Livin’ the Dream

My past weekend was... a lot. I... -closed a show on Sunday night (Dracula, a bloody good time) -attended a funeral -officiated another funeral -and was formally installed as the Affiliated Community Minister of my congregation. On Monday, I went straight into tech week for the next show. In the middle of all this, I’m…

Skinned Knees and Open Hearts

The 1980s. Remember those days? The sun-drenched, unsupervised expanses of a Gen X childhood. We roamed free, fueled by garden hose water and a healthy disregard for tetanus. Skinned knees were treated with a dirt poultice and a shrug. Sunscreen was for wimps. And feelings? Well, feelings were best kept under wraps, thank you very…

Sanctuaries and Citadels

I’m a stained glass artist. When people ask what I do, I sometimes joke that I "play with broken glass." It’s a flip-sounding line for a deeply intentional art form. The truth is, when I break a sheet of glass, I do so with immense care. My cutter, slick with special oil, scores a precise…

The Tyranny of Forever

Have you ever stumbled upon an old journal entry and felt an immediate, full-body cringe? A desperate urge to travel back in time, grab your younger self by the shoulders, and say, "For the love of all that is good, that poet-sleeve blouse is a terrible idea"? I had one of those the other day…

On Usefulness and Belonging

There is an expensive lesson that life offers, and I wish I’d had the currency to afford it sooner. It’s this: it is a profound waste of your finite time, energy, and spirit to court the approval of people who only value your utility. For most of my life, I have existed on the periphery.…

Tethered to The Rock

There are places we visit, and then there are places we belong. For me, the journey back to Newfoundland is not a vacation; it is a homecoming. I have just returned from my seventh trip to the island, and with each visit, the tether that binds my soul to that rock grows stronger, shorter, more…

On the Altar of an Iceberg

There are places on Earth that don't just exist on a map, but resonate with the deepest chambers of your being and the longing for that place beats in the ddepths of your very soul. For me, that place is Newfoundland. I am, once again, lucky enough to spend some time on these rugged, breathtaking…

Chronically Extra

Last Friday, I was living my best life, hosting our congregation's very first drag show. I looked FABULOUS. My makeup was gagging. My hair was hairing. And I was, yet again, draped in a cloud of Betsy Johnson designed baby pink tulle and pastel rainbow crinolines – yes, my wedding dress made yet another real…