A couple of administrative things, and then a short post.
The latest Bloggers Hotstove is up on STI Media. Greg Bester, Greg Staples and (later) Stephen Taylor and I gathered for a discussion that was completely unplanned and unscripted. Even though not much of note happened this week in Ottawa, we still found no shortage of things to talk about. It’s raw and honest and, I think, a lot of fun.
I’m also pleased to announce that The Unwritten Girl received a very kind review from the online literary spirituality review Nimble Spirit. The reviewer picked up The Unwritten Girl after hearing about it on an online Madeleine L’Engle appreciation board that we both frequented. I think it’s a good sign that the book appeals to at least one reader who is a fan of the author of A Wrinkle in Time and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Thank you Christy!
Yesterday was our first Mothers Day as parents, and also the first Mothers Day since the death of my sister-in-law, Wendy. Talk about conflicting feelings.
We celebrated and commemorated by planting a memorial tree in our backyard. Erin’s parents did something similar on a Mothers Day soon after she was born, so this is officially a family tradition, I guess. My father and I picked went to a local nursery near St. Jacobs and picked out a pagoda dogwood, as per Erin’s instructions. Vivian was on hand to help with the planting, in her own unique way. I’ve included a few photographs.
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Erin prepares the ground. |
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Erin and Vivian pose beside the planted pagoda dogwood. After a few years, it should grow quite a few feet (20-30 at maturity). |
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But Vivian seems happier indoors. |
More Vivian photographs can be found here.