Nurse. Teacher. Crafter. Photographer. Canadian; I am a woman who wears many hats, but what defines me the most is being a New Zealander and a mother. — “Why on earth did you leave New Zealand?” This is often the first question I am asked after the inevitable clarification of where my accent is from — usually confused with being English or Australian; even after almost 28 years living in Canada, I can’t shake the twang!

Is it climate change, or is it just mum nature having a hissy fit? — I’ve been glued to the news this weekend since word broke that Auckland, New Zealand, was swamped with rain. I know the city very well as I lived there for eight years before moving to Montréal. The speed and gravity of the situation were scary. The expansive metropolitan area received…

They deserve our gratitude and respect — As I scoured my extensive photography collection searching for appropriate 'B' photos for JoAnn Ryan's In Living Colour A-Z Challenge, I discovered that over the years, I'd snapped a lot of bridges. Not literally, of course! I'm intrigued by these architectural structures between two earthly points erected purely for our…

Oh! And me — BARB! — As fast as I started this A-Z challenge that JoAnn Ryan posted on her photographic pub In Living Colour, I almost forgot about it. Clearly, my brain is {still} not working properly after that tiresome ride home. I’m starting to wonder if it ever did! My ‘A’ story was featured…

30 years later, I went to a funeral — and compared experiences. — January 22, 1993. It was a Friday, and the heavens opened as we left the church around 4:30 pm. Why get married on a Friday? It was cheaper! No, it wasn’t in the dead of Winter either; it’s summer in New Zealand at this time of the year. And, one…

Unexpected late-night company — I’m rarely out beyond 8 pm. It’s Winter! Who wants to be out?! However, I’m often scheduled on evening shifts at various hospitals to train nursing students. I go here, there and everywhere. It keeps me on my toes. Tonight, I left my latest assignment at 1015 pm as a snowstorm was gaining momentum. When I approached my car on a multi-level in/outdoor parking lot, I noticed a cute little bunny sitting in a patch of fresh snow.