Another huge rainstorm last night with thunder and lightning. I started a conversation with a fellow from Oregon who said that he and his wife just spent six months working in Quebec. He said that the drive that I am on following the edge of Lake Superior is the prettiest part of the trip to […]
Shaw TV Interview – How I became the Life Story Writer
There is no greater gift than sharing the experiences and wisdom of a lifetime with family and friends. How do family members know who they are if they don’t know where they came from – their roots? But the challenge is in getting started.
In his book On Writing Well author William Zinsser said:
One of the saddest sentences I know is “I wish I would have asked my mother about that. Or my father. Or my grandmother, or grandfather”…
It is sometimes difficult to write about yourself in a detached manner that provides an interesting read for others. Many people put off this activity and never find the time. With some encouragement and a good guide, however, it can be a pleasant, rewarding journey to tell your own unique story.
I live on Southern Vancouver Island and can travel to record your memories of past events and the people who have made your life special. In the comfort of your home this process will be relaxing and enjoyable. It will no doubt be fun too. We will add photos and special documents if applicable, and then we will have your story professionally printed. What a gift – for you, your family, the next generations, and friends – can you imagine holding the book in your hands, seeing it on your coffee table, in your bookcase, reading stories to your grandchildren? It will be much cherished.
How often have you wished that your forebears had left written stories of their lives? A family tree may appeal to some, and facts may appeal to others, but stories are how we get to know people and the times in which they lived.
You may not think you have led an exceptional life, but I am sure that through this process, you will end up thinking otherwise. You will have fun, perhaps shed some tears, and remember details you may have forgotten, but overall, you will be thankful that you made this journey into your past. It will be the creation of a special legacy for your sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren, or friends; they will be so grateful that your stories are preserved. Don’t wait – give me a call and let’s get started.
Family and Friends
If you are a family member or friend, here’s the most special gift you will ever find for your loved one. Give the gift of a life story book to a beloved parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend.
Retirement Gift
A book of photos and stories from coworkers makes an amazing and unique retirement gift.
Your Company History
Make it work for you! A short publication packed with personal anecdotes and interesting photographs can be an ideal gift for clients, and a wonderful coffee table book in your office. Highlighting projects and giving clients the opportunity to learn more about the special people who work on them can be a determining factor in developing trust. Posting the business memoir to your website will make your company stand out from all the rest!
“The forest as a living cathedral”
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Leave the city of your comfort
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7 Days of looking for the light.
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In early 2012 I was gainfully employed with plans of working until I was 65, doing all the “right things” and trying to squirrel away savings for the future. I was so busy trying to stay abreast of everything that I not only thought life was passing me by in a blur, I knew it […]
The choices we make
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How we can each find peace in our world
Affirmation: I choose to respond to life’s provocations, not with anger, resentment, or regret, but with equanimity and a focus on positive action. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
What a joy it is to feel…
What a joy it is to feel the soft, springy earth under my feet once more, to follow grassy roads that lead to ferny brooks where I can bathe my fingers in a cataract of rippling notes, or to clamber over a stone wall into green fields that tumble and roll and climb in riotous […]
A Bagful of Rocks
A friend once gave me a lumpy grey rock That was shaped like a heart. Ever since then I’ve been looking For another one, one with vibrant colour, Not just a regular, run of the mill rock, But a PERFECT heart rock. Last week, while walking in the rain Another friend picked up a […]
Soften your heart
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We see in others who we really are
The way to real growth is not to become more powerful or more famous, but to become more human and more tolerant. ~Helen Steiner Rice **** Titles and fame are only accoutrements fragile and short in season like a maple leaf that floats gently in the fall breeeze. Looking in the mirror helps us to […]
Can I appreciate that today is a gift?
“Nothing is worth more than this day.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Dawn over Skyway Bridge, Florida Photograph © Janice Henshaw 2015
Ste. Anne, Manitoba, Aug. 12, 2012
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No time to say goodbye
My Dad was killed in an accident in the forest. It happened two weeks after I had been to visit him on the island where he lived. During our visit I had talked about recording his stories, and he was excited about it. He even had a recorder and asked me to take it to […]
Moon rising over fog bank – South Pender Island
“As we open to what is actually happening in any given moment … we can find ourselves rewoven into the pattern of wholeness, into the immensity of life.” – Sharon Salzberg, from Faith


















