I love the sparkling beauty of a fresh snowfall. I love the smell of evergreen garlands and freshly cut boughs. I love baking and decorating and watching old television specials on Netflix. I look forward to the Solstice and to Christmas with nearly the same kind of excitement I was bursting with as a child, and having little ones of my own has only added to my sometimes insane approach to holiday cheer. I really have to battle to keep myself in check, and make sure that I’m not going overboard in my enthusiasm by spending too much, accumulating things we don’t actually need, or over-scheduling our entire family. This year, I’m going to approach this Most Wonderful Time of the Year with a powerful mantra for the Holidays: Passion, Abundance and Gratitude. […]

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This post is a guest post from our dynamo fitness expert Oonagh Duncan. and she’s bringing us some exercises to relieve stress, and talking about the many benefits of exercise when we’re stressed out. There’s a video link at the end, but be patient because the audio is rough until about half way through. […]

Today’s post is a guest contribution by one of our Elite Club members, Psychotherapist Allison Villa. Like many of you, the Fall is a time of great loss and sorrow in my family. I asked Allison to create a piece about Autumn and grief, and she wrote this beautiful essay that I’m honored to share. I hope it brings you some comfort if you too find this time of year particularly poignant. […]

I suppose it’s strange that with the first dusting of snow on the ground, I am writing about Autumn, but here in the north, we often lose track of the seasons as one seems to slip into the next. The Winter Solstice, or first day of winter, doesn’t happen until December 22nd, so we have another full month of fall before us. In order to savor the last days of my favorite season, I wanted to make some space today for some Autumn reflections. […]

You’re not here because you’re trying to buy shoes, right? If you’re reading this, you’re just like me and you want to fill your life with fire, and a deeper sense of purpose. You want more meaning, and excitement, and you can feel this need growing each and every day, but where do you start? How can you begin your passionate journey? […]

Here’s something I’ve learned; our ability to access our passion is tied directly to our ability to care for ourselves. This year, I’ve made it a focus to try to take better care of myself, in every way. More loving, compassionate thoughts, more exercise, better nutrition. A direct result of these efforts has been a remarkable increase in energy, something that any passionate parent is desperate for. The effects of better eating are so extreme that I notice an almost immediate difference when I slip back into my old ways. I get irritable, exhausted, and unmotivated. Today, I’ve enlisted the help of one of my expert Club Members, holistic nutritionist extraordinaire Jackie McCaffrey. Read our Q&A below and learn how you can boost your energy naturally. […]

June 27th, 2013 On Tuesday evening I drove away from our Toronto home for the last time. I peered over the tower of laundry that kept Noodle and I company in the back seat and felt such a strange mixture of wistfulness and excitement. The city will always be in my blood, but I’m excited to leave it and move on to new and exciting things that await under the canopy of green in the country. […]

This post was from 2014, from my old blog, and I feel like it belongs here too. Sharing My Story For several weeks now, I’ve spent my Tuesday mornings in a creative writing class, and [...]

Dear Cat, Can you please write a post about masturbation for women? I’m 24 and I’ve never had an orgasm. My boyfriend thinks if I masturbate more, it could help, but I’ve never really been into the idea. Is he right?  Lexi […]

Lovers, here’s a little secret for you. Over half the women I know who are challenged by maintaining their sex drive tell me that life is too busy to focus on sex. Responsibilities like work, home upkeep, children and pets all seem to get in the way. Often, we are the very last thing on the to-do list, and we’re usually too tired for sex. These tips for a sexier life are for you. […]

Dear Cat, You describe your family as ‘polyamorous’, but what is polyamory anyway? There’s lots of information on the internet, but it would be nice to hear how you define it. Thanks for sharing, John […]

Dear Cat, As a predominately (mostly? bi-and-large?) hetero, entirely feminist woman, I sometimes find it hard to find porn that appeals to me. I get turned on by watching women and men both, in pretty [...]

Mindfulness, Wellness, Simplicity, Authenticity, Abundance, Presence, Creativity…these are the buzz words we hear bandied about when we seek to make our lives richer. It feels like so many different directions, so many ideals demanding our energy. What if all of these things fell beautifully under one umbrella that we seldom ever give ourselves permission to think about? What if one word could encompass all of those wonderful buzz words? I believe that word is Passion. If you tune your mind and heart to all the ways you need more passion in your life, you will automatically start to give these great ideals the attention they deserve. […]

If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you’re starting to get the feeling that you need a little more passion in your life. Maybe you have some idea of where your passions lie, and you’re hoping to rekindle those fires. Maybe you have no idea where to begin finding passion. Regardless of where you are at in your passionate journey one thing is true; before we can begin to find passion, we need to understand exactly what it is. What is passion? The word itself brings to mind furious artistic intensity, incredibly hot sex, or world-saving heroics. How can any of us average folk live a life filled with passion? […]

Full Disclosure: This post is one of several sexy role play scenarios,  written in the spirit of adding some playfulness and passion to the bedroom. I thought of it while watching that hilarious episode of Modern Family where Clair and Phil go to a hotel bar and pretend they’re meeting for the first time. It’s a very detailed script complete with hair and makeup video tutorials and (affiliate) links in case you want to buy some of the props and products suggested. Enjoy! […]

Hey friends! Just wanted to crawl out from under the pile of work that is my blog and book launch and say I'm on Periscope! I'd like to connect with you there. What the hell [...]

One of the hardest struggles I’ve faced in my professional life was having the courage to call myself an artist. I spent many years surrounding myself with artists, working for artists, and pursuing romantic relationships with artists, yet all the while, I felt like I was too scared to claim the title for myself. When I finally took the first tentative steps towards standing tall in my own artsy shoes, I realized that all along, I was looking to others for the very thing I needed to embrace in myself. […]

Wow crazy blood moon lunar eclipse, I don't know if it's cause I've got my moon flower (aka red tent time, aka hide me in a cave and leave me the hell alone) but I [...]

Hey you guys! I've missed you. Please, please send me news of your adventures. My own to-do list is so huge, I don't know what to do next. I do know that this September-y time [...]

Oh how I love to hear from you guys, and get a chance to lend a helping hand! Today's post is an answer to this reader's question about the writing process: First off I want [...]

Today's post is an answer to this reader's question about the writing process: First off I want to say superb blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you do not mind. [...]

(Photo: Some no sugar added housewarming treats to enjoy (in moderation) on the occasional carb up day, courtesy of my friend Sally B.) My relationship with sugar was a sick, life-long obsession. When I would [...]

  Hi Lovers, Every now and then I like to step in front of the camera to get up close and personal with you. When you’re a member of the Cat Skinner Club, you get to pick my brain and have me weigh in on those life matters that might be keeping you up at night. It’s always nice to have an unbiased two cents, isn’t it? […]

Hi Lovers, Today I invite you to witness my spectacular dorkiness as I attempt to answer a real reader question about dating. Enjoy! If you would like to email me for your own loving batch [...]

We try so hard sometimes, with the best of intentions, but despite this things don't work out the way we hope. How do we accept defeat? How do you move forward with grace when you [...]

It's Freaky Friday over here at Playboy Mommy HQ, and today I want to reach out and ask you for a great, big favor. I want you to send me a note and tell me [...]

I am so freaking excited to let you know that I'm nearly ready to begin the publishing process for my first book! It's a sex and relationship guide for the average hetero guy in a [...]

I don't ever want to be a chronic case, but every now and then, the 'Facebook Cry for Help' really gets you what you need. This morning was another immensely challenging start to the day [...]

Don't you love those Mondays when you hit the ground running, totally organized, motivated and ready to start the week? I had the opposite of that this morning. Now as the dust has settled, I'm [...]

  A visit from good friends had me in tears in my kitchen last night, but let me back up a little. In the fashion of all great deadbeats, I've vanished from your lives again. [...]

Happy Mother's Day to ALL of you fabulous women who have loved and nurtured children near and dear to you. In my own short experience of motherhood, I have been humbled and broken down by [...]

To say that there has been a lot going on in our lives would be something of a massive understatement. It's unlikely I'll be posting with any regularity until June, so my apologies. In the [...]

So, our latest addition to the family, the adorable puppy I mentioned in my last post, is utterly and completely deaf. How do we know? Among many other tests designed to give off as little [...]

There's a thing I do in relationships which has been making relationships of all kinds incredibly difficult for most of my life. I take everything very, very personally. I can't hear emotional criticism without falling [...]

I am an unfocused mess. Riding out this cold hasn't been too bad, thankfully, and I'm grateful to the legions of you who sent me awesome immune boosting advice. Today's problem lies with work. I [...]

I'm in the eye of yet another cold, and I've been sick so many times this season, I'm starting to worry about larger issues. Have I mentioned that I'm a bit of a worrier when [...]

Happy Monday Lovers! Today I want to chat about how being fluid got me off my ass this weekend. It's time for another true confession. I'm a control freak. This is one of the big [...]

I don't know about you, but after pouring my guts out yesterday, I immediately started to feel better. This morning I woke after a decent sleep, and I felt really inspired. I also felt determined [...]

I have to confess something to all of you. I am a fraud. I've been writing about my life here for years now, and a few of you have taken time to let me know [...]

Hey lovers, I've started listing what's left of our costume hoard from the glory days of my cabaret burlesque troupe Les Coquettes. I'm feeling a bit crappola again today, so I'm not going to write [...]

Photo of Nichelle Laus by DaveLaus.com Happy Tuesday lovers! I'm feeling much better today, but I decided to stay home and work all the same. Of course, that meant I had to bulldoze my way [...]

This evening I'm coming at you live from the sick-bed. I've had a recurring, ridiculously painful sore throat for nearly a month now, and yesterday it felt like I was swallowing knives, so finally I [...]

When I was in my second year of college, studying theatre, I had a rock-star-level crush on this girl named Melissa Story who was in first year. Or maybe I was in third year, and [...]

Image Credit - 'Demons In My Head' by MissFried on Deviant Art I was winding my way slowly through the still unfamiliar York campus the other day, extra alert for student pedestrians and enthusiastic protestors, [...]

Those Muslims are really on to something. They celebrate their New Year with Navroz, which falls right around the Spring Equinox, a time of year that I find rejuvenating and inspiring. Forget the dead of [...]

Something amazing happened yesterday. I didn't feel that cloud that has been hanging over me for the last year. It was there, a little, in the morning but by the afternoon it was gone. I've [...]

Can you smell spring in the air the way I can? I'm not going to kid myself, I know we live in the great white north, and it's unlikely that we'll get rid of all [...]

Hi Playboy Mommy! I’m 28 years old, have a beautiful 2-year-old son and have been with my fiancé for 8 years. Before we had my son everything was great in the sex department, we did [...]

Let's be real - we don't always bounce out of bed with a smile and a feeling of invincibility. Even if we do wake up singing, those zipadeedodah feelings can be gone by the time [...]

Weekend Wisdom is a little bit of encouragement to end off your week. Some of these are my favourite quotes and meditations, some are my own thoughts and ideas. I hope these little nuggets inspire [...]

Today we have the pleasure of a guest post from our friends at Beekeper's Naturals, a company based here in Canada passionate about preserving bee populations and promoting health through their line of bee products, [...]

*Trigger alert my darlings. I was so wrapped up in my own emotional experience of this powerful piece, that I almost forgot to include this, but please proceed with whatever self-care you need, okay? First, [...]

You should try this: step away from your computer for a good, long time. Like two months. Use your screen of choice as little as humanly possible. Put your phone away when you don’t absolutely [...]

This post has migrated from my previous blog, because I really feel it’s important to include here. It was written November 22, 2012, about a month after my son was born. He’s my third child, but my first biological child, and my first experience with a newborn because I met my daughters when they were three and a half and five years old. This moment really shaped the person I am today, in fact the entire experience of pregnancy felt like my gateway to self-love. I so enjoy reading these kinds of reflections from parents, and I hope you can connect with some of your own early parenting experience through reading my birth story. xo […]

I am  not ashamed to admit that I love winter, and that waking up to my field and forest covered in snow was a dream come true. Sharing My Story For several weeks now, I’ve [...]

Yesterday I completed one of those huge grown up tasks. I sat down with my loves to create a will. On Saturday I put the final signatures on my life insurance policy. Later today, I will draft my wishes for my memorial service and instructions about what to do with my remains. No, I’m not dying. At least no more than any of us are. […]

Our Canadian media has exploded with a scandal centered around a very talented radio personality named Jian Ghomeshi. I've been a huge fan of Jian's work for years, he's an elegant interviewer, and his interviews [...]

Yesterday my son turned two. I spent the day battling an incredibly high fever, and so I could do little else but lay on the couch and watch him play with the beautiful gifts he [...]

Last night I slept for nine solid hours, yet this morning I'm exhausted. My eyelids itch, perhaps from my seasonal allergy to ragweed, (we seem to be growing it the way some people grow corn) [...]

This morning I left my almost two-year-old son with virtual strangers. True, they are paid professionals who are experts in toddler care. True, I've met them a total of three times, and they seem like [...]

August has been entirely spent with my family and dear friends. How lovely to have the time and the opportunity to build deeper relationships and watch all of our beautiful children play together. How is [...]

Dear Parents Who Stay At Home, I realized something this weekend. We need permission to just be parents. Stay-at-home parents need to know that the primary focus of their lives - giving care -is valued [...]

It wasn't a great start to the week this Monday Morning. I woke up feeling super tired, but was otherwise in a good mood. The early hours, with my toddler bouncing up and down on [...]

I haven't been online much lately because I'm trying to enjoy the summer and time with the family. As such, my inbox is filling with unread email, particularly posts from other blogs I follow. The [...]

I really, really want to be a writer when I grow up. If there is a way that I can earn decent bread writing what I want to write, that would be a dream come [...]

Image above Vagina Monologue by Eigna Most of the women I know who have had babies popped those babies out and then returned to their fit, trim, amazing-looking selves. I don't hate them for that, [...]

Lovers, here's a little secret for you. Over half the women I know who are challenged by maintaining their sex drive tell me that life is too busy to focus on sex. Responsibilities like work, [...]

The Journal Project I'm watching Hootsuite very closely because the air is thick and heavy, and there are severe thunderstorm warnings all over the place. In a house with no cable, where we seldom listen [...]

This morning I had a PMS induced hormonal breakdown of sorts. Luckily for me, I have the kind of guy they write about in chick lit (the good kind of guy, not the bad) and [...]

Happy Friday darlings. Back by popular demand, we're returning to our weekly sex post in Playboy Mommy Land, and just in time for what the people of the Internet have declared #adultsexedmonth. Timing is everything, [...]

Apologies for skipping yesterday's Journal Project post. There was a lightning strike across the street, which felt like an explosion, and then the Internet went away for much of the day. In other parts of [...]

Readers, I need some help. I'm gonna vent a little here, and perhaps you can commiserate with me, pat me on the back, or talk me down. I don't know what I want from you, [...]

Today's Journal Project entry is all about your morning ritual. The way we start each day can really shape the rhythm of the entire day ahead. Reflect on your morning routine from the time you [...]

I've been keeping journals ever since I was 8 years old. I've done this fervently and with great regularity, and I've done this sporadically and only when I'm at my absolutely lowest. This blog has [...]

Isn't it amusing how our Canadian spring always goes from winter to summer with no real in between? The tragic result of this dramatic shift is beautiful weather that gives me ZERO desire to spend [...]

I've been toying with an idea for a couple of years now, and on Friday I was inspired to put that idea into motion, to see where it will take me. I've been thinking a [...]

The week is starting, and you're coming off of whatever good or evil you got up to on the weekend. Coast into the week with a little bit of Internet greatness, courtesy of me and [...]

You know you have a pair. They either used to fit you perfectly, before life had it's way with you and changed your shape and size, or they never quite fit, but oh how you [...]

Dear Cat, I saw a recent post that said you had weaned your son. Congratulations! I’d love to hear your reflections on motherhood post breastfeeding. How do you feel that having a biological child has changed you? – Amy […]

I feel like a new mommy. My boobs are back to normal. At least, they are as normal as they can be after breastfeeding for 18 months. I think they look like tiny pancakes with [...]

Mr. Noah Jamal turned 19 months old yesterday. My little man has so many words and so many things to say. When we started out together, I had decided that I would breastfeed him until [...]

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’" - Mary Anne Radmacher On Sunday, most of us are going to [...]

The Internet is the homeschoolers best friend. In our journey in homeschooling I've come across several resources that have been a life-saver to us in our classroom. One of my favourite homeschool resources is one [...]

Some people are really great at growing things. Is this because they instinctively know what to do, or because they do a lot of research? I will confess that all of my growing skills are [...]

I have a younger brother who is a 6'7 local celebrity in Hamilton both for his larger-than-life personality, and for his leonine honour. Like me, he's a leo, and like me he thinks he's fabulous. [...]

Photo by Ryan Visima It's with great confusion that I have to announce something to all of you. I. Am. Old. So old, in fact, that when they announced the cast for Jem, [...]

Noah isn't so sure about his Easter chocolate Holy god you guys! All I want to do is write, and write, and share interesting content with you. I want to give you tidbits [...]

Auntie Carmen, at Christmas, serenading Noah What a ridiculous backdrop my life plays out against sometimes. In the midst of launching new businesses, seeking out new schools, dreaming of camping in various Niagara [...]

My dream basement When I get excited about something, it's remarkably easy to focus and make great forward progress. I can work so efficiently I surprise myself, and things really get done. But [...]

Some of you know us well enough to know that up until very recently, we were pretty die-hard city mice. One of the toughest parts of our decision to leave city life behind was leaving [...]

Just when I thought that WE were the coolest parents in the world, I discover this via Upworthy I wanted to badly to post a comment telling Jazz's whole family, especially her, how absolutely amazing I [...]

My chalkboard drawing of Brigid Hello out there. I've spent the better part of today steam cleaning a vomit swamp out of the broad loom in my daughters' bedroom, and three of the [...]

Photo by Gordon Parks First Kisses, Beautiful Ladies, Heart-Wrenching Tributes and Happy Families Happy Monday, Lovers! And Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of my Irish friends, especially my LBGTQ Irish pals. I'm [...]

Okay Southern Ontario friends. I know it's nearly impossible to believe that Spring is on the way, on a day like this when I can't even see out the window because the snow is blowing [...]

Yesterday I completed one of those tasks that makes me feel like a real, live grown up. I wrote a will, and a living will. On Saturday I put the final signatures on my life [...]

If you were my breast, you'd have seen a lot of this today. It seems that since embarking on the journey of homeschooling my two daughters, I have forgotten how to take care [...]

I like to spend my weekend being lazy in my pajamas, and hanging out with the kids. I take breaks from my own activities to hike through our forest, make hot chocolate or try beating [...]

The Skinner-Jamals - photo by Galit Rodan Our family was featured in the Life section of the Globe and Mail today.  Check it out here. I like Leah McLaren's unbiased interpretation of  our [...]

I am not one to complain about the weather. It seems futile to choose to live in Canada and then complain about the snow. Frankly, I like the white stuff and the cold, and out [...]

My sixteen-month-old son has an obsession. We don't watch a lot of television in our house, so I'm not sure how this even came about. The little man is completely and totally in love with [...]

There are so many moments, like the one I'm having right now, where I sit at my desk in our cozy little classroom and I can't believe my life. If you had told a twenty-two [...]

Dear Cat, I’m a dad with a toddler who won’t sleep by himself because we made the decision to co-sleep. I’m nearly positive that his mother and I might actually have more passion in our lives if we could get him to sleep through the night on his own. What are your own experience with babies and sleep? How do I get my baby to sleep? Will my wife and I ever have sex again? Sincerely, Jake […]

Ah, hindsight you wicked bitch. You always arch your cunning brow at me, just before you drop the bomb that makes cringe and facepalm a la Homer Simpson. Here at the homestead, we're reading Pamela [...]

I've changed since we moved from the city to the country in July. Like many of you, I was completely glued to my iPhone, compulsively checking it to see what was happening on Facebook, and [...]

Dear Last Year, I suppose I should thank you for kicking my ass. I was getting a bit smug, and starting to take some pretty important things for granted (like mortality and economic security) but [...]

As promised, and long overdue, some photos of our homeschool classroom! You can see the 'before' photos at the bottom of this post from August. Thanks to all of the helping hands (Mamma S, Chacha, Nanna, [...]

November is over. I'm very happy about that because it's my least favourite month, and this year November was particularly dark. In fact, autumn in general has been coloured with so much loss and sorrow [...]

I have a love/hate relationship with fall. The colours, the weather, and the fashion save me from sinking into the mire of painful personal associations with this season. The food, the harvest and the fact [...]

It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? So many things have happened since I was last here, things both profound and perplexing. I’ve been aching to write down my thoughts, but too compelled to just [...]

This post comes with my apologies, I simply haven't been able to write. First, I was too busy, and then my heart became too heavy. As autumn starts to grip us with her strange and [...]

Photo by Richard Northwood It seems like sexy role play scripts are a huge hit with my readers! Your enthusiasm has inspired me, so here’s another scenario for you to try out at [...]

Here's a classic example of a slow-carb lunch. This mama needs to kick it into high gear to create her ideal thirty-seven-year-old body. This means some drastic measures, which I took as of last Monday, [...]

Hello lovers and fighters! I've been poring through a sea of emails and have noticed two very cool things: my readers are obviously varied in age, and lots of women are asking me about masturbation. [...]

How, how, how can we be approaching the end of August? I am so not ready to begin our homeschooling! I'm only halfway through familiarizing myself with the curriculum, and our classroom doesn't exist! Thank god we [...]

Amazing image from a stunning portrait series by New York photographer Wayne Lawrence Dearest friends, The end of summer is right around the corner, and I’m feeling the pinch of having to prepare our little [...]

Stay in your pyjamas today with someone you love!

There are days when I still feel like this, which in my experience, was NOT sexy. I wasn’t going to be one of those women. You know, the ones who let their bodies go after [...]

This year we celebrated my birthday with a barbecue and a sleep over called 'Pitch a Tent, It's My Birthday!'. Two years ago we had a similar party at our Niagara house, but there were [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I finally bit the bullet and took a crash course in driver’s ed. I was in class every day from Monday through Thursday from 9:00 until 2:30. I wanted to [...]

We've still got a month of summer fun, but I'm sure there are days where you wish school was back in session. Here are some fun activities designed for kids who are reading age and [...]

Photo by Josh HindWeekend HighlightsOn Friday night, we drove nearly two and a half hours in rush hour traffic to take the kids and their 11-year-old English cousin to the Legoland Discovery Centre. In my [...]

I have a great new trick for getting Noah to nap. He likes to fall asleep outside with the birds chirping and the cicadas singing. This allows me to buckle down with my homeschool curriculum [...]

Image from the delicious website http://www.homotrophy.com What's It For: A great warm-up or slow down technique for intercourse Who's In Charge: The Person Being Penetrated What You Need: A high state of arousal for both [...]

Last time I shared some recipes, I rolled out my favourite chicken recipes from Epicurious. Today, I give you our favourite egg recipes, mostly from Daddy's collection, and it seems he's been holding out on [...]

You may have noticed that I've been very negligent about posting. My schedule got a bit hectic, and I was offline for most of the week before last completing a driver's ed crash course with [...]

I’ve been spoiled, living in the city for so long. One of the only things I would drop some significant coin on was my hair, and I’ve been lucky to have a good friend as [...]

Weekend Highlights On Friday night the grown ups went to catch my theatre company Les Coquettes at the first show of the Toronto Burlesque Festival. My troupe closed the show with a powerhouse number by the [...]

I've had Poly on my mind a lot lately. She's in the news more often, and it seems like there are droves of people out there who like her way of thinking. Polyamory is defined [...]

Darlings, because I’m a busy Mommy this week, I thought I’d amuse you by sharing some of our favourite Epicurious recipes. I hope you know Epicurious – it’s a fabulous online database of recipes, and [...]

The journey of this blog has taken up such a huge space in my heart and soul. Thank you to all of you who have done such a wonderful job of visiting this site regularly, [...]

Weekend Highlights After surviving a night of crazy thunderstorms and tornado warnings, we piled the children into the van and made the trek to Barrie for a reunion hosted by Mama S' clan in honour [...]

Happy Sunday! Was it a fun weekend? Why not take a page from Ayla and spend the day in your pjs writing in your journal or working on your scrapbook? Or just curl up with [...]

Darlings, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! On Thursday while I was hiding away having a work day I discovered something exciting. My friend and a hugely inspirational woman in my life, Rebecca Northan [...]

Dear Mommy, As a predominately (mostly? bi-and-large?) hetero, entirely feminist woman, I sometimes find it hard to find porn that appeals to me. I get turned on by watching women and men both, in pretty [...]

This morning Noah and I got up very early and ran away to Grandmere’s so I could have a working day. I’m hoping to be extra productive because I won’t have this opportunity next week. [...]

I finally got a chance to hit one of the local thrift stores. It was a quick trip, and I grabbed some light weight, light-coloured hiking clothes for the Noodle and I, but I found [...]

A couple of weeks ago, Daddy’s sister organized a family get-together in celebration of her birthday. We played a notorious skill-testing game and ate some delicious food, and it was so much fun I wanted [...]

Weekend Highlights Mama S and I began our weekend with a surprise girls’ night in Toronto. Our dear friends Emily and Jordan just had their first baby, and Jordan scored the husband-of-the-year award by inviting [...]

Dear Mommy, I'm a 20-something female who feels sexy even though I'm well above a size 8 and have no trouble waking up beside a handsome fella. Feeling sexy or just feeling good about myself [...]

Tug of War www.paulvanginkel.com Dear Mommy, I’m in a fairly new polyamorous relationship with my husband and my lesbian partner. Do you have couples nights? I feel like I am walking a tight [...]

Noah and I on a practice hike. Or, How to Guarantee an Interesting Tuesday It’s 7:30 am and there’s a light gray cast to the day. Our POP is currently 50%, moving to [...]

Mama S shot this amazing photo of Noodle and Hannah. Another busy week begins! Our weekend fun continues with a Monday jam-packed with kid energy, and there's lots of fun to be had [...]

Hey gang! It's a busy weekend jam-packed with family fun that I can't wait to share with you, but I've decided that on Sundays, I'll take a day off from writing. I'll share a photo [...]

The Noodle rocks a beet and kale shake moustache. On Thursday I was a cranky, stressed-out grumpy pants, feeling frustrated with our lack of routine and our inability to make a schedule, even though [...]

When my eldest daughter was seven, an incident at a parent/teacher evening inspired today's post. In a Q&A session, one of the parents asked about the school's approach to sex education because her daughter had [...]

Last night I was feeling a bit out of sorts, likely normal settling-in feelings, but I remarked that I felt like we were on the most boring vacation ever. I have the most wonderful sense [...]

Dear Mommy, I have two unrelated questions I have often wondered, so I figure I might as well ask: 1. Was Paris worth it? I get why the urge would be there considering how  [...]

Chacha and the Noodle build a grill gazebo Weekend Highlights Saturday night was date night with Mama S, and it’s the first time we’ve been out together in a very long while. I [...]

I ran away to my parent’s house in Hamilton on Tuesday, which was the night before our moving day. It made more sense for me (and my breasts) to be available to little Noah, and [...]

Three days after our moving date, we’ve completely moved in. The contents of our four bedroom house in the city would not fit in the 26’ moving truck we hired, so Daddy and Chacha had [...]

When I was a little girl, I conjured all of the same fairy-princess fantasies of girls my age nearly everywhere in North America. I wanted to live in an ivory tower, with servants and ladies-in-waiting, [...]

The Noodle will soon have a new sofa to play on.   On Tuesday evening I drove away from our Toronto home for the last time. I peered over the tower of laundry [...]

With our big move out of the city upon us, you can imagine it’s been hard to post! I’m sorry I’ve missed a couple of days, but I’ve been drowning in cardboard and doing battle [...]

From the Motor City series by Kyle Andrew Okay dear readers. When I re-launched my blog, I promised an amalgamation of all of my various writing personas. Here’s my all time most popular [...]

Next Wednesday, the movers arrive to pack our home in a truck and we’ll leave our life in the city behind. I’m not sure that I’m totally ready to do that. We grow [...]

Guess how many boxes I packed yesterday? None. Not a single box. I did however spend the entire day with Aylu and The Noodle, and half the day with Hannu. We hit the playground, grabbed [...]

Ayla's Neon Toes Weekend Highlights My favorite moments of this weekend are split evenly between events on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday we spent a wonderful day being spoiled by Mama S’ [...]

Dear Readers, My children have the best father in the world, and today I want to share exactly how awesome our Nekky is. He's the perfect blend of playful and firm. He leads with a [...]

I'm hiding behind these to write. It looks like I'm packing! This week we were consumed with wrapping up school and packing up the juggernaut that is our kitchen. Both of these tasks [...]

Last night the girls had their first-ever piano recital. We enrolled them in lessons back in February, and every Thursday a lovely Hungarian woman comes to our house and works with each of the girls [...]

Yesterday our family headed way, way up Bathurst Street to the Toronto Waldorf school where we took part in a ceremony with both the grade three class from our school (of ten kids) and their [...]

A week ago we planted our vegetable garden at the Niagara house. I’d started some seeds earlier in the week, and they’d sprouted just as we were heading out-of-town, but of course there was still [...]

Photo by Gordon Hawkins I’ve been blogging for six years. SIX YEARS! I can’t believe how far I’ve come from when I first started writing here. When I began blogging, I was newly [...]

Coming to a construction site near you...

How badly do we need "stuff'?

I'm more of a sanding, staining, finishing, painting kind of worker bee.

Our girls are now nine and seven, and lately our eldest has been asking for an allowance. All three parents grew up with allowance once we reached a certain age, so we weren’t opposed to [...]

I belong somewhere, to someone.

Two gals who are very excited to move to the country. It’s our so-called spring here in Southern Ontario, and new beginnings are the theme around here. After finally sharing the news with [...]

Some pretty bizarre things can occupy my brain space, and this week has been no exception. Have a listen and let me know if you think I’m nuts.  The Walking Dead We’ve started watching the [...]

I hate moving, which is hard to believe when you consider how nomadic I’ve been over the last several years. I think the longest I’ve stayed in any place at one time is about three [...]

I have nothing to do until September. Of course, that’s not entirely true. I have no Coquettes shows to work on until September, but I have plenty to keep busy with. Namely, parenting, which is [...]

Writing. It's like puking the contents of my head onto paper, and I swear it's the greatest gift I was born with. No other physical act makes me feel better.

Noah says "You can do it!". Be your best in 2013! Happy New Year beautiful readers! I am completely, totally, head-over-heals in love. The object of my affection has, in a most clichéd [...]

We're at the Niagara house as I write this, and I love this place. It's gray and misty today and the back forty looks like a painting with the tall grasses a rich palette of [...]

Noah shares his thoughts on the breastfeeding experience thus far. The following post is a detailed account of my initial experiences with breastfeeding. Skip this if you’re squeamish. Glossary (for the non-baby-having readers) [...]

My last post (read it here) left off just before I demanded that we make our way to the hospital instead of continuing to labour at home... For nine months my heart had imagined a [...]

Time is in fast-forward now, and the hours and minutes have lost all meaning to me. Instead of compulsively checking my smart phone, time is tracked from feeding to feeding, and each free moment is [...]

A Little Tin of Chocolate I began writing this blog in 2008, fresh after a breakup from a very complicated relationship, and filled with excitement because I was about to embark on a solo vacation [...]

My feet, or what I'm now calling my 'Frodo Bagginses'. Cervix Says… What a unique and complex challenge this third trimester business is. Not only are the physical challenges quite remarkable, but the [...]

Our eldest daughter H wanted an artist party to celebrate her ninth birthday this year. Her actual birthday is September 11th, but because of two busy back-to-back weekends our earliest opportunity to celebrate was this [...]

My pregnancy app told me to have a pajama day today, and after surviving a birthday party in our smallish house with twenty-five of H’s friends and cousins yesterday, this is exactly what I did. [...]

Real Labour Stories This morning I’m trolling through Facebook profiles of old friends and acquaintances that are recent mommies, and their baby photos are melting my heart. I can’t believe that I’m only a month [...]

I love that Fall is in the air. It’s my favourite time of the year, and I’m so looking forward to enjoying all of the smells and the colours with my kidlets. Today it’s rainy [...]

From our September 15th baby shower, taken by Mama S with a bit of help from our dear friend Dave Lapsley.

Saturday, September 15th 2012. So after a rough start yesterday, I spent the rest of the day in the chair at Lid, the salon where my lovely friend Angela works. She colored and cut my [...]

Today I am 35 weeks pregnant. Last night I had a dream that the clinic that helped us get pregnant called to tell me that my trial fertility run was over, and that [...]

Not long after finding out we were pregnant, it became my personal mission to not fall into the trap of many first-time parents who go totally overboard with spending on baby things. The baby market [...]

On this Labour Day Monday of my first-ever pregnancy, it’s time for some true confessions. Despite having read nearly every reputable book on pregnancy (and a handful of really stupid ones) this third trimester business [...]

How can it be only 50 days until my due date? I just don't know where the time went! I'm so glad I've been conscious of trying to savor as much of this as possible, [...]

Our final vacation day was a whirlwind. We did much of the packing the night before so we could get up early and enjoy the pool before we had to check out of the hotel. [...]

Our last full day in Orlando was an early start. We were all really excited about exploring Discovery Cove, which would have never made our radar without the help of one of the moms from [...]

Day five was a leisurely wake up, breakfast, and then off again to SeaWorld. Our first order of business was to return to the stingrays. The girls couldn't stop talking about them. We coughed up [...]

Our vacation time idea of an early start basically meant letting the kids sleep until they woke up on their own. Thanks to a much later bed time, this was also usually when I woke [...]

On this particular morning, Daddy got up in the wee hours while we all snoozed happily away. He brewed some coffee to take in a travel mug, and then he went to enjoy the anniversary [...]

I watched our kids with fascination amazed at how they lived in each and every moment, wondering how I too was once capable of such a thing.

Moments before piling into the car to leave Toronto It's morning here, and we're waking up slowly before padding off for breakfast and some pool side relaxation prior to braving day two of [...]

  It's astonishing how quickly seven months have passed. I've tried with all of my might to hang on to each moment of this pregnancy, and still the time is racing by. My belly is [...]

I'm reading every book that seems well rated on Amazon about pregnancy, child birth and infant care. My trick is to check out reader reviews and search for the titles through my local library, because [...]

I swear I only ate one of these sausages. On Monday I took a much-needed mental health day and headed to Hamilton to hang with my mom. It was just what I needed, [...]

My dreams have become so vivid and when I wake I can remember them in such great detail. I think this is another pregnancy side effect. Last night I had a dream where I woke [...]

A particularly creative free day It’s the perfect kind of November day for a Saturday. A day typically spent indoors should be one that is gray and relatively unappealing. This combination of chill [...]

The carnage left at 'Holy Chuck' I have the cold that wouldn’t die. So does Mama S, who is now on her third week of coughing. My 9:00 am sleep in was much [...]

The girls’ Winter Fair is this coming weekend and it’s an all-encompassing epic of tastes and sights and smells. Run almost entirely by the parents, it’s also a tonne of work, but oh-so rewarding! Today [...]

God, I’m such a bad blogger. I remember a time when I used to eagerly rush home to write a post. I’d keep a notebook in my pocket and dash down thoughts and [...]

8:53 am Not a single soul in our house slept well last night. Little A got up twice to complain about a scratchy throat, H had tummy pains and had a dream that [...]

Having no reserves of patience left, we caved and ordered some urine strips on Amazon and had them sent to our UPS box in Niagara Falls, NY. On the week we were scheduled for our [...]

I think I've been suffering from an identity crises. It's been a long time since I've visited Schnooville, and since those days of writing with wanton abandon I've learned to censor myself, compartmentalize my personality [...]

Today we participated in an annual tradition at the girls' school - the Michaelmas Celebration. This event celebrates the slaying of the dragon by St. George, and is honored each year by grades one to [...]

I'm exhausted today for no explicable reason. I slept well last night, with a decent bed time. So strange... At 2:30 this afternoon the power failed, fortunately right after I completed the work projects on [...]

At the Waldorf School, the kids in early childhood education are told a very special story on their birthdays. The short version is this: When you were a little angel, you saw your family from [...]

The image above was featured today on Apartment Therapy, one of my favourite blogs. I think this might be my dream home and my dream bedroom. My taste is changing so much. I [...]

This has been a mostly good week when it comes to separation anxiety. Mostly. Monday came and went in a flurry of keeping busy, running the business, making dinner. Tuesday started out the [...]

My birthday brunch at Saving Grace I'm a Leo, born on the cusp of Cancer, but really more Leo than anything else. As a result, I like it to be my birthday for [...]

Despite a rough start - not much sleep again, and I began the day by pouring the bunny's food into my full cup of coffee - this is shaping up to be an [...]

Yesterday was day two of taking care of business at home while the kids and my man are in Africa. I got up an hour earlier than usual when my lady got up [...]

A day in the life of a mother and wife who finds herself suddenly without responsibility. The crew got off without a hitch late yesterday afternoon, and then I had a good cry. [...]

Have you ever remained in denial about a thing until it was right there staring you in the face? Of course then what happens is that all of the feelings and fears you [...]

You are really and truly amazing and important to me. In many ways, I think of you as the family I have chosen, and I hope that you share that sentiment with me. My home [...]

I saw this on the weekend. I've decided to watch it once every day until it really sinks in.

The dream is almost exactly the same every night. Even if the setting varies. Even if the faces change. Even if my new pet bunny somehow works her way into the dream scape, like she [...]

"You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body [...]

I am squishy as the rapidly thawing soil that makes the most delightful sucking and smacking sounds beneath my Kenneth Cole rain boots today. My rain boots are red. My heart is golden. We are [...]

This past weekend, at a bridal shower, I bumped into an acquaintance who almost immediately told me she was upset that I haven't been writing. I was flattered and surprised as I had no idea [...]

When my mind and heart are at peace, my productivity is incredible. Another great lesson. This week, I've been breaking free from my self-imposed hermit status and taking meetings and dates for cocktails. Life is [...]

2011 is off to a very, very good start. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My world is being put back together very carefully, and with so much love. I am so very lucky to [...]

I bought a pair of shearling gloves this winter because I always lose my gloves. They were so cozy and delightfully warm, but alas they fell apart entirely less than two weeks after I purchased [...]

Oh she is watching me And her eyes they flow With fond and tender pain I know, fate laid out a road We have walked alone And yet we meet again Now I [...]

This is the first New Year's Day I haven't had a hangover in, well, I just don't know. It's kind of a nice feeling. Last night was a quiet dinner in a Yorkville Chinese restaurant [...]

Things I have learned in 2010: The love in my life makes me glow when it is harmonious (everyone said so, and I've never heard this so consistently. The work that I have accomplished this [...]

In the face of so much uncertainty, I know this is true; I never want the holidays to feel like this again. This has always been an important time of the year to me, and [...]

I want to live, I want to give I've been a miner for a heart of gold. It's these expressions I never give That keep me searching for a heart of gold And I'm getting [...]

I believe it was Heavy D who said "Now that we've found love, what are we going to do with it?" Nothing feels right and every possible avenue and scenario is fraught with complication, and [...]

DISCLAIMER: Adventures in Schnooville is my personal space on the Internet. If you're here, it's either because I've invited you in, or you happened by and I decided to leave the door open. Are you [...]

Two weeks in this strange space where life has come to feel like a bad dream. Some things just simply won't be possible, and living in a pressure cooker is one of those things. I [...]

I remain at home, which is at once familiar and strange. Would that I could share the intricacies of my unique situation here with you all, but I simply cannot be so candid. Let us [...]

I didn't sleep very much last night. When I did, I had an intensely vivid dream. I was laying on a slab in a very dimly lit room. My blood was being transfused, fresh blood [...]

I believe that the feeling I had earlier taken for hope was in fact something akin to the calm before the storm. I am so, so sad because this place we are moving through is [...]

I'm seated at the large communal table at the biggest Starbucks I've ever seen. Today I shall challenge them and see how long I can linger here before they ask me to leave. My theory [...]

Being sick and homeless sucks. Beyond that, I'm doing okay. I'm back in the city, in a comfortable guest room at my friends' home. They also have a dog, so my creature comforts are covered [...]

I slept better last night, but woke up this morning to find that the cold I've been battling has won. I'm still fighting with vitamin C and hope, but I think I've just got to [...]

I drifted in and out of sleep, waking only once with the panic of feeling like I was having a bad dream (and that dream was in fact my own reality). Instead of [...]

Oh November, are you a self-fulfilling prophecy of suckage? Have I subconsciously turned you into the worst month, or is it just the way the universe operates? I'm typing this from the guest room at [...]

As I wake up incredibly slowly, despite already having been out in the world for an appointment, here's what I need from this rainy Friday: An afternoon nap Some good news To stay out of [...]

A baby fell six stories from out of a window, bounced off a restaurant awning and was caught by a doctor who just happened to be walking by.  This is a true story. [...]

But when hasn't it? In Schnooville, life on the relationship front was cloudy with a chance of natural disaster up until about two weeks ago. Now it's foggy, but it's the kind of deep, peaceful [...]

I wish you knew how much I love you all. I wish you knew I want to be a family. Even if it's changing and growing. I wish you knew that I need you. I [...]

A broken heart's manifesto... I could not bring myself to participate in the revelry of Nuit Blanche because I am exhausted on a level I have never before touched on. My bones are tired. My [...]

I am sitting upright, in the guest room bed of one of my oldest, dearest friends. The salt from my tear-stained cheeks is stinging my skin, and my life feels like it is falling apart. [...]

All Hail Robert Plant... If it keeps on raining levee's going to break If it keeps on raining levee's going to break When the levee breaks have no place to stay Mean old levee taught [...]

The swoosh of each car passing outside my living room window is a steady reminder that I am here in this world. In this body. In this life. Nothing is familiar except the sweet smiles [...]

Despite being self-employed and only having to shuffle as far as my living room to get to the office, I am looking forward to the weekend like I haven't in a long, long while. I [...]

I feel like I'm hiding under the basement stairs inside my head waiting for the howling winds to subside. At the behest of my shrink, who suggested I try to focus on what I need [...]

There is nothing worse than a Monday that feels like the start of an impossible week. Sometimes life gets so strange and sudden that I start to feel as though I am dreaming it - [...]

The children were a brilliant distraction from the tangle in my head on Thursday. I've shifted in my parenting style. Something terse and sometimes tense has melted away. I asked The Universe to help me, [...]

That's how I feel today. Like I'm full of stories that are locked away in some part of my brain, and cannot escape. Like I've squeezed off the potential for more stories to be born [...]

I don't know what day it is. I mean, I know it's Wednesday, but that automatic calculation of days has left me. Monday night is the night I want to write about. Tuesday was a [...]

Today is my brother's birthday. Rather than celebrate with a bbq at my parent's house, we're headed to Jersey to the home of Mafia Joe, his wife Mafia Monica, and their 7-month-old Baby Joey. Jersey [...]

All the babies I've encountered in the city are fussy today. The morning started out hot - a clear dry heat that made me think of Austin, Texas. I threw on an ankle-length [...]

This week has been wrapped in the familiar haze of a place I'd hoped to avoid for a few more years. A dear friend of my love's is losing his father to cancer [...]

I don't want to be one of those boring people who complain about the weather, but I seriously cannot deal with this heat. Our beautiful new home is without A/C and I haven't slept in two [...]

Yesterday, I had just launched in to a much-needed psychiatrist's visit when the entire hospital building began to move underneath us. Ten seconds and a shudder later, this phenomenon stopped. Then we were [...]

Hello world. I miss you guys. Life is settling nicely now, and I'm definitely going to have more time to write, so there will be more frequent postings. I wrote this at the [...]

I was going to begin this post by apologizing for not writing for a while. I feel like I'm apologizing all of the time lately - for being anti-social, for not keeping in touch, for [...]

Hello world! The move went fairly well, though it took longer than any move I've experienced thus far. We're nearly unpacked, and mostly settled in. Before I can completely relax, however, I must [...]

Last night was spent amid a sea of cardboard boxes in the company of a couple of close friends, drinking wine and sharing some laughs. It was a much-needed dose of social activity, and delicious [...]

Jazz Owls of the world unite!!! (may we all learn to spread our wings.)

Today is one of those days when I wish my brain had a mute button. The older I get, the more I realize that I am the type of person who simply can't shut off [...]

My apologies guys and dolls for the radio silence. Life has gotten great big crazy lately, and I'm happy to report, mostly in the best of ways. My book is half written, but is currently [...]

This is day three in the country, and the first full day of work I've had since we've arrived. Of course, it is also the day when the sun is gloriously shining, so I'm sure [...]

I watched a movie called 'American Splendor' last night after the kids went to bed, from my pile of pillows and blankets on the sofa. This movie is an incredible bio pic about Harvey Pekar, [...]

Each morning this week, I've woken up with a sore throat. By the time I have to hit the gym, it's usually gone. Today it was not. As I type this, my eyes are streaming [...]

I rented Julie and Julia the other night, and it made me want to do two things: 1. Eat a lot of food cooked in a lot of butter 2. Write here The movie was [...]

The universe is great, and mighty, and continues to steer me in so many interesting directions. Despite some upset, and some turmoil, I'm very glad to be exactly where I am today. All [...]

Another show is put to bed. I worry that I can't keep everyone happy, and that the reasons I continue to do these shows with little financial return is not enough for the [...]

I've had two hours of sleep and haven't stopped since 7 am. This close to show time, sleep is a luxury that I don't often have. I've spent the last two hours working [...]

I can't write anymore. I've been reduced to the cliche of the writer who writes about not being able to write. I've stared longingly at the dashboard of this blog for hours, for days, wishing [...]

Hump day is my day to sit on a couch and talk about my feelings. This was my second official visit, and the first time I tried to go back to the office after and [...]

Some people still believe in this. They can look you in the eye and say it with complete conviction. I used to be one of those people. Now life and love have taught [...]

Dear Readers, I feel I must thank you for your gentle words of concern, but perhaps also remind you that this little universe here, this corner we call Schnooville, is a place to [...]

I'm a lion, I'm a cat, and I'm a fire dragon. I credit these things for my ability to mostly bounce back from whatever life might toss in my direction. I'm good with things like [...]

I'm tucked away in the bowels of the Lower Ossington Theatre watching beautiful adults gyrate on each other and I feel like myself again. Sentences like this are what separates me from the [...]

Despite this clear, sunny, temperate day I feel very small and very uncertain. Yes, I look forward to starting rehearsals tonight for our Valentine's day extravaganza. True I have lots of exciting professional stuff going [...]

Darling bright-eyed woman, Have you made any resolutions yet at the start of this new year? If you have not, may I suggest something to you? I watch you every day. I see [...]

I have a couple more resolutions. I hope you will permit me this sounding board. In 2010 I want to read more, and I want to write more, and I want to create a special [...]

If I don't include the horrible way I've been eating over the holidays, I've made some pretty excellent changes in the kinds of things that I eat, and was doing really well with [...]

As cliche as this sounds, with New Year's Eve approaching, I'm thinking about resolutions for the coming year. I'm proud to say that I'm generally good about sticking to the ones I make, and I [...]

Christmas day. Last year, I made a silent wish that in a year's time I would be sharing the holidays with someone I love. That wish came true, but I find myself unable to completely [...]

The only good thing about November is that it is immediately followed by December, which I think perhaps is one of my favourite months of the year. I love the winter, and the snow, and [...]

That's my word for the week. I like it. I want to use it to describe myself, but I think that's one of those words best left to others to use. It always makes me [...]

It turns out that gin is NOT a good remedy for the common cold. Neither is parading about in your unmentionables for two hours in what used to be a baptist church. That's [...]

It's gray, and slushy, and snowy, and sleety, and I don't have to leave this place today, so I'm feeling very grateful. I also feel exactly like the weather. I woke this morning with a [...]

Yesterday we bought a Christmas tree, set it up in our living room, went to a pot luck at the girls' school, and then decorated the tree with all of the decorations we've [...]

I am sitting by the wall of window that is my new living room, and watching the sun sink slowly below the tops of the skyscrapers. I feel like me again. Mostly. I [...]

We finally picked up the mail on Friday, and in the giant stack was a letter from my eighteen-year-old cousin Alexandra who recently moved to Halifax for university. I love Alex more than most people [...]

My horoscope says that my biggest problem will be deciding which grand idea to pursue. I like this. I also like the font that this blog is written in. I have no idea if it [...]

I think I've figured out why my new digs feel so crowded. Besides the obvious reasons associated with adding a fifth person to a household of four, of course. I think perhaps I [...]

The other day, "The Lady in Red" came up on a random list of tunes on our Apple TV. This song always makes me nauseous. When I was eight, I began to wear glasses, and [...]

These days are feeling a little surreal. Life is hectic, but the home front is peaceful, and I have felt for almost a week now that I am not in my body, but am watching [...]

I'm trying to post something here every day, but sometimes when I wake up in the morning, my head is so full of cobwebs, I have nothing really to say. This morning, we're listening to [...]

Last night I had a dream about a baby. A fat-cheeked, red-headed baby girl that was mine. Except I wasn't convinced that she was real. I kept seeing her when I was alone, but she [...]

This e.e. cummings poem has been scrolling through my head for the last several days: somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond any experience,your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things [...]

"Could circumstances beyond your control be turning you into a more jaded person? Today, before you lose sight of the wonders of the world, unearth some of your old idealistic tendencies. They aren't gone -- [...]

From my girlfriend's mama: Three in the bed and the little one said “roll over, roll over” They all rolled over and one fell out… Two in the bed and the little one said “roll [...]

I had a bad day at work. Here’s one thing to know about Leos; we’re great at success and terrible at failure. I had a bad sleep last night. Three people DO NOT fit in [...]

I’m standing at the edge of October, and I’m just not yet ready to dip my toes into November. I hate November. I believe it is the saddest, coldest month of all. My cabaret company [...]

every morning i walk towards the edge and throw little things off like: car-parts, bottles and cutlery or whatever i find lying around it's become a habit a way to start the day [...]

Today we decided to do family things. As a family. All five of us. We weren't able to spend Thanksgiving together this year, and though our separate celebrations were pleasant enough, it felt strange and [...]

Gratitude Top 30, 2009 In no particular order 1. ) You and your clever green/blue eyes and mop of toussled hair in the mornings, and your ability to always hear my heart without [...]

It's 9:30 on a Saturday morning. So far today I've gone to the gym, watched Annie, witnessed a live performance of the hits of Annie, and done about 45 minutes of administrative work [...]

Last night I had a heart-to-heart with the male third of my triad. We launched into this seated on the kitchen floor, half tucked inside the cupboard where the Tupperwear is stored, because [...]

Hi Schnoo! I just wanna say kudos for your bravery for stating exactly how you are feeling and what you are going through...it is not easy, and i am happy to see that you are [...]

I am a lion, born under the sign of Leo. Not only am I a lion, but I am also a fire dragon, if you consult my Chinese astrological sign. However, at this [...]

It´s 3:00 pm in Barcelona, and we are just now leaving the hotel. We've learned that his city doesn't like to go to bed, and after being invited to stay after hours at the little [...]

Ok, if you weren't already peuce with jealousy... Tomorrow I'm getting on a plane mid-day, falling asleep, and then more or less waking up in Barcelona. Once in Barcelona, my partners and I will check [...]

Nearly twice a week the adult members of my tribe, usually at that quiet time once the kids are finally asleep, sit down sleepily with a nightcap in hand and our latest Genius list to [...]

Last week, my partners and I made our first "out" outing. We went to a baseball game, which I suppose is all full of outs, and innings. And switch hitters, and home runs. Anyway, I [...]

Fiesta Party Pack - Best Served With Tequila Last night was one of the most lovely, multi-layered social gatherings I've ever been a part of. A backyard concert, gypsy jazz style, with delicious [...]

Everyone I know and love is having babies. Ok, not EVERYONE, but close. While sharing in their joy and excitement, this also leaves me feeling a little bit like the last unicorn. The last year [...]

A fine evening to end my Banff experience. Jennifer (my boss) and I had an early supper, and then walked along the Bow River into downtown Banff. It was a beautiful, scenic stroll. [...]

A fine conference here in Banff. We ended this morning, so I am now officially on vacation. I was very proud to exchange ideas and opinions with Canada's Opera giants in a place [...]

Last night I fell asleep cradled in the arm of the mountains. My incredible fortune has granted me the opportunity to spend four days at the Banff Centre for the 2009 Opera Colloquium, [...]

Yes of course if you live anywhere near Toronto that's a ridiculous title for this post, but the alternative is "The Dripping Wet Summer". You can tell me which is more appealing. I'll take either, [...]

And no sweet whisper, Or gentle sigh, or finely crafted love note, carefully composed ballad, time-honoured tradition, sacred vow, could stop the roar of water rushing through my ears. In the leafy green shadow cast [...]

This year, birthday weekend was a lot less lonely. In fact, I was moved to tears several times throughout the day as the text messages, phone calls, emails, and Facebook posts poured in. [...]

I can't take credit for that one...it's Leonard Cohen's line, but I heard it this morning, while on the way to work  listening to Suzanne and it made me think... I rather feel like drowning [...]

There is an ocean inside you. I can hear it between your words as clearly as the yawning roar from the pearly slit of the seashell at my ear. You have held these tides at [...]

Rosie Hardy is a seventeen year old girl who lives in England. She met her boyfriend, Aaron Space on Flickr, when they both participated in the 365 day contest. She lives in England, [...]

July 13, 11:15 pm I'm whispering into your ear. Can you hear me? Tonight I'm actually nodding off as I'm typing these words, but I wanted to let my fingers dance here, because [...]

Hello world at large! I've really come to love writing here, and I'm deeply touched that so many of you enjoy reading my ramblings. In the interest of writing more frequently, I'm asking you to [...]

This evening, in my cold-medicated state Arthur and I padded over to the movie rental store to find the kind of entertainment that we could enjoy from the sofa. I picked up the first disk [...]

I have a summer cold, which might be in the top five of my list of things that instantly turn me into a whiny baby. This morning I took extra strength Tylenol cold, [...]

It occurred to me, just as I lay my head on the pillow, That as I was getting ready to fall asleep, You were making your way towards waking up.

I am a chrysalis. Stretched in a hammock, wrapped in a cocoon of cotton/silk blend, I hang suspended between two trees, with the sunlight dappling the leafy canopy overhead. The lake is glittering below me, [...]

The first of July is a big day for me. Leading up to this day, I always feel displaced, anxious, and melancholic, and I usually forget why. Then, at some point around noon, on Canada's [...]

Was look at pictures of you. And you. And I could hardly wait to get home and tell you so.

From the land of Wiki: Dave Van Ronk, an early supporter and teacher of Dylan, had the following criticism to make of the song All Along The Watchtower: That whole artistic mystique is one of [...]

On Thursday morning, I woke up on my own. I woke before the alarm, and I woke without Toulouse, and his morning routine of running his paw through my hair and nibbling on my nose [...]

And this should never be confused with a really TALL building, or the earth, or the sky. It was just a little taste, for now. Still it was sweet, and that sweetness lingers. [...]

"You're likely the most courageous woman I know. You're always willing to put your heart out there for the big reward even though it's taken a hell of a beating in the past. I believe, [...]

My girlfriend and I are stoned. We’ve left the dinner table, her lovely husband, and lovely babies behind, and we are headed to a house party at my musician friend’s. I’m leading her through the [...]

"You are a gorgeous girl, who is smart and funny and has an ass that makes me think talking to you naked is a bad idea." - David, friend of several years and [...]

Something remarkable happened last night. For the last year and a half, whether it was on an air mattress, on the Murphy bed in the Paris apartment I rented, on a guest bed, or in [...]

Every once and a while, you need to re-read your own story, and then try a re-write or two. I'm re-writing the chapter that was this last week. In the current version, our protagonist has [...]

Today was a very, very challenging day at work. I tried to hold tightly to the high from last night's successful show, but with the collective stress of my office-mates as we banded [...]

i like my body when it is with your body. It is so quite a new thing. Muscles better and nerves more. i like your body. i like what it does, i like its hows. [...]

A long, long day today, with lots of thinking. Here's what I came up with: If you haven't seen the movie 'Once', you should do so straight away. Here are the [...]

Is it ok to enjoy someones company if you have a nagging feeling that there is no potential for anything lasting, or substantial? If in your gut you feel like they are just not on [...]

It's ten o'clock. I've just come home after an action-packed day at the office followed by a lucrative production meeting which only served to make me love my business partner that much more. [...]

I am forcing myself to write this, which makes me angry, because I feel like this shouldn't require an effort. I'm stretching myself too thin again, and its making me feel overwhelmed and [...]

I've neglected my writing, my ficus is dead, my dog is angry with me because I haven't been home all week, and my job is hectic enough right now that my boss went out and [...]

This week has been a struggle. I've had just enough energy to survive the work day, and all I care to do is come home and lay down. All of my resources are tapped, and [...]

*This entry contains more colourful language. What can I say? When I was little, whenever we would get sick, my mom would make us a sick bed. This would consist of draping a [...]

This morning I woke up twenty minutes before the alarm because someone was ringing my doorbell, insistently. My sleepy morning brain conjured all of these scenarios that included hand-delivered coffee, or flowers, or [...]

MORNING and evening Maids heard the goblins cry: "Come buy our orchard fruits, Come buy, come buy: Apples and quinces, Lemons and oranges, Plump unpeck'd cherries, Melons and raspberries, Bloom-down-cheek'd peaches, Swart-headed mulberries, Wild free-born [...]

Dear readers; the following post contains language and content that may be offensive to some. Really offensive. Like a lot of it... Yesterday was a supremely weird day. It began with my cat [...]

I hate forwarded emails. I usually delete them without even reading them, so when my uncle Don sent me a message with this subject header it sat untouched in my in box for four days. [...]

Something is wrong with Toulouse. There's nothing left to him. He's all bones and clicky claws on the laminate floor. He's light as a feather, and when he stares at me, which he always does, [...]

I can't recall which birthday this happened on, but one year when I was a little girl, my mom thought it would be really funny to have my aunt and my grown male [...]

Stop asking for feedback. Stop speaking of loneliness. Stop inviting us to engage in discourse, Share our ideas, Hear your voice. Stop sharing snippets of your world. Stop referencing your single status If [...]

At Easter, I don't celebrate the Resurrection. I find it hard to buy into. Instead, I turn my thoughts to rebirth, rejuvenation; coming into the light again after a period of darkness. I suppose you [...]

Finally - Rosiehardy - FlickrI spend too much time on Facebook. The iPhone didn't help with this problem. As I grapple with this, I'm trying not to judge myself too much for it. Hopefully it [...]

Solitude - Rosiehardy - FlickrIt has indeed been a Good Friday, so far.I hatched a hilarious plan before bed last night, and look forward to hashing it out with some friends over dinner this evening. [...]

These Walls I Can Take - Rosiehardie - FlickrHowever, I will still post my Thursday poem...Fierce victories for these tiny warriors;With every step each foot placed before the otherMarching towards over-priced coffee,and outlook,and too many [...]

Like Ivory - Olivia Bee - FlickrEvidently, April has been designated the month to celebrate poetry. I shall pretend that April began today, and will post a poem each day until May. Because it is [...]

I thought about something for a good portion of the weekend, most of yesterday, and then again today.As is so often the case in Schnooville, this thought permeated my brain and trickled out into the [...]

My mom is one of twelve children. French Canadian Catholic. All of her brothers and sisters are quite close in age, and all remained fairly geographically close. I grew up with a giant tangle of [...]

I think, actually I'm pretty positive, that it was almost exactly one year ago that I ended a four year relationship. I stayed at our home for a couple of weeks, which is completely inadvisable, [...]

Tonight I am cooking a romantic dinner for two that has absolutely nothing to do with my dog.It's not just dinner. It's a romantic dinner. For two.It has been approximately one year and two months [...]

I tend to write more when I'm angsty or blue or distressed. That is most certainly not the case this last week. It might have a lot to do with the seasonal shift. It might [...]

When the light is pure and clear, and the sky an unmatched blue,I walk in silent woods, I squish softly over the gently yielding earth,The newly-supple earth made wet and heady from the thaw.I breathe, [...]

I am a bloated, anxious, pre-menstrual mess right now, and as luck would have it, I have a date tonight.So what's a girl to do?After three outfit changes, I found something that's cute, in a [...]

Arthur and I went walking in the park. This activity is my one of my favourite things, and it is best done just Arthur and I. We notice things together; smells, sounds, new stirrings in [...]

Holey. Moley.

Remember when this term had nothing to do with social media?I love the idea that spring time is when everyone starts to tingle again. That there is something in the air that makes us want [...]

What have we become when we must take the time to draw little faces using punctuation marks instead of searching for the correct words to convey our meaning and intent? What does it say about [...]

This stopped me in my tracks today, and I had to share it. It was posted on a hydro pole outside of my office. Here's a close up, which I hope you can read:Imagine being [...]

Here is what I am learning about myself; my intuition is never, ever wrong.If there is something about a person that is making me uneasy, all I need to do is close my eyes and [...]

I will gather up my memories of you, And with them I will build a tower, Sweet thought upon sweet thought, Until mine is a life of a dream-piler. And in the spreading meadows below [...]

I had almost forgotten how much I love trains.You can’t count the GO train, really. It doesn’t go fast enough to rock you the same way, and it smacks of commuter convenience. There is no [...]

I promise to only do this once every few months...Sunday's show was spectacular. It was exactly the kind of high-art, high-class, sexy, sultry, comedic, variety onslaught I've always dreamed about.The resulting photos are phenomenal, of [...]

Billie Black, Photographed by Michel MersereauThis is what I see as I sit in bed, breaking my own no-laptop-in-bed rule, surveying The Fortress.It's almost show time, and my apartment is a sea of feathers, and [...]

Little cramped words scrawling all overthe paperLike draggled fly's legs,What can you tell of the flaring moonThrough the oak leaves?Or of my uncertain window and thebare floorSpattered with moonlight?Your silly quirks and twists have nothingin [...]

1-12 The Guests.m4aThis song is dedicated to my Valentines. Both of them. Thank you for a very memorable Valentines day. Is that it then? Perhaps it should be. I was starting to feel too much, [...]

Suzanne - Leonard CohenToulouse is watching me, perched on the back of the sofa. He loves Leonard just as I do. But classic Leonard is best. I worked for twelve hours today. I wanted to [...]

I woke this morning wanting only coffee. I haven't had any yet. Instead I was led on a journey through the heart and mind of Sylvia Plath. Imagine giving so much of your love and [...]

Sisters of Mercy - Leonard Cohen On these kinds of nights, when it is in fact the next morning, and when Anne has had far too much to drink, it is always the same. She [...]

And my heart is like a saturated sponge right now, so the tub is where I'll stay.As I imagine my own small, white hands wrapping gently around my ventricles and wringing my pumper free of [...]

Rainy Night I am sister to the rain;Fey and sudden and unholy,Petulant at the windowpane,Quickly lost, remembered slowly. Dorothy Parker

I love e.e. cummings. I have since I was 18. This poem, which I could never fully grasp, has been winding it's way through my heart all day. My heart is the foot I lead [...]

Sometimes, when I assist my amazing designer friend Ming Wong, part of my job is to shop for costumes. Right now we're working on West Side Story for the Randolph Young Company, which is a [...]

cat·a·lyst (ktl-st)n.play_w2("C0153900") 1. Chemistry A substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process. 2. One that precipitates a [...]

As I'm waiting for the timer to ding, I'm perched on the edge of my seat, Toulouse snoring loudly and tucked in beside the laptop.Perched on the edge of my seat. Are you listening?I ran [...]

My heart feels like an 8 x 11 sheet with one too many typos, snatched from the machine, crumpled into a hard, angry ball and tossed in the general direction of the waste paper basket, [...]

Take This LongingLeonard Cohen(A Weekend Synopsis by Schnoo)Many men have loved the bellsyou fastened to the rein,and everyone who wanted youthey found what they will always want again.Your beauty lost to you yourselfjust as it [...]

Tonight was dancing to our favourite live band at the Orbit Room. It was too many drinks, and all of my girlfriends wanting to be so close. It was dancing so much to such great [...]

We had a slow, stinky ride home on the King car, in the snow. Arthur always hangs close, sits on my foot, smacks his chops nervously and rolls his big brown eyes up at me [...]

I know there is a myth where someone digs a hole under the cover of darkness to whisper all of their deepest secrets into.Perhaps this is not so secret...When I am with you, no matter [...]

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, [...]

My current weekend undertaking was inspired by my beautiful friend Lenni. She just moved into a new apartment which is completely astounding in its meticulous organization. She turned the place upside down, and transformed it [...]

A short story written in the summer of 2008. She heard him yelling before she saw him. “Hey Sister…what up?” With a deep inhale she set her chin and smiled. Whatever. An adult male can [...]

I have not experienced Christmas as a single girl in seven years. Of course I have moments where it is undoubtedly the most difficult time to fly solo (like last night at a work function [...]

I had a great evening with a male friend this weekend who I have known for just over a year. He's smart, funny, creative, talented, enjoys cooking, art, music, has a great sense of family, [...]

Which I still care nothing about, but I couldn't resist digging further to discover why Sean Avery was in so much trouble. Again.For those of you who, like me, don't care about hockey, Sean Avery [...]

When I see a ... as the subject header for an email, it can only be one person. And tonight I came home to "..." and "If it's ok with you, I think we should [...]

But not before I hibernate a little.NOvember didn't work out so well, but it is with a renewed sense of discipline that I look forward to Nice and Not Naughty December [NNND]. I truly am [...]

You're a silent-film era sad clown.You're the tramp with eyes like liquid chocolate pools.You are the standing-in-the-doorway while the entire frame of the house falls down around you in one great swoosh scene.How could anyone [...]

The Three Stages of Women - Gustav KlimtHi Schnoo,I was just sitting here in my quiet space and decided to go on your Schnooville site. I am glad I did. I just love reading your [...]

And what is that you ask?It's the natural progression from Sober October.It is a self-imposed month of celibacy. That's right. Celibacy.Why would a single, cosmopolitan gal like myself make such a choice? Well, for those [...]

Text messaging is the devil's agent.It's so easy. A few quick flicks of the thumb, and I've tossed my heart out into the ether again. Perhaps a 'delete' is in order, to spare me the [...]

October 26th List.Today would have been my six year wedding anniversary. The following list is only partially related to that fact.What I Need, Today:Something pretty, and very, very feminine to wear.Rain boots for proper grounding.CoffeeFrench [...]

Tonight I pranced up and down a very grand staircase with nine stunningly beautiful women, wearing turn of the century underwear in front of 1000 people.You stood beneath a tree, outside, in the rain watching [...]

This evening I got home from work and spent an hour attending to household administration, and then packed up my laundry and wheeled it down to the laundromat that I frequent. I swear I will [...]

This is the most thankful thanksgiving I have had in a very, very long time.In the interest of expressing my profound gratitude to the universe, I shall endeavor to list all of the things I'm [...]

Each pet I've had over the last seven or eight years has been a rescue animal. I hand picked almost all of them, and there was something beautiful, and sad, and stoic about them all. [...]

Last night I drifted to sleep imaging long, angular ivory limbs sprawled across my tiny double bed...Little bumps like gooseflesh rising along your back because it's too early to turn on the heat and too [...]

Malalai KakerI am woven together with silvery fibres of infinite fragility, and deep within my core there is a well of sadness so deep that whenever we lower the bucket into the black abyss, we're [...]

Generally speaking I can cruise just high enough above my emotional well to not get seared by the intensity of the fire I've been stoking for thirty two years. Every once in a while though, [...]

Perhaps I cracked a rib. Or bruised it. Or pulled a muscle. At any rate, my right side hurts. A lot.Maybe what happened is that I became so full of self-pity that I actually split. [...]

Just when you thought it was safe to comfortably enjoy being alone, all your collective past demons rear their ugly heads in one giant wave of WTF.The universe is throwing things in this general direction [...]

Trust in me, just in meShut your eyes and trust in meYou can sleep safe and soundKnowing I am aroundSlip into silent slumberSail on a silver mistSlowly and surely your sensesWill cease to resistTrust in [...]

And I'm too tired to keep going, but can't rest now because I'll tumble into the abyss.Ya know what I'm saying?When I was little, one of the most marvelous things I could buy with my [...]

helloo?is anyone there?because on saturday night when i'm home alone, it's just so hard to be sure...but this is an exercise that i need to perfect, isn't it? and then i either graduate to the [...]

Who doesn't love to wake up to a vigorous game of chase?6:30 am today felt like a jolly old British farce. I was mostly asleep, and certainly alone, and Toulouse (my lover boy of the [...]

I realized yesterday I've been forgetting to water my plants. After I gave them all a drink, they instantly seemed to perk up. It's basic, and simple, and somewhat inane to even mention here, but [...]

The only things in the Fortress of Solitude that run on double A batteries are the remote controls for my electronic devices.It's time to take action people.

Jack in the Pulpit IV - Georgia O'KeefeMove through me. The time has come for usto finally visit this place.Your face is one thousand shades of gentle and your liquid eyes have never changed still [...]

Today was marvelous. Thanks universe.My creative juices are making me drool right now, and that's how I know the full moon is approaching. It's actually Saturday, for those of you who aren't in the know.I [...]

Someone suggested I might take time from my busy schedule to add a new post, as the last one might be misconstrued out of context. Though I thumb my nose at the idea that anyone [...]

But wouldn't it be so much sweeter with someone warm and soft beside me, limbs all tangled up with mine, and their sweet hot breath in my ear?I don't know how I'm still holding up [...]

(A post that should have been posted 1 hour and 38 minutes ago)Set yourself targets that are a little bit higher and a little bit harder to reach than you are used to. Effort and [...]

Holy crap. Sorry for that last one.I woke up to my dog's cold wet nose in my ear and a fly tickling my left shoulder. I blinked twice, had an urgent craving for a glass [...]

This is the cyber equivalent of a drunk n dial.I am so ready for sleeping, but think it's important to point out that I'm afraid that there's not a man alive who truly understands me, [...]

I'm looking for new work, but I feel incredibly guilty about it because it would be a really bad time to leave the company I currently work for. That said, they can't give me more [...]

I know I should be unpacking and cleaning. I know that I would even be more comfortable inside with the a/c instead of melting out here on the patio where it is still ridiculously hot [...]

At least one of the Coreys is still recognizable.This will be brief because I'm exhausted, and have had several sangrias today.My dear darling mom and dad were kind enough to rent a van and deliver [...]

Does anyone else love Judy Bloom the way I did growing up?When we were little-ish, my mom used to read to the Gaffer and I before bed, and our favourite soon came to be Tales [...]

Scientists say watermelon has ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body’s blood vessels and may even increase libido.Despite an extensive search, nothing on the Internet could tell me what the hell "Mama Say Mammasa [...]

I declared last night my first official night as a single woman in the Fortress of Solitude.During the afternoon yesterday I spent one entire hour cleaning my fridge, and ended up ruining the dress I [...]

Jules Joseph Lefebvre's "Mary Magdalene in the Cave" (1876) I was raised Catholic, and within that faith, really only had two female role models - Mary the Virgin Mother of Christ, or Mary the Magdalene, [...]

Yesterday I was carried along on a sea of drunken, happy, sexy, reveling bodies to a Tiki party that turned out to be just what I needed. I had on my Hawaiian print dress, a [...]

That's it. I'm not dating anymore.My heart is too soft and squishy still, and I just can't deal. I don't know what I need to do to get myself back in the head space I [...]

Sundays have a particularly solitary quality. It might be because I'm an early riser, and when I'm padding around the neighbourhood with whichever dog happens to be in my life this week, thinking about coffee, [...]

I don't need to have a functioning brain to understand what's going on. Sometimes, things are clear enough that a person who is only functioning with the heart can sort it all out.People, it's important [...]

Ok brain. Thank you for kicking in at 12:00 am. That was pretty funny, to take an entire day off, and then keep me up all night, and have me in knots all day today.I [...]

A saucy young window washer repelled off the side of my building today and dropped down in front of me like Spiderman."Hmmmm...." I thought. "This is an interesting way to start the day - men [...]

I think Superman was on to something.Today, I feel that maybe it's a bad idea for me to be dating anyone. After recently moving away from so much hurt, it's still so close to the [...]

I lost my dog for four hours on Saturday, and it was the greatest hysteria I have ever known. It was a bad judgment call on my part. I left him in the yard, which [...]

I'm back in sync with the moon. It took a while, but here we are, and now I have to be careful about when I decide to host dinner parties because it becomes a Like [...]

I brought Arthur to my client's office yesterday. She's out of town, and told me he was most welcome to keep me company. He hates traveling on the subway, but I can tell that he [...]

I could sleep for a week...There is a reason why in ancient civilizations women went away from the tribe to weather out their menses. (Oh, FYI this blog entry is all about periods. Stop reading [...]

What's wrong with me? Whenever anyone has ever asked me if I play a musical instrument, I have only one answer prepared, which is seldom ever appropriate to use. Though entirely accurate, people are usually [...]

Because mine isn't. It also smells like mushrooms and has begun to sprout mold.(insert mighty, world-weary sigh here.)I'm definitely off my game. The last four days have been exhausting, and I don't want to start [...]

So I'm counting Goats...It doesn't seem to be helping.

I visited last night with my cousin's incredible baby, who I rarely get to see because they live in Vancouver. He's unbelievable. It's like he just knows me. Meeting this child for the first time [...]

Everyone at my house had a shitty day today, and clear across the board it was stress, exhaustion, and high emotion. All three of us ladies shed a tear at one point or another, and [...]

I just woke up. Not a tossing and turning, and I guess I can't sleep, but an ok, there's the sun and another fresh new day kind of wake up. Except it's three am.It occurs [...]

Today is happy with a chance of grinning. Increased sunny outlook with a high of plus positive and zero chance of precipitation. Even if it rains, our guaranteed low is snuggling with a good book [...]

So,Life is getting a little bit more fun each day!I'm moving this weekend, and though I have a huge hole in my ceiling, a bathroom under renovation, and an apartment that smells like Raccoon poo, [...]

I was amazed to learn that there are one or two of you out there still willing to read this, even though the fabulous Parisian fantasy has come to an end. Bless your hearts. I [...]

Are any of you still reading this?If you are, this is my very last evening in Paris. I've just returned from a quiet walk up to Sacre Coeur, where I had a look at the [...]

Yesterday was incredibly touristy.I did an open-top bus tour of half of the city, which was a fairly decent way to get around, but then I felt like I was getting heat stroke. I hopped [...]

Yesterday I visited Musee d'Orsay, which was the realization of a huge dream. Blessedly, it was fairly quiet when I first arrived there, and I was able to explore the Impressionist paintings fairly unscathed. The [...]

O' City:A change of landscapeIs a very good way to escapeThe roof tops from six stories highBreath their heat into November SkyCould be a ship or a trainDriving, sailing, keeping saneWind is blowing through my [...]

It's only 6:30, but I had to come home for a breather and a little nap, because I am completement exhausted.I set my alarm for eight this morning, but apparently I am un peu stupide [...]

Images from Cemetere Montmartre...

I slept until noon today, which is completely unheard of in my world!The plan of action was to immerse myself in my Parisian neighbourhood, which I think I did a fine job of.The first couple [...]

It's 9:32 Paris time, and 3:30 Toronto time, and I've been up since yesterday at six a.m. I've spent over 12 hours trying to fly to another corner of the globe, and I've discovered that [...]

I'm going to barf.And I'm certainly NOT going to sleep!This insane level of excitement can only be compared to the absolutely sleepless Christmas Eves we had as children. Sadly, there is nobody here to stay [...]

This is my current theme song. If you've never heard it, you should find a copy, stat.WHERE DO YOU GO TO MY LOVELYPeter Sarstedt26/02/1969 - 4 weeks at #1 - 16 weeks on chartYou talk [...]

Four more days.Can you believe it?I can scarcely contain myself.What I also can't believe is that the entire lower half of my body is smeared with splotchy orange streaks that are actually getting darker as [...]

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Is this thing on?I'm new to this world, and feel a little out of my element. The world I speak of isn't just this crazy world of bloggy goodness either. One or two of you [...]