Wednesday, February 12, 2014

All The Broken Things

All the Broken Things, by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer; © 2014, Random House Canada

I have been searching for a book to read that has the ability to reach out and touch me. On average, I read two books a month and can't say as how I've read much that has excited me since the end of last summer.

That changed when I was handed "All the Broken Things" by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer.

I am lucky to have many books recommended to me via my book club. Some of them are fabulous, some shocking, others barely worth the paper they are written on. Kuitenbrouwer's book went one better though, as one of our members got free copies of the book for everyone. While free books rock, that doesn't mean they are always worth the read. This one was.

Bo's family is displaced to Canada during the Vietnam War to escape from the evils of Agent Orange. While they escape the fighting, they are not immune to the effects that the defoliant has - Bo's father dies on the boat over and Bo's pregnant mother is not only covered in sores, but gives birth to any extremely disfigured baby girl. Unaffected to the naked eye, Bo carries his wounds on the inside.

The struggles that 14-year-old Bo faces are measured in the fights that he daily wages with classmates. His now 4-year-old sister Orange is unable to speak or walk, and is a source of shame to his family. Orange is kept inside; away from prying eyes that can't begin to understand this deformed monster. But for a boy that doesn't fit anywhere himself, does he understand his sister any better?

When one of Bo's fights is seen by Gerry, Bo finds himself in the world of small town fairs in Southern Ontario and discovers bear wrestling. Gerry thinks Bo would be a natural, and as Bo has been wrestling personal demons all his life, he takes to this bigger challenge with gusto. As he soon discovers though, no number of matches can erase his past.

Kuitenbrouwer paints a sombre picture of Bo and his attempts to make sense of his world. In his disenchanted view, the world is a tough place, but what he doesn't see is the soft spots that lie right in front of his eyes. Bo might feel broken, like many of us do at points in our own lives, but acceptance and perception are everything. There is room for life in all of us, and with her enchanting prose, Kuitenbrouwer encourages us to find our own life alongside Bo as he wrestles bears and all that life has handed him.

Thumbs up in my opinion! Thank you for helping me fall in love with reading again Kathryn.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

This is love...

This is love...
   when your words don't try to ensnare me

This is love...
   when your actions hold my dreams securely

This is love...
   when your smile lifts me up from misery

This is love...
   when your tears covet my heart sincerely

This is love...
   when I no longer fear loss or fury

This is love...
   when I embrace tomorrow so sweetly

This is love...
   when we dream united of wrinkles serenely


and our hands clasp together
glued with sweat, tears and love
for all time
~

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

I am Calling on You!

Any erstwhile readers here know that my creative writing hasn't flowed as profusely as it once did. There used to be posts here daily or at least several times a week, often filled with poetry, my take on artistic photographs, short stories or whatever prose filled my head at the moment. Well, I have still written a few posts, but that output is a far cry from what it used to be.

Nonetheless, I have still been blogging. And not just for hire. My writer's blog usually gets a new entry at least once a week. Writers need to keep those creative juices flowing, don't you know! And recently a post I published there even inspired some creative writing of my own.

"Where is it?" you wonder.

Well, it was entered into a contest. And now is when I need the help of all my friends here to help. You see I entered the "Defining Moments" contest hosted by Canada Writes. The contest is open to all Canadians over the age of 16. Entries are expected to be written about moments in our lives that transformed who we are. You can write about anything, but are limited by a 200-500 word count. That didn't stop me, and my story was in by the second day. The contest is open til February 23rd and the 12 stories with the most support then move on to get judged.

So do you know what I want from you yet? That's right, I need your vote! I have been plugging my story wherever and whenever I can. Now it's your turn to click on the link below, then give me a big thumbs up (on the right side). You don't need to register to vote. All I ask is that you do. Heck, you can read all of the stories and vote for any of them! But I am hoping I can stay at the top of this popularity contest as long as possible. My story is doing well so far!

What are you waiting for? Get reading...



Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Frozen Heart


a heart cold as ice
suffers in winter's deep freeze
 may spring thaw its core


Monday, January 20, 2014

For the Birds

"Be still my feeding heart" ~ Robert Reddon
I can't help it. I'm a crafty Mama. I've got my ECE diploma and everything. Add to that two kids under 8 years of age, a constant exposure to the internet (Pinterest is my inspiration mecca), and a love of all things aesthetic, and you get a new craft project every week.

It was a long weekend at our house this past weekend, so I decided that our crab apple needed decorating again. I mean it's been less than a week since I took down the exterior Christmas decorations! High time to redecorate in my books. And this is a project that I have loved since I found it on a crunchy mama blog a few years ago. This year's version was for the birds though.

What you'll need:
  • A pan to freeze water in ( I used a couple of cake pans)
  • A variety of items to put in the pan (only limited by your imagination)
  • String
  • Water

Ok, easy peasy here. Make sure you pick a receptacle that you will be able to get your frozen decor out of. I like cake pans because the are a good size to see from the house and road. Cut a length of string to drape into your pan. This is how you are going to hang your creation outside (mine hang in our crab apple, but you could string yours on a fence, gate or laundry line, wherever works for you). Now fill your pan with decorations; think tissue paper, dried flowers, feathers, greenery, berries or whatever strikes your fancy. Make it into a bird feeder with nuts and seeds, or a people pleaser with colourful items that bring you joy mid-January on a cold winter's day.

Once you have added your hand-picked items, carefully place your pan in the freezer. After it is frozen, remove from pan and hang for all to see and enjoy. Now you have a bright spot in your world and the cost is FREE!

How do you chase away the winter doldrums at your house?

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