A trailblazer who eschewed politics, identity and recognition in favour of a tenacious pursuit of life’s secrets Like many women of her age, Dr. Connie Eaves’s career in science was filled with barriers— some that come with the discipline, others of her era. In 1970, when she first walked into
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centre of the universe: The Kids Are Alright
This is what it is to have children: When The Captain was just only three, we took him to see Monsters, Inc.. His da was concerned it would be Too Scary for him, but I was confident it’d be okay. A little bit scary is good for you, I always
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: Isolated for the Holidays
I haven’t forgotten to write up Day 3 of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence Conference – I WILL get to it (all my notes are made and I can’t wait to tell you what happened!). But, it’s coming up to Christmas and I want to share something that is
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Should We Bring Back The Lord’s Day Act
No I am not going all religious on you This would be more of a Day for Humanity, a day that would not belong to the billionaires and millionaires but to the common people and the community. This would be a day where all profit making activities would be banned
Continue readingThings Are Good: Dads That Stay Home Are Less Sexist
Moms and dads both can take parental leave in the majority of countries around the world, and researchers have found in places that men take parental leave that the dads become less sexist. Turns out when dads are the primary caregiver for their children learn more about the gendered roles
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Small Kindnesses
When my mom died, we asked people to bring rocks (she liked this Jewish tradition of remembrance) to put in a basket in her memory. Some folk painted rocks, some folks brought little ceramic knickknacks and gewgaws, others brought rocks from their gardens or farms, or maybe just from out
Continue readingcentre of the universe: The Kids are Alright
It started out fairly inocuously; Kid the Younger and their paramour, a few friends we haven’t seen in a while, and a few of KtY & P’s friends just hanging out and watching movies, playing games. Some of us were upstairs in my childhood home and some of us were
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: The Communist Family
From each according to his abilityTo each according to his needs* If you did not know the source of this you could easily mistake it for a description of the family. After all in a family the family unit takes care of all of your needs from birth, and as
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Caymanaymans
I had just returned from some kind of an RPG convention where we’d been camping and doing LARP outdoors when it was nice and playing tabletop games indoors when it wasn’t. The Convention was way down Stateside somewhere but not Indianapolis. Like, we’re talking Louisiana or Georgia or something. I
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Thanksgiving Sadness
My Mum passed away in the early morning of Thanksgiving this year. She’s being missed by all who cared for her, and nearly everyone who met her cared for her because she was a lovely person. I didn’t know what to put on my blog about this. I’ve been braced
Continue readingcentre of the universe: The Last Thing
Grief is an oscillation between want and have, between need and want, between here and gone. It does strange things to a person. When my mother died I kept saying to my aunt, over and over, “this must be so hard for you”. A Freudian might call it transference. My
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Olfactory Sense
I was cleaning the bed linens this morning, which always accompanied a spraying down of the mattress with hydrogen peroxide & essential oils (no, not lavender; I don’t especially like lavender). Into the “warsh”, as my great-step-grandmother would say, with the sheets and mattress cover. I love doing the bed
Continue readingcmkl: A belated greeting to those who remember their fathers well
I have an ambivalent relationship with the parent days. I’ve lost both mine so these days forever remind me of that fact. I’m a parent too. But it’s such a joy it feels like every day is Fathers Day. So I don’t usually make much of them. But this year
Continue readingcmkl.ca: A belated greeting to those who remember their fathers well
I have an ambivalent relationship with the parent days. I’ve lost both mine so these days forever remind me of that fact. I’m a parent too. But it’s such a joy it feels like every day is Fathers Day. So I don’t usually make much of them. But this year
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: BELONGING WHILE CAREGIVING: WHERE DO WE BELONG?
Photo by Geoffroy Hauwen on Unsplash In the trenches of caregiving, we can feel very, very alone. We may never experience a sense of belonging except in that tiny world of our loved one’s bedside (and possibly not even there). How can we feel belonging when our caring lives become
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Labour
There comes a point when a woman is labouring in childbirth when she says “I can’t do this”. Usually that’s a hallmark of what’s called transitional labour, and it usually means she absolutely can do it, and is likely about to do it with aplomb. Well-seasoned labour and delivery midwives
Continue readingScripturient: Musings on My Father
That rather handsome, 17-year-old young man to the left was Watts William Chadwick. My father, although he wouldn’t become that for many more years. So serious, so formal looking. A lot more so than I was at his age (I can’t say for sure that I even owned a tie
Continue readingScripturient: Remembrance Day thoughts
An article on the Global News site titled “Fewer Canadians plan to wear poppies this Remembrance Day, poll finds” made me think again about what Remembrance Day is for. The article opens: Fewer people plan to participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies or wear poppies this year, according to a poll
Continue readingcentre of the universe: 40 years
Some anniversaries we don’t need to remember. My Da just called to remind me that it was 40 years ago today that his father, my Gramps, was killed in a farm accident. Do you have a singular day that changed the trajectory of your life? I remember that
Continue readingTHE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: My Most Prized Possession
This morning I received this beautiful testament of care from a devoted daughter, Jasmin Jeevanjee. I am delighted to share her story and how her ‘Most Prized Possession’ came to be. Thank you, Jasmin! I was born and grew up in Nairobi. After completing my secondary education, I went to
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