June 2026 – My Stories’ New Home
A few years ago I moved my blog to Substack. I hope you will visit me over there and subscribe to receive a wildly entertaining story every week. Sandy’s Substack
Category Prose
Reflections on Fred’s Funeral
At this time of year, mid October, I always start to think about my great-uncle Fred who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI. Yesterday, I sent out an email (my first in a long time) in which I…
Brushing Teeth
Reflected in the mirror was me and Janie. She was bigger. Brushing our teeth, shoulder-to-shoulder, I watched as the white foam bubbled and frothed from our lips, watching her watching herself, wondering if this would be a night when she…
Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin, A Review
Are you looking for something to read this summer? This book is not brand new but maybe you haven’t heard of it yet. I learned about, Something Borrowed on the Don’t Keep Your Day Job Podcast. (I highly recommend this…
More like the Worm
Today we raked. The fallen maple leaves from last autumn, and the previous year underneath like a slick black shingle. I raked right through a fat earthworm the girth of my baby-finger. Cut it in two with the grill of…
Sibling Day
In April, some sadist invents a new holiday called Sibling Day. Friends on Facebook post photographs of their brothers and sisters lined up in rows, Polaroids and black and whites, the old days, affection and attention. My sisters remain silent,…
My Teacher
In grade two, Miss Lennie handed out slips of paper. On each was written a few words. She instructed the class to write a story about the words on the slips of paper. My slip said, “My Teacher”. Of all…
A Jolly Family Photo
In this one, you are holding your knees. You’re an old man, or you look old. But you’re not sitting in a chair like the rest of the grownups. You’re sitting on the floor, hard leather shoes, socks, trousers, your…
Interview Nov 14, 2017
Answering these questions was fun. (Click on the photo) Is there anything you’d like to ask me?
Thesaurus
On the way to writing workshop I pass a book sitting out on a planter as though waiting for someone to take it. People do that these days; instead of keeping things forever as in olden times, they throw things…
Old Love New Love
When I called her in the year before she died, really I just wanted confirmation that my amorous meanderings were valid. Were something she would have done. But she didn’t give me that. She said, You know, at my age,…
A Mouse Tale
Kindergarten. We sit in a big circle on the floor. The teacher passes around a mouse. It is a very small mouse. It fits in the palm of thirty-one five-year-olds. Until it gets to me. I don’t know that I…
The Riding Lesson
As the car drove onto the gravelled parking area I was suddenly reminded of the Freiderich’s farm, the crunch of the driveway, the slam of car doors. My sister would strap on a velvet hard hat and hop onto a…
I’m a Writer
“And what do you do?” “I’m a writer.” Silence. The slight frown. Then the question. “What do you write?” I hate this question. I write words goddammit. And sometimes sentences! “Oh, lately I’ve been writing fiction, a novel actually. Well,…
Filling the Empty Nest
Last January, a sudden bout of empty-nest syndrome collided with my daughter’s desire to get a puppy. At first, she wanted me to get a puppy that she would “visit and help take care of”. Fat chance! I outlined for…
Why Christmas turns my Crank
As an atheist I would never have wished Christmas away, entirely. Granted, I bristled at the Christian takeover of a pagan solstice celebration; but I had nothing against a saintly old man who poured gold pieces into the stockings (hanging…
Casualties
At the mid-day meal, for the second day in a row, they celebrated the Armistice. Grandma had attempted, and succeeded, in baking a light and fancy Angel Food Cake. The mood in the house was joyful, even if Viola thought…
Gluttony
Yesterday I pondered: Why is gluttony considered a sin? Or, why would God, if there is such a being, care whether I overeate? In other words, is it not God’s will for me to enjoy the edible abundance and bounty…
ENEMY, the movie
My Review of ENEMY: This movie was filmed so that it looks like a bad, yellowy Polaroid from the 60s. Everything, including Jake Gyllenhaal, is brown. It’s shot in Toronto, and our city never looked more depressing – reminded me…
My Biased and Ignorant Academy Awards 2014 Preview Review
I love the Academy Awards. It’s live TV and anything can happen on live TV. For example, I howled when Melissa Leo dropped her grateful F-bomb. And I still quote Sally Field, “You like me, right now, you like me!” …
Sexopause
Have you ever had a phase in your life when, in spite of being open to a sexual relationship, your romantic universe just doesn’t collide with the universe of Mr. A&A (Attractive and Available)? I call this, Sexopause. It can…
Publishing in Chalk
My children attended a tiny public alternative school in Toronto. Each year all families were encouraged to attend the graduation of the grade 6 class. This whole-school event was an annual tradition. Even though my children were just beginning at…
Writing my Grandmother to Life
I’ve written little while immersed in the world of self-publishing. Even my journal has gaping, week-long lapses between short terse entries. As Poems from the Chatterbox reveals, I write to relieve pain, often. My writing, as my editor pointed out…
An Apology to Poets
True confession. Yes, I have a degree in English literature. Yes, I’ve read the “Faerie Queen” and “Leaves of Grass”. No, I don’t read poetry. Why? Like most readers, I don’t get poetry. It’s difficult to read. It takes effort…
butterflies are free!
I’m going on my first ever trip to Florida. I’ve seen pictures of the blue sky, the ocean, the palm trees and the enormous beach front hotels. It looks like the Florida of my imagination. I’m going there to vacation,…
speaking Michelangeloly
I haven’t written many new poems lately; I’m in between inspirations. But I have been revising. I realized today that revision is my favourite part of writing. In fact, before I send a poem out to a potential publisher, I…
koo koo ka choo
Semolina Pilchard published three poems today one of which is my “Aging”. The three poems share a theme, the turn of seasons, the resurrection; nice choice for this Passover/Easter weekend. I love the line in Joseph Farley’s poem, “A season…