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EmailShopping and mother-daughter bonding
Posted Sep 6 2019 in About Jen, Family, Motherhood, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
Shopping together is one of the things I enjoyed (and miss) doing with my mother. Although we usually didn’t buy much, wandering around the shops and then having lunch was when Mom and I had some of our best talks. In between teaching me how to spot a bargain, upcycle a dated outfit with trendy […]
Read More...Saying goodbye to my childhood home
Posted Aug 9 2019 in About Jen, Family, Home, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
I’m writing this post from my hometown in the Canadian province of Manitoba, a place I left when I was in my early twenties and, apart from brief visits, I built my adult life elsewhere. Now, though, I’m doing the final clear-out of my late parents’ home in preparation for selling it—those four walls and […]
Read More...Hello summer and time to refill my creative well
Posted Jun 28 2019 in About Jen, England, Family, Holiday, Summer, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, Writing
English Rose wrote her last exam this week so is now off school until September. My weekly ballet class and choir practice are on hiatus for the summer, and my neighbor’s peonies are blooming in pink profusion. And ever so slightly, my family’s usual routine has shifted into a slower, summertime mode. For me, summer […]
Read More...Remembering my dad…on Father’s Day and always
Posted Jun 14 2019 in About Jen, Family, Father's Day, Summer on Firefly Lake, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
I’m about to mark my tenth Father’s Day without my dad. Although time has lessened the raw grief of his death, his absence is still and always will be a “hole” in my life familiar to all “orphaned children” no matter how old. I thought of Dad especially during the recent D-Day commemorations. Although he […]
Read More...Fantasy to reality: No ‘rules’ for an engagement
Posted May 17 2019 in About Jen, Family, Marriage, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
This week, Tech Guy and I marked the twenty-fourth anniversary of our engagement. In some ways, that special day seems like yesterday. In others, it’s a lifetime ago and that young(er) couple are like people we used to know, almost strangers to who we’ve since become. Tech Guy’s proposal was romantic and his words heartfelt. […]
Read More...Celebrating grandmothers
Posted Mar 8 2019 in About Jen, Canada, England, Family, Friendship, Small town life, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
Earlier this week, English Rose bounced into the house with the kind of teenage excitement usually reserved for a meme, ‘tea’ (gossip between friends), or afternoon at the mall. “Look what Grandma J gave me,” she said, gesturing to the colourful bracelet on her wrist. “It’s from her trip. She brought back presents for all […]
Read More...The Latest News
- Jun 04, 2019: ‘What libraries mean to me,’ North Grenville Public Library, ‘An Evening at the Library,’ June 22, 2019
- Mar 29, 2019: Ein herzliches Willkommen an die deutschen Leser!
- Mar 29, 2019: Welcome to German readers!
- Feb 15, 2019: Penguin Verlag acquires German rights to Firefly Lake series
- Dec 11, 2018: Take Two Characters: Jen Gilroy chooses two of her favourite fictional people — Guest post, author Susanna Bavin’s blog
- Oct 12, 2018: Writing workshop for North Grenville Writers Circle
- May 29, 2018: All About Books — Guest post on Odd Socks and Lollipops
- Dec 18, 2017: My favourite holiday books as a child — Guest post, That Artsy Reader Girl, A Bookish Little Christmas
- Dec 17, 2017: How I find writing inspiration – Guest post, ChickLit Club
- Dec 16, 2017: My favourite fireside reads for the holidays – Guest post, Fresh Fiction
