A Knowledgeable Imagination

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Albert Einstein

Now, I’ll admit, this is where things get a little dicey in terms of this particular travelogue. It appears that at this point in the trip I abandoned my travel journal – unsurprisingly perhaps since the next and final chapter took place in the Somme and I am still processing my emotions from that part of the visit (stay tuned).

What does that mean, you ask? Well, it means my tale will continue on with the huge caveat that from here on out I am working from memory sparked by a skeletal itinerary and phone photos alone so…bear with me. From here on out, I know not what bits of my tale come from knowledge and which from imagination.

Regardless, I can say for certain that the emotions I impart will be real as I’ll be reliving them right along with you.

So…with that rather imposing disclaimer out of the way…let’s get to it, shall we?

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Solidarity Sunday #17: Struggle

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

We live each day as if it were merely a rehearsal for the next.

Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Do you ever feel as if at the end of every day, no matter what you have gotten up to, you didn’t manage to do much at all? As if time has moved forward but you have not?

In this age of infinite productivity, it’s hard to truly relax without constantly thinking about all you should be getting done. At least that’s what I struggle with most.

When I’m feeling overwrought mentally, for whatever reason, I get stuck in this space of wanting to check things off my never-ending list to keep myself distracted and yet being unable to find the motivation to do so because, well, I’m overwrought already.

It’s like I know what I want my day to look like and how to spend it in such a way that will be most helpful for my mental health but instead I spend said day merely rehearsing in preparation for when I will really live the day I wish to…which is not helpful or productive.

So what am I trying to say? Well, I’ve been struggling lately, and I know I’m likely not alone in this. So I thought I would write about what it feels like to be in this rehearsal mode and how I’m hoping to get out of it. I hope, at the very least, this might help someone out there to feel less alone. Because in this world filled with over 8 billion other souls you are never, ever truly alone. I hope that is a comforting thought rather than a creepy one…

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Reading Roundup: October 2023

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“Speak to your darkest and most negative interior voices the way a hostage negotiator speaks to a violent psychopath: calmly, but firmly. Most of all, never back down. You cannot afford to back down. The life you are negotiating to save, after all, is your own.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic

I’ll admit, this has not been a great month for writing. In fact, it has been downright dismal. What a wonderful time, therefore, for me to come across my favourite lines from Elizabeth Gilbert’s brilliant Big Magic to remind me how unnecessary and, perhaps, even downright harmful it is to denigrate myself for having such an off month.

I mean, think about it. What do we gain from beating ourselves up so? Who wins in that battle? Certainly not the self being harassed. And not even the self doing the harassing. So…basically…no one wins. My husband often tells me that the worst part about me beating myself up is that he can’t confront the person bullying his love because, well, that person is also his love (albeit a very mean version of her reserved exclusively for self-flagellation).

So, this is me talking to that negative being who lives inside of me: shush you. That’s how hostage negotiators talk…no?

I may not have managed much writing this month but oh boy did I ever manage a bunch of reading. This is going to be a long one! So, get cozy with a nice hot drink and come on a journey with me through the very best of what I read in October.

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Solidarity Sunday #16 – Perspective

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

Life is the most wonderful fairy tale.

Hans Christian Anderson

Now, I already know what you’re thinking when you read that quote (I know, presumptive of me, right?). You’re thinking…Wait, Erin, life is most definitely not a fairy tale. Fairy tales end at the Happily Ever After and we never see what comes after. Real life is everything that comes after with all the struggles, challenges, disappointments and suffering that comes with it.

I mean, Hans Christian Anderson’s “fairy tales” were notoriously dark so…hopefully he didn’t mean that kind of tale. But I digress.

Hang with me for a second.

Because it’s thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, but not only because it’s thanksgiving, how about we try shifting our perspective on life a little bit. Because, yes, life can be hard (and much harder for some than others often because of circumstances completely outside their control). But it can also be delightfully, deliriously beautiful. Much like a fairy tale.

Having had a rough week with a sick preschooler and a teething infant, I desperately needed this reminder right now.

So, let’s shift our thinking and see if we can’t find the fairy tale aspects of our lives, shall we?

Once Upon a Time…

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Reading Roundup: September 2023

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

She rocked a little forward and back in her chair, her mind chasing this thought, then dashing after another.

Renée Gendron, The Ninth Star

I’ll be honest, September was not the most focused of months for me. It’s our first time really having the “back to school” experience as my eldest was returning to preschool for her 2nd and final year and it was…a transition to put it lightly. Sleep has been off, behaviour has been challenging and I’ve been just all-around exhausted.

Perhaps counter-intuitively, when I’m tired reading is usually the last thing I want to do. That does not mean that I don’t find reading relaxing – I do. However, I also need at least some mental energy in order to properly immerse myself in the worlds being painted in the authors’ words – that’s just how I have always approached reading. So, when my mental energy is low, I don’t tend to reach for a book. Does that sound strange? Maybe. But it’s just the type of reader I am and I have come to terms with this.

So, all that being said, if my reading total seems low this month…this is why! Let’s get on with it, shall we?

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How do I know I’m a Writer?

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A writer is a world trapped in a person

Victor Hugo

I’ve decided that one post a month is going to be dedicated to something writerly. So, with a Solidarity Sunday, Reading Roundup, Travelogue and this that would be 4 posts a month which is admirable…no? At least until the kids start school in earnest, I think this is the most I can commit to.

So, for my first dedicated writerly post (though I’ve written about the importance of writing in my life before) I decided I would answer the eternal question: how do I know I’m a writer when I’ve never been traditionally published?

Well, strap in dear reader. Because I have some thoughts.

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To Make a Ghost

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

Murderers were human, and the root of each murder was an emotion. Warped, no doubt. Twisted and ugly. But an emotion. And one so powerful it had driven a man to make a ghost.

Louise Penny, Dead Cold

I’ll admit I was tempted to leave the publishing of this post to next month in the spirit of Halloween. I mean, the title alone suits the spooky season. However, I’m on such a roll lately with my blog posts, and this was the next one chronologically in my travelogue of France, I decided injecting a little ghoulishness into an overly hot September was perhaps not a bad thing.

So, get yourself something delicious to drink and settle in for a tale filled with at least one deliberate murder and another, well, mystery.

Setting the scene: Bayeux Cathedral, 2015 (Photo: Erin of the Hills)
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Solidarity Sunday #15: Self Love

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

In life you have to learn to count the good days. You have to tuck them in your pocket and carry them around with you.

Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

My goodness, it has been quite a while since I wrote a Solidarity Sunday. I thought for a time that I would retire this series since, well, hopefully the pandemic is well and truly behind us (for the most part). However, who says we all still can’t use some solidarity once in a while? Our world is certainly crazy enough right now to call for it…

So, I’m going to continue this series for the foreseeable future. I mean, let’s face it, we aren’t going to be living in a perfect utopic paradise any time soon.

I’ll tell you what. The day we solve climate change, gender inequality, all the nefarious isms, hunger, violence, poverty, and homelessness…I’ll consider this series retired.

Now, let’s move from the big picture to the detailed and talk about the most personal subject of all: Self Love.

Do butterflies struggle with self-love? Doubtful. (Photo: ErinoftheHills)
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Reading Roundup: August 2023

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A flare of hope shot up inside her, a sudden bright puff like the lighting of a gas stove.

Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn

It may not seem like much to the casual reader but…I truly cannot believe the streak I am on in terms of publishing posts on this blog. I mean, if I’m being honest (and why wouldn’t I be since this is easy enough for anyone to fact check), it has been years since I have been this consistent with my writing. Years.

Dare I hope that my spark is back?

I think I will dare. After all, better to hope than to prematurely despair.

Speaking of streaks…Here I go publishing my monthly reading roundup on time! And since it’s not a catchup post, it will be nice and short. You’re welcome!

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The Realm of Spirit

Posted on by Erin of the Hills

Chief Druids were those who, from childhood, had demonstrated an intimate awareness of the Otherworld. Its mysteries were not mysteries to them; its patterns were carved into their bones. They could move in and out of the realm of spirit, seeing that to which others were blind.

Morgan Llywelyn, Brendan

If there’s anything I love as much as graveyards, it’s cathedrals. Or any site of worship really. The two are almost always inextricably entwined and the older the better. Though regardless of their age, they are always filled with stories.

These places seem to inhabit the veil between this world and another. As if…if you just listened hard enough, stayed still enough, you could hear and see a glimpse of the other side.

Though I could wax poetically on this forever, I thought that today I would return to my France travelogue with the tale of one cathedral in particular: Bayeux.

I know it has been a while since my last entry from my travels. So, grab a hot (or cold) drink of your choice and come away with me, just for a few moments, to Bayeux, France.

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