This is the presentation I made for the company present to Dan and Babs (who own & run Strategic Coach): D&B Present 2015

It won’t make much sense if you don’t know the people involved, but it was fun to do — though the deadline was short!

(The music from the Force Awakens trailer is supposed to play under the second half of this but doesn’t for some reason. It was there when I played it on-site at least.)

I saw Star Wars last night, and it was total fun, a grand, heartfelt story that really carried along the saga honourably.

I love that I was surprised by it, it was stuffed full of action and character moments, and I had no idea where it was going next. Like seeing Kate Bush perform as a mature woman and be extra-wonderful for all her added wisdom and experience, it makes me really happy to see people be good at creating something that retains all the fresh and foreign air of that other place that imagination comes from.

Sure, the boardrooms will still churn out recycled muck, but it’s wonderful that integrity and originality will still win out.

We’ve finally got our house pretty much all set up (except for an overpriced “Urban Grape”-coloured ottoman, which we’re picking up this afternoon), which means we now also both have a desk downstairs for doing our work at.

So, with the help of a UK-to-US power converter, I fired up my sewing machine and made this Kleenex holder for Craig (following these instructions):

My brother and sister-in-law took us to see Kinky Boots last night. The show was really fun, with some surprisingly touching moments and great music. Much more catchy and soulful than the usual stuff that pads out musicals.

I’ve had a difficult history with the whole “drag queen” thing: For the longest while I railed against it ‘cuz I didn’t like the conflating of “gay” with “men who dress up in women’s clothing.”

And now? Who cares? There’s a musical, the lead performer is fiercely talented, and: it’s fun. Sometimes you’ve got to stop fighting the world, get over yourself, and just have fun.

Lots of folks coming to stay with us this month:

…plus a lovely card from my folks.

I’m grateful for my many blessings. If you’re reading this, you’re one of them. Thank you!

I’ve been practising by drawing loose, rough cartoons, focusing on saying what’s going on (trying to have that be something other than “Life is running out! What should I be working on?!”).

Here are a couple:

This weekend we stayed with Craig’s cousins and aunt at their cottage in Algonquin Park. The tall, skinny pines, the birds, the sound of rain on the roof: I don’t know if it’s echoes from childhood camping trips or just a personal affinity, but the Ontario woods just do something wonderful for my soul.

And here’s the outhouse: