pupdate: in which cookie decides to make a bit of progress
First there was Incident With a Fish Head. Then there was this. What is that dog doing, you may ask. She’s chasing tiny fish. She did this for two hours.…
laura k
"at your library" in the north island eagle: did you know your library is steam-powered?
Your library is STEAM-powered. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. But STEAM is much more than those five subjects. It’s an approach to education and learning. STEAM…
weekend trip with mom: a few days in the comox valley
I thought it would be fun for my mom to see a different part of Vancouver Island. I didn’t want her going home thinking the whole island is a sparsely…
island day trip with mom: sointula
This week’s day trip with my Mom was the town of Sointula. One of my libraries is located in Sointula, so I’ve been there a couple of times, but had…
toni morrison, rest in power
I was so shocked and saddened to learn of Toni Morrison’s death. I’ve been reading her work since a university creative writing teacher recommended The Bluest Eye in 1979. I’ve…
extended mom visit
My mother is visiting from Oregon. That visiting from Oregon part still looks weird to me, since for my entire life — and her entire life until a few years…
wallander, roddy doyle, one of us is lying: what i’m reading between massive biographies
These biographies are taking me a very long time to read. The list of books I want to read continues to grow, as always, and it feels wrong to use…
frederick douglass, susan b. anthony, and the ridiculous (and dangerous) quest for moral purity
Reading David Blight’s monumental Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, I learned some facts about both Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony that were very unpleasant and, at least in Douglass’…
what i’m reading: frederick douglass, prophet of freedom
My biography reading continues: I finally finished Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by the historian and Douglass scholar David Blight. It is a monumental work, not an easy read, but…
backyard baby bear
This adorable little dude was not actually in our backyard, but close enough! He or she was just over the back fence of our next-door neighbour’s yard. He was crying…
why it is interesting and significant that i own a piano
When we were negotiating for this house, through realtors, the former owners asked if we were interested in keeping their piano. I had noticed the old upright as soon as…
indigenous designs are all around us: more thoughts on accusations of cultural appropriation
Coast Salish Orca In 2017, I wrote this post: accusations of cultural appropriation are a form of bullying — and don’t reduce racism, and a follow-up: postscript: some clarifications and…
three thoughts arising from a focus on the housing crisis
Today I attended a working meeting that included almost all the service providers in the region. These service providers were brought together by the Mount Waddington Health Network to build…
pictures of our new house are one (extra) click away
Allan took some photos of our house while it was still empty. If you are so inclined, you can see the pics here: Our House. So go do that now,…
concentration camp resistance scrapbook
Resistance to the migrant concentration camps in the US seems to be growing. Or maybe I’m just seizing on anything that looks like hope. I wanted to collect all the…
thank you megan rapinoe!
I have a list of topics I want to write about, and I’m not finding any time when my brain is working to write. So on this topic I’m taking…
in which we are officially homeowners
It’s official! We are homeowners! The former owners left us a plant and a card! Is that amazing? The card says they hope we are as happy in this house…
in which cookie gets hold of a fish head, is attacked by an eagle, and almost makes me cry
This weekend we took Kai and Cookie to the beach both days. The beach was Diego’s favourite place in all the world, so it was sad to be there without…
indigenous canada: online course from university of alberta
This is a detail from artwork thatwas used throughout the course. Earlier this year, I studied and completed “Indigenous Canada“, a 12-week MOOC offered by the University of Alberta. It’s…
july 1: canada day and beyond
Happy Canada Day from the traditional and unceded territory of the Kwakiutl people, whose historical ties to this land date back from time immemorial and continue to this day. Many…