Fond farewell to blogging (for now)

Dear occasional readers, “followers” and faithful friends

For several years I have been blogging rather randomly, at least according to my profile—although one of my blogs has seen more activity than others. In recent weeks I have undergone some changes in my health (and, alas, a return of that old nemesis, carpal tunnel syndrome). While I work towards using my hands less (!) to relieve the immediate symptoms of CTS, I have made the radical decision to cease and desist from blogging for the foreseeable future.

I love writing, and will most likely continue to do so (it’s oxygen for my soul), but I suspect I blog each week more out of habit than anything else. It seemed a good idea at the time….

Thank you for your kind input in my life in general, and this blog in particular. I shall leave the blog active for a while, and then decide whether or not to delete it.

Please stay in touch via e-mail: emph71@gmail.com or FB: facebookphillips@gmail.com; I shall also post updates on my Web site: http://www.elainemaryphillips.com/ – thanks again.

Friends, Moments, Countryside (FMC)

This has been a full and rich month already, to say the least. Almost each day I write down “three beautiful things” (3BT—see earlier tags), but tonight I decided to change my title to reflect the sweeping scale of recent reminiscences.

In honour of Peter Gzowski, then, I am henceforth (re)labelling my 3BT tags “Friends, Moments, Countryside” (FMC).[1]

For years I have toyed with the idea of using Mr. Gzowski’s title somewhere in my own writings—these particular section titles (humorously adapted from Shakespeare’s “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears” in Julius Caesar’s act III, scene II) have helped shaped my current anthology of letters; I was an ardent fan of Gzowski’s monthly Canadian Living column, and on Friday I bought several of his compilations at the annual CBC book sale (no doubt this beloved late author would have been pleased to learn of our support for literacy).

With no further ado, then, see my next post for the first 3BT/FMC I wish to share….

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[1] Peter Gzowski, Friends, Moments, Countryside: Selected Columns from Canadian Living, 1993–98 (McClelland & Stewart, 1998).

Sunday seren(dip)ity

[Cochrane railway]

On this eve of late sunshine and pre-summer stillness—and the sound of a train rumbling through Cochrane—with the view of a snowless evergreen to my right [see photos] and piles of paper toppling over on the shelves and floor behind me (I share office space with my accountant hubby who has just survived his twentieth tax season), I sit before my screen and write this very long intro to a very short blog post.

[window view]

All is well. My recent many-day headache (possibly exacerbated by barometric pressure changes) has lifted and “I can see clearly now the pain has gone.”

Tonight I hope to capture some of the corresponding thoughts (!) that were whirling free in my foggy brain this past week.

Also please see next post for a tag change, from 3BT (“three beautiful things”) to …?

The View From Here: Window on Alberta

The View From Here: Window on Alberta

Posted: 15 May 2011 02:07 PM PDT

A frequent commenter on The Pear Tree site, Elaine Phillips recently sent us these snapshots of her office in Cochrane, Alberta (near Calgary), where she usually reads TPT and writes to us from.
Read more on The View From Here: Window on Alberta…

3BT Friday:

3BT Thursday:

3BT Wednesday: