Vibrant Nation

my bio

52 years old, 5 children, 4 grandchildren, self-employed running a cleaing business and buying/selling art and antiques, pet and house sitter, handy woman, Born and still in Toronto.  Poet, catholic, lover of animals, happily married, activist, art lover and a work still in progress, friend of Bill W, dreamer, constantly trying to understand life, its lessons and what providence wants to give me.

my VN interview

• How did you get to where you are now?

  Trial and error.  Married at 18 to escape dysfunctional family, married several times, self employed for 26 years, struggled with mood disorders and won, woke up every day glad to be alive and ready for the lessons of the day.  If you ask me who got me here I would say from Buddist philosophy that "no one is your friend, everyone is your teacher".  Self educated which has given me the freedom to develop my opinions without pre-concieved ideas which has certainly resulted in some eccentricity and individuality. 

• How do you see yourself differently now than you did 10 years ago?

  I no longer worry about money, marriage, family or faith.  I find surprise/change novel and try to learn from it instead of fearing it.  I've learned to listen, appreciate alternative viewpoints, attract positive solutions to problems and I have enough confidence to state my perspective or vision of truth without reservation or fear of rejection.  I let go of what I can not change and use creativity to solve problems which I find sportlike instead of seeing problems as hassles instead of opportuities. I hope I never lose my sense of humour!

• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

  A cabin in the Candian shield where I can write poetry when I'm not visiti ng my grandchildren or enjoying my husband.  I have four children yet to have children so it's quite likely that I can expect I'll be travelling to stay close to my family.  I hope my art collection thrills me and inspires me then as much as it does today.  I hope most of all that I will have enough faith to be wise and enough tolerance to love all who cross my path.

a postcard to my younger self

Keep the incense burning and never quit when you feel driven to succeed.  You're going to face some serious issues but when you're 51 you'll see that life was only lessons and suffering is a shortcut to wisdom.  Keep loving yourself for you are beautiful, made in the image of God who will never give up on you.  Go forward in the darkness.

my role models

Jesus Christ, Madame Curie, Barbara Kingsolver, Librarians, my aunt Sister Stella Desroches, Joan Of Arc, parents, Leonard Cohen, Orphelia Browning, Sue Mont Kidd, Eleanor Rosevelt, all the artists who painted the art I own, images of many stories that speak to me of lifes adventurous wonder and spritual journey.