Originally intended to simply focus on book reviews, over time, KaliDesautelsReads has morphed into its own entity.
I write about issues that are near to my heart, be they political, feminist, motherhood, mental health, or, as the title holds, books.
A thirty-something Canadian woman in my mid-thirties, I have been “super married” to my high school sweetheart since 2006, and together we have two crazy, clever, kind, hilarious, wonderful kids.
My first book – How Not To Blog: Finding Myself, One Post at a Time is available on Amazon (in eBook formats for you clever tech readers, and paperback for those of us who love that new book smell!)
I have tried a podcast – it’s still on Apple and Google Podcasts – but writing is where my heart is.
My life changed dramatically when my husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2018, and I am now a writer for a leading Canadian Cancer Non-Profit.
I am lucky enough to have a family that loves me and pushes me to be my best, even if it is outside of my cushiony comfort zone. I have a village of friends that nourish me, mentally, and spiritually.
Welcome to my thoughts. Sit down. Stay a while. Enjoy a cup of coffee!
You’ve got to pump it up! @u_n_i_c_o_r_n_b_a_b_y_ is doing an athletic wear fashion show today!! She is a very happy @iloveleggingsdotcom leggings today!!! Such a happy girl!.
Nuts, seeds, melons, plain Greek yoghurt, and a bit of agave for lunch. Dave thinks it looks gross 🤣 I told him that I thought it was quite pretty! One way or the other, it is tasty and satisfying!
I have an Irish Twin. I do not remember a minute of my life without him, and my very first memory is of him. And of me panicking that he was going to get hurt. Over the years we have both spent a fair amount of time driving each other crazy, and also protecting each other. Siblings know exactly which buttons to push, but we also know when we see someone else push those buttons on our siblings, and jump to the defence. My brother and I are like chalk and cheese – he is fun-loving and quick to make friends, while being the biggest devil’s advocate in the world; I am anxious and don’t want to impose on people by calling them my friend too soon, and have had to learn that it’s ok to share my opinions, even if they are not generally agreed upon. My brother had a semicolon tattooed to his forearm so that I would never feel alone in my mental health struggles. My brother showed up with a “fuck cancer” cake the night my husband was diagnosed. When I look at my life, my brother has always been there, driving me nuts, protecting me, challenging me, rescuing me from Shredder, and being quick to chuckle.
I have an Irish twin, and I am so grateful that my mom taught us to be friends, because as an adult, it’s nice to have him as my friend.
Let me tell you about my feminist agenda – I will smile when I damn well feel like it. It is not my job to brighten your day by smiling at you. If you tell me to smile, don’t worry I will bare my damn fangs, but I don’t think you will like it. My job is to live my life and to make myself happy and raise responsible humans. My job is not to smile for you. I am not a monkey. And for that matter, it’s not a monkey’s job to smile for you. If you want to tell someone to smile, go look in the mirror and smile for your own damn self.
I would say have a nice day, but again, it’s not my job.
Repost • @emily.carey.904 Telling women to smile….a pet peeve from long ago (in my life, too). Cartoon for Women’s History Month by Elisabeth McNair @margaret__elisabeth — seen here before — & in #thenewyorker
This week’s WCW is one of the strongest women that I have ever known and the only one that I truly believed that I willed into existence for a long time. @clothedinthesunandmoon is my baby sister, and also my mentor. She is so strong and so tough that people forget that she has a soft heart underneath her tough exterior. She has always gotten my references and my jokes and our inane conversations are some of my favourite things on earth. Working towards her PhD, she has fascinating thoughts and inspires those of us around her to think about things differently. She is a second Mama to my kids, and has taken every single shot that life has thrown at her, stacked them in the corner and moved forwards. She is brave, brilliant, strong willed, and thoughtful. She is raising an amazing feminist son, and helping me to find my way, while guiding my kids to help them be their best selves. I am so grateful that I can truly call my sister my friend, and that she will always be my sounding board and guiding light. Here’s to a wonderful, witchy, warm, wise, wholehearted, whimsical, willful, winsome, witty, well-spoken, well-written woman. I love you, Bren.
There is something magical about living in a suburb that remembers its rural heritage. These kids have discovered that the end of our family walk has a surprise that is worth waiting for! .
Do you have an area that mixes rural and suburban?
For the 10th day in a row, I tackled my personal Everest. It is still killer. My lungs still want to explode, and my heart decides that my throat is a good 2nd home. That said, I did NOT have to double over in a drastic attempt to catch my breath. I was able to continue my walk, while catching my breath. So – measurable milestones! Baby steps! I will achieve my goal, I am sure, by the end of the summer, and develop another goal; but, for now, getting this damn hill under control is what I need to do.
Double tap if you have a specific goal to beat by the end of summer 2019!!! ❤️
It’s Taco Tuesday!!! 🌮 🌮 🌮 In the interest of reducing my meat intake, while increasing my protein, I came up with a meatless taco filler – I fried up canned chickpeas with taco spices, mixed in some onions and voilà! It was actually a very satiating alternative to chicken or ground beef!
What does self care look like right now? It looks like listening to an audiobook through earbuds while Dave falls asleep on my lap; it looks like walks whenever I can nab one, alone or with whoever is available; it means drinking my coffee while it is still hot; it means writing at least once a day. No, I am not finding an hour to myself every day. No, I am not remembering to put myself first every day. But I am doing the best that I can.
Kali J Desautels 