I’m writing this (and publishing it, if I manage to finish it quickly enough) while on a plane bound for Victoria, BC. It’s been six years since I last visited the city in which I was born and grew up. The long separation hasn’t been by choice; until now, my health’s made the trip unfeasible. … Continue reading Go West, Young Wheelchair
It was an unusually long summer and fall in Toronto, a period marked by eerily comfortable temps that lingered well into November and delayed the inevitable freeze of an Ontario winter. As much as I'm alarmed by what T-shirt-in-October days might signal, I was pretty fine with leaving my parka in the closet until weeks … Continue reading Trial by Snow
I resolved many years ago to stop with the New Year's resolutions and instead set and reset goals when it makes sense to do so. It's an approach that usually works for me, and it certainly served me well in 2024. New Year's nonetheless remains an obvious point at which to evaluate the previous twelve … Continue reading On the Eve of 2025
It’s Christmas Eve, and my husband and I are puttering around the apartment wrapping the few presents we bought for each other and enjoying glimpses of our Christmas tree and the faint sound of a holiday album. We pause intermittently to entertain the feline houseguest we’ve been hosting this week or to eat one of … Continue reading A Chill(y) Christmas Eve
By this time last year, I was in my usual full-on, over-the-top Christmas mode. My apartment had been garishly decorated for weeks, my cards had been written and put in the mail, and my Spotify algorithm had figured out that all I listened to was Christmas music and thus suggested nothing else. I had a … Continue reading Having Myself a Merry(ish) Little Christmas
It's the 500-kilometre anniversary of the fortuitous pairing of me and my power wheelchair, a match made in mobility heaven. The time and distance have flown by—too fast, sometimes (I should probably do a better job moderating the speed at which I drive). My power chair isn't a part of my identity, really, but has … Continue reading And Now We Are 500
My husband and I woke up early last Thursday morning, puttered around the apartment, and took a cab to the airport. Several smooth hours later, we landed in Boston. Next was a drive to New Hampshire, where we visited friends for the weekend, going to Maine both Saturday and Sunday. Monday we spent in Boston; … Continue reading On the Road Again (Again)
Every six months or so, I decide to put more effort into managing and maintaining certain aspects of my appearance. Self-care of the physical sort, if you will. I have a wobbly track record in this department. It's not that I don't want to care about what I look like. I do—want to care, that … Continue reading Self-Caring
As a great celebrator of many holidays, I understand, admire, and, frankly, am a little envious of those who make a big deal out of Halloween. I’m not among them. At first glance, it’s a day that seems designed just for me, a person whose love of theme parties, decorating, and distractions in the form … Continue reading No Treat for the Tall Girl
While out doing my thing, minding my own business, I field countless intrusive questions and inappropriate comments from strangers, most of them well-meaning but also misguided. Although many of these encounters leave me annoyed and, often, a little amused, I usually manage to brush them off and move on in short order. I'd rather not … Continue reading Whoa
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 