Author Archives: Anne Simmonds

We’ve been had!  From my years in high school I remember only two lines of “poetry” – the one famous – “to be or not to be…” the other – “herded like bone-headed cattle.”  Our culture has clearly become the … Continue reading →

The flashing red sign on the church’s electronic billboard read: “Happy New Year – another chance to Get It Right.”  I groaned.  As if we know what “right” is!  Sure, we were all taught various versions of right and wrong, … Continue reading →

I have been resisting writing this blog.  Why?  The short answer is in the title, a line from Brené Brown whose work I will say more about in a moment.  Here is what unfolded.  Two weeks ago I was preparing … Continue reading →

            “Who of us here has not had one of those heart stopping moments of terror as a vehicle speeds past, leaving little space  and almost throwing us off balance?”  The older woman dressed in a crossing-guard style vest addressed … Continue reading →

It seems I’m in good company.  The Ontario Art Gallery currently has a Marc Chagall exhibit.  It includes a movie about his life, in which the famous Russian artist expresses the self-doubt he felt when commissioned, at age 75, to … Continue reading →

As the kids roared down the hill, the adults above called out to stop running lest they trip and fall.  A chorus came from the group of 9ish year old boys who kept running:  “If we want to trip, we’ll … Continue reading →

I was lying awake in the night thinking about what I would say in this blog.  If I had managed to rise and write, the result would definitely been different.  Those night time ruminations always seems more profound that what … Continue reading →

If there is a foot gene, I inherited my father’s.  I realized this in the last years of his life, when my dad was declining with dementia.  I found that one of the ways I could settle him was to … Continue reading →

I was in my favourite shoe store yesterday.  As I was trying on shoes another customer said to the owner, “These feel great, I’ll take them and wear them home.”  To which the owner responded;  “Happy feet, Happy face!”  Not … Continue reading →

I’ve heard that sentiment several times this week as finally “spring has sprung” in my part of the world.  Most of the week has been sunny and the Magnolias, Forsythia, Sand Cherry, Tulips and Daffodils are singing in the sunshine.  … Continue reading →