Mother’s Day 2023 sure feels different this year. I realize I’ve been celebrating/grieving/recognizing/ignoring this calendar day for 65 years now. My father introduced me to the celebration. “Come on, kids, make mom breakfast in bed!” So burnt toast and Dad’s bitter coffee with all 4 of us jumping on her bed and waking Mom up … More Mother’s Day Through My Ages
I turned 64 today. May 2-4, always a long weekend, and usually great weather, and a great time. But today I feel… not melancholy, not sad, but…reflective is the probably the best word. Suddenly, without my noticing, I’m in my mid-60s. Not elderly, but, let’s say, if I wasn’t already retired, I would be soon … More Another Turn Around the Sun
Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians! Oh, it will be a real one this year, again, finally. Yes, this year, a real turkey dinner on the Sunday of the weekend, with family members invited over to partake. But that hasn’t always been the case in my over-60 years of living, and not only because … More Thanksgiving 2021. Back to Life.
“Those who don’t study history are destined to repeat it.” Who said that? Thanks to google, I see that some philosopher named Santayana is credited, more or less, with this version : “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I like that, condemned. It’s more a warning than just a saying. … More Today in History. June 6.
The river is thawed. Spring is in the air. And… I’ve finally solved an indie author problem that this past year has made even worse. (Only one problem this past year has made worse? Sheesh.. I could write a book about what has been bad about this past year. Oh, I did! More about that … More Spring Breakout
As military children, we learned the vocabulary of our lives. Base. PMQs. CO. For many of us, these words, often acronyms only but nouns to us, were normal ways to express normal life things, like community, houses, boss. It wasn’t until we left our brat childhoods that we became more multilingual and learned when to … More Editing Fun as a Brat Author
Ok, enough said with the title, right? Not many authors I know enjoy marketing their books. I released a second independently-published book in March this year. Unlike with the first book that trickled out via family and friends and blind perseverance from its eager hobby author who spent hours on phone calls and emails to … More Book Marketing Experiments
SO. Exciting day yesterday. My first book sales and signing in 2020. The setting : Ottawa’s Byward Market. Perfect sunny day. Light breeze. Large crowds throughout the day, surprisingly busy. Masks in abundance, despite the outdoor venue, beautiful personalized masks, colourful summer clothes, many high-end shoppers (by the bags). 5 of us local authors wonderfully … More Book Selling in a Pandemic
For a month that started with Winter in Canada still sending snow flurries – (bizarre sight to awaken to – condo landscaping efforts begun; overnight sprinklers in freezing temps turning leafless shrubs into gorgeous morning sunlit icicle clumps) – May is ending with a heat wave and signs of life for this author. Yes, I’m … More May 2020: Back to Living
May 24. My birthday. I needn’t count them anymore; I don’t anticipate presents or cake or a party, but I still like my day. Something about feeling like a kid again. Such a beautiful time of year – I may be biased, but the weather always feels perfect on this day. The smell of … More Birthday Post, “First We Eat” Excerpt
Stevie Szabad, Author 