Life, Of Course, Is All About Making Choices

About the Book

This is the story of a young woman's struggle to live according to her own conscience, resulting in a break from family members and the style of life she had been brought up to respect. Her new life necessitated finding new friends as old friends were advised by their church not to associate with those who in their view had "fallen away." She was haunted for years by doubt, guilt and lonliness; eventually succumbing to the charms of a church member, so strong was the 'brain washing'. The husband became more and more verbally abusive, with increasing threats of physical abuse. The one joy in her life was the birth of a daughter in 1944. The child showed signs of stress as the environment became at times ugly. After a bitter battle and shameful court settlement, a divorce was granted.

Almost ten years as a single parent followed when, in 1954, she remarried and two more children came along - a girl and a boy. Loneliness was to haunt the family again as their father, whose job was as a tugboat skipper, spent 95% of his off time with his buddies. Another ten years of 'single parenthood' followed after a second divorce. With two children now on their own, mother and son seek a totally new life; that of living in a winterized cabin on beautiful Stuart Lake in north central British Columbia. Some interesting adventures follow.

The story has equal amounts of laughter and sadness, struggles and joys.

About the Author

I can't say my life has been 'normal' as everything is so relative. I have said I struggled with my determination to change my life style. I never totally succeeded in that as I inherited my love for the earth and its soil from my father. I still yearn for a beautiful garden all of my own doing. I did not have the foresight in choosing a husband with similar likes and dislikes in life style. I recognize now how important that is for a couple. I seemed to have a talent for attracting the wrong men. Strange isn't it? At this time in my life, rather laughable. Here I am living in the garden city and puttering half-heartedly in someone else's garden! Dear Evelyn (Gordie's deceased wife) told me two weeks before she died "Do what you want in the yard Doreen; Gordie doesn't know a weed from a flower!" She was so wisely right. It's just not the same if it's not your own dirt. I may yet get my own garden; I'm only eighty years young-there's lots of time.