What does one give their oncologist on their last appointment after perhaps the most important relationship spanning the most difficult time in one’s life? Last October I graduated from the standard 5 year period (what is the magic of 5 years?) of regular check ups all the while wondering if that odd pain or ache
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It’s the small things done consistently that make the difference in life and the daily shopping experience on our fair isle is no exception. The island community rhythm makes this otherwise perfunctory task so much more than a mere money exchange of goods and services. It is the antithesis of what we experience in the
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Part of our annual boat retreat in Desolation Sound entails finding just the right anchorages along the way. My captain has this fully in charge checking tides, winds, depths, stern line ties etc. It’s always perfect. And better still when said anchorage has a large, flat, oyster free perch that I can scratch out a
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Hair is a big deal. Flip open any fashion magazine or stand amidst the acres of hair care products in any given drugstore and the reality of our obsession comes home in spades. When you are sick and lose your hair, the focus is painfully acute simply because you don’t have any. 5 years ago
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Many moons ago while navigating a difficult time in life, I decided triathlon training was the way to anchor my spirits, expend my angst and stay as healthy and focused as possible in the eye of a personal storm. Looking back I realize it was a rather extreme choice, but the sport delivered the desired
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Mom stood at the kitchen counter with her sleeves rolled up. Soft, white flour spilled here and there while she worked a ball of dough in a large bowl. I remember it was a gray, cold day but I was inside “baking” with my Mom, basking in the glow of her undivided attention. My
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Those familiar with me and my fitness business may know the image of the Plumeria stuffed sneakers. The picture hangs on my wall at the Studio and for years I have used the image for custom greeting cards to recognize all occasions. But there is story behind the shoes as it reminds me of the
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I took a friend’s 12 year old daughter to G Day, a daylong rite of passage signaling, celebrating and supporting 10 – 12 year old girls on the cusp of womanhood. I could have really used an event like this when I was a preteen in the mid 70’s. My entry to womanhood was a
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What is it about the focused effort of creating something beautiful with a group of like-minded people that is so quintessentially satisfying? Learning something you didn’t think you could and then having the time of your life nailing it (most of the time) in front of a very appreciative audience? Multiply that joy by 50
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As a 6 year old I fancied myself an explorer. Not the blanket-fort-in-the-living room kind of explorer (although this too was a favourite activity reserved only for rainy days), but a real explorer forging through what my brother and I pretended were virgin forests of the New World surrounding our summer home at King Edward
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Over the years my Mom has industriously knit herself, family and friends everything from socks to hats, ponchos, sweaters, and everything in between. If you can knit it, Mom will. So when my sister Sally called Mom several weeks ago to request a knitting project, Mom was all ears. What Mom didn’t expect was what
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There is something wonderful when the simple act of getting exercise evolves into so much more, the kind of more that lasts a lifetime and spins into healthy benefits beyond the physical. When I see this happening in my business it makes me stop in my tracks, take notice and admire what’s unfolding. David Koeplin’s
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