Clearing the Cobwebs

A month into 2026, I feel good about clearing the cobwebs, the stuff that keeps me from pursuing what I love. Like you, I’m distracted by all the news—much of it bad.

Canada is on alert with continuing threats from Trump.

Americans have grown uneasy. They see the havoc and pain in their streets. Bruce Springsteen sings the story of what happened in Minneapolis.

And with the release of only half of the Epstein files, which have been heavily redacted, Americans see one law for the rich, and another for the poor.

Europeans and others are shocked at America’s hard turn to the right. Who do they trust now?

Then there’s the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East and the senseless and illegal war in Ukraine (the home of my ancestors). Add to that, the rising cost of living, climate change, Greenland, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, etc. etc. etc.

It’s overwhelming! So much out of our control. Who can’t help but worry? The problem today is that the bad news penetrates the good.

We need to remember there are also good stories. From the young woman who rowed across the Atlantic to prove she could be self-reliant to the young 13 year old Australian boy who swam four hours to get help for his mother and two younger brothers to the thousands of people marching in the streets across America telling ICE to get out. Then there are the valiant Ukrainians who are fighting against all odds to preserve their freedom, their culture, and their sovereignty. Here’s a 2023 article in The Smithsonian about some of the work being done to preserve Ukrainian heritage. These stories help shine a light and give us hope.

In Along Came A Gardener, I mention the importance of knowing what we can control in our lives and what we can’t.

In my chapter Good Stress and Bad Stress, I include some wise words from Voltaire, an 18th century philosopher. Here’s an excerpt from Along Came A Gardener.

“In his famous novel, Candide, Voltaire tells the story of three travellers, who weather disease, persecution, war, a shipwreck, torture, and starvation. In Turkey, near the end of their journey, they stumble upon an old Muslim man resting under an orange tree. They ask him about some of his leaders, but rather than get the answer they want, he tells them he isn’t interested. Instead of engaging in a political discussion, he treats them to a delicious meal with fruits and vegetables from his garden. He tells them to keep their distance from the world to preserve their sanity and well-being and to save themselves from the three evils: weariness, vice, and want. The old man’s parting words are: We must cultivate our own garden.

Voltaire suggests we should focus on our own projects, whether it is to raise a child, write a book, or grow a garden. We are better off doing what we can, and not letting that which we can’t control occupy our minds and cause us stress.”

I’m excited to announce that my new book, A House Full of Strangers, based on true stories, is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon. If you plan to read the book, and don’t want to miss buying it, you can pre-order it now and you won’t have to pay until it’s launched on May 9th.

In A House Full of Strangers, there are 2 novellas and 11 short stories. The first novella, Something in the Blood, is based on my husband’s life as a child in a rooming house back in the 1940s. His mother had to do something she dreaded but she had little choice when his father got sick.

The second novella, The Blue Nightgown, was published over a decade ago as a standalone ebook. It got great reviews but I took it off the market when I decided to include it in a book of short stories. It’s a charming coming-of-age story in the 1950s that involves a blue nightgown found by a landlady in her tenant’s trash.

Set in the 1940s and 1950s, the 2 novellas and 11 short stories, though fiction, are based on true stories of Ukrainian immigrant landladies, their families, and the tenants who lived in their homes.

In my October post, I wrote about my back issues. Over the last two years, I’ve seen three physiotherapists, a massage therapist, an osteopath (who unknowlingly triggered bursitis with acute pain which sent me to emergency ) and a hypnotherapist. I’ve had a pain coach through Pain B.C. (fabulous) for twelve sessions online.

As for my orthopedic surgeon, he says the risks of an operation outweigh the benefits. So surgery is out. Instead, he gave me four epidural shots over a year and a half at our local hospital. The last shot—actually three at once—may have moved the needle a little. That, and some good drugs for arthritis, inflammation, nerve and muscle pain.

I don’t give up easily so I did some research online and found a five week spine mobility boot camp (at home) developed by a Toronto chiropractor, Dr. Ammendolia. I’m hoping it will open up my spine. Fingers crossed. :) We’ll see what’s possible.

I also picked up a paintbrush again. Here’s my latest work. I took an older acrylic painting (on the left), inspired by Monet’s water lilies, and painted over it. Pleased with the result, I entered Out for a Ride in this year’s Members’ show at the Campbell River Art Gallery.

I’m about 25,000 words into my new novel about a young social worker, who’s obsessed with the stories about several women—in the late 19th and early 20th century—who were married to celebrities and ended up in asylums.

If you’ve been following me and/or have read Along Came A Gardener, you’ll know I spent 25 years working in a variety of mental health settings helping people from all walks of life. My thoughts and experience find their way into my stories.

I finished reading White Oleander (2000) by Janet Fitch. It’s an older book about a single mother, who’s a promiscuous poet. When she murders one of her lovers and ends up in prison, her young daughter begins an arduous journey through a number of foster homes.

It’s a compelling read, beautifully written with poetic phrasing. How the mother relates to her daughter and vice versa kept me happily returning to the book to find out more.

And I’ve begun reading Souvankham Thammavongsa’s novel, Pick a Color. The story about a salon with its employees and customers won the 2025 Giller Prize, given annually to an outstanding work of Canadian fiction.

Are you having a hard time dealing with all the bad news? Do you need to clear the cobwebs too and focus on what brings you joy?

So, how are you doing? I’d love to read your thoughts on all of this.