BRAIN CHEMICAL DISORDERS by Doris Ray [ this was a series of blogs several of which were published in the book “Making Noise: Northern Women, Caring & In/visible Dis/abilities” edited by Si Transken & Lynn Box of Prince George BC in 2007] On Being a Mother Sometimes I think we mothers have no control…

Back in the day we watched a TV show called WKRP.  It featured an unlikely group of characters working together to produce a radio program.  Our family thought it was hilarious. One character by the name of Johnny Fever was a cocaine addict. (In those days cocaine addicts were rare so it was ok to…

So glad I purchased one of Lynne Hanson’s CDs. Really enjoyed her musicality, both her guitar playing and her beautiful voice, during this evening’s concert at the Legion. But I wasn’t able to pick up on all the lyrics because I’m becoming more and more “audio-challenged” [translation: deaf] as years go by. I’m pleased that…

In the fall of 1999 I was on a book tour set up by my publisher Cynthia Wilson of Caitlin Press. As publisher Cynthia knew everyone of any journalistic significance in British Columbia. My book “The Ghosts Behind Him” was about my son Bruce’s battle with the symptoms of schizophrenia. Cynthia knew Rafe Mair and…

I thought I’d put out my own personal perspective about the use of guns. Being a Canadian I will try to be polite. I’ve been a part of the gun culture in rural British Columbia for most of  my life. As a child living in the bush with very litle money coming in, our family…

I am a lucky woman in that I have friends and relatives of all genders, cultures, personal choices,  disabilities, personalities, races and religions.  And probably a few other things I don’t know or care about. I spent much of my life not really worrying about religion.  My friends and relatives were mostly atheists or agnostics…

FRASER LAKE LEGION EVENTS The Fraser Lake & District community spirit was alive and well this past Friday evening!  Thirty-nine beautifully painted chairs by a variety of artists and “out of the closet” artists were auctioned off to assist a family who’d suffered a devastating blow because of a workplace accident. Over 5000 dollars will…

THE BURNING SEASON My house is not mine anymore It is a dwelling place for flames My dreams are not mine anymore They turn to ashes and smoke We took all we could take with us;  a photo album Father’s Gibson guitar –a few books –a suitcase full of clothes –we drove our station wagon…

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/july-16-2017-the-sunday-edition-1.4201674/the-gods-didn-t-warn-us-a-poem-about-the-b-c-wildfires-1.4201678 This morning when I turned my radio on I heard  one of my favorite Canadian authors, Lorna Crozier, read her poem about wildfires. Later today someone read the poem during our Poetry and Pie session at the legion. We listened to Lorna’s frightening depiction of the relentless force of nature that is presently desecrating…

During the late nineteen-eighties and early-nineties folks in the Fraser Lake area radiated an optimistic and even a joyous attitude. The earth was revolving around the sun, just as it should, and both the sawmill and the mine were spewing out raw materials to be distributed to corporations and consumers around the world. The Fraser…