Bloomscrolling and nostalgia

27 Saturday Jun 2026

Posted by in activism, community, creativity, family, Health, philosophy, photography, therapy

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Puttering in our small garden brings me joy. It helps me focus on beautiful things while acknowledging humanity’s challenges with natural disasters and oppressive regimes.

Upward view of Scarlet Runner Beans and silhouette of a fly resting on a leaf

I comfort myself by remembering my monthly donations to humanitarian organizations responding to disasters and medical emergencies. It’s the most I can do on a retirement income and limited energy from my quiet and safe corner of the world.

Odd little flower growing from the patio stone crack under the compost drum. Floribunda Petunia apparently.

We can cheer on the little guy, the refugee and oppressed as they rise from the rubble in a display of determination and beauty.

The first zucchini flower

We can hope for a modest harvest to celebrate our nurturing efforts. We can only provide so much support, love and patience for the late bloomers struggling to establish their place in our world.

Scarlet Runner Bean blossoms under the watchful eye of the garden owl

We should reflect on how nostalgia holds us back from what can be, for our descendents and the natural world ahead. It is important to respect traditions, but recognize what to let go of and what to embrace as we move forward in support of future generations.

Growing Scarlet Runner Beans and encouraging their climbing vines is one tradition I hold onto in honour of my parents and the summer gardens at the old homestead on Georgian Bay. I hold onto the nostalgia of growing up in a small town, free to roam the yards, forests and waters, oblivious to the risks.

Thank you for stopping by. What are you growing in your gardens?

T

Three years later

22 Monday Jun 2026

Posted by in community, economy, Health, libraries, pets, philosophy, therapy, writing

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Screen time

Thanks to a WordPress “classic material” prompt this morning, here is an update:

Servant Woman no more. Farewell, Miss Kitteh. I now enjoy the company of the neighbour’s Cat when she visits our yard. She is a nervous, elusive creature.

The neighbours’ Cat drops by for a visit and a drink of water

Working stiff no more. Retiree on a reduced income with moderate volunteer responsibilities. Sometimes it feels like a part-time job with online and in-person meetings. I really enjoy my volunteer shifts at the local library; it gets me out of the house.

Colourful poster for the Summer Reading Club at the local library

Still a bus person only when I choose to commute out of our walkable community. I really must get out for early morning walks again.

The world is still a mess due to immoral, corrupt dick-tators and their greedy, incompetent minions. The USA is losing international respect. Canada has picked up some middle power trade allies though. Thanks, PM Carney.

I am still trying to remain patient and kind although my tolerance level for noise and nonsense is getting low. I still retreat to my screens and the wee garden. I like to watch things grow.

Zucchini, Tomato and Green Bean plants watched over by the garden owl

Thanks for dropping by. If you can be anything these days, please be kind.

T

Coming full circle from a park bench

10 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by in photography, writing, therapy, community, Art, libraries, creativity

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I recently came full circle with an obsession and have hopefully relieved myself from continuing a thoughtful and quirky hobby. I have been collecting benches residing in public spaces for 24 years.

It started in 2002, from an encounter with The Secret Bench of Knowledge in front of the Library and Archives building in Ottawa in 2002 while attending a writers festival. The whimsy and mystery of the statues appealed to me. That was during a dark time with my foray into writing, attending poetry readings and presentations while working full time, raising three children and surviving an unhappy marriage. I felt trapped. Writing and networking with writers helped me find some escape and offered some therapy.

I wrote a review of the writers festival, posted as web pages which survived as a PDF where I shared my experience about this thing called “the poets’ pathway” and eventually joined like-minded folks in an environmental group and literary project.

The Secret Bench of Knowledge in front of the Canadian Library and Archives Building on Wellington Street

Fast forward to 2026 when I reunited with the bench and its occupants during Doors Open Ottawa and a visit to the Library and Archives building on Wellington Street. I felt an obligation to see this building and its dusty collections as a 2022 graduate from an Archives and Records Management college program.

The LAC stacks on the secluded 7th floor

The volunteer guides on the selected floors were knowledgeable about the various collections as well as the virtual display for the new Adisoke building that should open in 2027. There have been delays due to the pandemic, the supply chain, and trade tariffs applied by the orange menace and his money grabbing sycophants.

My first Doors Open Ottawa experience was in 2016 and I have since tried to visit the interesting buildings around the city that offered the public a peek into hidden treasures over the first weekend of June. I was hooked, although with limited energy and patience for crowds.

I highly recommend you attend one of these Doors Open events if they are offered in your own city. It can open your eyes and mind to its rich architecture and culture. I also recommend writing as therapy, in your private journals or in a blog where you can whisper – or shout – into the void.

Thanks for dropping by.

T