One of my favourite pre-pandemic activities was visiting my local Kitchener Public Library. For the last two years (almost to the day as I pen this blog) while COVID-19 raged on in the world, my library visits were brief, almost non-existent. The rest of my family, also being big readers, switched to using their Kobo…
Author: marialegault
I spend my time hiking in nature and reading great novels.
What to Think about War (When I’m Honest)
It was quite a shock for me to see war break out between Russia and Ukraine in 2022. When people of the past looked forward to the future of today, surely they did not see countries fighting for conquest of physical land. That said, after two years of a global pandemic, it does feel like…
Why I Don’t Want to Kick My Coffee Obsession
Staring at the bright light of my computer screen, I have a jolt of realization not caused by coffee beans. It’s 2022, and I have not published a blog article on my site since 2017. Then I do the math. That’s a whole five years! During that time, I invested a lot into my professional…
Rain Water & Morel Mushrooms – The Beginning of an RV Experience
It was my first hour on the property with the new RV. Rain was pouring down all around. The full rush of the Grand River straining at its banks was a distant melody. It was my first hour with the new RV – and I was absolutely soaked. May in Waterloo Region had already seen…
Help Create a List of 150 Great Canadian Hikes with Urban Poling!
When I first heard about Urban Poling‘s contest to create a list of 150 Great Canadian Hikes, I immediately went back through some of my earlier blogs (here) and rhapsodised about all the amazing natural areas I’ve visited in Canada. Most of my hikes have been in Southwestern Ontario, which offers an incredibly rich and…
Online Engagement and the Mother of All Health & Beauty Products
I’m not normally one to purchase items online – I tend to prefer the traditional brick-and-mortar storefront. This is for several reasons: 1) I like to be able to inspect the quality and condition of an item prior to purchasing; 2) I’m nervous about shipping costs; and, 3) I feel that online purchases are a…
Puzzling Away
When you take on the task of making a puzzle, it’s likely that a formerly useless space in your home will adopt the appearance of a busy work station. The table in my kitchen currently resembles the scattered, busy desk of an insane genius. And, on some early-spring evenings when the wind is howling away…
Honouring Baby Steps
I confess that I had to double-check on the euphemism to use for this post. Baby Steps turned out to be the most accurate term for the concept in my head – the idea of taking “a tentative act or measure which is the first stage in a long and challenging process” (Oxford Dictionary, 2017)….
Supporting a Thriving Forest – Network Talk
Over the course of the last year, I’ve been avidly exploring the theory and reality of what it means to build a network for social change. This work has entailed exploring and applying principles from Network Weaving (see June Holley’s website and related published resources on the topic here) and Collective Impact (an approach describing…
5 Easy Ways to Relieve Commuting Stress
*Please note that this is a Guest Post provided to me via Joshna Joe. Let’s face it, commuting is stressful. Driving long distance, getting stuck up in the traffic, car breakdown, reporting late for work – everything is stressful. In turn that makes our day least enjoyable. Commuting is an unpleasant experience for many. It causes…
“It’s Time for Bed!” Strategies for Better Sleep
I launch myself into the air, feeling a wave of joy rise up from my belly, my arms outstretched. “Bed!” I shout. “I love you!” Thus, I sink into the warm, soft sheets, promising me a period of comfortable and delectable oblivion. I might, at that point, roll over and inspect the ceiling, feeling the…
A Place of Peace & Hiking Trails
Overcast, chilly, grey days are often the best times to be outdoors and rambling through the woods. There is atmosphere in the leaden sky, and the brisk wind sharpens your senses. On just such a day, I took a very long hike through the Ignatius Jesuit Centre – a short 2 km north of Guelph, Ontario….
Maria Legault 