My 75-Year Road Trip • Memoir and Musings

Selfies are everywhere... it's a great way to share your daily experiences and fun and adventures with others. But there can be horrible consequences to taking a selfie.

Fathers are important to daughters for many reasons. And sometimes daughters become important to fathers in unexpected ways.

We can become addicted to many things.... my addiction was an unusual one, even one that some would scoff at or dismiss. But for me, I was hooked until I saw, of all things, a dead dog... it shocked me into doing what I had to do to get back on the road.

We sometimes struggle with what our minds are telling us we 'should' do, who we 'should' be. But if we settle down and calmly listen to our hearts, let go of the struggling, trust ourselves... often the road we should take becomes clear. It can take awhile, but we can get there.

Sometimes it's impossible to grasp that the person right in front of you is going to die, and that they will just... disappear. And when that does happen, in a way, you die, too. And who you were up to that moment, disappears. Have you ever had something happen so fast right in front of your eyes, that you can't believe what you saw, but you know that you did? That can be hard to grasp, too.

It's a good thing that we don't know our future... it comes soon enough.

In the '90s, Rotary International, a great world-wide service organization, went through a major shift. (Many would say at the time, "Shift happens," but I know a few people who said, "Shit happens.") In my small community, I played a part in Rotary during that shift, and once we all settled down and focused on the positives, it was a wonderful experience (but as always, I can only speak for mysel...

Starting my home-based business was quite the venture, in so many ways. And over those 7 years, Balance was (one of) the keys to my success. Actually, today Balance still plays a part in my best days.

Moms are so important to us and to how we become the women we become. I was fortunate to have the mom I had and on this Mothers Day I'm publishing this story and have dedicated it to her.

That feeling of finding roots in a community, being settled in your life, is so grounding.

What a changed world we live in with technology and the internet. What a rebel to not have a smart phone! What have you noticed around you ?

Early into my marriage I was asked a question that I'm sure many women are asked, and I (naively) answered it honestly. The reaction to my answer was more than confusing... it hurt. I've thought about that experience a lot and it's lead to a deeper acceptance of myself and my choices, and a knowing of what is right for me . But I'm not innocent or always kind either -- I too have flung hurtful wor...

Being young, travelling on a new road with someone, full of vim and vigor, curiosity and a "why not" attitude, can lead us into some new adventures in some unique places. We would never have lived in northern BC if my husband hadn't worked for an employer that transferred its employees. And I'm so glad that we did... what a time that was in the '70s... way up north.

How did you meet your new (next?) partner? In Episode 2 "The Cab Driver" is a crazy, lovely story of how my mom and dad met. My story is more ordinary, but still with a few crazy parts. Maybe yours is, too. And I had a couple of road blocks to get through before I was able to shift into 3rd gear and be fully comfortable and confident about going on the road with this guy.

I wasn't expecting to careen down into a big sinkhole on the "grown-up highway" and learn such a huge "life-lesson" so quickly after leaving home. I had no idea at the time that real life can happen when you're busy making other bubbly plans and assuming that another's values are on the same page as yours. (PS. I think it's ironic that this is episode "13.")

Do you remember your flight from the nest? Maybe you remember what you were thinking and feeling at that moment. But did you ever wonder what your parents were thinking and feeling? And were you flying off to a job that was the one you'd dreamed of having since a little girl?

Forever, recipes have been handed down from mothers to daughters. You might have some favourites like I do. There was one recipe I found in my mom's recipe box though, that was a huge shock. And it sent me on an insightful journey of discovery.

What is it about kitchens? Family and friends love to hang out there, even though the living room is steps away with comfy chairs. I've spent lots of time in many kitchens in my life, and a few stand out with special meaning.

I was lucky to have had nearby grandmothers and even a great-grandma as I grew up, If you did, too, and they played a part in your life, what did these women pass on to you?

Sometimes we experience life's inequities early in life... my first was a broken promise from my dad. But although I remember it well, my anger dissolved... I was 13! Dad was in my life for 8 decades, but it wasn't until I wrote his story after he died that I realized how rough he'd had it at times. It was then I understood him so much better.

As we grow up and move into each new chapter, there are always"'firsts." I remember the first time I was in the hospital. Do you? What was it like for you? And then there are those "firsts" as we girls enter womanhood... yikes... who knew?

It can be confusing, even a bit disturbing, when as a first-born, a new sibling comes on the scene. Maybe this intruder stirs up some dislike, even a bit of anger. But thankfully the turmoil and sibling rivalry settles, and nothing terrible happens.... sometimes.

Through our young eyes, with the innocence and tiny view of our world, we see things and the people around us at face value, it's uncomplicated, simple. But sometimes when we're out in the adult world, we look back and realize that our perspective of these things and people then is much different than what we know now .

Growing up in the '50s and '60s was such a different time and experience compared to the kids growing up today. We learn so much before we leave our childhood home and venture out into the grown-up world.. You might recognize some of my nostalgic memories from "the good old days."

An introduction to what's ahead for listeners.