Canada Day
July 2, 2021 I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate much yesterday with what’s happening, but this old image (a sketch by Clifton Jamaal Perry) popped up in my timeline last evening and my heart was overwhelmed with emotions, especially gratefulness. It is a reminder that if it were not for Canada, our family would still be living in poverty, oppressed and persecuted. I believe ‘Canada’ is something that is far greater than the sum of us, as we are all, from the beginnings of time, a little broken and imperfect. ‘Canada’ is a dream, a vision, an ideal that we aspire to be. ‘Canada’ is a promise. ‘Canada’ is hope. ‘Canada’ is the beauty that we sometimes do not see in ourselves. ‘Canada’ is a light through the darkness. I am grateful to be Canadian.
Green Papayas
July 16, 2021 I’m soooooo excited to finally be able to give you a sneak peek at one of the draft images for my next picture book “Green Papayas” tentatively to be released 2022 (Red Deer Press)!!! It is a story that addresses dementia and the lives our parents/grandparents live. It is a book that affirms my belief that everything happens for a reason because if it weren’t for the setbacks in making this book (9yrs in the making!), the planets and stars would not have aligned just right for the ever amazing, award-winning illustrator Gillian Newland to become available to work on my book. Her touchingly beautiful interpretation of my words is bringing justice to the story, and I can’t wait to share this one with the world too!
