I blame my mother. If Francine hadn’t left the online course catalogue lying about, I’d never have taken the class devoted to writing stories about your children.
It was the perfect course for me.
Life swerved when my husband died. Our two children were still very young and I was determined his premature demise wouldn’t define their lives; he’d expect nothing less.
My primary focus? Ensuring they’d not miss out on experiences he would have introduced them to.
With the three of us soon rocketing between ice rinks, pools, playing fields and local mountains, we enjoyed tight, busy lives. Toss in the fact I’m a quirk magnet, and yes, I had stories galore.
The positive feedback from this online course gave me the confidence to seek out a larger audience. I began writing for an online newspaper and my stories were soon published in community newspapers across Canada, on websites and in various anthologies.
I launched my own blog, Just TypiKel, initially writing about how my two survived being raised by me. However, once I introduced posts about Francine, my often busier-than-me nonagenarian mother, readers clamored to know more about her.
Just TypiKel’s success got Francine nudging me to write a book about the decade we survived working together in her iconic Vancouver Asian antique store.
Never, Never, Hardly Ever was published a few months before Francine passed away at the age of 101.
Cheers, Mom! And thank you. Your online course catalogue changed my life.
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Lest we forget today is Remembrance Day here in Canada and, full confession, I’d forgotten whether the following took place in 2022 or 2023. I had to consult my phone
Please don’t judge me. My pal Mary and I have already made our six dozen 2013 Christmas mincemeat tarts. Yes, I know it’s over seven weeks to Christmas and no,
Yes, I’m still here and, more importantly, so is our 94-year-old Francine. I know she’ll probably gnash her teeth (all of which are original, by the way) over that comment
Welcome to Just TypiKel. Today’s post underlines the importance of baby steps. First off, many thanks to recent shout out on the hugely popular Preppy Empty Nester blog. The corresponding uptick
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Kelly McKenzie worked at her mother’s Vancouver Asian antique store for over a decade. After struggling to make her first sale, she went on to become her mother’s dependable right-hand gal, picking up bookkeeping skills, marathon running and a husband along the way.
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