My heart broke — literally. Could Takotsubo cardiomyopathy happen to you? — “You’re having a heart attack.” The words that E.R. doctor spoke to me on December 15, 2022 shocked me so much, they might have caused a heart attack— if I hadn’t already been having one. I’m fit. Active. With no family history of heart disease. NOT POSSIBLE, argued my mind. …

A tasty tale of Christmas treachery — The murder had gone as well as she could have hoped, given that she’d never done anything remotely homicidal in her sixty-odd years. But her husband had it coming. A woman could only tolerate so much. Maynard’s predictable gift-giving (a box of chocolates every Christmas and Valentine’s Day for 40…

The waters surrounding Vancouver Island teem with marine life — I’ve lived on lovely Vancouver Island for the past 15 years, but I had no idea how much fascinating marine life lurked in our local waters until I met a 73-year-old fellow-retiree I call “Diver Bob.” Bob Simpson has taken more than 70 “pleasure dives” in these parts in just…

A posthumous poem — If you’re reading this, I’ve predeceased you Which sucks for me. But I now release you: I declare herein: You may marry again. But NOT TOO SOON. So the question is: When? Certainly not within a year I want to make that totally clear. If I’ve just been reduced to…

You check on the counter and look in your purse

I woke up with a leg pain Something wasn’t right The ligament that went to bed had twisted overnight I hoped that it could weight-bear, support me through my day, but when I tried to stand up that charley horse said: “NEIGH.” I dropped onto the mattress to study my condition…

Cappuccino, Frappuccino, Al Pacino … —

Press #pound, and prepare to enter purgatory — I’m already cranky from Covid. Trying to cancel an air flight, sort out a sick dog’s pet insurance, AND report a lost credit card?? Let me say THIS about my past week spent in IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Phone Line Limbo: You say my call is “important to you”? Well, HERE’S WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO ME, You Dumb IVR Robot: I WANT YOU TO STOP SAYING . . .

CTV news anchor Lisa LaFlamme’s termination sparks debate on ageism — Canadian TV news anchor Lisa LaFlamme has been described as “Canada’s Katie Couric.” She’s led Canada’s most highly watched newscast since 2011, and was awarded the Canadian Screen Award for best national news anchor again this year. So CTV’s viewers were stunned to learn — from Lisa, on Twitter —…