isobelmtl

Writing under a Montreal sky

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about

Isobel Cunningham has published short fiction and poetry. Her book, Northern Compass is available on Amazon. She was born in Wales but Montreal is her adopted home. She speaks French, Modern Greek ( it’s a fun story) and a little Spanish…oh, English too, of course. She welcomes comments on her blog and looks forward to chatting with you over cyber-space.

Author: isobel cunningham

  • These clouds remind me of The Simpsons

    The Simpsons T V show starts with this sort of flat cloud parting to reveal the hectic life of the Simpsons.  I love the Simpsons for its crazy wit and Everyman philosophy.  I live on Springland street and occasionally I get letters addressed to Springfield street.  Just thinking about them makes me smile; Marge, the…

  • A picture for Good Friday

      This really is  one of my favourite pictures.  It’s by Gabriel Max and the title is The Raising of the daughter of Jairus.  I love it on many levels.  First, it’s a narrative and you can Google that part yourself.  I love the composition too; the way the painting is split into dark and…

  • Family ties

    Yesterday I received a letter from my cousin who lives in Switzerland.  Last year I went on a rather odd holiday.  I wanted to re-connect with my cousins.  My mother died late in 2012 and finally the last of those in the family picture were gone.  My mother was the youngest of 7 siblings.  She…

  • You’re snowdrops. . . deal with it

    April is an equal opportunity month for complainers in Montreal     You can moan that it’s too wet Or that sunbeams make you sweat. You can whine about a cloud Or the snow bank that’s not ploughed When the temperature’s too high You’re allowed to heave a sigh As the rivers burst their banks…

  • I promised you sky

    This is the view from the corner of my street.  I like that I can see that beautiful Montreal landmark from my neighbourhood.  It looks as though I could just walk up the little hill and make a bee line for that dome, doesn’t it.  There are lots of obstacles between me and it though.…

  • Misty morning

    Lovely morning, cool and misty with a bleary-eyed sun creeping up over the roof of the house.  Last night there was thunder and lightning and not the downpour we were forecast, but the face of my garden got a little wash-all to the good.  Many busy robins out on the street and rustling about in…

  • Well somebody must hatch these eggs

    Lovely Lazarus Saturday yesterday and Palm Sunday today.  I love Lazarus Saturday and think it is at the same time very mysterious and joyful too.  I often wonder what sort of a life Lazarus led after he was resurrected and if he wasn’t a bit obsessed with the whole business.  I expect people were always…

  • Wildlife too!

    Alligators in my garden!  Since the temperature is supposed to climb to 25 on Monday and then plummet to zero shortly after, who knows what creatures will emerge?  Some creatures are stirring over my head too.  I finally rented my little apartment and my very. … very. . . young tenants are installing their second-hand…

  • Nature doesn’t waste time

    They’re here.  And look, another orange hockey ball from Stevie’s epic practice last fall.  I started the clean up yesterday and will work my way up to the fence today.  Maybe by tomorrow I’ll be able to open the back gate, frozen, packed with snow for so long and scramble out into the back lane. …

  • Hockey puck among the tulips

    This is not a very beautiful picture but it’s pretty Canadian, eh?  I remember one cold afternoon when Stevie next door, determined to perfect his slap shot, sent quite a few zingers over the fence into my garden.  I wisely abandoned my fall leaf raking, gave it up as a bad job and retired to…