Bernadette Wagner

Politics over poetry, again!

the regina mom — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 17:38:45 +0000

the regina mom again steps away from poetry-writing and into political writing because she thinks it's that damned important! And who knows? She might get a poem out of it, too, one day.

Politics over poetry, for today, anyway

the regina mom — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 03:51:46 +0000

the regina mom is currently on retreat at her favourite Catholic monastery in rural Saskatchewan. Try as she might, she is unable to fully concentrate on the poetry while the current attack on Canadian democracy is underway.

Demand an apology from Senator Dagenais

the regina mom — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 11:03:44 +0000

the regina mom is pleased to see that at least the NDP are taking the misogynistic and ageist personal attack by Senator Dagenais against MP Charmaine Borg seriously. In the House of Commons on Monday, MP Charlie Angus asked if the PMO was involved. Not surprisingly, the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Secretary, MP Paul Calandra, gave a non-response. [Beginning at 1:00]

Watch on YouTube

Update: Sen Dagenais attack on MP Charmaine Borg

the regina mom — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:04:53 +0000

the regina mom believes that the number of people responding via social media and email regarding the outrageous attack on MP Charmaine Borg helped to get the NDP to raise the issue during Question Period today. While trm believes the question should have come from one of the very capable women in the NDP caucus, it's good to see someone address it. The question begins around one minute in.

How the Old Boyz Work

the regina mom — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 04:27:56 +0000

Several years ago, the regina mom wrote a letter to the editor of the local daily newspaper, accusing the Premier of the day of misogyny. trm received supreme shit from an older male family member for doing so because it forced him to look up the definition in the dictionary and because she dared to call a man a "woman-hater." Well, there are some very subtle ways of expressing hatred toward women and trm wishes a few more people, particularly those in the Senate and the House of Commons would do some digging and come to an understanding of how misogyny works.

Scandal, -Gate, Affair and Reform

the regina mom — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 06:49:47 +0000

Without a doubt, these are interesting times for those who, like the regina mom, follow Canadian politics. The Senate Scandal aka the Wright-Duffy Affair aka Prime Minister Harper's Watergate has legs and continues to run, despite

Is Harper going down?

the regina mom — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 06:43:58 +0000

the regina mom firmly believes the HarperCons stole the 2011 election to secure their Majority government. And so, she has been hoping that there would be a way to stop it. Learning the truth about the Robofraud scandal seemed the most likely, until now.

Remember the women and girls

the regina mom — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 18:23:54 +0000

Today is Remembrance Day, the day that the regina mom learned was set aside to honour our war veterans, those who fought so we could have peace. What no one mentioned during her upbringing was the hundreds of thousands of women who suffered as a result of gendered power during times of war. No one taught her that rape is a weapon of war.

Too much politics all at once

the regina mom — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:58:26 +0000

Really, the regina mom thinks she should take up juggling. She'd be good at it, given her propensity to deal with many things at once. Oh, sure, the kids have moved out and she's not juggling their lives in with hers as much as she used to, but it seems that other things have moved into her life and she's throwing them around, too.

And the attacks on our abortion rights continue

the regina mom — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 21:52:09 +0000

the regina mom is getting rather sick and tired of the anti-abortion crowd's attacks on women's reproductive rights. They don't have a leg to stand on, and they know it, so they come out with backdoor attempts, overloaded with emotion, to restrict our access to a basic medical procedure.

Celebrating Imbolc: A poem in progress

the regina mom — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:39:30 +0000

Horoscope: Ground Hog Day

Brighid, the ancient hag of winter, kindles
sacred fires to melt earth's white blanket

transforming you as she did Galatians and Brigantians
long before Patrick danced green among the Celts

Her healing waters wash away toxic patterns that tax and consume,
erase attitudes that build you into what you are not.

Old Brighid, young Maiden-Mother-Crone cum
Christian saint blesses houses on her feast day, the Cross-Quarter Day

when winter passes halfway through, when once
candles made sacred at Candlemas lit houses and villages,

morphed into the Feast of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
until St. Brigit's decanonization. Her fire, snuffed.

A bad law and a bold woman

the regina mom — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:43:14 +0000

An excerpt from an essay-in-progress.

A Bad Law and A Bold Woman

1985. I’ve always called it the worst year of my life. A series of unfortunate events tripped me up the summer I turned 23. In no particular order: sex, a really bad boss, unemployment, and a 1968 Buick.

The sex: great! One of my first orgasms.

Save the date! Saskatchewan Women’s Forum 2013 #SWF13

the regina mom — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:51:46 +0000

the regina mom is so very excited! As you regulars are aware, she attended the Women's Forum des Femmes in Ottawa in October and had a fantastic time. So, she brought the idea home and is happy to invite you to save the date!

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Saskatchewan Women’s Forum 2013

If you are interested in women’s rights, in connecting with individuals and organizations who have been working on women’s issues recently and through the decades, and in spending a weekend learning, having fun, and moving a women’s agenda forward in our province, then:

'Fifty Shades of Green': Grasslands in Peril

the regina mom — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 06:07:59 +0000

Earlier this week the regina mom and her friend, Cherie Westmoreland, had a conversation about the prairie grasslands in anticipation of tonight's talk, Grasslands in Peril, by Candace Savage*. Cherie said that for her, the grasslands are "a quantity of grief that's difficult to hold." And tonight, after having spent almost two hours listening to Candace's presentation, "Fifty Shades of Green," the regina mom has a deeper understanding of that grief. Candace opened her lecture with a reference to her friend, Lille, who lives on a First Nations reserve south of Maple Creek.

Celebrating universal health-care and the Ryan Meili campaign

the regina mom — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:27:09 +0000

As the regina mom's readers already know, she endorsed Dr. Ryan Meili in his bid for leadership of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party. The idea-sharing, hard work and comaraderie among the folks on the campaign team has instilled in her a renewed sense of commitment to building a better world. Our creative campaign team came up with this great idea, just in time for holiday gift-giving! the regina mom invites you to be part of this historic time by supporting Ryan's campaign. Check out the 50/50/7 deal: