The Clothesline is written by a real person: Me! I’m Vanessa Chiasson, a writer and business coach based in Ottawa, Canada. I write travel and human interest narratives primarily for North American print and online outlets and I love reading, birds, beach glass, lattes, and nachos. I’m scared of roosters, dislike olives, and I cannot wink. You can check out my coaching services here and follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Upcoming Events
Are you self-employed and struggling with what you should say about your business – and how you should say it and who you should say it to? Do you wish you didn’t have to worry about your about-me page, your social media bios, and what to say at a networking event? Join me for the 6-week Illuminate Your Biz course that will transform how you communicate about your work. Starting April 22, you’ll enjoy video lectures to enjoy on your own time, live Q&A, worksheets and templates, and much more. Plus, if you upgrade to VIP, you’ll get detailed feedback on your weekly homework for extra accountability and insights into your business.
Food For Thought
There is a great passage in one of Gretchen Rubin’s books (I think it’s Happier At Home) where the author describes the seismic effect of moving to a new apartment that was just around the corner from the last, less than a full block away. She says that it felt like all of New York City wobbled and realigned until, once again, her little family home was at the heart of the city. Having once made a similarly short move (though longer than Rubin’s – we moved about ten minutes down the road), this passage struck a chord with me. We were both still in our respective neighbourhoods and yet everything had changed.
This past week, it felt like once again the world wobbled to recenter my life. Ryan and I adopted two new pets! Clover, a two year old Pyrenees mix, is a bashful, gentle soul who is full of silliness at home but still deeply distrustful of the loud sounds of the outside world. Ebenezer, just under two, is a domestic shorthair with markings like a cow. He is full of snuggles, energy, and confidence (including a profoundly misplaced belief that he belongs on the kitchen counter - now you know why I’m later than usual sending this newsletter!) They’re quickly becoming fast friends. Our emotional home is just a few steps away from where it was a week ago and yet we are in another world altogether now.
While I anticipated big changes in the weeks following their adoption, I’m struck by the impact of all the tiny adjustments. When our previous dog, Oliver, passed away last fall, the process of sorting his toys and tools was so much more than a series of chores. There were literal and figurative gaps in our life. What becomes of the empty basket that once held toys? What about the space where his bed once sat? Our little house contracted when he left us and now it is expanding to welcome Clover and Ebenezer. And yet, nothing has really changed. The basket once again holds toys. The fluffy bed is back in its designated spot. It is the same yet it feels so different.
The world wobbles and adjusts for us every time.
Great Reads
Can a review about toothpaste be riveting? I think so! Check out this piece about David’s Toothpaste. I really want to try it now.
Travelling with your young child and leaving all the translation skills up to them seems like a risky move but for one writer, it was soul-saving for everyone involved.
Did you know that there’s a garden in England where every plant is poisonous? I’m adding this to my travel list!
Looking for a different kind of protagonist in your mystery novel? Fifty Four Pigs by Philipp Schott has a small town veterinarian at the heart of a complex mystery that’s set in an Icelandic-Canadian small town. Lovely book and I can’t wait to get more from the author.
I’ve just started Martin Baron’s Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post and I’m riveted so far. Baron is a journalist’s journalist. He’s also one of the most important newspaper editors of the past 100 years. (He was head of the Boston Globe during the Catholic church abuse scandel that was chronicled in the award-winning movie Spotlight). I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about being both a witness and recorder of history.