This story first appeared at Mountain Culture. The other day I resigned from my day job. I walked out of the CAO’s office and into the washroom and realized there was a hole worn through the elbow of my shirt. Good time to be returning to freelance life, I thought. At least I can keep…
Category: lisa richardson
What winning the lottery really means
When the $2.2 million cheque arrived from the BC Children’s Hospital Lottery Foundation on Thursday May 11, it was one week since Lana McKenzie discovered she had bought the winning ticket. She had $33 in her bank account. The 44 year old former receptionist at the Village of Pemberton, and her husband, “Dumpy” Shanon Dumbleton,…
Garlic Independence Day
I have not bought garlic at the store for at least 5 years. Not so much as a single bulb. I have achieved Garlic Independence. I don’t say this to brag. I’m proud of it, sure. But I also deeply suspect that the minute you announce publicly “I am an amazing garlic grower”, your just-now-reaching-for-the-sun…
The meaner you get, the meaner you get: pushing back on my scarcity mindset with a little help from Brene Brown and some primitive skills experts
I’m sitting up until midnight to try and register my kid for the last remaining spot in pre-school swimming lessons at Meadow Park. I’m a non-resident, so I have to wait until all Whistler residents get their pick of the spring programs, and I’ve watched as the spots slowly filled up with a vague sense…
Counting birds, wrangling hawks: how Pemberton’s go-to bird guy help me find my way home
If a cold and hungry hawk is going to get itself entangled in the netting of your chicken coop, attempting to source itself a nice New Year’s Day dinner, the best possible scenario is to be John Tschopp’s neighbour. The 40-year Pemberton resident unwittingly designated himself as my go-to guy for any bird-related questions, when…
What pops up when you go with what feels right
Lisa Vertefeuille’s Christmas pop-up shop has popped away now, but I still wanted to share this column, because I was so inspired by her grounded wisdom and the idea of always checking in with your feelings, even if it means doing a U-turn. Lisa Vertefeuille is a purveyor of happiness. It’s not her official job description,…
When commitment is as easy as following your passion
Last year, at Christmas, I wrote a column about how our excessive consumption is destroying the planet. This year, I decided to soften my stance, and “lean in” to the whole festive thing (in as planet-loving way as is possible.) Kids and nutcrackers have proven a good assist. A friend recently accused me of having long harboured some…
Mapping the Mysterious
“The Lillooet River is such a mystery,” says Veronica Woodruff. “It’s so murky. Even where it’s only ten centimeters deep in shallow spots in the middle, you can’t actually see the bottom.” An environmental technician and founding director of Stewardship Pemberton, Woodruff paddleboards the river all summer and lives right beside it. “It doesn’t have…
Offshoots of a Slow Food Cycle: introducing Pemberton’s Beerfarmers
When I call Bruce Miller, he’s busy cleaning up the farm in anticipation of Sunday’s Slow Food Cycle. Hosting thousands of strangers on a farm requires some serious landscaping. Across the Creek Organics, Miller’s fourth-generation family farm, is set to be the heart of the event this year, hosting vendors Thirsty Whale Elixirs, the Pemberton…
Kindness, good. Self-kindness, better.
Being nice to yourself isn’t as selfish as it sounds. I’m standing in the kitchen talking to one of my best friends. We’re both crying. And we don’t have much time. The kids will be home soon. The visit will end. We’ll be back to communicating sporadically via time zone-challenged texts. “I’m having this crisis…
Lisa Richardson Bylines 