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!
What do you do when your besties work the Night Shift and you work a standard 9-5? You get up an hour early, and visit when they are finished for the day, before you start your day!
This morning, my sweet friend Katie brought Starbucks and we buried ourselves under a huge cozy quilt and celebrated the good and lamented the less good of the week.
I am so incredibly grateful that my time working at the grocery store resulted in a life long friendship with these funny, smart, kind, loving women.
How do you make it work to spend time with your loved ones when there are challenges?
It’s hard to imagine the version of me that had an fear of dogs. This monkey makes my life so full. Between kisses, cuddles, happy tappy feet, and most enthusiastic welcome home that I could ever imagine.
Sadie Rose is definitely the highlight of 2021 and I am so grateful that she is ours.
Repost• @blmlosangeles We uplift the Spirit of #AhmaudArbery and send endless love to his family and loved ones. Deepest appreciation to all who organized, protested, ran, posted, and prayed. Every effort ushered in as much justice as could be had. May this victory inspire the continued struggle to transform every system of injustice and the continued fight for Black freedom. #BlackLivesMatter
It’s my favourite time of the year! Christmas mugs, Christmas music, peppermint in my coffee, and the general gathering of emotions that comes when the air starts to smell like snow.
Over the past year KaliDesautelsSpeaks has not spoken much. There has a been a lot to speak about, and things that I wanted to say, but I have been quite sick and my world has become quite small.
In the past couple of weeks, I have been officially diagnosed with another autoimmune disorder, which has replaced my long term diagnosis of fibromyalgia. I am glad to finally be moving into treatment, but it also feels weird to have to let go of my fibromyalgia diagnosis. It was something I was frustrated to receive years and years ago, but now, after almost a decade of living with it, it became something that just was. Now I have to let that go, and live with the idea that the new disorder, ankylosing spondylitis, has really been here all along.
Anyway, all that is to say that hopefully, once the treatment begins, I will be able to do more than just cope, and I will once again be able to form coherent thoughts.
I miss you and look forward to hanging out again. I look forward to sharing great books, advocating for causes that matter, amplifying voices, showing you what my new puppy and my raggedy old man are up to, and overall just being a part of the bigger world again.
How about you? How have you been? Are you looking forward to the holidays? Are you looking forward to just letting 2021 go?
I never loved Halloween all that much – it always felt like something that was between Thanksgiving and my Christmas tree.
Then we moved into this neighbourhood 13 years ago, and my family and I started getting together to celebrate and eat creepy treats. And I made friends with fellow geeks who enjoyed cosplay, and suddenly, all at once Halloween became a tradition. Something fun that we all looked forward to. Not just for candy but because we would hang out and laugh and wear funny costumes. We carve pumpkins and hand out candy to kids regardless of their age!
And this year, my political pumpkin is the handprint and feather honouring the millions of murdered and missing indigenous girls and women in North America, and specifically in BC along the infamous Highway of Tears.
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree. I shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night’s decay Ushers in a drearier day.
This beautifully plated dish of classic basil and tomato spaghetti was all her tonight. She said “Mama, can I make spaghetti for dinner?”
How can a mother resist someone else taking over kitchen duties? Especially when it’s her 13 year old who always whips up amazing goodies?
In all seriousness, this was even tastier than it looked. I am proud of her ability to look in the fridge and pantry and come up with something tasty for us. Additionally, I am grateful for the fact that she is willing to help out without being asked. The icing on the cake is that she is really, really good at cooking and baking.
Kali J Desautels 