Retired IT consultant. Retired Hockey Mom. Retired Base Brat and Military wife. Lifelong learner. Writer.
I’m 67 years old and am now an orphan. I guess. My father recently joined my mother this year in their family plot, in the small prairie town where they both grew up, married, then left for their lifetimes as a military family. In retirement, after four children cast off along the way, they circled … More Grief. Again. Always.
November is such a dreary month. A quote from my book, “Lost Year. A Pandemic Diary 2020” : “There’s a greyness to the month that I dread.” Yes, back in 2020, for sure extra-awful. Nowadays, I plan for the ordinary doldrums. Cruise to the Caribbean! (Hurricane season should be over?) And read. Here’s the books … More 2025 November Read and Review
2025_October October started like summer, but it will end like winter. No snow yet, but the leaves were glorious going through the month. Also a glorious month for reading! Let’s start with a local author purchase while on my Iceland excursion last July. So how about a nice easy read with a guaranteed (predictable, somewhat … More 2025 October Read and Review
The rough summer is over, my executor duties aren’t done, but they’re under control, my father laid to final rest in his Manitoba hometown cemetery with my mother. At 67, I’m an orphan! Time for me? We’ll see. Life goes on. The weather is holding, summer-like but better, crisper. Curling started. My husband is itching … More 2025 September Read and Review
July and August Stevie’s Book reviews of her summer, Enjoy! Heading away at the start of the month for a trip to Europe then cruise home. I need to prepare the e-reader; taking Kobo this time, my new one is smaller and therefore more travel-friendly than my Kindle, which I usually take to try to … More 2025_Summer
First half of 2025 over already! Reading is still part of everyday, but now done dozing down in the courtyard. Bees buzzing by, birds and squirrels hanging out. It’s easy to drift away. I keep thinking I need a light, summer read. This one sort of is? June is ending with a heat wave. I … More 2025 June Read and Review
Finally May. Still cool, and rainy, but the buds are visible now and although a bit later than usual, some dandelions are popping their brightness after the slushy gloom of early spring. As I start my reading this month, I pick something at random from the pile (come on, fellow readers, you know what ‘the … More 2025 May Read and Review
2025_April April, over already! The year is one-third done. That’s how life works, time runs in one direction. Except in good sci-fi, hey, that’s an idea for a next book to read! April was a dry reading month; actually only finished one book. Started another, but I’ll save that for May. Wondering what I was … More 2025 April Read and Review
Hard to introduce this essay, as it intersects with so many facets of my life. I originally wrote it for a story call about military children and their military generational traditions, but soon realized that it was about how military children fit in a bit sideways growing up in wider non-military families. I also noticed … More My (Non) Military Grandmother
Third month, 3rd installment of Stevie’s Monthly Read and Review. Back to finishing : March is living up to its reputation for wild weather. Snowstorms started the month, (yay, in like a lion, so maybe out like a lamb?), and today heavy rains expected. As is the river flooding probably this year. Not yet, more … More 2025 March Read and Review
Stevie Szabad, Author 