My mother birthed and raised thirteen children, enjoyed a very good marriage with our father, volunteered so much that, as an adult, I nicknamed her Valerie Volunteer, and got her first real paying job in her sixties. She was a force who, when she died over twenty-five years ago, had her obituary written up in the newspaper for all she had done in her community and her life.

She loved to read and had shelves upon shelves of lovely hardcover books. She hounded all of her children to use correct grammar and loved to see good marks in English and language skills on our report cards. I knew that she wrote her own speeches to all the community organizations she led and I even remembered her writing rhyming poems in honour of young couples at their community presentations and other such events. The night I heard her speech as the new candidate for provincial election I was mesmerized. That night I realized whether she won or lost, the important thing was her being nominated to run. Yes, she was a force.

When my mother died our huge village church was filled to bursting, the centre rows reserved for mom’s many children, their spouses, her grandchildren and even some great grandchildren, and the rest of the building upstairs and down overflowing with friends, neighbours and acquaintances who came to pay her their heartfelt respects.

I always loved her but I didn’t always appreciate her. She could be unfair, or so I thought as a kid the day she refused to take me shopping with her when I’d tried to sneak out the front door after she called my name. I had to stay home that day and miss the treat she had planned for me. I realize now that she gave me more than I ever knew with lessons such as that.

In the couple of years before she died, I had encouraged her to write a book. My father was gone, she was alone and I suggested she might find writing her own novel very interesting and enjoyable. She started, and I got the first couple of pages to correct her typing. By this time she had lost her centre vision and could only see with peripheral vision. That made her touch typing skills crucial. I was ready to correct more pages but before we could do that she passed away. I got hold of the large brown envelope full of typed pages. It was titled Maggie and I thought it was fiction. I carefully saved it as a treasured remembrance of my mother.

A number of months ago in chatting with my daughter, she reminded me that this November would have been her grandma’s one hundredth birthday. We talked about celebrating because Grandma and Beth had talked 25 years ago about celebrating their November birthdays together, but Grandma didn’t make it. She died that summer in her 75th year. During this conversation with Beth I remembered Mom’s story that had sat in my files–oh, I knew exactly where it was–for all those years. What if I were to get it out and publish whatever it was for the family?

That was the plan. I started reading and before long I realized this wasn’t fiction at all. Maggie. My grandmother’s name was Margaret but she had always been called Maggie when she was younger. This was my grandmother’s story from the time she was about four years old up to and including her marriage, her children, and just who she had been. It also detailed Grandma’s broken marriage, a subject that we had never discussed as I was growing up. And now, in these pages, Mom was telling it.

But she had never finished the story and I spent months ruminating about just how I could publish Maggie. After lots of discussions with family and writing friends I decided to leave it in Mom’s voice and insert my own voice where the story wasn’t finished. I think it works and the big advantage was that it was still Mom’s story. So for Mom’s one hundredth birthday on November 7th, I launched the cover reveal above. That is Mom at five years old, Alice Doxey at the time, the Lingelbach church east of Stratford where her family went, and lots of musical images because her family was very musical, a trait that has been passed down through the generations. The red is for my grandmother because she loved colour. Not for her the black dresses that women of her day wore as soon as they got married. This red is for my memory of Grandma buying some bright red taffeta and having a dress made out of it. It also occurs to me that perhaps I know where my own strong-willed personality comes from. Thank you, Grandma.

The book is available now on Kobo and Kindle. It’s launching on December 2 and if you’re nearby please come. Crossing my fingers the print copies will be in my hands by then. It will be in print on Amazon by then as well.

 

 

 

Over seventeen years ago I answered my son’s challenge to me during a conversation we were having about my having reached yet another decade. He asked me if there was anything that I wished I had done that I hadn’t up to that point.

“Write a novel!”

The words seemed to pop out of my mouth on their own. Oh, I had always loved words and word pictures and the flavour and feel of words coming out of my mouth and off the ends of my fingers on my computer. And I had sat on my back porch and read the last page of Listen For The Singing by Canadian author Jean Little. My tears had fallen at the absolutely amazing story the blind Ms. Little had put out into the world. I remember wishing and wishing that I could write like that.

I had, however, never really gone any further along the road to writing seriously. I was a retired English teacher and had spent the last few years doing other creative things: taking pottery lessons until I had nowhere else to gift my creations, learning to paint in acrylics until my walls and other people’s walls were covered, and writing about thirty songs until my muse left me.

Then Kevin challenged me by putting that idea in my head. The next week my husband and I were in Hilton Head SC where I went into the local Borders store and bought a book. How to Write and Sell Your First Novel became my go to book. I did something I never did. I underlined in red ink and wrote notes in the margin. I ate up that book, loving the learning as I munched.

And then I put it down. The author got into how to sell the book and other related chapters. Like any new writer, I figured I needed to actually have a book before thinking about selling it. Well, I know different now, but at that point I put the wonderful book back on the shelf and started to write.

I created characters, gave them life, researched the American Revolutionary War, and worked out how ordinary people would be affected by that famous war. And those people became extraordinary. Little did I know I had found the theme that jumps out from every book I’ve written.

This writing journey touches my heart. I get to meet all manner of people as I go to conventions, writers’ meetings, speaking gigs and even going about my everyday life. In this world where our media seems to be obsessed with showing what is sad or shocking or heart-breaking, I have realized that I can create stories and write about people who have risen to the occasion when horrible things happen to them. I can draw characters who, like all of us, have some negative parts in their makeup but who can rise up and become the people they need–and want–to be when the circumstances warrant it.

My Loyalist books (four of them) are historical fiction so there is a mix of real and fictional people in them. My biographical books (including my anthology) are about real people who have done unbelievable things in unimaginable circumstances. And I find that, in spite of the media choice to show only the negative in most cases, people can still be amazing. And that is what keeps me going. Well, that and talking to all kinds of people as I research for the next book!

 

Wednesday my guy and I took a flying trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Shaw Festival. Well, actually we drove down for a short walk along the main street, a stop at the bakery for some sweet stuff, and a one-hour theatre presentation at the Shaw. Our tickets were for 12 noon, a strange time to be going to the theatre, and they were outside at the BMO Stage on the south side of the property.

We were the first through the gate when they took away the rope and opened up. We chose to sit in the front row and soon were joined by a lot of others. I read through the small program and realized I knew just about all of the twenty some songs. This was going to be wonderful. Every one of those titles brought back memories for me of singing duets with my mother and solos all over the place in the days when every meeting and evening event was sure to have someone performing. Mom and I and my siblings sang for our supper on many a night. I loved it.

It was a cool, cloudy day and we were glad to have brought our jackets. Sandals were not appropriate either but luckily we had anticipated the weather. I was a little apprehensive as we’ve been to a few events lately that were less than enjoyable. We saw a stage play where the actors didn’t seem to realize they should project their voices, face the audience and help the audience know what they were saying. That is their main, well maybe their only job! We saw actors sit and talk to each other as though they were in their own kitchen and there wasn’t a huge audience who had paid money to hear the play. And we missed most of what they were saying.

This day, however, my husband and I were overjoyed. From the first notes sung by professionals who knew their business, we were captivated. I felt my lips moving with the words but, luckily, I didn’t sing out loud even though I wanted to. What a display of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s talents. We all jumped to our feet to reward the actors with a well-deserved standing ovation and every face was smiling as we filed out.

This all made me think again about how important music has been in my life and in the lives of so many of my friends and family. When I am down, music almost always lifts me up. I sit at the piano and go through the songbooks there picking and playing and singing whatever takes my fancy. And when I rise to go back to the rest of my life, my heart is happy and I smile through the rest of my day.

Recently I received a wonderful surprise that is related to this. One day many years ago a few of us Garners got together in the church where we grew up and we recorded a few things, the most exciting for me being my mother and I singing a wonderful duet arrangement of The Lord is My Shepherd. We thought this recording had been lost but a friend found it in his stuff from one of my (now deceased) brothers and gave it to me. Yes, it was ours and, even more thrilling, that duet is on it. I am working on getting it cleaned up and will give copies to my family members. It is amazing to hear our mother’s voice after all these years that she has been gone. I’ll put it on YouTube when we get it arranged in the best way possible.

So I guess the huge part music has had in my life is pretty obvious. It all makes me think of the cutting out of music and theatre courses in schools that has been happening for many years. With the emphasis on STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) a lot of boards have chosen to cut out the arts. This breaks my heart for personal reasons but it also ignores the part played by the arts in our world.

In the well-rounded communities that we strive to create there should be room for the arts as well as STEM subjects. And people should be exposed to it all so that they can chose their well-rounded life paths in an informed way. I think how thin my life would be if I had never been exposed to singing in all its many forms. I would never have sung The Holy City as a member of the Woodstock Choralaires soprano section with Dr. Burt-Gerrans directing and tears running down my face, or been part of two other choirs in this community. I would never have directed my own church choir or received 90 marks in the local music festival at the age of thirteen. And I probably would never have written any of the thirty songs I have to my credit. (Here is a recording of me singing a song I wrote for my mother and performed for my great friends’ fiftieth wedding anniversary.)

The music is always what reaches inside me and tugs at my soul. Without it, I would never have got the highest mark in the local music festival. I would never have chosen my mother to sing at my wedding or been asked by my son to sing at his wedding. And I might never have sat down, sad, at my piano, sung my heart out, and stood up a new and happier person.

Because I am an artsy person, my mind and my whole life have been filled with joy through words and notes. And that concert at the Shaw Festival just served to remind me of that fact once again. For me it’s always a grand night or day for singing.

Oh. By the way, I once memorized all of the elements on the Periodic Table and that was great. It has not, however, been a huge part of my life. Music and wonderful words have been.

Today I welcome to my blog the author Marie Gage whose passion for writing family stories for future generations matches my own. My newly launched anthology, Canada: Brave New World , fits right in with Marie’s thoughts below.

Marie Gage’s writing is inspired by real people, whether dead or alive. She is a passionate researcher, intent on using all available resources to make the story come to life. The weaving of fact and fiction to create stories that are both believable and inspiring is her forté. The passion she develops for her characters adds depth and life to the story.

Marie’s most recent novels were inspired by real stories from her ancestral research. Missing information caused her to blend fact and fiction, following the true path of the story whenever possible. Both stories tap pieces of Canadian history and bring to life the times in which they are set.

 

Here are Marie’s words on the subject:

When I was growing up I heard bits and pieces of family folklore. “Your grandfather was a footman at Buckingham Palace,” “Your grandfather missed the Titanic,” “Your grandfather stole a canoe and, with two other men, escaped from somewhere north.” The grandfather I knew was a blind gentleman who called his male friends sterling chaps. He wasn’t an adventurer and never spoke of the great adventure that was his transition from England to Canada. Mind you I was only 7 when he died, so I was too young to have asked many questions. But I wish someone had!

Wind the clock forward a few decades and my curiosity about this family folklore budded and opened, becoming a bit of an obsession. I had to know the truth. Fortunately for me my grandfather left an artifact behind that pointed me in the right direction. It was a journal of a trip in a stolen canoe. I’d read it when I was younger but could not find the places he named on any map. It made no sense, so I stowed it away.

One day when I was cleaning out files in preparation for a big move, I stumbled upon the journal. This time there was the magic of google maps to help me locate his starting point: Port Nelson. It turned out that Port Nelson is now a ghost town on the shores of Hudson Bay. I continued plotting the junctions he named in the journal and realized he had canoed 600 kilometres from Hudson Bay to the north end of Lake Winnipeg, to get away from ‘the company’. I had to figure out why he was there and why he felt he had to escape.

What I discovered was an adventure, tragedy and love story that became my debut novel ‘A Ring of Promises.’ It’s too long a story to relay in this blog but the point I am trying to make is there are many important stories hidden away in the history of our families that we will never uncover. Pieces have been lost in the sands of time and can never be reclaimed. I call on every reader of this blog to document the stories of their lives in some form to prevent the loss of your family history.

Your story doesn’t need to be made into a novel; it doesn’t even need to be written. Find a recording device and tell the story in whatever way you can. Have someone interview you to get the details. It doesn’t matter how it is documented, only that it will be there for future generations to enjoy and reap the benefits of. Your life may not seem exciting to you but as times change and the world evolves it will likely be, at the very least, interesting for your descendants. It will convey to them a great deal about where they have come from and who they really are.

I marvel at the fortitude of my ancestors and am proud to know what they endured so that I would be able to lead the life I now enjoy. If you need some help getting started sign up for my blog and you’ll receive a free instruction booklet on how to structure a Family History Interview. Don’t wait until you are too old to remember the details. Do your descendants a favour and begin today. Not only will your descendants be happy to have whatever you create, your life will be enriched as you explore your past and realize what you have achieved or learned.

I have not been good about following my own advice. So, I am making a commitment to publish one prompt per month on my blog that will help readers begin their own journey. And I intend to follow that prompt and create my own life stories, for the benefit of my own family. If you want to follow along sign up for my blog … I look forward to hearing about our progress.

Thanks so much to Marie for these words. I hope many of you will take her up on her offer.

Remember to write a book review for one of my books or Marie’s books, if you haven’t done it yet. They help immensely.

If you didn’t see it yet, here is the link to my interview of Leacock Medal winner, Terry Fallis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days ago I launched my newest book, number seven. I tried something different this time–an anthology. Canada: Brave New World  was shipped to me three days before the launch and all was well. Whew! I breathed quite a few sighs of relief but then went on to thinking of the journey to get to that point. Perhaps other writers might like to create an anthology themselves and, if so, maybe hearing about my journey would be useful. A writer friend of mine offered to host a how-to article on her site. I was off and running.

Last week the linked article, Creating an Anthology–the Voice of Experience, launched on M.K. Tod’s site. Thanks to Mary for this opportunity. Below is the launch graphic. I loved how the cover looked on the blue.

Two days have passed since I got to share the stage with two-time Leacock Medal winner Terry Fallis and I’m black and blue from pinching myself (well not literally). However did I manage to be the interviewer sitting comfortably on stage with this Canadian icon?

When I started my journey as an historical fiction writer, one of the first conferences I went to was in Niagara Falls and Terry was one of the speakers there. He had just recently won his first Leacock and was basking in the media and reader attention for The Best Laid Plans. I met him after one his sessions at the concert when a small group of writers and would-be writers (that was me at the time) lounged around a fireplace and chatted. I knew no one at the conference but thought I would be social.

When I entered the small room a very few folks were there with me but one of them was Barbara Kyle and another was, you guessed it, Terry Fallis. Five or six of us enjoyed a couple of friendly hours sipping on something benign and getting to know one another. I subsequently took one of Barbara’s writing courses in Toronto, another significant step in my journey to publication.  A year or so later, I was on the speaker committee for London’s Women’s Canadian Club (900 members at the time) and suggested Terry to the group for a speaker that year. They were delighted to think we could get this by now famous icon. Fast forward to the September meeting when we hosted Terry for lunch beforehand at the Hilton and I drove him to Centennial Hall for the meeting. Of course, he was fabulous, sold loads of books and won lots of new admirers, as well.

As we drove back to where Terry’s car was parked he asked me how my first book was coming along on the publishing trail. I told him it was almost out and that it had taken me the better part of six years to get to that stage. Then I took a deep breath, probably endangered both our lives with my driving as I wondered whether to ask him the question that was burning to escape my lips, and spoke. “I wonder if you would consider writing a back cover blurb for me.” And he said yes!

When The Loyalist’s Wife came out the next spring, Terry’s lovely blurb was on the back cover. I’m sure I sold a lot of copies because of his kindness and his growing fame. When my fourth book hit the shelves, Terry again stepped up to help me and before that he had given me a shout out from the stage where he was speaking at the Toronto Inspire Conference. This all leads to my telling people that Terry is not just the smiling and personable person we see on stage but he is that person off stage as well. He steps up to help whenever he can. Success has never gone to his head.

Since then we’ve rarely been in contact except through social media and the odd email, but when the London Writers Society president (who happens to be my husband) contacted Terry through the email I supplied, he was as generous as ever. He agreed to speak at our spring showcase of writers on May 10. Luckily for me the team from LWS decided I should get the nod to introduce Terry and to interview him on stage.

Well, my chest swelled and, of course, I said yes. As the weeks went on and the day came closer and closer that little guy on my shoulder reminded me about the nerves he liked to throw at me. In the days before May 8th, I developed questions, worked on the organizational details with my husband, pictured just how I would do all I was charged with and wondered why I ever said I’d interview Terry. Luckily my years on stage (the small stage, that is) as a singer and a teacher and an author myself  stood me in good stead. I forgot about the nerves and just had fun. People loved it. Terry was terrific. I was even witty a few times and Terry taught us all his secrets to success. Three other LWS members on stage did well also so that when the auditorium emptied the words in the air were delighted and delightful. Terry sold loads of books and the other author tables did, too.

My years of teaching high school helped me in several ways to do this gig but the most important habit I’d acquired was to always have lots more prepared for the class than you would ever need. I did that for this gig as well and I’ve included the following list. It will give an idea of where the talk led. I got to use about 15 of these questions.

Interview Questions for Terry Fallis

London Writers Society Event

May 8, 2023

1. What is the most important quality for a would-be successful writer to have?
2. What is the best use of an author newsletter? (Terry–sign-up sheet going around.)
3. How has your laid-back, self-deprecating sense of humour helped you in your writing?
4. You’re a twin. Is there anything about your personal experience as a twin that has informed your writing?
5. As would-be writers we often hear “write what you know.” To what extent do you do that? I think an addendum to that phrase might be “or look it up.” I remember researching how to skin a raccoon and make a raccoon hat for my first Loyalist book. (Description not in book but I learned enough to be able to write about it with some kind of truth.)
6. Tell us that iconic story of how you won your first Leacock medal. What has been the result in your life of winning that well-known prize for The Best Laid Plans?
7. Think back to the writing of The Best Laid Plans. How long did it take you to go from conception to self-published novel?
8. What was it like having The Best Laid Plans made into a tv series? Is there another tv show/serial in the works about one of your books?
9. Have you had a mentor, at any time, to help you on your writing journey?
10. Do you see a time when you will run out of stories? Your readers hope not. But, if it happens, will you return to politics?
11. Explain why editing is crucial to the writing process and how it has helped you.
12. How has your writing timetable changed since leaving your position at Thornley-Fallis? Or has it?
13. To what extent does your long-time reading group help in your writing career?
14. You sometimes mention being friends with the iconic writers you mention in your Substack newsletter. It must be some interesting conversations you have when you get together in small groups. Have you been shocked by anything one of them has told you? Or helped?
15. Can you tell us of a time when you met one of your writing idols and maybe shared the stage with her or him?
16. What’s your favourite book that you’ve written? Is it the one that has made you the most money?
17. How has the establishment of your Substack weekly newsletter affected your career as an author? (Now to be every other week, I know.)
18. What have you learned along your own writing journey that makes your writing life easier now? Anything?
19. What is the best thing about being a full-time writer now?
20. Do you see ChatGPT, or ‘novels by artificial intelligence’ replacing authors? Why? Why not?
21. Care to give us a peek into your new book “A New Season” to be released this August? Will there ever be another Angus book?
22. Thank you so much, Terry.

Coming Soon–It’s Here! Just click this link for the video of the interview.

Remember to write a book review for one of my books if you haven’t done it yet. They help immensely.

 

 

I start my day earlier than a lot of people because those early hours are when my energy is highest and my brain seems to work best. I’ve done this all of my adult life, I guess, but especially since I left my day job and became a writer for real. That’s about sixteen years ago now!

Before that I was a high school English, French and Computers teacher with my days scheduled by the school timetable. I got used to that but now getting out of bed in the morning is even more of a pleasure because I can go right to my office and create. Yay!

Usually I start with my Inbox and deal with anything that needs attention. Then I check my calendar and note what events I have coming up that need me to do preparation, like speaking gigs or similar things. Right now I have to come up with a bunch of conversation points to use when I introduce and interview Terry Fallis in a couple of weeks. (He’s the guest speaker at a big event the London Writers Society is having on May 8.) Another speaking event in April is with me as the guest speaker for an Oxford County group, talking about learning from the past as a way of informing the future. That is being held at the church where I grew up and which is mentioned in My Story, My Song. I’ll be preparing a Powerpoint presentation as well as involving the audience with their knowledge about the subject matter.

Just now I’m more than half way through checking for errors as my interior book designer (Shelley at To The Letter) sets up my manuscript in InDesign. This is my final chance to catch errors and I am scrupulous. I HATE to find anything wrong! I figure in another week we’ll have it done. Then comes the full cover with my cover designer, complete with comments about the book, a short synopsis, a bio about the author (or in this case, the author/editor), and making sure the proper ISBN gets put on the back cover. Yes, an earlier book came out with the wrong ISBN!

Another job I work on every day these days is editing a fifty page, every line document and then typing it into Word. The original was typed by my mother whose eyesight had failed badly by the time she was typing this so there are a lot of errors. I’m amazed she could do as well as she did with only the peripheral vision she had when she wrote this over twenty-five years ago. This is a labour of love about which I will tell you more down the road. This typing/editing will take me about 2-3 weeks, I think.

My website designer is working on a brand new layout for my website so that has been taking a bit of time. I think you are going to love it. It’s beautiful, creative, user-friendly, and intuitive. Maybe we’ll have it up and running by the end of this week. Check back often to see.

I also have a marketer who is helping me make sure this new book is out there in the world. Canada: Brave New World is very exciting simply for the true stories in it but also for the family histories that shed light on just who we Canadians are. Whether you are Canadian or another nationality, I’m sure you’ll be enthralled. Launch date is June 4th.

I’ll bet a lot of you use social media outlets to let the world know what’s happening with you. I do the same. I mostly use Facebook, used to use Twitter, am trying to do more on Instagram and Pinterest, and now and again I use direct emailing. Of course those people on my newsletter list hear from me twice a month about whatever is happening in my writing life and even sometimes with an unpublished short story or article I’ve written. (Sign up on my website if you haven’t already.)

Luckily this all keeps me quite busy doing things I love. That’s what retirement means to me. Having time to do those things that speak to my soul. If you’ve read this far I have a free gift for you: My newly published audio book for My Story, My Song. I have codes for a very few copies of the audio book to give out. Email me  if you want a code and I’ll send you one for free as long as they last. I only ask that you give me a review after you’ve read the book. Easy peasy!

So those are some of the things filling up my days. In the evenings I watch my favourite programs on TV and wind down so I can go to sleep early. Not a good time to email me and expect anything very brilliant coming back at you.

Don’t forget to ask me for your free audio book code!

 

A major part of this writer’s life has come about because of a simple thing from my childhood. My parents taught me to reach out and try different things. At first they put me in groups like a Sunday School class and the Junior Choir at church. As I grew they encouraged piano lessons and then singing in the music festival. 4-H Calf Club and 4-H Homemaking Club came along. I judged cows and cakes and even ducks at one point, if you can imagine. The important part of that was I had to orally give reasons for my judging decisions.

All of those things taught me to reach out for what I needed and gave me confidence. I learned to step up.

When the newly launched London Writers Society asked for someone to write their first blog post, I volunteered.

Self Publish But Do It Well

LWS wanted something that would help writers, no matter what stage of their writing they were at. I decided to do a piece about my publishing journey, focusing on how I came to self publish. I thought about my sixteen years of full-time writing experiences and the post here is the result. I hope it is interesting and even entertaining for you. Learn to step up and reach for that dream you know you have. You’ll reap the rewards.

If you haven’t already, please sign up for my twice monthly newsletter where I talk about writing and all the exciting things that happen because of it. (See the box at the upper left of the page.)

Canada: Brave New World Launching in June!

Yup, that’s the real me. And I’m actually rather proud of that picture taken at a family gathering last fall. Sometimes those casual pics when you’re relaxed and having fun are the best.

What you can’t see in this picture is the inside of me. What things I believe in. How I treat others. Why honesty is so important to me. Or the things I still want to learn and accomplish even though my hair is white.

No. I am not finished. I still have lots to do. Here are some of my dreams not yet fulfilled:

• Record some of my own songs written over the last thirty years.
• Learn more about acrylic painting.
• Write more books.
• Increase my marketing efforts to get my existing books further out into the world.
• Help other writers with the how-tos in self publishing.
• Do more speaking gigs further and further afield, talking about my books and my writing career.
• et cetera

So there you have it. This blue-eyed, white-haired lady still has a lot of miles to go before she sleeps.

I Believe in Honesty

Honesty is so important to me that I rarely tell a lie, and if I do it’s to avoid hurting someone else or something similar. When my grandson asks me questions about life, some of which are pretty surprising, I tell him the truth. Even if it hurts. Of course, I explain in terms he can understand but I let him know I am a real person and I don’t always make the right decisions. Honesty is important to me.

My First Headshot

With that in mind I turn to Lisa LaFlamme and her being fired from her top on-air job on CTV a few months ago. Apparently her gray hair was the deciding factor. I still can’t get over it. And it is the reason I decided to change my head shot image.

As happened to so many other women, I was prompted by COVID to stop colouring my hair, a process that was annoying to have to keep up, cost me money and went against my being the real me. I am more than what the colour of my hair is. You are, too.

Here is the head shot I have used for about ten years. It was done professionally; hence the absence of laugh lines et cetera. My new one was taken in my daughter’s kitchen and I have no special makeup on, there is no retouching happening and those are my real teeth. For better or worse you are seeing the real me.

I think it’s time we women insist on being accepted for who we are as a total package, not for what we might look like.

What is the Takeaway From All of This?

Let’s teach our children and learn ourselves to value people for who and what they are, not what they look like. You can see that statement has a broader reference than just talking about hair. And that’s ok.

One final thought for you. How stupid a society is to undervalue roughly 50% of its population just because they are female.

So I hope you like the new headshot. My husband and I love it.

If you haven’t already, please sign up for my twice monthly newsletter where I talk about writing and all the exciting things that happen because of it. (See the box at the upper left of the page.)

Canada: Brave New World Launching in June!

For this month’s blog post I’ve had to summon up all my courage. All my life I’ve been a performer of one kind or another. I was a teacher for many years, I became a writer after leaving teaching and I’ve had a great time speaking about my books and the history they allude to in the years since.

But a few days ago I had to reach deep down inside myself to answer the request of a dear friend to perform one of my own songs at her and her husband’s 50th anniversary celebration. Since I lost one of my sisters a few years ago I just haven’t done much singing so the old voice is not what it once was. Nevertheless I thought I would share with you the performance.

I was inspired to write this song because of my mother. You’ll hear that in the words I’ve written.

All of us have the choice at times during our lives to step up or to hide our light under the proverbial bushel. Most times I think people should step up. These feelings of fear we all have. And we have to learn to overcome them, don’t we?

I remember encouraging my kindergarten age daughter to learn the poem she was supposed to perform for her class. She was very shy but she did it and it helped her sing the next year in the music festival. That success showed her that she could perform and now she earns her living running her own business training in person or electronically and so much more. She’s even written her own book, Design to Engage.

A few weeks ago Beth invited the four of us in our nuclear family to take part in her podcast episode, Being Lifelong Learners, and she facilitated her brother, her father, her mother and herself discussing that topic. It was a delight to take part and–here comes the mother in me–to feel so proud of who our children have become.

So the least I could do was get up and sing one of my own songs when my friend, Olive, asked me.

My hope is that each of you who reads this post will take the step to try whatever you’re a little nervous about. Many will not have the courage but, believe me, there are rewards for pushing yourself in this way. Maybe this will be your New Year’s resolution. And maybe you will be inspired to encourage someone else to reach for their particular star.

Happy New Year, Everyone!